Dietary Supplements Enhance Strength and Speed in Athletes.

In 2025, Beiwang Deng and team from Guangzhou Sport University conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate how dietary supplements, combined with conditioning training, affect athletes’ muscle strength, jump performance, sprint speed, and muscle mass.

The study reviewed multiple trials, comparing supplements like creatine, protein, caffeine, and others. Creatine consistently improved strength (e.g., 5-10% increase in 1RM) and muscle mass (1-2 kg gain), while caffeine enhanced sprint speed (2-5% faster) and jump performance (3-7% higher). Protein supplements also supported muscle growth but showed variable effects on performance.

Athletes should consider creatine (3-5g/day) or caffeine (3-6mg/kg) with training to boost performance and strength, tailored to their sport.