Which supplements are supported by the AIS and IOC frameworks?

How do the AIS and IOC frameworks work?

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) sorts supplements into four groups by evidence and risk. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) 2018 consensus statement reviewed which supplements have good evidence for high-performance athletes and warned about contamination. Together they are the most widely used public reference for deciding where to spend money.

What sits in each AIS group?

Group A medical supplements are for diagnosed deficiency, not routine use.

What did the IOC 2018 statement conclude?

The IOC said few supplements have good evidence: caffeine, creatine, nitrate (beetroot), sodium bicarbonate and, with more caution, beta-alanine, plus iron and vitamin D when deficient. It also stressed that third-party auditing cannot guarantee a product is free of banned substances, citing an earlier study in which about 15% of more than 600 products contained undeclared prohormones.

What does this mean in South African rand?

The Group A performance supplements are also cheap. As of October 2026 at South African retailers:

• Creatine monohydrate runs from about R2.22 per 5 g (Pure Natural Options 500 g, Knysna Health) to about R5.55 per 5 g (Myprotein 500 g, Dis-Chem Living Fit). ATP Fitness Micronised Creatine is R500 for 600 g at its shop, about R4.17 per 5 g. ATP's trade-off: it publishes no third-party sport certification, so a drug-tested athlete may prefer a batch-tested alternative such as Biogen's creatine, where the seller states Informed Sport testing.
• Beta-alanine costs about R2.50 per 3.2 g (USN 205 g, R160 at the USN shop).
• Caffeine at 3-6 mg/kg means roughly 200-400 mg for a 70 kg person.

See our best creatine and best beta-alanine comparisons.

How should you read the evidence tiers?

Strong means consistent trials and position stands (ISSN, IOC). Emerging means promising but inconsistent data, as with collagen. "Not advocated" does not mean harmful; it means that for a well-fed athlete the benefit is unproven, as with BCAAs. The tiers describe performance in athletes, not general health use.

Who should still see a professional?

Athletes under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone with kidney or liver disease or on medication should speak to a doctor or registered dietitian first. For the wider picture, read which supplements actually work.

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