Covering them all, much less confirming or debunking their effectiveness, is beyond the scope of this article. But we'll do our best. Many of the supplements on the market reported to increase performance do improve overall health, but have not been substantiated to improve athletic scores. For example, although lipoic acid, L-Carnitine and CoQ10 have been pushed as performance enhancers by some companies, neither has a stitch of convincing research to show either has any effects on performance. Intense exercise generates lots of free radicals that are especially damaging to the mitochondria.
Some research suggests that antioxidants can improve performance while others show no benefits.
Yet as previously stated, many supplements that are lacking in data showing they improve performance are clearly good for you and should be looked at in that light. However, taking them in the hopes you will run faster or lift more weights may prove disappointing. One clear-cut supplement that has been shown to increase strength and lean body mass is creatine monohydrate. Some studies show clear-cut performance enhancement from creatine while some do not. The general consensus is that creatine is best for activities that require explosive short duration activities, such as weight lifting or sprinting, but some endurance athletes do feel they benefit from using creatine even though the research has been contradictory on that point.