Best Supplements for Soccer Performance Ranked by Network Meta-Analysis

Soccer demands a unique blend of aerobic endurance, explosive power, agility, and rapid recovery — making nutrition and supplementation central to competitive performance. Despite widespread use of dietary supplements among players (reported in 47–94% of athletes), comparative evidence across multiple supplements had been lacking until now.

This systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis synthesized 80 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1,425 soccer players who received one of 31 dietary supplements or placebo. Databases searched included PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, and SPORTDiscus up to February 2024. Performance outcomes were categorized across seven domains tied to energy systems: distance covered, muscular strength, jump height, sprint time, agility, peak and mean power, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE).

For endurance and distance covered, carbohydrate+protein produced the largest effect (SMD: 2.2, very large), followed by carbohydrate+electrolyte (SMD: 1.3, large), bovine colostrum (moderate), and caffeine (SMD: 0.29, small). Sprint performance was most improved by magnesium creatine chelate (SMD: −3.0, very large reduction in sprint time), melatonin (SMD: −1.9, large), creatine+sodium bicarbonate (SMD: −1.4, large), and arginine (SMD: −1.2, moderate). Jump height benefited most from beta-alanine (SMD: 0.83, moderate) and melatonin (SMD: 0.75, moderate), with caffeine and creatine offering smaller but significant gains. Agility was best improved by creatine+sodium bicarbonate (SMD: −2.3, very large) and caffeine (SMD: −0.38, small). Sodium pyruvate improved both peak and mean anaerobic power, while magnesium creatine chelate delivered a large boost to mean power. Kaempferia parviflora was uniquely associated with muscular strength gains. Carbohydrate+electrolyte also significantly reduced perceived exertion during play.

Caffeine emerged as the most broadly effective single supplement, showing significant benefits across distance, jump height, and agility — making it particularly practical for match-day use. Creatine-based combinations (especially with sodium bicarbonate) were standouts for explosive and agility performance. Melatonin's strong showing for sprint time and jump height is notable and may relate to its antioxidant and recovery properties.

The SUCRA rankings further allowed relative probabilistic ranking of each supplement within each outcome domain, giving practitioners a nuanced tool beyond simple statistical significance. Subgroup analyses by competitive level were also conducted to contextualize findings across elite and sub-elite players.