Supplements You Don't Need

The supplement industry is a multi-billion-dollar business. Every year, new products hit the market promising faster results, better recovery, or effortless fat loss. The reality: many of these products are unnecessary when the basics are in place. A high-quality protein with a complete amino acid profile and a balanced diet cover more than most people think.

What does current research say about the most popular supplement categories?

BCAAs and EAAs: Expensive and Unnecessary

BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) are three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) comprise all nine essential amino acids. Both are sold as standalone supplements, often in powder or capsule form.

Why they exist at all: Many protein powders on the market have an incomplete or low-quality amino acid profile. To compensate, manufacturers sell BCAAs or EAAs as an additional product. This is a business model, not a genuine need. Instead of improving the base product, a second one is sold.

The evidence is clear. Wolfe (2017) showed in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition that BCAAs alone cannot optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis. The reason: the other essential amino acids needed for complete synthesis are missing. Jackman et al. (2017) compared directly in Frontiers in Physiology: 20g of whey protein increased muscle protein synthesis by 37% compared to placebo. BCAAs alone managed only 22%. Whey was clearly superior.

The ISSN Position Stand (Kerksick et al., 2023) summarises: with a daily protein intake of at least 1.6 g/kg body weight from complete sources, isolated EAA supplements offer no additional benefit.

The solution is simple: buy a clean protein powder with a complete amino acid profile. Then you need neither BCAAs nor EAAs on the side.

Glutamine

Glutamine is frequently marketed as a “recovery supplement.” It is claimed to speed up post-workout recovery and support the immune system.

Candow et al. (2001) examined the effect of glutamine supplementation in healthy adults during resistance training in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. The result: no significant effect on muscle performance or body composition compared to the control group.

The reason is straightforward: glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body. The body produces it on its own, and protein-rich foods supply it in abundance. An additional supplement is simply unnecessary for healthy, well-nourished individuals.

Fat Burners and Thermogenics

“Burn fat while you sleep.” That is the kind of promise you hear. Fat burners and thermogenics are supposed to boost metabolism and accelerate fat burning.

A systematic review (Gutierrez-Hellin & Varillas-Delgado, 2021) analysed the available studies: the effects are minimal and clinically irrelevant. The main active ingredient in most fat burners is simply caffeine. And 150mg of caffeine burns about 15 extra calories per day. That is less than half a lettuce leaf.

No supplement replaces a calorie deficit. If you want caffeine, drink a coffee.

Testosterone Boosters

Tribulus terrestris is the most well-known ingredient in testosterone boosters. The marketing promises are big: more muscle, more strength, more energy.

Science says otherwise. A systematic review (Santos et al., 2025) analysed the available evidence: 8 out of 10 studies showed no significant change in the androgen profile of healthy men. Plant-based testosterone boosters are, according to current research, unable to raise testosterone levels to a clinically relevant degree.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)

CLA was promoted for years as a “fat loss supplement.” The data is sobering.

The meta-analysis by Whigham et al. (2007) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a fat loss of just 0.70 kg compared to placebo at a dosage of 3.2g per day. The clinical relevance is questionable. A more recent meta-analysis (Haghighat et al., 2023) in the British Journal of Nutrition confirmed: studies with high methodological quality show no convincing effect on body composition.

Vitamin Gummies

Vitamin gummies look like sweets, and that is essentially what they are. Per serving, they contain 2 to 8g of sugar. The active ingredients are often underdosed because the gummy matrix leaves less room for active compounds.

There is also a stability problem: a study in Food Hydrocolloids showed that vitamin C in gummy form loses up to 21% of its potency within 10 weeks. Tablets or capsules offer significantly higher stability.

If you want to seriously supplement vitamin C, there are better options. Natural sources like camu-camu powder deliver 170mg of vitamin C per 2g serving (213% of the daily value). No sugar, no gelatine, no stability issues. For other vitamins, the same principle applies: tablets or capsules are more stable and higher dosed than any gummy variant.

Conclusion

Less is often more. The supplement industry thrives on inventing problems and selling solutions. Anyone who looks at the evidence will quickly realise: most of these products do not deliver what they promise. Better to take a few well-researched supplements than to fill a cupboard with bottles of questionable evidence. Look for transparency, complete ingredient lists, and scientific backing.

Sources:

• Wolfe RR (2017). Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 30.
• Jackman SR et al. (2017). Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 390.
• Kerksick CM et al. (2023). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrient Timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1).
• Candow DG et al. (2001). Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(2), 142-149.
• Gutierrez-Hellin J & Varillas-Delgado D (2021). Energy Drinks and Sports Performance, Cardiovascular Risk, and Insomnia in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 13(3), 867.
• Santos HO et al. (2025). Tribulus terrestris as a potential ergogenic aid: A systematic review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 318, 116952.
• Whigham LD et al. (2007). Efficacy of conjugated linoleic acid for reducing fat mass: a meta-analysis in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1203-1211.
• Haghighat N et al. (2023). Effect of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on body composition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 129(7), 1140-1154.
• Bai C et al. (2019). Stability of vitamins in gummy supplement products. Food Hydrocolloids, 93, 25-33.