THE WORLD of supplements is a wild one.
There’s one big reason why: Unlike medication, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does not require that manufacturers prove that their dietary supplements are safe before they put them market. The FDA does have the power to recall a dangerous product, but only after-the-fact.
You don’t usually need a prescription for most supplements. You also don’t need a doctor’s approval (although it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking any supplement). And you often don’t need a ton of money to buy a supplement either.
That can leave you—a consumer looking to build muscle, increase their fitness performance, and/or improve your general health—kind of on your own.
That said, you’re not entirely on your own when it comes to making smart choices about the supplements you take. Supplement companies can (and must, we argue) submit their products for third-party testing. These tests ensure that the product contains what’s advertised and is free from banned substances.
And if the supplement company passes the third-party tests, they can market their product with the third party’s seal. Third-party verification seals you should look for are USP, Informed-Choice, or NSF International Certified for Sport.
And you’re also not entirely on your own because you can trust us. We’ve been reporting on supplements for the 30-plus years Men’s Health has existed. We’ve studied the research. We’ve talked to the experts. Heck, we’ve even tasted all this stuff.
Here’s the gist of all that analysis: Too many products on the market don’t back up what they claim. And because supplements aren’t overseen by the FDA, the companies that make these supplements can get away with claiming the unsupportable.
This is why, we, Men’s Health, always recommends eating your nutrients from real foods instead of supplements. The USDA/FDA does oversee a company who makes salmon, for example, so that salmon-making company can’t claim that they’re organic if they don’t meet the USDA criteria to carry the label.
That said, it’s also difficult for some people to eat all the protein, creatine, or produce they need daily to meet their nutrition goals. This is especially true of people who want to gain muscle, as it’s challenging to have to gnaw through pounds of protein. It is much (much) easier to knock back a protein powder shake. For those people, supplementation is simply that: a way to supplement (note: not replace) an otherwise healthful diet.
What follows is a list of supplements you can trust to help you hit your goals, be they gaining muscle, improving strength, losing weight—or all three. For a supplement to earn our respect, it should be verified by a third party, contain the nutrients needed for the promises it delivers, and taste great.
These are the best supplements for men, 2022 edition.
Here are our picks for the 12 best supplements for men
Best Whey Protein Isolate, Chocolate
If you can tolerate dairy, go with whey protein isolate. It’s less expensive, it’s a complete protein, it contains large amounts of BCAAs, and the isolate form is extremely beneficial for muscle synthesis. A powder with somewhere around 150 calories per 25 grams of protein is a good ratio for muscle building and fat loss. This delicious variety has 120 calories and exactly that amount of protein per scoop. Dymatize products are third-party certified through Informed Choice. Nice work, Dymatize.
Best Whey Protein Isolate, Vanilla
Bodylogix keeps calories and carbohydrates low (110 and 2 grams, respectively) in this NSF-certified whey protein powder by using stevia leaf extract to sweeten the mix. That said, the sweetness is mellow instead of WHAMMO like many stevia-flavored varieties. Also important: Carbohydrates can help your body maximize the effect of protein. Because this powder is so low-carb, you may want to mix it with milk, which contains natural carbohydrates like lactose. Tastes even better that way, too.
Best Whey Protein Isolate, Wild Card
Not everyone can subsist on chocolate and vanilla protein powder flavors alone. When flavor fatigue sets in, turn to this NSF-certified, just-sweet-enough powder. It’s extremely light and fluffy, so it blends into milk or water easily. Which means it’s easy to dump in more than one scoop. Unfortunately, your body won’t do much with anything more than 30 grams of protein in one sitting—and this stuff has 24 grams per scoop.
Best Pea Protein Powder
If you can’t tolerate dairy, or are vegan, this is your go-to protein powder. Each serving of Ladder’s NSF-certified protein powder contains 21 grams of protein for 130 calories. That’s solid, but it’s the flavor that’s realllly good. Ladder uses real cocoa beans, plus a little salt to further draw out the oh-so-chocolatey flavors.
Best Plant-Based Blend Protein Powder
Annnnd if you’re not a huge fan of pea-forward protein powder, here’s a vegan powder that blends three proteins—pea, chia seed, and cranberry seed (yes, really!)—to deliver 20 grams of plant-based protein for 200 calories per two scoops. Plus, the same serving houses a whopping seven grams of fiber. The vanilla flavor is nice–and goes down smooth. NSF-certified, too.
Best Zero-Carb Protein Powder
If your goals are more keto-centric, this zero-carb whey protein powder will help you reach them. There are only 100 calories in one scoop. The protein powder still tastes sweet, but that’s because of the inclusion of sucralose, which doesn’t carry any carbs. Isopure’s production facilities pass audits for quality control that are NSF certified.
Best On-the-Go Protein Drink
If you prefer your protein on-the-go, this stout container from a protein drink purveyor with NSF cred offers an incredible 32 grams of protein for only 160 calories in one serving. It’s shelf-stable, too, so you can store one in your gym bag for an easy post-workout shake.
Best High-Fiber Protein Powder
Yeah, fiber! The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics advises that most guys eat at least 38 grams of fiber daily. Most men consume about 15 grams per day. This shake fodder has six grams of fiber per serving, plus 20 grams of protein for 170 calories. One note: Invigor8 does not yet have third-party certification.
Best Caffeinated Protein Drink
If your morning or lunchtime workout always leaves you feeling a little drained, here’s your protein-and-pep combo. This blend of water and milk protein concentrate delivers big on protein (30 grams per serving) and caffeine (about as much as is in one cup of coffee). Chug. Then get back to work.
Best Protein Bar
If you prefer your protein in bar form, these hearty bars of deliciousness pack 23 grams of the stuff and also a whopping seven grams of fiber. Fair warning: They’re 220 calories a pop. So even though you may want to eat two after a workout, restrain yourself. Grenade products have earned an Informed Choice certification.
Best Creatine
Creatine exists naturally in our bodies and helps fuel our muscles, which is why some people take it as a supplement to boost their performance in the gym. Take five grams of creatine monohydrate with your workout shake to help you get bigger and stronger. This product is third-party certified through NSF.
Powder is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system. Don’t bother with them.
Best Creatine + Protein Powder
Yeah, there’s a lot going on the label. But there’s also a lot going on inside the jug too. In one 190-calorie scoop there’s 32 grams of protein, eight grams of carbs, and 2.5 grams of creatine. It’s NSF certified.
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