If you’re starting the new year with a commitment to get more exercise, you’ll want to know which natural supplements can help support your workouts. The right kind of support can help you stay the course, turning a January jog into a healthy habit in the long term.
Of course, even the best evidence-based supplements for workouts can’t go it alone. For serious gains in strength, performance, and all-around health, supplements work best on a solid foundation that includes:
- The right amount of protein for your body weight and energy output, ideally from whole foods
- Progressive training where you start out slow and gradually train harder over weeks and months
- Sufficient sleep! This is essential to help your body recover fully after workouts and avoid exercise-induced injury, fatigue, and sickness
- Eating enough calories to support your increased physical activity
- Drinking enough water to stay hydrated and reduce muscle cramps and injuries.
Now you’ve got the big picture, let’s dive into the best-studied supplements for beginner-to-intermediate new year workouts.
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is a sports supplement that has been subject to extensive research. Studies show that creatine consistently supports high-intensity and resistance exercise performance, with a 2021 review finding that it typically helps to increase:
- Muscle strength and power
- Work capacity
- Training adaptations.
Creatine has minimal side effects in most adults, including young adults and seniors.
What you need to know about creatine monohydrate
Creatine dosing is important. For best results, consider loading your muscles with creatine for the first 5-7 days using four daily doses that add up to 20 g per day. Follow this with a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day. You can, however, skip the loading and go straight to maintenance dosing if that’s easier.
Creatine offers the greatest benefits for short, intense workouts and resistance training. That means you’ll usually see better performance with creatine for weightlifting and sprints, rather than long-distance running.
Good to know: if you have any kidney concerns, talk to your doctor before taking creatine.
Protein and amino acids
Getting enough protein is vital for a successful exercise regimen. For most people, the type of protein doesn’t matter much. However, certain forms of protein can offer specific benefits, such as containing greater amounts of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). You can also supplement just with BCAAs to help:
- Fuel muscles
- Stimulate protein synthesis for muscle growth
- Reduce exercise-induced fatigue and muscle soreness
- Help prevent muscle breakdown.
In one review, researchers concluded that a combination of structured resistance training with whey protein was more effective for increasing muscle mass than training alone.
How much protein is enough?
Most adults who are exercising regularly, including resistance training or lifting weights, need around 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. You can achieve this through diet alone or use a protein powder to top up as needed.
If you are taking a protein supplement, the best approach is to consume 20-30 grams in a drink about 15 to 30 minutes before training. This helps support performance, muscle repair, and growth.
Beta-alanine
If you’re joining a CrossFit-style gym or doing other high-intensity interval training this year, consider supplementing with beta-alanine.
This supplement helps to buffer acid build-up in muscles, which can help you exercise harder during 1-10 minute circuit training. Think steep hill repeats, etc.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers concluded that beta-alanine had a modest but statistically significant overall effect on exercise capacity and performance. The greatest benefits were seen when exercise lasted 0.5–10 minutes.
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb that can give your body and brain a boost. This herb was tested in a recent randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving adults aged 18-40 who had been resistance training for at least two years.
Compared to performance without any intervention, the volunteers who took a low dose of Rhodiola rosea (200 mg per day) had improvements in strength, endurance, and the number of repetitions on bench press exercises. Both low-dose and high-dose regimens (1.5 g per day) showed significant improvements in leg press exercises. High doses of Rhodiola also improved peak power.
Interestingly, Rhodiola also improved a cognitive test for executive function, suggesting that the herb can support greater physical performance and focus, which could translate to turning that new exercise routine into a healthy habit.
Bringing it all together
Now you know a few of the best supplements for exercise, it’s time to figure out which ones are right for your new year’s fitness goals.
For strength, power, and training volume, creatine monohydrate is a great option.
For high-intensity interval training, try beta-alanine.
If you struggle with focus when exercising and find fatigue flattens your healthy intentions, give Rhodiola rosea a try.
As with any supplements, be sure to talk to your doctor first, especially if you have any existing medical issues, are pregnant, or are taking medications.
References
Dinan, N. E., Hagele, A. M., Jagim, A. R., et al. (2022). Effects of creatine monohydrate timing on resistance training adaptations and body composition after 8 weeks in male and female collegiate athletes. Frontiers in sports and active living, 4, 1033842.
Hobson, R. M., Saunders, B., Ball, G., Harris, R. C., & Sale, C. (2012). Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino acids, 43(1), 25–37.
Koozehchian, M. S., Newton, A. T., Mabrey, G., et al. (2025). Dose-response effects of short-term Rhodiola rosea (golden root extract) supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance and cognitive function in resistance-trained athletes: A randomized, crossover, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Nutrients, 17(23), 3736.
Saunders, B., Elliott-Sale, K., Artioli, G. G., et al. (2017). β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(8), 658–669.
Wax, B., Kerksick, C. M., Jagim, A. R., et al. (2021). Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations. Nutrients, 13(6), 1915.
Sobral, C., Gomes, D., Silva, M., et al. (2020). Whey protein supplementation in muscle hypertrophy. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement 2), ckaa040.004.