Supplement Guide for Men Over 35: What Works

Which supplements actually work for men over 35? This free, filterable evidence guide grades 25 popular supplements, from creatine and protein powder to ashwagandha and fat burners, with research doses, official upper limits, safety and medicine interactions, and food-first alternatives.

Read this first

Supplements are optional. The basics are not.

Supplements play a small part even for elite athletes, and none of them can make up for poor sleep, low protein, no training or a poor diet. Get these four right first, then use this guide to decide whether anything is worth adding. If you take any medicine or have a health condition, check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.[2][1]

  • AStrong evidence
  • BModerate
  • CLimited or mixed
  • DNo good evidence
Your goal
Evidence grade
No supplements match these filters. Try another goal or grade, or .
Buying a supplement? In the US, supplements do not need FDA approval for safety or effectiveness before they are sold, and quality varies. Look for an independent third-party testing mark on the label, which shows the product contains what it says and has been checked for harmful contaminants (it does not prove the product works). If you compete in tested sport, choose products certified by a sport-specific testing programme, because contamination with banned substances is a known risk.[1][2]

How this supplement guide works

Each supplement gets a grade for each specific outcome, because evidence is outcome-specific: vitamin D earns an A for correcting low levels but a D for preventing heart disease in healthy men. Grades are based on expert position stands (the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the IOC), government fact sheets and safety opinions (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, EFSA, NICE, USPSTF) and systematic reviews or meta-analyses of randomised trials, all listed in the Sources below.

  • A, strong: consistent benefit across multiple good-quality trials or meta-analyses, or an established nutrient role (such as correcting a deficiency).
  • B, moderate: a real benefit in several trials, but smaller, less consistent or limited to specific situations.
  • C, limited or mixed: small, short or conflicting studies. It might help, but nobody can tell you that with confidence yet.
  • D, no good evidence: trials show no meaningful benefit, or there is simply no reliable evidence for the claim.

Use the goal filter to see only the outcomes you care about. The sort order then uses the grade for that goal, so “Sleep and stress” ranks melatonin for jet lag above magnesium for insomnia. Doses are the amounts used in research, not personal prescriptions, and upper limits are official safe upper intakes for adults from the NIH or EFSA where they exist.

Where the evidence is strongest for men over 35

If you lift weights, creatine monohydrate is the best-supported performance supplement, and a protein powder is a convenient way to reach your daily protein target (though food does the same job). Beyond that, the strongest cases are about filling specific gaps: vitamin D if you get little sun, vitamin B12 if you are vegetarian or vegan or take metformin or acid-reducing medicine, and omega-3 if you never eat oily fish or have high triglycerides. For gaps like these, a blood test or a quick look at your diet beats guessing.

Popular products with weak support include BCAAs (pointless if you eat enough protein), testosterone boosters and fat burners. Ashwagandha, magnesium for sleep and collagen for joints and tendons sit in the “might help, small studies” middle ground.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist first if you

  • take a blood thinner such as warfarin (omega-3, glucosamine and melatonin can interact);
  • take thyroid medicine or have a thyroid condition (ashwagandha can raise thyroid hormones; iron, magnesium and zinc need spacing from several medicines);
  • take diabetes, blood pressure, epilepsy or immune-suppressing medicines;
  • have kidney or liver disease, have had prostate cancer, or are planning surgery;
  • are buying for someone else: supplements can interact with medicines, and iron in particular is dangerous for children.

Go deeper

Sources

  1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know.
  2. Maughan RJ, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52:439-455.
  3. Kreider RB, et al. ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.
  4. Devries MC, Phillips SM. Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014;46:1194-1203.
  5. Jäger R, et al. ISSN position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
  6. Morton RW, et al. Protein supplementation and resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength: systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52:376-384.
  7. Messina M, et al. No difference between soy protein and animal protein supplements on gains in muscle mass and strength with resistance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018;28:674-685.
  8. Hevia-Larraín V, et al. High-protein plant-based diet versus a protein-matched omnivorous diet to support resistance training adaptations. Sports Med. 2021;51:1317-1330.
  9. van Vliet S, Burd NA, van Loon LJC. The skeletal muscle anabolic response to plant- versus animal-based protein consumption. J Nutr. 2015;145:1981-1991.
  10. Reed KE, et al. Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: an expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies. Reprod Toxicol. 2021;100:60-67.
  11. Guest NS, et al. ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18:1.
  12. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(5):4102.
  13. US Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
  14. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  15. Manson JE, et al. Vitamin D supplements and prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease (VITAL). N Engl J Med. 2019;380:33-44.
  16. LeBoff MS, et al. Supplemental vitamin D and incident fractures in midlife and older adults (VITAL). N Engl J Med. 2022;387:299-309.
  17. NHS. Vitamin D (vitamins and minerals).
  18. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  19. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  20. European Food Safety Authority. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for Vitamins and Minerals. 2006.
  21. Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021;21:125.
  22. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  23. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  24. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  25. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Ashwagandha: Is it helpful for stress, anxiety, or sleep? Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  26. Shaw G, et al. Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105:136-143.
  27. García-Coronado JM, et al. Effect of collagen supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Int Orthop. 2019;43:531-538.
  28. Zdzieblik D, et al. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men. Br J Nutr. 2015;114:1237-1245.
  29. Trexler ET, et al. ISSN position stand: beta-alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:30.
  30. Trexler ET, et al. Acute effects of citrulline supplementation on high-intensity strength and power performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2019;49:707-718.
  31. Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001520.
  32. Ferracioli-Oda E, et al. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS One. 2013;8:e63773.
  33. Erland LAE, Saxena PK. Melatonin natural health products and supplements: presence of serotonin and significant variability of melatonin content. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13:275-281.
  34. Mayo Clinic. Melatonin (drugs and supplements).
  35. Which? Sleep drug melatonin illegally listed for sale on online marketplaces (MHRA classification in the UK).
  36. Sawka MN, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39:377-390.
  37. World Health Organization. Sodium reduction (fact sheet).
  38. Jovanovski E, et al. Effect of psyllium fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108:922-932.
  39. US Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.81. Health claims: soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of coronary heart disease.
  40. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (UK). Carbohydrates and Health. 2015.
  41. American Gastroenterological Association and American College of Gastroenterology. Clinical practice guideline: pharmacological management of chronic idiopathic constipation. Gastroenterology. 2023.
  42. NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Probiotics: What You Need To Know.
  43. Goldenberg JZ, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;12:CD006095.
  44. US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer: recommendation statement. JAMA. 2022;327:2326-2333.
  45. Gaziano JM, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012;308:1871-1880.
  46. LiverTox (NIH National Library of Medicine). Turmeric.
  47. Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016;19:717-729.
  48. NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis.
  49. NICE guideline NG226. Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management. 2022.
  50. Clegg DO, et al. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis (GAIT). N Engl J Med. 2006;354:795-808.
  51. Wolfe RR. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:30.
  52. Leisegang K, et al. Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) improves serum total testosterone in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Medicina. 2022;58:1047.
  53. Clemesha CG, et al. “Testosterone boosting” supplements composition and claims are not supported by the academic literature. World J Mens Health. 2020;38:115-122.
  54. Tucker J, et al. Unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients included in dietary supplements associated with US FDA warnings. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1:e183337.
  55. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
  56. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food. Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal. 2018;16(4):5239.

This guide is general education, not medical advice, and it does not recommend any brand or product. Supplements can interact with medicines and health conditions. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting one, especially if you take medication, have a health condition or are planning surgery.

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