You walk into the pharmacy, look at the sports nutrition shelf, and there are fifteen different tubs staring back: protein, magnesium, omega-3, collagen, BCAAs, creatine. The question we get most at the counter isn't "which one's the best?" — it's "which one do I actually need?" And the answer almost always comes down to one thing: what you're training for, and what's falling short by the end of your day.

First things first: you don't need all fifteen tubs

If you train strength three times a week and eat reasonably well, protein and magnesium alone cover about 80% of what your body will actually notice. Everything else is fine-tuning, not the foundation. This is what we see over and over: people spending €60 a month on five different supplements when two, well chosen, would get them the same result.

Protein, magnesium or creatine? Match it to your goal, not the trend

If you train for strength, or you're in a calorie deficit: protein powder after training, or as a top-up if you're not hitting your daily intake through food alone. You don't need it if you're already getting enough protein from meals — a lot of people take it "because you're supposed to" when their diet already covers it. If you want whey, we carry BELEVELS Whey Isolated Protein in several flavours; if you'd rather go plant-based, there's KOBHO Vegan Protein Isolated.

If you train in the evening and sleep badly, or get cramps: magnesium. It's one of the best value-for-money supplements out there, and the least talked about, precisely because it isn't glamorous. Go for a well-absorbed form (bisglycinate, citrate) rather than the classic magnesium oxide, which at higher doses can upset your stomach. We stock IVB Creamag 300mg, strawberry-kiwi flavour, built for exactly this.

If you train for strength or want more output on short, intense sets: creatine. It's one of the most studied sports supplements out there, and one of the least "placebo" — you notice the difference in how many reps you get, not in how you feel. We carry a few options: BELEVELS Creatine Creapure, KOBHO Creatine 240g or IVB Creatine Essential.

How to choose without getting lost in the label

Short answer: look at the amount of active ingredient per dose, not the claim on the front of the tub. A tub that says "HIGH POTENCY" with 200mg of magnesium per serving isn't better than one without that label carrying 300mg. Compare milligrams, not adjectives.

Two things that genuinely make a difference:

• The chemical form of the mineral. Magnesium oxide and magnesium bisglycinate are not the same thing — the latter absorbs far better and sits easier on the stomach, even though it costs a bit more.
• Timing. Protein after training, magnesium before bed if you're after better sleep, creatine at any time of day — what matters is taking it every day, not the hour.

Mistakes we see at the pharmacy every day

The most common one: starting several supplements at once with no way of knowing which one is actually doing something. If you introduce three new products in the same month, you won't be able to tell what caused any change you notice. Add one, give it 3-4 weeks, then decide whether to add the next.

The second: buying the highest dose available on the assumption that more is better. With magnesium and some fat-soluble vitamins, going over the recommended dose doesn't speed anything up, and in some cases it can backfire. If you're unsure how much suits your weight, your training load, or whether it interacts with other medication you're taking, ask your pharmacist before combining several products — some interactions aren't obvious from the packaging alone.

The third, more about your wallet: buying a single tub when you already know you'll need it again next month too. If you've already found a supplement that works for you, buying two at once usually comes out cheaper than restocking one tub at a time.

This month's offer

Until 31 October we have 15% off when you buy 2 or more products from our sports nutrition and supplements category — applied automatically at checkout, no code needed. If you already knew you needed to restock on protein, or you've just decided to try magnesium or creatine after reading this, it's a good moment to buy what you'll need next month too and get the discount on both at once.

You can browse the full sports nutrition range in our sports nutrition category. If you're not sure which combination suits your training, our pharmacy team can talk it through with you — it's free, and it saves you buying something you won't end up using.

This article is for information only and doesn't replace an individual assessment by a pharmacist. Before combining several supplements, or if you're taking other medication, please check with the pharmacy first.