Stop overpaying for magic—choose whey, creatine, and evidence over hype

Most supplements are a tax on confusion. The ones with the strongest evidence are boring: protein for convenience and creatine monohydrate for strength and recovery. Nearly everything else has tiny effects, sketchy studies, or works only because it’s caffeine with glitter.

If hitting protein is hard, a scoop of whey is filtered milk with a good amino acid profile, not a magic potion. Creatine supports short, hard efforts and helps you do a bit more work, which adds up. They’re cheap, safe for most healthy adults, and easy to track. That’s why boring wins.

A micro‑anecdote: one lifter cleared the shelf, kept whey and creatine, and moved the savings to groceries and a better pillow. Two months later, she was stronger, slept deeper, and laughed at her old receipt folder.

The research base keeps saying the same thing: whey is a convenient protein, creatine is effective, and flashy blends generally underdeliver. Before ordering another tub, ask if a week of better sleep or a fridge full of ready proteins would do more. Most of the time, they will.

Open the cupboard and keep only whey or another convenient protein and creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams a day. If a product makes you happy and fits a tiny ‘fun’ budget, fine, but not at the cost of sleep or groceries. Read labels like a skeptic—if it’s caffeine and sprinkles, call it what it is. Track a real metric like strength or sleep; if a supplement doesn’t move a number you care about, drop it. Do the shelf sweep today.