Catching up with women’s sports supplements: A round-up of the latest science

What science there is—and it is growing—points less toward one-size-fits-all supplement protocols and more toward individualized strategies that account for sport demands, training phase, age, body composition goals, hormonal status, menstrual cycle phase, contraceptive use, energy availability and baseline nutrient status.

The evidence is clearest for protein-based strategies, especially when paired with resistance training to support lean mass, muscle function and healthy aging. Collagen is emerging as an area of interest, with studies exploring tendon, bone and appetite-related outcomes, though findings remain early. Creatine appears safe and may aid strength and power, but female-specific guidance is still limited. Caffeine shows promise for cognition and explosive tasks, while ashwagandha and gut-health research reflect a broader shift toward recovery, stress and personalized performance support.

Below a look at some of the latest supplement studies focused more specifically on women in sport as the preliminary research on female physiology continues to build.

FIFA-funded review calls for personalized nutrition plans in women’s soccer

A paper published in Sports Medicine as part of the FIFA Female Health Project synthesized current research on women’s soccer to develop comprehensive, evidence-informed nutritional strategies tailored to the specific demands of each athlete’s position, training volume, body composition goals and season phase.

“The appropriate application of nutritional strategies can support player availability, maintain optimal performance and reduce the risk of fatigue and injury,” the research team led by by Abbie Smith-Ryan of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

“Nutrition plans should be football specific and tailored to each player’s individual needs, considering factors such as playing position, training volume, goals, training age, and menstrual status (e.g., fluctuations in female sex hormones).”

This includes prioritizing adequate energy intake, with careful attention given to the timing of intake around training and matches. Players may benefit from increasing carbohydrate intake in the days before competition, using easily digestible carbohydrates before and during matches, and prioritizing both carbohydrates and protein soon after play to replenish glycogen, support immune function and accelerate recovery. Hydration strategies should also be individualized, since sweat rates vary by player, environment, fitness level and hormonal status.

Female sex hormones were another key focus, with the researchers noting that menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptive use may affect thermoregulation, hydration needs, fuel use, inflammation and symptoms such as cramping.

Exercise-amino acid combo may boost muscle growth in menopausal women

Older women may gain more muscle and improve fitness when resistance training is combined with essential amino acids.

A 12-week study followed healthy women age 65 and older who were assigned to exercise, consume amino acids, both, or neither. The combined group showed the strongest improvements, including increased muscle mass, better fitness-test performance and more favorable muscle-related markers. The combined approach reduced several inflammatory markers and produced the largest increase in the follistatin-to-myostatin ratio, a signal linked to muscle growth.

“These findings indicate that, for metabolically healthy older women, the combined strategy can be a more potent non-pharmacological option for preventing sarcopenia and promoting physical function,” they wrote in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. “Moreover, given age-related anabolic resistance, the dual intervention may offer broader and more sustained benefits than either strategy alone.”

Vital Proteins collagen modulates bone turnover in female endurance athletes

Four weeks of high-dose collagen peptide (CP) supplementation may favorably modulate bone formation and inflammation in female endurance athletes, according to a pilot study.

Published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the study examined the effects of Vital Proteins CP supplementation in premenopausal female endurance athletes, a group which experiences cyclical hormonal fluctuations and elevated risk of low energy availability, which the researchers stated can independently and interactively influence bone turnover and inflammation.

“These factors create a distinct physiological environment in which osteoblast and osteoclast activity, as well as cytokine dynamics, may respond differently to nutritional interventions compared to other populations,” they wrote.

Findings indicated that short-term supplementation increased a marker of bone formation, altered osteoclast-related signaling and reduced IL-6, a key inflammatory cytokine linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular events.

Review explores exercise-protein combo on body composition and muscle fitness in healthy women

A review and meta-analysis led by Beijing Sport University suggests that multi-ingredient protein supplements (MIPS) may help women build lean mass and strength when paired with exercise, though the benefits appear limited to certain outcomes.

The study looked at nine randomized controlled trials involving 408 healthy women between the ages of 18 and 73 to evaluate whether supplements that combine protein with other ingredients such as carbohydrates, creatine, vitamin D, calcium or amino acids improved body composition and muscle fitness when used alongside structured exercise programs. Most studies focused on resistance training, though some included aerobic or combined exercise.

“Combining MIPS with exercise training significantly improves fat-free mass, muscle mass and strength in women, with no additional benefits for fat-related or functional outcomes, the researchers reported. “These effects are moderated by age, BMI, supplementation timing, isocaloric designs and intervention duration, highlighting the importance of individualized strategies.”

The certainty of the preliminary evidence ranged from very low to moderate, with the strongest support seen for fat-free mass and muscle hypertrophy.

Collagen shows tendon remodeling and explosive performance gains in elite female hockey players

A study published in the journal Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that collagen supplementation may enhance some benefits of strength training in elite female Master field hockey athletes.

“No study has investigated interventions to improve tendon properties in female Master athletes,” wrote researchers from Liverpool John Moores University. “This is particularly relevant in field hockey, where frequent, high-speed, explosive (i.e., high RFD) movements place substantial demands on the lower limb muscle–tendon unit and may help explain why knee and lower limb soft tissue injury were the most frequently reported injuries at the 2018 Masters World Cup.”

After eight weeks of eccentric resistance training, 22 premenopausal Hockey Ireland athletes who consumed hydrolyzed collagen with vitamin C prior to workouts showed greater increases in patellar tendon size than those given a placebo.

The collagen group also demonstrated greater improvements in peak rate of force development, a key factor in sprinting, braking and changing direction in field hockey. While both groups gained some strength and muscle-related adaptations, collagen appeared to provide an added benefit for tendon remodeling and explosive performance.

Review reports caffeine-boosted performance in intermittent sports

A systematic review and meta-analysis found that caffeine may improve some performance measures in female athletes who play intermittent sports such as handball, volleyball, basketball and soccer.

Across nine studies, caffeine was linked to better agility and vertical jump performance, but it did not clearly improve sprint performance.

The review also examined whether caffeine’s effects differed by menstrual cycle phase. Some results suggested agility benefits may appear in follicular-phase trials, but overall, the researchers found no statistically significant difference between follicular and luteal phases.

The authors emphasized that the evidence is limited because the studies were small, menstrual cycle phase was not rigorously verified, and most studies were not designed specifically to test cycle-related caffeine responses.

They concluded that caffeine may help certain explosive and change-of-direction tasks in female intermittent-sport athletes but that stronger evidence is needed before making firm claims about menstrual cycle effects.

KSM-66 ashwagandha shows sex-specific benefits in athletes

Research published in Nutrients suggests that daily supplementation with ashwagandha root extract may help team-sport athletes manage physiological stress during the demanding pre-season training period.

The study investigated whether 600 milligrams per day of KSM-66 ashwagandha during the pre-season could influence stress hormones, perceived recovery, muscle strength and aerobic capacity in semi-professional athletes from rugby, water polo and football in 56 male and female athletes over 42 days. Results indicated significant improvements compared to placebo and notable differences between subpopulations.

“Namely, these benefits were sex-specific, with improvements in perception of recovery observed in female athletes and lower-body muscle strength in male athletes,” the researchers reported. “Of particular interest, post-training salivary cortisol in females and salivary cortisone in males remained stable following Ashwagandha supplementation, whereas the placebo group exhibited significant increases.”

Limitations included the relatively small sample size, convenience recruitment, lack of dietary monitoring and differences among athletes across sports and recommended future research to test optimal dosing, timing and longer-term effects across competitive seasons.

Long-term study supports creatine safety in female soccer players

An in-season study suggests that long-term creatine supplementation appears safe for female soccer players, with no clinically meaningful signs of kidney, liver or hydration-related problems over a full competitive season.

“Although creatine supplementation is well established for enhancing athletic performance, data on its long-term safety are still limited, particularly among female athletes,” a team of Brazilian researchers wrote in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

The study followed 71 female players from youth and professional teams in São Paulo who consumed 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for one week, followed by 5 grams per day for the rest of the 32-week season. Researchers measured a broad panel of blood and urine safety markers at the start of the season, midway through and at the end.

Some markers changed during the season, including creatinine, estimated kidney filtration rate, potassium, red blood cell measures and creatine phosphokinase, a marker often linked to muscle stress. However, most changes were small and remained within normal clinical ranges. Kidney-related measures, including urea and albuminuria, did not indicate harm, and liver enzymes remained stable.

Female athletes underrepresented in sports performance studies

A review published in Frontiers in Nutrition reported significant gaps in research on performance supplements, highlighting the significant underrepresentation of female athletes at the elite level. Approximately 60% of the studies evaluated reviewed focused exclusively on men, and only 10% on women.

Findings generally underscores the critical importance of individualized supplementation strategies, moving beyond generic protocols to consider athlete-specific factors such as training status, competition schedule and physiological response patterns, particulary given the observed variations in supplement effectiveness across different sporting contexts and athlete populations.

The researchers also noted that 40% to 100% of trained athletes use supplements, often without proper guidance or evidence-based information, in the pursuit of marginal performance gains.

Collagen peptides may curb post-workout appetite signaling

Collagen peptides may slightly reduce how much active women eat after exercise, though the effect appears modest, according to preliminary research in a small sample population of young active women.

The study, published by Cambridge University Press in the British Journal of Nutrition, tracked 15 participants consumed either 15 grams of collagen peptides (CP) provided by Rousselot BV or a taste-matched water placebo each day for one week. On the final day, participants completed a 45-minute cycling session and took the CP supplement before consuming pasta ad libitum.

“Our findings suggest that if consuming CP after exercise for health or recovery benefits, there may be a compensatory decrease in energy intake at the next meal,” wrote a team of international researchers led by sports physiologists from Loughborough University in the UK. “However, the 10% (41 kcal) reduction in energy intake after CP was relatively small, so may not be clinically meaningful.

The study also observed higher levels of GLP-1 and insulin, hormones linked to satiety and metabolism, along with lower levels of ghrelin, often described as a hunger-related hormone. Self-reported appetite, thirst, desire to eat and gastrointestinal symptoms, however, were similar in both conditions, suggesting that supplementation may have influenced biological appetite signals without producing a noticeable change in how hungry participants felt.

Dark chocolate may help CrossFit athletes push through premenstrual performance dips

A small study published in Nutrients suggests that short-term dark chocolate supplementation could help trained female CrossFit athletes maintain workout performance, sharpen reaction time and reduce some muscle soreness across the menstrual cycle, with the clearest benefits appearing during the premenstrual and luteal phases.

Fifteen athletes consumed 30 grams per day of 85% dark chocolate, a placebo or no supplement for three days before testing across menstrual, follicular, luteal and premenstrual phases.

The study, led by researchers from Shiraz University in Iran, reported that the dark chocolate condition improved performance on the CINDY workout across all phases, with the strongest effects seen during the premenstrual phase. Athletes also showed faster reaction times during PMS after taking dark chocolate, suggesting possible benefits for cognitive performance when hormonal symptoms may otherwise affect focus and processing speed.

Dark chocolate also appeared to reduce muscle soreness in some phases, especially during the luteal phase, though effects were not consistent across the entire cycle. Handgrip strength did not significantly change, suggesting the supplement may support endurance-type performance and recovery more than maximal strength.

Does creatine supplementation enhance performance in active females?

Creatine may help some active women improve performance, but the evidence remains too limited and inconsistent to draw firm conclusions, according to a review published in Nutrients.

Researchers affiliated with Australian Catholic University examined 27 studies involving 514 active females, ranging from recreational exercisers to elite athletes to explore whether creatine supplementation improved strength and power, anaerobic performance or aerobic outcomes. While some studies reported benefits, most did not show clear improvements compared with placebo.

Creatine appeared most promising for strength, power and short-duration high-intensity performance but was supported by only three of 11 strength and power studies and four of 17 anaerobic studies. Evidence for aerobic performance was even weaker, with only one of five studies showing a clear advantage.

“Although some benefits were reported, most studies showed no improvement in performance compared to placebo,” the researchers wrote.

“The heterogeneity in participant characteristics, performance tests, creatine intervention, insufficient consideration of the unique physiological characteristics of females and an overall small evidence base limits our understanding of how creatine supplementation influences physical performance in active females.”