You've probably heard some people say that supplements aren't necessary. We won't argue that. In some cases, they're absolutely right. Whether you're an athlete or an everyday gym-goer, most supplements do just as the name states— they supplement something missing. 

Take protein powder as an example.  If you consistently hit your protein requirements through food alone, even as an athlete, you might not "need" a protein powder.  And pre-workout? With the right ingredients, a pre-workout can certainly give you extra energy and endurance, but you don't "need" one to train or compete.

Still, Americans spent at least 45 billion dollars on supplements last year alone (a number that is expected to reach at least 70 billion in the next six years). There is obviously a demand, and people wouldn't keep buying supplements if they didn't see real benefits.

The reality is that meeting nutritional needs through food alone is incredibly tough, especially for athletes. Training at a high level takes a toll on your body and depletes it of vital nutrients. Filling every gap through whole foods isn't always practical or even possible. 

Beyond closing nutritional gaps, certain performance-boosting compounds are nearly impossible to get from food alone. Things like glutamine, collagen, and creatine—which are essential for recovery, joint health, and muscle performance—are prime examples.

Then, there are other supplements, like adaptogens, that aren't in food and offer specific performance advantages, such as improving mental focus, reducing stress, and supporting overall endurance. 

No, supplements aren't always necessary. But for athletes, they're often more than just an extra boost. The right supplements can be the difference between maintaining optimal health, performing at your best, and simply settling for average.

Why Athletes Need Supplements

Athletes push their bodies harder than the average person. This extra stress creates higher nutritional and recovery requirements, and if those needs aren't met, performance and overall health can suffer. 

This is where supplements step in. Without certain supplements filling the gaps and some even providing what food alone can't, performance can suffer, recovery will slow down, and you may feel fatigued, run-down, and even more prone to injury and illness.

Here are three reasons why athletes need supplements more than the average person.

Athletes Need More Nutrients

Athletes have unique nutritional needs because their bodies burn through nutrients rapidly. Even with the most carefully planned diet, it's tough for athletes to meet every nutritional need required to perform their best and stay healthy. 

For example, you might think you are eating enough protein, but because of your training demands, it might not be enough to repair muscle tissue after a workout or intense competition.

Or, you might eat veggies and fruit a few times a day but lack variety, which can cause you to be deficient in vital vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed to fight oxidative stress and support energy production. 

And let's not forget about hydration? You might drink plenty of water but fail to replenish electrolytes, which are essential for hydration and muscle function.

Supplements like protein powder (especially collagen peptides), vitamins, and electrolytes fill the gaps, helping athletes stay healthy, recover faster, and perform at their peak.

Athletes Need More Rest and Recovery

In terms of recovery, you might take rest days but skip stretching or mobility work. Or you might eat enough calories but fail to provide your muscles with the proper nutrients to repair and recover quickly.

You might even get seven hours of sleep each night but lack a consistent bedtime and wake-up routine, which can throw off your circadian rhythm—a key factor in muscle repair and overall recovery.

Most athletes underestimate the amount of rest and recovery their bodies need. Athletes also tend to have an extreme "no days off" mentality, thinking that training seven days a week will somehow give them an edge against their competition. 

This is a big mistake. Research shows that athletes who take fewer or no rest days are at higher risk for injury, illness, and burnout, especially with age. Not only do athletes need rest and recovery, but they need more than the average person.

The key is to train smarter, not harder. That's where supplements like glutamine and a cortisol-lowering sleep supplement can help. They ensure you are giving your body exactly what it needs to recover, prevent injury, and keep you performing at your best.

Athletes Need Specific Herbs and Compounds

Beyond closing nutritional gaps, some nutrients and compounds are difficult, if not impossible, to get from food alone. Glutamine and collagen peptides are prime examples. These compounds play a crucial role in helping athletes push their limits and recover more efficiently, but they can be hard to get from food alone.

Additionally, there are other compounds that athletes could benefit from that can only be obtained in supplement form, such as KSM-66 Ashwagandha. This adaptogen is known to help enhance mental focus, reduce stress, and improve overall endurance—all valuable for athletes looking to optimize their physical and mental performance.

10 Essential Supplements for Athletes

Supplements can make a big difference in maximizing performance and recovery. While a well-balanced diet should always be the foundation, certain supplements are needed to help athletes reach their full potential, avoid injury, and stay ahead of the competition.

Here are ten supplements that stand out and why they deserve a spot in any athlete's regimen.

1: Protein 

Topping our list of supplements athletes should consider is protein. Protein is the king of macronutrients. Not only is it the building block of every cell in your body, but it's also essential for muscle recovery and growth, especially for athletes pushing their bodies to the limit.

You create micro-tears in your muscle fibers when you exercise or compete in a sport that challenges your strength or endurance. Protein provides the amino acids needed to repair and rebuild those fibers, making your muscles stronger and more resilient.

While whole-food sources like chicken, fish, beef, eggs, and beans are excellent options, relying entirely on food isn't always practical, especially for athletes with busy training schedules. This is where protein powders come into play.

Whey protein powder is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids your body can't produce on its own. For many athletes, convenience makes protein powder a staple in their diet.

A protein shake is quick to prepare, digests rapidly, and doesn't sit as heavy on your stomach as whole foods like steak or chicken—an important consideration if you're heading into a workout or competition.

Additionally, many protein powders are fortified with recovery-supporting ingredients like glutamine, which can be challenging to get in sufficient amounts from food alone. Speaking of glutamine, it's number two on our list and deserves a closer look.

Finally, while whey protein gets much of the spotlight, athletes should consider taking collagen peptides. Collagen—though not a complete protein—offers unique benefits for joint, tendon, and ligament health, supporting the connective tissue that keeps your body moving smoothly.

Since it's tough to get enough collagen from food alone, adding a quality collagen peptide is often necessary to ensure you are getting enough of this vital protein, which can reduce the risk of injuries and keep you performing at your peak.

2: Glutamine

Glutamine comes in at number two. If you're surprised that this supplement ranks so highly, it's probably because it's one of the most underestimated and overlooked supplements.

Glutamine is your body's most abundant amino acid, playing a key role in muscle recovery, immune function, and gut health. While your body produces it naturally, intense training depletes glutamine stores faster than you can replenish them. 

This is where supplementation comes in and why it can make a big difference for athletes pushing their limits. Unlike some supplements that target just one area, glutamine offers a trifecta of benefits that athletes can't afford to ignore:

• Muscle Recovery: Glutamine provides the building blocks for protein synthesis, helping your muscles recover faster and reducing soreness after a workout.
  

• Immune Function: Research shows glutamine helps support the immune system, which often takes a hit during intense exercise. By maintaining your immune defenses, glutamine keeps you healthy and ready to train.
  

• Gut Health: Studies suggest glutamine supports the integrity of your gut lining, which is crucial for nutrient absorption and reducing inflammation.
  

• Improved Endurance: Glutamine helps maintain muscle glycogen stores, giving you sustained energy during workouts or competitions.
  

• Enhanced Hydration: Glutamine aids in electrolyte absorption, keeping you hydrated and reducing the risk of cramping.
  

While glutamine is found in foods like meat, fish, and eggs, it's tough to consume enough through diet alone—especially for athletes training at a high level. A quality glutamine supplement ensures your body has the supply it needs to meet the demands of rigorous training.

3: Vitamins and Antioxidants

Athletes put their bodies through a lot, and the increased physical stress often means their micronutrient needs are higher than the average person's.

Even with a nutrient-dense diet, athletes can still benefit from supplementation to fill gaps and keep their bodies functioning at their best. That's why it's a good idea to take a quality daily multivitamin and an antioxidant-rich supplement, such as a high-quality greens product.

Other individual vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant supplements athletes should consider include B vitamins, vitamin D3, and vitamin C. Additionally, athletes should consider zinc, a quality probiotic, and a joint supplement to help boost immunity, promote gut health, prevent the build-up of harmful bacteria, and reduce inflammation. 

4: Creatine

Creatine is one of, if not the most used and well-researched supplements out there, and for good reason. Creatine helps replenish your muscles' ATP stores, which are your body's primary energy source during short, high-intensity efforts.

Creatine supplementation is also shown to improve strength, power, and performance in activities like weightlifting, sprinting, and jumping. Plus, it can support muscle growth by increasing the water content in muscle cells, creating an optimal environment for protein synthesis.

If that's not enough, new research also suggests that creatine may have cognitive benefits, potentially improving memory, focus, and mental clarity—benefits that could support overall athletic performance, especially in endurance or high-concentration sports.

You can get creatine from your diet—foods like red meat, poultry, and fish are all great sources. However, consuming the amounts needed to achieve the performance benefits from food alone is difficult. Adding a creatine supplement ensures you're getting the optimal amount needed to maximize your training and performance potential.

5: Water and Electrolytes

Nothing replaces water for hydration. As an athlete, you must remain hydrated, as dehydration can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and slower recovery.

However, plain water doesn't replace electrolytes—like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium—which are essential for maintaining hydration and supporting muscle function.

When you sweat, you lose these key minerals, and replenishing them is crucial to avoid cramping, fatigue, and dehydration. Electrolyte supplements, whether in powder, tablet, or drink form, help maintain your fluid balance, ensuring your body performs at its peak and recovers faster.

6: Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s, particularly EPA and DHA, have anti-inflammatory properties. They help reduce exercise-induced inflammation, improve joint health, and support brain function and focus—certainly things that athletes pushing their bodies and minds to the limit need. 

Most people consume an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids but fall short on omega-3 intake. This common imbalance can contribute to increased inflammation, hindering recovery and overall performance.

Omega-3 supplements ensure you get enough omega-3s, especially if fatty fish like salmon isn't a regular part of your diet.

To learn more, read “Omega 3 and Omega 6: What’s Different?”

7: Adaptogens

Adaptogens are natural substances that help the body adapt to physical, mental, or emotional stress. Adaptogens are a natural way for athletes to manage stress, improve focus, and enhance overall performance.

One adaptogen in particular that athletes should consider is Ashwagandha, especially a well-researched form called KSM-66.

KSM-66 is a more concentrated and bioavailable form of Ashwagandha with a rich medicinal history and many benefits. It has been shown to lower cortisol levels, which is essential for athletes since cortisol, the stress hormone, can hinder recovery and muscle growth when elevated for too long.

By reducing cortisol, KSM-66 Ashwagandha not only supports recovery but also helps maintain a healthy hormonal balance, which is vital for optimizing performance.

Beyond its stress-reducing benefits, KSM-66 Ashwagandha has been linked to improved VO2 max, which measures your body's ability to utilize oxygen during exercise. This can enhance endurance, making it particularly beneficial for athletes involved in sports that require sustained effort. 

Additionally, studies suggest that Ashwagandha can improve sleep quality, another critical factor in optimal recovery. Better sleep helps muscle repair, energy restoration, and cognitive function.

KSM-66 Ashwagandha isn't typically found in everyday foods, so athletes looking to experience its full benefits will need to take a quality KSM-66 supplement in effective dosages.

8: Magnesium

Magnesium has a host of health benefits. It is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, many of which are key for athletic performance, such as energy production, muscle function, and nerve signaling.

Athletes are at a higher risk of magnesium deficiency. This is definitely something you want to avoid, as low magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, and decreased performance.

Though magnesium is found in foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, many athletes struggle to meet their needs through diet alone because of increased demands. 

Supplementing with magnesium can help bridge the gap, ensuring your performance and recovery stay on track.

9: Post-Workout Supplements

Your post-workout routine is just as important as the workout itself, and it should center around one key priority: nutrition. After exercise, your muscles are primed to absorb nutrients, making it the perfect time to fuel your recovery and support muscle repair.

You can and should get these nutrients from food. However, there are post-workout supplements that combine fast-digesting carbs, protein, and recovery-enhancing ingredients like BCAAs and electrolytes that can benefit athletes. These blends are designed to kickstart muscle protein synthesis, replenish glycogen stores, and combat dehydration, all critical after intense physical activity.

While whole foods can provide these nutrients, post-workout supplements offer a convenient and precisely formulated option to ensure your body gets what it needs when it needs it most.  Many athletes take a post-workout supplement immediately after training or competing and then have a full meal about an hour later to maximize post-workout recovery.

10: Pre-Workout Supplements

While pre-workouts aren't strictly necessary, they can enhance athletic performance and give you an edge. A good pre-workout can help athletes maximize their training sessions by increasing energy, focus, and endurance. Look for one with clinically backed ingredients like caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, and citrulline malate.

Or, if you prefer a more natural, stimulant-free route, try L-theanine (as Suntheanine). L-theanine is an amino acid that promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness. You can take it alone if you don't want a stimulant, but when combined with caffeine, it provides smooth, sustained energy and sharper focus, making it perfect for pre-workout use.

Don't Forget About Rest and Recovery 

Supplements can take your performance to the next level, but we can't talk about athletic performance without mentioning rest days and sleep. You can take all the supplements in the world and have a perfect diet, but if you aren't giving your body quality rest, you will never perform at your best. 

Recovery starts with rest, so treat sleep as the cornerstone of your athletic performance. Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool in your arsenal. Quality sleep improves muscle recovery, mental focus, and overall athletic performance. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone, which is essential for muscle repair and rebuilding.

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night, but remember that t's not just about how many hours of sleep you get each night; you must also focus on sleep quality and timing. 

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your circadian rhythm, improving the quality of your rest. If you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, there are natural sleep supplements that can promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

Also, don't forget to take rest days from training and competing. The "no days off" mentality will only backfire. You can't go 24/7 and expect to perform at your best. It's easy for athletes to get into the mindset that they must train every day to outwork the competition. 

But remember, it's about training smarter, not harder. Rest days are when progress happens. One of the smartest things you can do to stay ahead of your competition is to prioritize rest and recovery. 

Giving your body the time it needs to recover and your nervous system a chance to reset is crucial for long-term progress and avoiding burnout or injury.

Final Thoughts 

Are fitness supplements really necessary to your routine? It depends on who you ask and your individual circumstances. It's fair to say that most supplements aren't necessary for an average, healthy person who eats a well-balanced diet and doesn’t train with intensity. 

But most people think they get all the nutrients they need from food alone.  Furthermore, athletes aren't average. Athletes put their bodies (and minds) through a ton of additional stress, burning through vital nutrients faster than the typical individual. 

For athletes, most supplements aren't a luxury—they're a necessity. This is especially true for those that can't be obtained from food, like KSM-66, or those that athletes burn through faster than they can restore, like glutamine.

Investing in high-quality supplements is about more than staying ahead of the competition; it's about giving your body the tools it needs to perform at its absolute best—every day.