Supplements That Actually Move the Needle

Built for Pro Athletes. Especially Rowers.

Author

Jonas
May 18, 2025

You train like it’s your job.

Two-a-days.
Long erg pieces.
Intervals that leave you tasting blood.
You recover, lift, eat clean.
And you're still losing edges you shouldn’t.

Why?

Because your competition's stack is optimized...
And yours?
Probably based on gym bro advice, TikTok noise, or outdated coaches.

The Truth is you’re leaving performance on the table.
Not because you’re weak.
Not because you’re lazy.
Because your supplement stack sucks.

There Are Only Two Paths

Option 1: Keep wasting money on hyped-up garbage with shiny labels and zero results.
Option 2: Lock in the few science-backed supplements that actually change performance—the ones that give you an edge when the margin for error is less than a second.

If you’re a serious athlete, there’s only one move.

What’s Coming

  1. Supplements for Endurance Athletes

  2. Supplements for Spring /Power Athletes

  3. Supplements for Mixed Athletes

  4. Supplements for Rowers

  5. Link Dump

Endurance Athletes

Runners. Cyclists. Triathletes. Anyone training for hours.

What to Take:

  • Nitrates (Beet juice, greens): Boosts nitric oxide. Reduces oxygen cost. Lets you hold race pace longer with less fatigue.
    → Take 2–3 hours pre-event. Result: you don’t fade when everyone else does.

  • Caffeine: 3–6 mg/kg = better time trials, sharper focus, more “push” at the wall.
    → Coffee is fuel.

  • Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium): Sweat isn’t just water loss—it’s mineral loss.
    → No balance = cramps, dizziness, lost performance. Don’t be a casualty of poor hydration.

What to Skip:

  • BCAAs: If you eat protein, you’re covered. These don’t help endurance.

  • Ketone drinks: Look cool on Instagram. Flop in real life. Most studies say “meh.”

  • Stuff you can’t pronounce: If it sounds like a chemistry experiment, it probably won’t help you.

Sprint / Power Athletes

Sprinters. Lifters. Combat sports. Anyone going hard and fast.

What to Take:

  • Creatine Monohydrate: You’re either taking this or leaving 5–15% power in the tank.
    → More ATP = more reps, faster recovery, better explosion.
    → 5g/day. No loading required.

  • Beta-Alanine: Raises carnosine in your muscles. Buffers acid. You last longer at max effort.
    → Think: more sprints before burnout. Great for 1–4 minute all-outs.
    → 4–6g/day. Takes 2–4 weeks to kick in.

  • Caffeine (again): Improves reaction time, sprint speed, jump height, and aggression.
    → Pre-meet or pre-game. Use it wisely. Don’t burn your CNS with overdoses.

What to Skip:

  • Nitrates: Not useless, but mostly for aerobic output. Minimal upside for short-burst sports.

  • Herbal “Test Boosters”: If it’s natural and over-the-counter, it’s probably weak.

  • Exotic pre-workouts: Most are just underdosed blends with overpriced caffeine and hype.

Mixed Athletes

Soccer. Basketball. MMA. Anyone who needs both gas tank and burst.

What to Take:

  • Creatine + Beta-Alanine Combo:
    → Creatine = sprint faster, cut harder.
    → Beta-alanine = recover faster between efforts.

  • Caffeine (Game Day Strategy):
    → Take it before the first whistle or dose it late-game to fight fatigue and sharpen focus.
    → Use gum or capsules for faster impact.

  • Electrolytes + Water:
    → Hydration isn’t sexy, but it wins championships.
    → Cramp up at minute 78? You're done.

  • Optional: Nitrates before heavy run days or matches with tons of aerobic load.

What to Skip:

  • Multivitamin mega stacks: Unless bloodwork says you need it, this is insurance at best.

  • Fancy hydration shots: If it doesn’t say sodium and potassium, it’s just colored water.

  • Generic “sports powders”: Most are all marketing, no impact. Look at the label. Then look away.

Supplements for Rowers

2,000m. 6–8 minutes. Total system overload.
You need:

  • Power for the sprint start

  • Efficiency for the middle

  • Fire in the last 500m
    Most athletes train for this.
    Few supplement for it.

Here’s the stack that makes a difference:

1. Creatine Monohydrate

  • Sprint power at the start

  • Strength on the catch

  • Helps you build more capacity in training
    → 5g/day. Every day. No loading needed.

2. Beta-Alanine

  • Buffers lactate = keeps your legs moving in the red zone

  • Helps you survive that back-end burn
    → 4–6g/day, daily for at least 3–4 weeks.

3. Caffeine

  • Focus. Intensity. Mental aggression.

  • Reduces RPE during race pace
    → 3–6 mg/kg, 30–60 min pre-race. Save it for test pieces + race day.

4. Beetroot Juice / Nitrates

  • Improves oxygen efficiency = same pace, less gas tank used

  • Perfect for 6–8 minute VO2 hell
    → 400–600mg nitrate (70–140ml beet juice), 2–3 hours pre-race.

5. Electrolytes

  • Replace what you sweat out. Prevent cramps, drops in output.
    → Sodium + potassium before and after sessions. Use real tabs, not flavored water.

Optional Add-Ons

  • Protein (20–30g post-session): Helps repair + build. Not performance-enhancing but recovery = results.

  • Carbs (30g pre-race or hard session): Topped-off glycogen is cheap power.

What Rowers Should Avoid

  • BCAAs: No edge if you eat enough protein.

  • Ketone esters: Hype > evidence.

  • Pre-workout blends: Usually underdosed or overloaded with junk.

Why This Stack Works

Because it covers every system you stress in a 2K:

  • Phosphagen system for the sprint → Creatine.

  • Anaerobic glycolysis for the middle → Beta-Alanine.

  • Aerobic power for endurance → Nitrates.

  • CNS control for precision and grit → Caffeine.

  • Hydration + electrolyte balance → Real salts.

The Real Cost of Doing Nothing

Keep skipping this and here’s what happens:

You lose by fractions of a second.
You hit the wall before the finish.
You burn out mid-season instead of peaking.

Worst part?

You don’t even know why.

You trained hard.
You did the work.
But someone else had the edge—
Because they stacked the right way.

So here’s the move:

✅ If this helped—subscribe so you don’t miss the next drop.
📤 If you’ve got a teammate, training partner, or coach who needs this—send it to them now.

Because someone will act.
Someone will optimize.
And someone will win.

Make sure it’s you.

You’ve got the info.

Now act like a pro.
Build your stack. And go earn your edge

Cheers,

Jonas