Active nutrition isn’t just for athletes. Whether you’re looking to stay active and healthy, build strength or train for an endurance event, nutrition plays an important role in fuelling movement, supporting physical performance and helping the body recover after exercise.

Which ingredients are being studied for active nutrition?

• Collagen

• Beetroot juice

• Creatine

• BCAAs

• Montmorency cherry

Collagen makes up around one third of our total protein and is found in our tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage and connective tissue.[1,2] There are more than 28 different types of collagen, each with slightly different roles. The most common – types I, II, III, IV and V – are found across different tissues, where they help support everything from skin firmness to joint structure.[3]

In active nutrition, collagen from sources including chicken and bovine has been studied for its potential role in supporting joints, connective tissue and physical performance alongside exercise.

• Schön C et al. 2022. UC-II Undenatured Type II Collagen for Knee Joint Flexibility: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study. J Integr Complement Med. 28(6):540-548.

• Lugo JP et al. 2013. Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 10(1):48

• Knaub K et al. 2022. UC-II® Undenatured Type II Collagen Reduces Knee Joint Discomfort and Improves Mobility in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

• Bischof, K., et al., Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med, 2024. 54(11): p. 2865-2888

• Jerger, S., et al., Specific collagen peptides increase adaptions of patellar tendon morphology following 14-weeks of high-load resistance training: A randomized-controlled trial. Eur J Sport Sci, 2023. 23(12): p. 2329-2339.

• Jones L, Bailey SJ, Rowland SN, Alsharif N, Shannon OM, Clifford T. The Effect of Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice on Markers of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Intervention Trials. Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2022;19(6):749-71.

• Clifford T, Bell O, West DJ, Howatson G, Stevenson EJ. The effects of beetroot juice supplementation on indices of muscle damage following eccentric exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2016;116(2):353-62.

• Clifford T, Berntzen B, Davison G, West D, Howatson G, Stevenson E. Effects of Beetroot Juice on Recovery of Muscle Function and Performance between Bouts of Repeated Sprint Exercise. Nutrients. 2016;8(8):506.

• Ranchal-Sanchez A, Diaz-Bernier VM, De La Florida-Villagran CA, Llorente-Cantarero FJ, Campos-Perez J, Jurado-Castro JM. Acute Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplements on Resistance Training: A Randomized Double-Blind Crossover. Nutrients. 2020;12(7):1912.

• Montalvo-Alonso JJ, Del Val-Manzano M, Ferragut C, Valadés D, López-Samanes Á, Domínguez R, et al. Single and combined effect of beetroot juice and caffeine intake on muscular strength, power and endurance performance in resistance-trained males. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1).

• Cuenca E, Jodra P, Pérez-López A, González-Rodríguez LG, Fernandes Da Silva S, Veiga-Herreros P, et al. Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Performance and Fatigue in a 30-s All-Out Sprint Exercise: A Randomized, Double-Blind Cross-Over Study. Nutrients. 2018;10(9):1222.

Creatine is one of the most extensively researched supplements in exercise science, with decades of research in active adults and athletes.[11] It’s a naturally occurring compound found throughout the body, with most stored in skeletal muscle.[11,17]

Creatine increases physical performance during successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise and has been widely researched in relation to strength and resistance training.[12] There is also moderate evidence that it may support upper and lower body muscle strength.[13-16]

Different forms of creatine are available, but creatine monohydrate is by far the most extensively researched.[12]

• SALEM, A., AMMAR, A., KERKENI, M., BOUJELBANE, M. A., MERVE UYAR, A., MORITZ KÖBEL, L., SELVARAJ, S., ZARE, R., HEINRICH, K. M., JAHRAMI, H., TOUNSI, S., GROSSO, G., I. SCHÖLLHORN, W., TRABELSI, K. & CHTOUROU, H. 2025. Short-term creatine supplementation enhances strength, reduces fatigue, and accelerates recovery in resistance-trained athletes: a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 22.

• WANG, Z., QIU, B., LI, R., HAN, Y., PETERSEN, C., LIU, S., ZHANG, Y., LIU, C., CANDOW, D. G. & DEL COSO, J. 2024. Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength Gains in Adults <50 Years of Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 16, 3665.

• ALMEIDA, D., COLOMBINI, A. & MACHADO, M. 2020. Creatine supplementation improves performance, but is it safe? Double-blind placebo-controlled study. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 60.

• HOFFMAN, J., RATAMESS, N., KANG, J., MANGINE, G., FAIGENBAUM, A. & STOUT, J. 2006. Effect of Creatine and ß-Alanine Supplementation on Performance and Endocrine Responses in Strength/Power Athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 16, 430-446.

• Bell PG, Stevenson E, Davison GW, Howatson G. The Effects of Montmorency Tart Cherry Concentrate Supplementation on Recovery Following Prolonged, Intermittent Exercise. Nutrients. 2016;8(7).

• Brown MA, Stevenson EJ, Howatson G. Montmorency tart cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) supplementation accelerates recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in females. Eur J Sport Sci. 2019;19(1):95-102.

• Dehghani E, Beba M, Danandeh K, Memari A, Ershadmanesh MJ, Rasoulian P, et al. The effect of tart cherry juice (TCJ) supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in an athletic population. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025;87(2):880-90.

• Wangdi JT, O'Leary MF, Kelly VG, Jackman SR, Tang JCY, Dutton J, et al. Tart Cherry Supplement Enhances Skeletal Muscle Glutathione Peroxidase Expression and Functional Recovery after Muscle Damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54(4):609-21.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been studied in active nutrition particularly for their potential role in muscle soreness and fatigue following exercise in healthy adults.[24-31]

BCAAs are a group of three essential amino acids – leucine, isoleucine and valine. Because the body can’t make them itself, they need to be obtained through the diet.[32] They’re naturally found in protein-rich foods including meat, eggs and dairy products.[33] Alongside the other essential amino acids, BCAAs are needed to support normal protein production in the body.[34]

• Li, H., Zhang, R., Ma, Y., He, J., Li, G., Sun, J., & DuanyingLi (2026). Effects of branched-chain amino acid-rich nutritional supplements combined with resistance training on body composition and body function in older patients with sarcopenia. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 141, 106063

• Salem, A., Ben Maaoui, K., Jahrami, H., AlMarzooqi, M. A., Boukhris, O., Messai, B., Clark, C. C. T., Glenn, J. M., Ghazzaoui, H. A., Bragazzi, N. L., Ammar, A., Trabelsi, K., & Chtourou, H. (2024). Attenuating Muscle Damage Biomarkers and Muscle Soreness After an Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage with Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis with Meta-regression. Sports medicine - open, 10(1), 42

• Khemtong, C., Kuo, C. H., Chen, C. Y., Jaime, S. J., & Condello, G. (2021). Does Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Supplementation Attenuate Muscle Damage Markers and Soreness after Resistance Exercise in Trained Males? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 13(6), 1880.

• Luan, C., Wang, Y., Li, J., Zhou, N., Song, G., Ni, Z., Xu, C., Tang, C., Fu, P., Wang, X., Gong, L., & Zhang, E. (2025). Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Enhances Substrate Metabolism, Exercise Efficiency and Reduces Post-Exercise Fatigue in Active Young Males. Nutrients, 17(7), 1290.

• Meng K. (2025). Effect of Timing of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation on Muscle Recovery after Resistance Training in Healthy Males. American journal of men's health, 19(2), 15579883251332731.

• Manaf, F. A., Peiffer, J. J., Maker, G. L., & Fairchild, T. J. (2021). Branched-chain amino acid supplementation improves cycling performance in untrained cyclists. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 24(4), 412–417.

• VanDusseldorp, T. A., Escobar, K. A., Johnson, K. E., Stratton, M. T., Moriarty, T., Cole, N., McCormick, J. J., Kerksick, C. M., Vaughan, R. A., Dokladny, K., Kravitz, L., & Mermier, C. M. (2018). Effect of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation on Recovery Following Acute Eccentric Exercise. Nutrients, 10(10), 1389.

• Ra, S. G., Miyazaki, T., Kojima, R., Komine, S., Ishikura, K., Kawanaka, K., Honda, A., Matsuzaki, Y., & Ohmori, H. (2018). Effect of BCAA supplement timing on exercise-induced muscle soreness and damage: a pilot placebo-controlled double-blind study. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 58(11), 1582–1591.

What other ingredients are being studied for active nutrition?

Research into active nutrition continues to evolve, with a growing range of ingredients being studied in relation to exercise, performance and recovery. These include ashwagandha, curcumin, L-arginine, blackcurrant and pomegranate extracts, L-carnitine and Rhodiola rosea .

Studies are exploring their effects on areas including endurance, muscle function, recovery and fatigue. However, the evidence is stronger for some ingredients than others, with some still at an earlier stage of research and requiring more well-designed studies before we can understand whether they provide meaningful benefits.