Summary
Layne Norton ranks his Tier 2 supplements -- the ones that show real promise but haven't earned Tier 1 status alongside creatine, whey, and caffeine. He walks through ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea, citrulline, beta-alanine, tart cherry extract, melatonin, taurine, carnitine, and magnesium, explaining whether each has direct or indirect effects on strength, body composition, and performance, and where the evidence currently stands.
Key Points
- Ashwagandha (300-600mg KSM-66) shows promise for reducing cortisol and modestly improving strength and recovery.
- Citrulline (6-8g) increases nitric oxide production and may improve high-rep performance through better blood flow.
- Beta-alanine (3-6g daily) buffers lactic acid and benefits exercises lasting 1-4 minutes, but causes harmless tingling.
- Melatonin (0.3-1mg) is Norton's top sleep supplement pick -- most people take far too much (5-10mg).
- Magnesium (glycinate or threonate, 200-400mg) supports sleep and muscle function, with most people being mildly deficient.
- Tart cherry extract may reduce muscle soreness and improve sleep quality through its natural melatonin and anthocyanin content.
- Tier 2 supplements are worth trying if Tier 1 (creatine, whey, caffeine) is already covered, but expectations should be modest.
Key Moments
Melatonin improves lean mass and decreases fat — likely through better sleep quality
Layne Norton explains that melatonin supplementation has been shown in studies to improve lean mass and decrease fat mass, likely as an indirect effect of improving sleep quality and duration. Unlike sedatives, melatonin is a chronobiotic that signals nighttime and regulates circadian rhythm.
"about. Next one, the list, melatonin. This may seem strange to some of you guys. I thought we're talking about getting jacked in body composition. Well, it may surprise you to know that there's actually research studies showing that melatonin supplementation improves lean mass and decreases fat mass."
Magnesium supplementation only helps if you are deficient — and many people are
Norton emphasizes that magnesium benefits for exercise performance and recovery only appear in people who are deficient, but notes that many people are deficient. It has also been shown to help with sleep for those who do not tolerate other sleep aids well.
"somewhat indirect. Alright, next one, my surprise you, and that is magnesium. I want to be very clear, the effects of magnesium, it is not from taking superphysiological doses of magnesium. Many people are deficient in magnesium, and so many people benefit from supplementing with magnesium."
Creatine and caffeine interference — both are gut irritants that may impair pre-workout performance
Norton explains that stacking creatine and caffeine in pre-workouts is problematic because both are gut irritants and there is some evidence of an interference effect. He argues creatine in pre-workouts is pointless since creatine works through chronic saturation, not acute effects.
"creatin and caffeine, which there is some evidence there's an interference effect. I'm not sure it's real, but those are both gut irritants. And so, you know, some people end up having to go to the bathroom, you know, right after they take the pre-workout."
Ashwagandha as Tier 2 adaptogen — reduces stress, improves recovery and sleep
Norton places ashwagandha in Tier 2 because while it improves recovery, muscle soreness, fatigue, stress management, inflammation, and sleep, its mechanism for improving muscle mass and strength appears indirect. The 15% testosterone increase it produces is too small to explain the body composition benefits alone.
"And so you see that in improved recovery, decreased muscle soreness, reduced fatigue, better stress management. They've actually shown like both psychological stress and physiological markers of stress are improved by ashwaganda supplementation, reduces inflammation and actually improves sleep."
