Supplements That Actually Work
Norton's evidence tiers cut the supplement aisle down to the few things with real human data, and name what to stop wasting money on.
Creatine monohydrate 5 g per day, every day; loading optional; the cheapest plain monohydrate is fine
The most effective, most studied ergogenic aid: more strength, power, lean mass, and even cognition under stress. Safe for healthy kidneys; a small creatinine rise is a marker artifact, not damage.
Whey protein (if you struggle to hit protein) A scoop or two to top up daily protein; total intake matters more than timing
Gold standard for the leucine threshold and muscle protein synthesis, and it makes adequate protein easy.
Caffeine before training Pre-session as tolerated; stop early enough not to wreck sleep
One of the most reliable acute boosters of strength, power, endurance and alertness, and it lowers perceived effort.
Use situational add-ons only if they fit Citrulline malate for training pumps and reps, beta-alanine (~3 to 6 g/day) for high-rep work; both modest
Decent but smaller and use-specific evidence; optional, not essential.
Cover real dietary gaps Vitamin D if low, omega-3 if you eat little fish, creatine and protein as above
Fixing genuine deficiencies beats chasing exotic compounds.
Skip the hyped extras BCAAs (pointless if protein is adequate, which Norton dropped publicly), testosterone boosters, fat burners, most proprietary blends
These fail in good trials; the honest move is to not sell or take them.
Most supplements fail in well-controlled human trials, so a tiered, evidence-first approach saves money and disappointment.
View sources
Dr. Layne Norton on evidence-based nutrition and supplements (Huberman Lab)
Does creatine work?
Supplement Series: Tier 1 (The Dr. Layne Norton Podcast #22)
Supplement Series: Tier 1 (Dr. Layne Norton Podcast, Ep. 22)
ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation (Kreider et al., JISSN 2017)
Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Layne Norton and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Layne Norton or PhD · Nutritional Sciences · BioLayne.
Is this for you
- Anyone overwhelmed by the supplement aisle
- People who want to spend only on what works
- Lifters optimising the basics
- Skeptics who want the evidence, not hype
Cautions
- Supplements are a small lever; training, protein, sleep and consistency do the heavy lifting
- Creatine is safe for healthy kidneys, but check with a doctor if you have kidney disease
- Caffeine and pre-workouts can disrupt sleep and raise heart rate; mind your dose and timing
- Third-party test anything you buy (NSF or Informed Sport); the supplement industry is loosely regulated
- The proven items here are available from many brands
- Educational only, not medical advice
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