What the reviews found
Supplements for Muscle Strength & Mass
10 where systematic reviews concluded a benefit, 2 with mixed findings, 4 where they concluded no effect, and 1 where harm was reported. Every line quotes the review and links it, so you can read the sentence yourself.
Reviews found a benefit
Systematic reviews concluded these improve an outcome tied to muscle strength & mass, and none concluded no effect.
- Top-scored productThorne Creatine5 reviews cited98Benefitmuscle strength
“creatine supplementation combined with resistance training significantly increased upper-body (WMD = 4.43 kg, p < 0.001) and lower-body strength (WMD = 11.35 kg, p < 0.001).” PMID 39519498 · 4 reviews
Benefitmuscle mass/hypertrophy“the results suggest that creatine supplementation combined with RT promotes a small increase in the direct measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in both the upper and lower body.” PMID 37432300 · 3 reviews
- Benefitmuscle strength(as Whey Protein)
“whey protein significantly improved bench press (mean difference [MD] 8.87; 95% CI: 5.95-11.79) and squat performance (MD 9.60; 95% CI: 5.61-13.60), with low to no heterogeneity.” PMID 41454445 · 4 reviews
Benefitskeletal muscle mass(as Hydrolyzed Whey Protein)“WP supplementation during RET is more effective in increasing handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass in older people with Sarcopenia compared with RET with or without placebo supplementation.” PMID 37571361
- Beetroot2 reviews citedBenefithandgrip strength(as beetroot)
“handgrip strength (SMD = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.74, p = 0.027)” PMID 42588136
Benefitmuscular strength(as beetroot)“proper beetroot juice supplementation improves muscular strength in professional athletes and aerobic endurance in non-athletes.” PMID 40573069
- Catechins2 reviews citedBenefitmuscle mass
“Skeletal muscle mass significantly increased in three studies, muscle strength significantly elevated in two studies, and physical performance significantly improved in two studies.” PMID 37764681
Benefitmuscle strength“In sum, A-RF or antioxidant supplementation could be effective tools for sarcopenia, especially improving muscle strength and function.” PMID 36099667 · 2 reviews
- Top-scored productDouble Wood HMB Supplement4 reviews cited77Benefitmuscle mass(as β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate)
“evidence of a beneficial effect of HMB supplementation was found in four of four studies for muscle mass, two of two for muscle function, three of three for hospitalization, and five of seven for survival.” PMID 35301826 · 2 reviews
- Benefitmuscle strength and recovery(as Ashwagandha Brood-Spectrum)
“increased muscle strength and recovery” PMID 41906501
- Top-scored productThorne L-Glutamine Powder1 review cited92Benefitmuscle strength loss after knee replacement
“One paper reported a suppressive effect of beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, L-arginine, and L-glutamine supplementation on muscle strength loss following TKR.” PMID 29941852
- Top-scored productThorne Rhodiola1 review cited92Benefitmuscle strength and recovery
“increased muscle strength and recovery” PMID 41906501
- 1 review citedBenefitmuscular strength recovery
“A moderate beneficial effect was observed for recovery of muscular strength (ES = -0.78, 95% CI [-1.11, -0.46]).” PMID 33440334
- Benefitsarcopenia-related measures (lean mass, muscle strength, physical function)
“co-supplementation with vitamin D enhanced LM gains (SMD =0.993; 95% CI: 0.112, 1.874; n = 11), muscle strength (SMD =2.005; 95% CI: 0.975, 3.035; n = 11), and physical function (SMD = 3.038; 95% CI: 2.196, 3.879; n = 18) significantly.” PMID 37196876
Mixed: a benefit on one measure, no effect on another
- No effectlean body mass(as Fish Oil)
“no significant effects were observed on LBM, and the confidence in the result was moderate” PMID 41286390
Benefitmuscle strength(as Docosahexaenoic Acid)“significantly improved muscle strength (Hedges' g = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.83)” PMID 42124047
Benefitmuscle strength and physical function(as Omega-3 Fatty Acids)“the high-dose (more than 2.5 g/day omega-3 PUFAs) group yielded the greatest improvement in both upper-extremity muscle strength and lower-extremity physical function” PMID 37442370
1 more review finding — see Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA, DHA).
- Beef Protein1 review citedBenefitlean body mass
“BP significantly increased total daily protein intake (SMD = 0.68, p < 0.001), LBM (SMD = 0.34, p = 0.049) and lower-limb muscle strength (SMD = 0.40, p = 0.014) compared to NP” PMID 31242624
No effectupper-limb muscle strength“no significant differences were found between both conditions for fat mass (SMD = 0.15, p = 0.256), upper-limb muscle strength (SMD = 0.16, p = 0.536) or total iron intake (SMD = 0.29, p = 0.089).” PMID 31242624
Reviews found no effect
Reviews studied these for an outcome tied to muscle strength & mass and concluded they made no difference.
- No effectmaximal strength
“Co-ingestion of creatine and β-alanine supplementation did not increase measures of maximal strength compared to creatine alone.” PMID 40647180
- No effectmuscle strength(as Citrulline Malate)
“citrulline malate supplementation does not improve muscle strength in healthy and resistance-trained individuals” PMID 34176406
- No effectmuscle mass and function
“Current evidence does not support NMN and NR supplementation for preserving muscle mass and function in adults with mean age of over 60 years.” PMID 40275690
- orange1 review citedNo effectlean mass
“No significant effects were observed on lean mass.” PMID 40956687
Harm reported
- Olive Oil1 review citedHarm reportedlean mass
“Lean mass responds negatively to OO the higher the dose (slope = -0.61, 95% CI [-1.01, -0.21], p = 0.003) and time offered (slope = -0.8822, 95% CI [-1.44, -0.33], p = 0.002).” PMID 37278997
Not enough to say
Reviews of Betaine, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, Olive Oil, Potassium could not conclude either way on muscle strength & mass.
How this page is built
Each finding is the conclusion a set of systematic reviews reached on one outcome — whether an ingredient helped, made no difference, or could not be judged — with a sentence quoted from one review, checked to appear in its PubMed abstract. It records the direction, not the size, of an effect. Reviews run in populations such as people with cancer, pregnancy, surgery or children are left out, because applying them to a general reader would mislead. Evidence last refreshed September 2026. Abstracts courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed).
Other goals
Educational only. A review finding a benefit on average does not mean a supplement will help you, or that it is safe alongside your medication. If you are treated for muscle strength & mass, talk to your clinician before adding anything.