The Billion-Dollar Supplement Market Is Booming—But So Many Products Are Junk. We Found the Only 31 That Actually Matter.

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IN THE NEARLY 40-year history of Men’s Health, we’ve never had a Supplement Awards. We never could. The supplement world has, for a long time, been rife with questionable pills, powders, and potions that make grand claims without scientific support. The snake-oil slinging only intensified during and after COVID, and now the supplement market is in a total gold rush—and projected to nearly double in size to more than $431 billion from 2026 to 2033.

Yet, thankfully, along with the modern supplement boom, a new class of companies has joined a handful of Ol’ Reliables in developing high-quality, data-backed, third-party-certified supplements. These products—from workout performance enhancers to muscle builders to sleep aids—work.

Which is why our team of Men’s Health nutrition and fitness editors, with the help of all three dietitians on our Advisory Board, felt like we could finally assemble our favorite supplements all in one place.

Our Men’s Health nutrition advisors reviewed editor-provided product suggestions for safety and effectiveness. In some cases, when a product did not meet their standards, the advisors offered a replacement product.

Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD, CSCS, CISSN, is a director of nutrition at Precision Nutrition, where he coauthored Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 Certification textbook, The Essentials of Nutrition and Coaching, and developed the Precision Nutrition Calculator. He has also served as a nutrition consultant for the San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, and Cleveland Browns.

For more than six months, our team scoured the supplement marketplace, looking for products that satisfy three criteria:

The supplement must carry third-party certification from a reputable entity (including NSF, USP, BSCG, and Informed Choice) unless it’s considered a fortified food item (protein shake, protein bar, etc.). This ensures that the supplement is free from banned substances and that what’s on the Nutrition Facts Panel is actually in the product itself and in the amounts listed.
The product’s active ingredient must have peer-reviewed research published in a reputable journal supporting its advertised benefits.
The product has to actually taste good.

After heated discussion, we agreed on 31 winners across five categories. The final result: a list of science-backed, expert-approved, human-tested supplements that will help you live a stronger, longer life.

These are the first-ever Men’s Health Supplement Award winners.

There’s no supplement more foundational to building and maintaining muscle than protein powder. Without enough protein, your muscles won’t have the necessary fuel to kick-start the process of tissue repair. And while you can eat all your protein in the form of whole foods, depending on your goals, that can be a lot. Protein powder makes it much easier.

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey

Ritual Daily Shake

Vega Protein + Recovery

Dymatize Elite Casein Protein

RAW CBUM Itholate Protein

Gnarly Collagen Pro

Not everyone loves a shake—or has the time to whip one up. These ready-to-go options are here to help.

Muscle Milk Pro Series

Clean Simple Eats Clear Protein Soda

Slate Milk Mocha Latte

David Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Protein+ Bars

Smart athletes know that a strong diet is the keystone to workout performance. But they also know that certain supplements, like these, can provide an edge.

Thorne Creatine

Momentous Creatine Monohydrate Chews

Create Wellness Creatine Monohydrate Gummies

Thorne Advanced Pre-Workout

Honey Stinger Fruit Smoothie Energy Gel

Designs for Sport Hydration Packs

Transparent Labs Hydrate

There are a whole bunch of supplements out there that promise to help you fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and even fix insomnia. Many of those claims are overblown—but there are a handful of quality options that might improve your rest.

Nature Made Melatonin Tablets

Thorne Theanine

Thorne Magnesium Glycinate

If you find yourself falling short on certain nutrients, these supplements can help you dig out of a deficiency—or make sure you never dip into a shortfall.