What Supplements Actually Work? A No-Nonsense Breakdown for Fighters

Listen up, warriors. If you’ve ever stood in the supplement aisle feeling like you needed a PhD to pick your next tub of powder, we’ve got your back. A freshly published network meta-analysis just dropped in *Frontiers in Nutrition*—and it’s giving us the clearest picture yet of what actually works when paired with structured strength and conditioning (S&C) training.

Here’s the punch-by-punch breakdown of how the top supplements stack up when it comes to building strength, jumping higher, sprinting faster, and (spoiler alert) gaining muscle mass—or not.

🥇 The Top Performers

• **Protein**: The reigning champ for muscular strength. When paired with S&C, it delivered the highest boost in strength gains (SMD = 0.64). Think of it as the bedrock of your power. Just don’t expect it to give you kangaroo hops or sprinter legs—it didn’t improve jump or sprint speed.

• **β-Alanine**: If jumping higher is your game (looking at you, Muay Thai fighters and wrestlers), this buffering badass came out on top for vertical jump performance.

• **Creatine**: A fan favorite—and for good reason. It gave fighters a leg up in both jump performance *and* sprint speed. For explosive power and short bursts, creatine remains king.

🥈 The 'Meh' Category

• **Vitamin D**: It didn’t really move the needle unless you’re deficient. So unless you’re training in a dungeon with zero sunlight, don’t expect it to turn you into Bruce Lee.

• **HMB**: Marketed like it’s magic, but delivered like a mild tap. Great for beginners or the elderly. For trained athletes? Pass.

• **Caffeine**: Might give you a buzz, but not enough juice to move the stats on jumping or sprinting meaningfully—at least in this analysis.

💪 Muscle Mass? Don’t Hold Your Breath

None—and we mean none—of the supplements studied produced significant muscle mass gains. That means if you're taking creatine or protein hoping to wake up swole overnight, think again. Gains take time, training, and optimal nutrition—not just scoops of powder.

🔥 Practical Takeaways for Fighters

• Want to hit harder? Prioritize **protein** daily—especially during strength phases.

• Want to jump higher or recover from flurries of kicks? Stack **β-alanine** and **creatine** for serious explosive power.

• Sprinting across the cage? **Creatine** is your best bet.

• Still hoping for magic muscle mass gains? Get back to your deadlifts and double scoops of patience.

Remember: supplements are *tools*, not miracles. You still have to train like a savage, sleep like a monk, and eat like a future champ.

🧠 Source: Deng et al. (2025). Effects of different dietary supplements combined with conditioning training on muscle strength, jump performance, sprint speed, and muscle mass in athletes. *Frontiers in Nutrition.*