Creatine GuidesOct 23, 2026

Gym Supplements: Which Ones Are Actually Worth It?

How the Australian Institute of Sport rates the common gym supplements, and which ones Australian lab tests flagged.

Shaker bottle, coffee, gummies and supplement tubs on a home gym bench

By Roy Anderson, Founder of GUMO · Reviewed by Koji Wang, Physiotherapist · Last updated 23 October 2026

Only a handful of gym supplements are backed by strong evidence: creatine, protein powder (if you struggle to eat enough protein) and caffeine, with beta-alanine useful for some types of training. Most of the rest, including BCAAs, HMB and testosterone boosters, either haven't held up in research or carry real risks. If you're starting out, creatine and enough protein will do more for you than a cupboard full of tubs.

Rather than give you our opinion, we've sorted the common gym supplements using the Australian Institute of Sport's own rating system, which is what Australia's elite athletes are guided by. We've also included results from a 2025 Australian lab survey that found banned substances in more than a third of supplements bought online, and which types were the worst offenders.

The short version

The AIS rates creatine, protein supplements, caffeine and beta-alanine in its top group for evidence.
BCAAs and HMB are in its third group: the research doesn't support a benefit for athletes.
Testosterone boosters, SARMs and "growth peptides" are in its fourth group: banned or at high risk of contamination.
In a 2025 Australian survey, banned substances turned up in 53% of muscle builders, 49% of fat burners and 34% of pre-workouts tested.
Vitamin D and iron are only worth taking if a blood test shows you're low.

How to tell if a gym supplement is worth it

Ask three questions: is it safe, is it allowed in sport, and is there evidence it works? Those are the guiding principles of the AIS Sports Supplement Framework, which also says supplements "can play a small but important role" in an athlete's nutrition. Note the word small. Training, food and sleep do the heavy lifting.

The framework sorts ingredients into four groups. Here's where the most common gym supplements sit:

AIS group	What it means	Common gym examples
Group A	Strong evidence for use in specific situations	Creatine, protein powder, caffeine, beta-alanine, electrolytes; vitamin D and iron as medical supplements
Group B	Emerging or mixed evidence	Fish oil, collagen, multivitamins, probiotics, carnitine
Group C	Evidence doesn't support a benefit, or hasn't been studied	BCAAs, HMB, magnesium, tyrosine, vitamin E
Group D	Banned, or at high risk of contamination	Testosterone boosters (including tribulus), SARMs, growth hormone peptides, DMAA and similar stimulants

Sources: AIS Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D lists, checked October 2026.

The framework was built for elite athletes, so "Group C" doesn't mean a product will hurt you. It means the AIS doesn't think it's worth an athlete's money or risk. That's a useful filter for the rest of us too.

The gym supplements with strong evidence

Creatine

Creatine is the most researched supplement for strength and muscle. The AIS says creatine combined with resistance training consistently improves strength and muscle, and it works best for short, intense efforts like a set of squats. The usual dose is 3 to 5g a day. Our guide to what creatine is and how it works covers the details, and creatine monohydrate explains why that's the form to buy.

Protein powder

Protein powder is just food in a convenient form, and the AIS lists it as a Group A sports food. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 people found protein supplements did add to strength and muscle gains from training. But the extra fat-free mass averaged just 0.3kg, and there was no further benefit once total protein intake passed about 1.6g per kilogram of body weight a day. In other words, protein powder helps if it gets you to that number. If your meals already do, it adds little.

Caffeine and pre-workout

Caffeine is the active ingredient that matters in most pre-workouts. The AIS says the performance benefit plateaus at around 3mg per kilogram of body weight, about 200mg, and that people should use "the lowest effective caffeine dose". It also notes that coffee can supply a useful dose, though the amount in a cup varies a lot, so a strong coffee before training can do much the same job as many pre-workouts. If you do use one, check the label: plenty contain more caffeine than you need, and pre-workouts were among the products most likely to contain banned substances in the 2025 survey below.

Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine helps with hard efforts lasting from about 30 seconds to 10 minutes, according to a 2017 meta-analysis of 40 studies. The overall effect was small. It suits high-rep sets, circuits and rowing more than heavy, low-rep lifting.

What are the best supplements for muscle growth?

Creatine and protein, in that order of evidence. A 2025 meta-analysis of 61 trials found people who took creatine while lifting gained about 1.4kg more fat-free mass than those on a placebo, in both beginners and experienced lifters.

That number needs a caveat most guides skip. Fat-free mass includes water, and creatine pulls water into your muscles, so not all of that 1.4kg is new muscle. In a 2025 UNSW Sydney trial of 54 people, creatine made no difference to muscle gains over 12 weeks of training. Creatine's clearest benefit is helping you lift a bit more in each session. More muscle can follow from that, but it's training that builds it.

Gym supplements ranked by AIS evidence group: creatine, protein powder, caffeine and beta-alanine are Group A; fish oil and multivitamins are Group B; BCAAs and HMB are Group C; testosterone boosters and SARMs are Group D

Popular supplements that don't live up to the hype

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are one of the biggest sellers, and the AIS puts them in Group C. If you're already eating enough protein, you're already getting BCAAs, because they're part of every complete protein. HMB, often sold as a muscle builder, is in Group C too.

For what it's worth, here's what I take: creatine every day, protein powder, a pre-workout now and then, and BCAAs after training. I'll admit the BCAAs are more habit than evidence. The AIS rates them Group C, and I already eat plenty of protein. Customers rarely ask what else to take alongside creatine, and honestly the answer depends on what you're training for.

Fish oil, collagen and multivitamins sit in Group B: some promise, not enough proof.

"Most of my patients take everyday supplements like vitamin C and fish oil, but a good portion take creatine as well. What I'd suggest really depends on what they're trying to achieve."

Koji Wang, Physiotherapist, Balwyn Physio

Vitamin D and iron are different. The AIS lists them in Group A as medical supplements, meaning they're for correcting a problem rather than boosting performance. The International Olympic Committee's consensus statement says deficiencies should be identified first, and that high-dose iron "should not be taken unless iron deficiency is present". A blood test through your GP is the place to start.

Gym supplements to avoid

Steer clear of anything sold as a testosterone booster, SARM or "growth peptide". The AIS lists all of them in Group D, and SARMs such as ostarine are banned in sport. Fat burners and muscle builders deserve suspicion too, because of what's been found inside them.

In a 2025 survey commissioned by Sport Integrity Australia, a lab bought 200 supplements online in Australia, none of them batch tested, and screened them for substances banned in sport. Some 35% contained at least one. In 57% of those products, the banned substance wasn't on the label. Here's how the main categories compared:

Product type	Products tested	Contained a banned substance
Muscle builders	32	53%
Fat burners	55	49%
Pre-workouts	58	34%
Amino acids	21	10%
Protein	14	7%
Creatine	11	0%

Most of what they found were naturally occurring compounds, often from plant extracts, rather than hard drugs. But a few held banned stimulants: one BCAA product contained an amphetamine-like compound, and a fat burner contained two banned stimulants. The creatine result is encouraging, though 11 products is a small sample, so don't read it as a guarantee for every creatine on the shelf.

Share of supplements bought online in Australia that contained substances banned in sport, 2025 survey: muscle builders 53%, fat burners 49%, pre-workouts 34%, amino acids 10%, protein 7%, creatine 0%

What are the big 3 and big 5 supplements?

There's no official list. In gym circles, "big 3" usually means creatine, protein powder and caffeine (often as a pre-workout), and "big 5" tends to add beta-alanine and either fish oil or vitamin D. Measured against the AIS framework, the first four have strong evidence. Fish oil is still Group B, and vitamin D is only worth it if you're low.

How to buy gym supplements safely in Australia

Keep it simple and check what you're buying:

If you compete in a drug-tested sport, use products certified by HASTA or Informed Sport. The free app from Sport Integrity Australia checks a product and batch number against those programs. The agency's own advice to athletes is to go food-first and skip supplements where possible.
Be wary of tablets and capsules sold for sport without an AUST L or AUST R number. Since November 2023, the TGA treats tablets and capsules sold with sport or exercise claims as medicines.
Skip anything that promises drug-like results, uses words like "anabolic" or "test booster", or doesn't list a full ingredient panel.
Add one supplement at a time, so you can tell what's actually doing something.

If creatine is the first one you add, four of our creatine monohydrate gummies give you 5g of creatine. They're screened for substances banned in sport by ACS Laboratories in Australia, which is direct lab testing rather than HASTA or Informed Sport certification, so they won't show as certified in the Sport Integrity app. If you're drug tested, stick to certified products. If you want to compare formats, see creatine gummies vs powder.

A note on bias: GUMO makes creatine gummies, so we have an interest in creatine coming out well here. That's why we've used the AIS's own ratings rather than ours, and linked every claim to its source.

Start with the one that has the evidence. Four GUMO Creatine Gummies give you 5g of creatine monohydrate with no sugar, and every batch is lab tested in Australia with the results published. Rated 4.9 stars from 500+ reviews.

Shop GUMO creatine gummies →

Frequently asked questions

Which supplement is best for the gym?

Creatine monohydrate has the strongest evidence for strength and muscle when combined with training, and the AIS rates it in its top group. Protein powder is worth adding if you can't reach your protein needs from food.

What supplements should a beginner take?

Probably none at first, apart from creatine if you want it. Beginners gain the most from training consistently and eating enough protein. Add supplements one at a time once those habits are in place.

Do you need supplements to build muscle?

No. Resistance training, enough total protein and enough food build muscle. In the 2018 meta-analysis, protein supplements added an average of 0.3kg of fat-free mass, and gave no extra benefit once total protein intake reached about 1.6g per kilogram of body weight a day.

Are BCAAs worth taking?

Not if you eat enough protein. The AIS puts BCAAs in Group C, meaning the evidence doesn't support a benefit for athletes. Every complete protein, including protein powder, already contains them.

Are pre-workouts safe?

Many are, but check the caffeine dose and look for batch testing. In the 2025 Australian survey, 34% of pre-workouts bought online contained a substance banned in sport. A coffee gives you the caffeine benefit with fewer unknowns.

Can you take creatine and protein together?

Yes. They work in different ways and there's no known problem taking them together, including in the same shake. See how much creatine per day for dosing.

Are fat burners worth it?

We'd skip them. They were among the riskiest products in the 2025 survey, with 49% containing a banned substance. Our guide to creatine and fat loss covers what actually helps you keep muscle while losing fat.

We keep this guide up to date

23 October 2026: guide published, with AIS groups checked against the AIS website. Reviewed by Koji Wang.

Sources

About the author
Roy Anderson is the founder of GUMO and has taken creatine daily for over three years. He started GUMO after seeing brand after brand sell creatine gummies with little or no creatine inside. Every batch of GUMO Creatine Gummies is third party lab tested in Australia, with the results published. Read more about Roy →

Roy AndersonGumo Performance