The Most Popular Supplements for Gyms and Fitness Centers

Your members are already buying supplements. They talk about them in the locker room, ask trainers about them before class, and search for them between sets. That gives your gym or fitness center a clear opportunity to become part of a conversation that is already happening.

According to Ipsos, 74% of U.S. adults use dietary supplements. As the line between fitness, wellness, and clinical support continues to blur, demand is only growing. Members are not just looking for a good workout anymore. They want better recovery, more energy, and results they can sustain.

Gyms are already trusted spaces for health guidance, which makes supplements a natural extension of the member experience. This guide covers the most popular supplements for gym members, why demand is rising, and how gyms can turn that interest into stronger retention and recurring revenue.

Why Gyms Are Well-Positioned to Offer Supplements

Conversations about soreness, performance plateaus, recovery, and muscle growth happen on your gym floor every day.

Gyms that formalize those conversations—turning informal recommendations into a more structured offering—are creating new revenue opportunities without adding square footage or major overhead. 

For gyms, offering supplements is less about creating demand and more about meeting existing demand in a trusted setting. When members are already buying these products elsewhere, becoming their go-to source can increase both convenience and member lifetime value.

Most Popular Supplements for Gym Members: Muscle Growth, Recovery, and Performance

The most popular supplements for gym members typically fall into two categories: supplements for muscle growth and supplements for recovery and performance. Below is a closer look at the products getting the most attention, the market signals behind them, and why they matter for gyms.

Supplements for Muscle Growth: Protein Powder and Creatine

Building and preserving muscle remains one of the top goals for a large share of gym members. Two supplements consistently stand out here: protein powder and creatine.

Protein Powder: One of the Most Popular Supplements for Gym Members

Protein powder remains one of the most widely used supplements in fitness. Protein is commonly used to support muscle growth, tissue repair, and recovery across nearly every training style and member demographic.

The market reflects that broad relevance.

For gyms, protein is often the most straightforward supplement offering because the use case is clear. Members already associate it with strength goals, recovery, and consistency. It is also relevant across a wide audience, from first-time members to serious lifters.

Protein can also complement broader wellness and medically supervised weight-management programs, where preserving lean mass is an important part of supporting overall outcomes. That makes it especially relevant for members focused on body composition, recovery, or healthy aging.

Creatine: A Leading Supplement for Performance and Muscle Growth

Creatine is commonly used to support short, intense efforts by increasing the muscle’s available energy. That makes it highly relevant for strength training, HIIT, sprint work, and other high-output sessions. It is also commonly used to support recovery between efforts and improve training capacity over time.

Interest in creatine is expanding quickly. GNC recently reported a 200% increase in creatine sales, and research continues to broaden how the market thinks about its benefits.

Creatine is no longer viewed only as a supplement for male strength athletes. There is emerging interest in areas like:

• Muscle preservation for older adults

• Energy and bone support for women navigating perimenopause and menopause

• Cognitive function across age groups.

The market is following that shift.

That 13% CAGR makes creatine the fastest-growing supplement category in this guide.

For gyms, creatine is a strong fit because it sits at the intersection of performance, muscle growth, and longevity. It appeals to members trying to get stronger, older adults focused on preserving muscle, and newer audiences looking for everyday training support rather than niche bodybuilding products.

Supplements for Recovery and Performance: Collagen, BCAAs, and EAAs

Recovery is where progress becomes sustainable. It is also where many members struggle. If soreness, joint discomfort, or inconsistent nutrition slows momentum, members are more likely to disengage.

That is part of why collagen, BCAAs, and EAAs continue to show up in recovery-focused supplement conversations.

Collagen: A Popular Supplement for Recovery and Joint Support

As members train longer and more consistently, joint support becomes more important. That is especially true as the gym-going population ages.

Adults 65 and older were the fastest-growing segment in U.S. fitness facilities last year, with membership in that group up 8.6% year over year. That shift changes how gyms should think about recovery. Joint health is no longer a secondary concern. For many members, it directly affects consistency and retention.

A 2025 randomized controlled trial found that active adults ages 45 to 65 taking hydrolyzed collagen reported significantly less joint discomfort than those who did not, along with improvements in connective tissue health over time.

This is not only an older-member conversation, either. Younger members who train regularly are also looking for ways to support connective tissue and stay ahead of overuse issues. Collagen market share is gaining traction in response to that demand.

For gyms, collagen is a practical fit for members focused on longevity, joint support, and sustainable training. It also aligns well with broader wellness offerings centered on recovery and healthy aging.

BCAAs: A Recovery Supplement for High-Training Members

Branched-chain amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—are commonly used to support muscle protein synthesis, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, and help preserve lean mass during periods of heavy training or calorie restriction.

They are especially relevant for members who are not consistently hitting their protein targets through food alone. That can include:

• Older adults with higher protein needs

• Members in calorie deficits

• Plant-based eaters who may need more support with amino acid intake

For gyms, BCAAs are a simple recovery-focused offering that can extend support beyond personal training sessions and into everyday member routines.

EAAs: A More Complete Supplement for Recovery and Performance

If BCAAs are often framed around recovery, EAAs cover more ground.

Essential amino acids include all nine amino acids the body cannot produce on its own. They play a role in building and repairing muscle, supporting recovery, synthesizing hormones, and maintaining metabolic function. For members with broader health and performance goals, EAAs are often positioned as a more complete amino acid option.

They are particularly relevant for:

• Plant-based eaters

• Older adults with higher protein needs

• Members focused on recovery and muscle maintenance during calorie restriction

Like BCAAs, EAAs can support members who are not enrolled in personal training but still want products tied to performance, recovery, and general wellness.

Amino Acids Market at a Glance

The following market data covers the broader amino acids category, which includes both BCAAs and EAAs.

How Gyms Can Turn Popular Supplements Into Revenue and Retention

Supplements can do more than add a retail shelf. When positioned well, they can strengthen the member experience.

A thoughtful supplement strategy can help gyms:

• support member goals more directly

• create more reasons for members to stay engaged

• open up recurring revenue opportunities beyond membership dues

• connect everyday fitness conversations to broader wellness offerings

The key is not just stocking products. It is creating a more structured experience around what members are already asking for.

Pair Supplements with Clinical Programs by Partnering with OpenLoop

Supplements can be a smart place to start, but they can also support a broader wellness strategy.

When paired with programs such as medically supervised weight management, hormone-related care, and longevity-focused care, supplements can help support program engagement, strengthen retention, and increase member lifetime value.

OpenLoop makes it possible for gyms to offer these programs under their own brand while reducing the operational burden. You own the member relationship and promotion. OpenLoop supports everything else.

Ready to expand your offering and grow member value? Talk to OpenLoop today.

This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. For guidance specific to your situation, please consult a licensed healthcare professional.

*This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed attorney.