Goals ›

Energy

Day-to-day energy, fatigue and motivation.

Strongest evidence: Iron, Caffeine and Creatine.

Supplements for energy

Each supplement gets the grade of its strongest energy benefit. Open one to see each benefit.

StrongModerateWeakNo trials
SupplementMain effects in studiesEvidenceBenefits studied
IronHb/iron ↑, Fatigue ↓Strong2 of 4
CaffeineAlertness +, RT↓, Blood pressure +, alertness +Strong3 of 4
CreatineStrength/fatigue power +, Muscle creatine+PCr boostsStrong1 of 4
ButyrateButyrate↑ fatigue↓, SCFAs↑ energy↓Strong1 of 4
CarnitineFatigue/QoL ↑, Muscle/survival ↑Strong3 of 4
IodineIodine status +, Goitre/survival impactStrong2 of 4
FiberGlucose↓ Fatigue↓, Satiety↑ Energy↑Strong1 of 4
Fish oilMood swings, EPA/DHA +, Strength, function +Strong1 of 4
Coenzyme Q10Heart: pump + symptoms, Fatigue: ↓Strong1 of 4
MelatoninEarlier sleep onset + alertness, Sleep quality + sleepinessStrong2 of 4
Showing 10 of 185 supplements.

What energy covers

4 benefits that studies measure, and the supplements with the strongest evidence for each.

Energy & Fatigue

How tired you feel, which is separate from how well you perform. It is measured on fatigue questionnaires, and a change here can happen with no change in any physical test.

158 supplements, 36 strong
  1. IronStrong, 719
  2. CaffeineStrong, 90
  3. CreatineStrong, 90
  4. ButyrateStrong, 82
  5. FiberStrong, 52

Vitality

The broad sense of having energy and feeling alive. It is measured on quality-of-life questionnaires that carry a vitality subscale, and it is one of the softer outcomes here.

64 supplements, 9 strong
  1. IronStrong, 467
  2. Fish oilStrong, 49
  3. IodineStrong, 49
  4. CarnitineStrong, 35
  5. Vitamin CStrong, 22

Alertness

How awake and responsive you are right now, as opposed to how well you slept. It is measured with reaction-time tasks and with self-rated scales such as the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale.

21 supplements, 5 strong
  1. CaffeineStrong, 113
  2. MelatoninStrong, 31
  3. L-TyrosineStrong, 20
  4. PhenylalanineStrong, 17
  5. CarnitineStrong, 14

Motivation & confidence

The drive to start something and the belief that you can do it. It is measured on self-report scales, and it is one of the softer outcomes in this database.

13 supplements, 1 strong
  1. PhenylalanineStrong, 18
  2. L-TyrosineModerate, 8
  3. SarcosineModerate, 8
  4. CaffeineModerate, 5
  5. St. John's WortModerate, 5

Protocols for energy

What studies used, for this goal or for a group of people. Not advice: talk to a doctor first.