What supplements can I take to increase my energy and athletic performance

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of the has talked about various supplements for health and athletic performance. For increased energy and athletic performance, a few specific types of supplements have been mentioned:

  1. Foundational Supplements: These are designed to establish a foundation or provide insurance along with your nutritional intake to ensure that you're getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals 1.

  2. Performance Supplements:

    • Citrulline Malate: May reduce fatigue and increase time to fatigue, with potential recovery benefits.
    • Different forms of Carnitine: Can have recovery benefits and have been shown to increase androgen receptor density in muscle cells.
    • Caffeine: Consistently improves performance. Habitual users still benefit each time they take it.
    • Beta Alanine: Helps delay fatigue for high-intensity activities longer than 60 seconds.
    • Betaine (Trimethylglycine): There's some evidence it can improve lean mass and power output.
    • Creatine: Beneficial though the effect is smaller compared to proper nutrition, recovery, and hard training 2.

  3. Cognitive Support and Energy

    • Nootropics: Often intended to enhance cognitive functioning and energy, can be divided into those that increase blood glucose and those that impact the cholinergic system. However, these supplements should be taken with caution and are not personalized to individual needs or goals 3.

      Rational Supplementation

      Andrew discusses the emergence of supplements and how to develop a rational supplementation regimen. He emphasizes that supplements should not replace excellent behavioral protocols and talks about the importance of foundational supplements that contain vitamins and minerals to compensate for any deficiencies in diet.

      Huberman Lab

      Developing a Rational Approach to Supplementation for Health & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast
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  4. Vitamin D3 and K2: Important for hormonal health, cardiovascular function, immune function, and other aspects of health. Available through the product Athletic Greens, which covers vitamin and mineral needs along with probiotics and adaptogens 4.

regularly emphasizes the foundation of good behavioral protocols and lifestyle factors before considering supplementation, acknowledging that there's no replacement for exercise, healthy eating, and other beneficial behaviors. He recommends engaging in a systematic approach, starting with behaviors, followed by nutrition, then supplementation, and only considering prescription drugs if there's a real need and under medical supervision 5.

It’s important to consult a healthcare professional before adding supplements to your regimen, as individual needs and health conditions may vary.

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