New research ranks what works — and what doesn’t — for endurance athletes.

A new study from Flinders University is bringing clarity to the crowded world of sports supplements, identifying which components genuinely support elite cycling performance — and which are better left on the shelf.

Published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, the research draws on the current evidence to assess supplements that enhance energy production, delay fatigue and support recovery in high-performance athletes.

Among those with the strongest backing are:

• beta-alanine,
• caffeine,
• carbohydrates (including sports gels),
• creatine monohydrate,
• dietary nitrates (such as beetroot juice),
• electrolytes,
  glycerol,
• sodium bicarbonate.

“They influence how muscles produce and use energy, which is crucial for high-performance athletes,” says Flinders Professor in Clinical Pharmacology Andrew Rowland, who led the study.

Experts say that during exercise, the body continuously regenerates energy through several pathways that support different types of effort — from short, explosive bursts to longer endurance activity.

“We found the strongest evidence for these performance supplements was in supporting the body’s energy systems by improving fuel use, increasing buffering capacity, enhancing energy availability and delaying fatigue,” says Professor Rowland.

Beyond performance, the study also highlights supplements that support recovery and overall health — including calcium, cherry juice, collagen, curcumin, iron, multivitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, pickle juice, probiotics, protein, vitamin C and D, and zinc — noting their role in bone strength, inflammation and muscle repair.

“The relationship between nutrition, training and performance optimisation in elite cyclists depends on individualised supplementation strategies tailored to training demands and competitive goals, to either improve recovery, support immunity or promote long-term physiological adaptation,” says Professor Rowland.

“In practice, effective supplementation should be viewed as an adjunct and not a replacement for training, nutrition and recovery.

“Evidence-based, individualised, and ethically sound strategies are essential to maximise both performance outcomes and athlete wellbeing,” he says.

To help athletes and coaches, classification systems such as the four-tier Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) framework provide evidence-based recommendations.

These range from Group A supplements with strong scientific support, through those with limited or emerging benefits, to Group D supplements, which are banned.

“Within the broad guidance provided by the Australian Institute of Sport framework, there is a need to personalise supplement strategies based on individual factors such as sex, age, hormonal status, genetic predispositions and gut microbiota composition, which may influence both efficacy and safety,” says Professor Rowland.

“Optimising supplementation requires aligning individual metabolic demands with targeted compounds that support key pathways involved in energy production, buffering, recovery and resilience.”