While experts like Close advocate trying to meet nutritional needs through food in the first instance, it may not always be possible or practical to do so, and that’s where supplements come in.
Take, for example, creatine, which is found naturally in meat and fish.
“You would need almost a kilogram of raw chicken a day to get the amount of creatine you need,” says Close. But it is not safe to eat raw poultry due to the risk of food poisoning caused by harmful bacteria.
Creatine is a natural compound in the body produced in the kidneys, liver and pancreas. It is a quick source of energy for muscles, which is especially important for short-duration, high-intensity activities like sprinting.
Its breakthrough as a supplement came in the 1990s, when two scientists who had been researching it for two decades shared their findings with Steve Jennings, whose sports nutrition company Maxim supplied products to the British Olympic team.
During the 1992 Barcelona Games, investigative journalist Doug Gillon learned of a “secret trial” involving British athletes and saw a box of their Ergomax C150, creatine effervescent tablets. He wrote that if the scientists’ claims (that creatine could improve explosive sports performance by 1 to 3%) were true, then “sport may never be the same again.”
Regarding sports supplements and nutrition, I was right. By the time of the next Olympic Games in 1996, an estimated 80% of athletes were taking creatine, and it has since become commonplace, with research suggesting there may be cognitive as well as physical benefits.
According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the advancement of creatine in the 1990s “launched a new era in sports nutrition” and “sparked the exploration of other supplements.”
The global dietary supplements market size was valued at $209.5 billion (£154 billion) in 2025 and is projected to grow to $431.7 billion (£317.4 billion) by 2033, according to Grand View Research.,
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Close, who oversaw nutrition during last year’s British and Irish Lions rugby tour, sees supplements as the “final piece of the puzzle” rather than a starting point.
“What we’re talking about is small profit margins, where I actually think what athletes who focus on food often find is that they have the right big-ticket items,” he says.
“So they’re seeing huge performance benefits because their overall diet is immaculate.
“They may be missing the one percent, but they’ve really achieved the 99 percent. And they often do better than those who chase the one per center but haven’t paid enough attention to the 99 percent.”
Australian cyclist Nicole Frain agrees, adding: “I firmly believe they’re called sports supplements. They’re there to complement the things you already do well.
“I don’t think supplements are the answer to my problems.
“You need to eat a balanced diet, train well, sleep well, recover well, hydrate (all those things) before adding all the extras.”
