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Proprietary nutraceuticals, nootropic adaptogens: Scroll through social media, and the number of products promising a performance edge can feel overwhelming. A newly published review from the UCI Sports Nutrition Project makes clear that the list of products actually backed by strong evidence is pretty short compared to the supplements available online. This article narrows the field to six supplements (plus, a bonus!) with a sound evidence base for cycling performance: caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, dietary nitrate, and glycerol. We’ll break down each to understand what these supplements actually do, and where their benefits are most likely to show up.
Caffeine
Caffeine remains the most thoroughly studied ergogenic aid in cycling. Some research points to caffeine increasing the body's reliance on fat and ingested carbohydrate as fuel sources during exercise, although this glycogen-sparing effect has not held up in every study. Caffeine may also promote greater calcium release within muscle cells, but it primarily works by blunting the perception of effort and fatigue through its action on adenosine receptors in the central nervous system.
Performance benefits appear across many durations, from short efforts under a minute to hour-long time trials, with improvements generally in the two to five percent range depending on the performance metric. Doses of three to six milligrams per kilogram of body mass taken roughly an hour before exercise are recommended, though for longer events lasting several hours, splitting the dose or timing smaller amounts around key moments such as a late-race climb or sprint tends to be more effective than a single preload, since caffeine's effects peak within a few hours of ingestion. Cyclists should be mindful of individual sensitivity, since side effects like jitteriness, tachycardia, and disrupted sleep are personal and dose-dependent.
Creatine
Creatine's value for cyclists lies in its support of the rapid energy system used during short, high-intensity efforts, the kind that can decide a race during a sprint, attack, or hard climb. Five grams per day has been shown to improve power output during repeated sprint efforts. The most common hesitation among cyclists, particularly those focused on climbing or general classification results, is the risk of water-related weight gain. While some individual cases show larger increases, the average gain across body composition studies is closer to half to one kilogram and tends to plateau after the initial loading period, making the power-to-weight concern often overstated relative to the performance benefits.
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate works by buffering the hydrogen ions that build up in the blood during high-intensity exercise, extending the point at which fatigue sets in. Research shows benefits across a wide range of efforts, from short maximal bursts to time trials where sustained high power outputs are required. A dose around 0.3 grams per kilogram of body mass taken one to three hours before exercise produces the most consistent results. The main drawback is gastrointestinal discomfort, which is common enough to deter many athletes from using it in competition. Enteric-coated capsules and pairing the dose with carbohydrate intake and fluid both reduce this risk, and newer formulations that combine bicarbonate with carbohydrate hydrogels have shown promise in minimizing side effects while preserving the performance benefit.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine works differently, raising carnosine concentrations inside muscle tissue to buffer acidity within the muscle cells rather than in the bloodstream. Because this adaptation takes time to build, beta-alanine requires several weeks of consistent daily dosing, typically 6.4 grams per day, to reach effective muscle saturation. Its benefits are most apparent in efforts lasting roughly one to ten minutes, making it particularly relevant for finishing sprints, hard attacks, or repeated surges rather than steady-state endurance riding. Paresthesia, a tingling sensation in the skin, is a common and innocuous side effect that can be minimized by splitting doses throughout the day or using a slow-release formulation.
Nitrates
Dietary nitrate, commonly found in beetroot juice, improves the efficiency of working muscle, allowing a rider to produce more power for the same oxygen cost. It works by increasing the body's nitric oxide availability. Raising dietary nitrate intake, whether through food or supplementation, can increase nitric oxide availability and offer a performance benefit when the body's natural production would otherwise fall short. This effect appears most reliable in recreational or moderately trained cyclists rather than elite athletes, whose higher baseline fitness is already efficient. Emerging evidence also suggests that female cyclists may not see the same benefits as males, yet further research in this area is required. Typical protocols involve consuming 6-8 mmol (~350-500mg) nitrate roughly two to three hours before exercise.
Glycerol
When cyclists become excessively dehydrated, performance tends to suffer as the body struggles to keep up with the additional strain, showing up as an elevated heart rate, a diminished ability to regulate core temperature, and a greater risk of heat-related illness. Glycerol helps riders retain extra fluid and expand blood plasma volume before exercise, which can delay the effects of dehydration on longer rides, particularly in the heat. Interestingly, glycerol was once banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency over concerns it could mask blood doping before being removed from the prohibited list in 2018. Doses of roughly one to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body mass combined with ∼25 ml/kg BM fluid are standard, though some riders experience bloating or nausea at higher doses, so individual tolerance should be tested well before race day.
Carbs
If you’ve made it this far, it’s time we cover the biggest performance benefit on this list: Carbs. Yes, you’ve likely heard it all before, but if you’re under-consuming carbs relative to needs, you’re leaving performance on the table. Carbohydrate intake remains one of the most consistently supported strategies for improving cycling performance, both within a single ride and across a multi-day training or racing block. Ingesting carbohydrate during exercise can delay fatigue and extend the point at which performance begins to decline. In-session carbohydrate intake has increased steadily in recent years, with many riders now targeting well above 90 grams per hour during racing, and using glucose-fructose blends absorbed through separate intestinal pathways to increase the total rate of carbohydrate absorption.
Off the bike, daily carbohydrate needs scale with training demands as well, with current recommendations for racing periods ranging from about six to twelve grams per kilogram of body mass per day. The amount and timing of that intake are considered the primary drivers of how completely glycogen stores are restored between hard training days or race stages.
For amateur and competitive cyclists, a few points from this research are worth keeping in mind. Supplementation should never be viewed as a substitute for the fundamentals. For most amateur riders, consistent training, adequate sleep, and a solid day-to-day fueling strategy will create benefits far more than any single supplement, and these five supplements are best thought of as a small addition to a nutrition plan that is already working, not a shortcut around one. Next, anti-doping rules apply equally to both pros and amateur racers, and supplement contamination is a real risk, with independent testing consistently finding that some commercial products contain undeclared substances. Choosing products verified through third-party testing programs like Informed Sport or NSF for Sport is a simple way to reduce that risk.
At Fuelin, we help cyclists prioritize the fundamentals of nutrition: carbohydrate adequacy in-session and at meals, protein to support health and performance goals, and hydration before recommending evidence-based supplements like caffeine or sodium bicarbonate. Because every rider's training load, race calendar, and physiology are different, we translate research like the UCI Sports Nutrition Project's findings into a personalized plan rather than a one-size-fits-all box, so time and planning go toward strategies likely to make an actual difference on race day.
Megan