Condition
Soccer Performance
Soccer performance draws on endurance, repeated sprints, agility, technical skill and clear thinking, often across crowded match schedules. Creatine and caffeine have the strongest evidence for supporting sprint power and stamina, and in one small study of players, N-acetylcysteine improved anaerobic capacity. Soccer-specific trials were mostly small, often a dozen to a few dozen players, so the evidence for most individual supplements is limited.
Sources: PMID 21896942
- Supplements studied
- 12
- Graded outcomes
- 11
- Trials
- 12
- People studied
- 232
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 3 studies | 40 people | ||
Studies that measured oxidative stress biomarkers
| ||||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 40 people | ||||
| Uric Acid | Changes; see studies | 40 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonia Mixed effect | 1 study | 30 people | ||||
Studies that measured ammonia | ||||||
| Uric Acid | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 30 people | |||
Studies that measured uric acid | ||||||
| Muscle Damage | Changes; see studies | 30 people | ||||
N-Acetylcysteine
- Anaerobic Capacity: improves
- Power Output: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaerobic Capacity Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 12 people | ||
Studies that measured anaerobic capacity | ||||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 12 people | ||||
Melatonin
- Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile: improves
- Exercise-Induced Oxidation: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile Small Increase | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 16 people | ||
Studies that measured anti-oxidant enzyme profile | ||||||
| Exercise-Induced Oxidation | Changes; see studies | 2 studies | 16 people | |||
Studies that measured exercise-induced oxidation | ||||||
Creatine
- Uric Acid: improves
- Weight: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uric Acid Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 14 people | ||
Studies that measured uric acid | ||||||
| Weight | Improves (the measure goes down) | 10 studies | 14 people | |||
Studies that measured weight | ||||||
Yohimbine
- Body Fat: improves
- Muscle Mass: improves
- Power Output: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fat Moderate Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | 20 people | ||
Studies that measured body fat | ||||||
| Muscle Mass | Improves (the measure goes up) | 20 people | ||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 20 people | ||||
L-Tyrosine
- Adrenaline
- Heart Rate: improves
- Alertness: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline Mixed effect | 14 people | |||||
| Heart Rate | Improves (the measure goes down) | 5 studies | 22 people | |||
| Alertness | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 8 people | |||
| Blood glucose | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 14 people | |||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
| Dopamine | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 14 people | |||
Studies that measured dopamine | ||||||
| Aerobic Exercise Metrics | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 people | ||||
| Blood Lactate (Exercise) | Changes; see studies | 14 people | ||||
| Noradrenaline | Improves (the measure goes up) | 14 people | ||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 14 people | ||||
| Vigor/Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 8 people | ||||
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
- Adrenaline
- Fat Oxidation: improves
- Blood glucose: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline No effect | NoneNo effect | 10 people | ||||
| Fat Oxidation | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 10 people | |||
Studies that measured fat oxidation | ||||||
| Blood glucose | Changes; see studies | 10 people | ||||
| Blood Lactate (Exercise) | Changes; see studies | 10 people | ||||
| Dopamine | Improves (the measure goes up) | 10 people | ||||
| Fatigue Symptoms | Changes; see studies | 10 people | ||||
| Noradrenaline | Improves (the measure goes up) | 10 people | ||||
| Reaction Time | Improves (the measure goes up) | 10 people | ||||
Leucic Acid
- Anaerobic Capacity
- Body Fat: improves
- Muscle Mass: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaerobic Capacity No effect | NoneNo effect | 15 people | ||||
| Body Fat | Improves (the measure goes down) | 15 people | ||||
| Muscle Mass | Improves (the measure goes up) | 15 people | ||||
| Muscle Soreness | Improves (the measure goes down) | 15 people | ||||
| Power Output | Improves (the measure goes up) | 15 people | ||||
| Weight | Improves (the measure goes down) | 15 people |
Panax Ginseng (Korean Ginseng)
- Lactate Threshold
- Oxygen Uptake: improves
- Reaction Time: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactate Threshold No effect | NoneNo effect | 15 people | ||||
| Oxygen Uptake | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 15 people | |||
| Reaction Time | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 15 people | |||
Cocoa Extract
- Aerobic Exercise Metrics
- Oxidative Stress Biomarkers: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobic Exercise Metrics No effect | NoneNo effect | 28 people | ||||
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 28 people | |||
Studies that measured oxidative stress biomarkers | ||||||
Beta-Alanine
- Anaerobic Exercise Performance: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaerobic Exercise Performance | Improves (the measure goes up) | 3 studies | 86 people | |||
Studies that measured anaerobic exercise performance
| ||||||
Key findings
- Oxidative Stress BiomarkersImproves (the measure goes down)
- Ammonia
- Anaerobic CapacityImproves (the measure goes up)
The Soccer Performance Enhancement protocol
2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements
- Creatine Monohydrate3–5 g daily (loading phase optional)
- Caffeine3–6 mg/kg body weight 30–60 minutes before match
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Fullscript collectionMuscle, performance and healthy ageing: evidence-graded picksOpen on Fullscript
The collection holds the supplements we grade A or B for its theme, in products from the Fullscript catalog. It opens in our Fullscript store. You can look through it without signing in; Fullscript asks for a free account to order.
We earn from purchases made in our Fullscript store, and links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Full disclosure
Studies cited
38 studies from PubMed
- Effects of L-tyrosine and carbohydrate ingestion on endurance exercise performance
- Yohimbine: the effects on body composition and exercise performance in soccer players
- Ginseng treatment improves psychomotor performance at rest and during graded exercise in young athletes
- Improved cognitive performance in human volunteers following administration of guarana (Paullinia cupana) extract: comparison and interaction with Panax ginseng
- Ginseng supplementation does not enhance healthy young adults' peak aerobic exercise performance
- N-Acetylcysteine Attenuates Fatigue Following Repeated-Bouts of Intermittent Exercise: Practical Implications for Tournament Situations
- Melatonin administrated immediately before an intense exercise reverses oxidative stress, improves immunological defenses and lipid metabolism in football players
- Melatonin treatment improves blood pressure, lipid profile, and parameters of oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome
- Melatonin supplementation ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling induced by strenuous exercise in adult human males
- Chronic dietary tyrosine supplements do not affect mild essential hypertension
- Effects of Tyrosine on Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Effects of tyrosine and tryptophan ingestion on plasma catecholamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations
- Ingestion of tyrosine: effects on endurance, muscle strength, and anaerobic performance
- Effect of tyrosine ingestion on cognitive and physical performance utilising an intermittent soccer performance test (iSPT) in a warm environment
- Oral l-tyrosine supplementation augments the vasoconstriction response to whole-body cooling in older adults
- L-tyrosine ameliorates some effects of lower body negative pressure stress
- Glutamine and carbohydrate supplements reduce ammonemia increase during endurance field exercise
- Glutamine protects against increases in blood ammonia in football players in an exercise intensity-dependent way
- Creatine supplementation does not affect clinical health markers in football players
- Randomized controlled trial of dietary creatine as an adjunct therapy to physical training in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Creatine supplementation during pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Effect of low-dose, short-duration creatine supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance
- Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold during cycle ergometry in college-aged women
- Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold in cycle ergometry in college-age men
- Effect of creatine phosphate supplementation on anaerobic working capacity and body weight after two and six days of loading in men and women
- Effect of two and five days of creatine loading on anaerobic working capacity in women
- Effects of creatine supplementation on aerobic power and cardiovascular structure and function
- Reliability and detecting change following short-term creatine supplementation: comparison of two-component body composition methods
- Creatine monohydrate supplementation on body weight and percent body fat
- Influence of cocoa flavanols and procyanidins on free radical-induced human erythrocyte hemolysis
- Dark chocolate inhibits platelet isoprostanes via NOX2 down-regulation in smokers
- The effect of branched chain amino acids on psychomotor performance during treadmill exercise of changing intensity simulating a soccer game
- Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on Yo-Yo test performance: A meta-analysis.
- Effects of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Physical Performance in Aerobic-Anaerobic Transition Zones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of astaxanthin on oxidative stress in overweight and obese adults
- Markers of Hypoxia and Oxidative Stress in Aging Volunteers Ingesting Lycosomal Formulation of Dark Chocolate Containing Astaxanthin
- Erythrocytes carotenoids after astaxanthin supplementation in middle-aged and senior Japanese subjects