Start with how the industry works
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they go on sale. Responsibility for what is in the bottle sits with the manufacturer. That is why third-party certification — NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified, Informed Sport — matters more than the label art.
The short list
- Creatine monohydrate. The most studied sports supplement there is; the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand describes it as safe and effective for increasing lean mass and performance at roughly 3 to 5 grams a day.
- Protein powder. Not magic — just a convenient way to hit a protein target you are missing with food.
- Vitamin D. Worth taking if your blood work says you are low. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is the reference, not the bottle.
- Caffeine. Reliable performance benefit in the research at roughly 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight before training.
What to be careful with
Proprietary blends that hide doses, fat burners, and anything promising steroid-like results. FDA enforcement reports repeatedly turn up undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients in weight-loss and bodybuilding products — a real problem if you are drug tested or on medication.
Supplements are the last five percent. Food, training, sleep and consistency are the other ninety-five, and that is where Billy starts.
If you want this handled for you instead of figured out alone, Billy's 90-Day Program is the version of all of this built around your body, your schedule and your starting point.
See the 90-Day ProgramCompletely optional. Everything above is yours either way.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Dietary Supplements: what the FDA does and does not review; tainted products warnings
- International Society of Sports Nutrition — Position Stand: Safety and Efficacy of Creatine Supplementation
- NSF and U.S. Pharmacopeia — third-party certification programs
Figures reflect the published guidance from these bodies at the time of writing. Guidelines are updated periodically — check the source for the current version.