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EvidenceBased
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EvidenceBased

What to take for strength

Graded by the strength of the evidence — strongest first. Nothing here is sold to you.

Creatinegrade A— reliable improvement in strength/power with resistance training
Ashwagandhagrade B— Ashwagandha supplementation was more efficacious than placebo for improving strength/power variables in healthy individuals.
Caffeinegrade B— reliable ergogenic effect on power and endurance performance
Creatinegrade C— Post-menopausal females may experience benefits in skeletal muscle size and function with high-dose creatine.
Ashwagandhagrade C— A single 8-week randomized controlled trial in men doing resistance training found greater gains in muscle strength and size, and better recovery, with ashwagandha versus placebo. One small trial cannot anchor a strong grade; independent replication is needed.
Vitamin Dgrade C— Systematic review and meta-analysis in community-dwelling older adults: vitamin D monotherapy showed limited and inconsistent effects on sarcopenia-related measures such as muscle strength; benefit, where present, was concentrated in those who were deficient.