Our Top Supplement Picks 2023
The annual supplement awards have finally come. It is that time of the year, where our team over at Generation Iron hand pick the best supplements of the year for you to see all in one piece. Choosing items from your pre-workouts and protein powders, to the best up and coming brands we name just about everything. These supplements are quality, good tasting, and overall will help you reach your fitness goals. We have something for just about everyone.
What is a Supplement?
Before we dive into our top picks for the supplement awards, we should establish just what supplements are. Diet and working out are definitely key factors in achieving your fitness goals, but for the extra assistance people can turn to supplements. Dietary supplements are intended to add to or supplement the diet and are different from conventional food, making sure that you are getting an adequate amount of different nutrients that you need. The products range depending on what they are intended to do specifically. So let’s dive into our top picks for the supplement awards.
Protein Powder of the Year: MuscleMeds Carnivor
Kicking the list off with our top picks for protein powders, our top choice for the protein powder of the year is MuscleMeds Carnivor. MuscleMeds Carnivor Beef Protein Isolate is a protein supplement that is well-researched and clinically tested to improve muscle gains and aid in your overall protein goals. It is packed with 23g of hydrolyzed beef protein, this is 350% more concentrated in amino acids than steak and is fast digesting to make it easier on your stomach.
Being non-dairy gives athletes the opportunity to get a dairy-free product that will still produce gains, potentially at an even better rate. With a touch of zero-carb stevia extract for sweetness, this protein supplement not only provides the necessary amino acids but also enhances the taste with a hint of sweetness from the natural stevia extract.
Carnivor is a 100% beef protein isolate that is fast digesting and great tasting for an effective non-dairy protein supplement.
As for our runner ups, they are as follows:
- Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
- MyProtein Impact Whey Protein
- RAW Protein
- Kaged Whey Protein Isolate
Pre-Workout Supplement of the Year: MUTANT MADNESS
Our top pre-workout pick could be none other than MUTANT MADNESS! This is one of the most powerful pre-workouts ever, not for the faint of heart. MUTANT is the supplier of this powerful pre-workout. MUTANT only creates supplements that are clinically proven to get results.
Going off of that, the list of MUTANT MADNESS ALL-IN ingredients is impressive. With a strong citrulline malate, MADNESS ALL-IN Pre-Workout will give you great pumps. Other ingredients in MADNESS ALL-IN are the one-two punch betaine anhydrous and creatine that will increase your strength by increasing muscle cell volume even more than normal workouts when taken beforehand!
It comes in a few mouthwatering flavors to satisfy anyone’s preference: Rocket Pop, Melon Candy, Tropical Cyclone, and Blue Sharkberry.
MUTANT MADNESS ALL-IN is one of the most powerful pre-workouts ever. MUTANT is the supplier of this trailblazing pre-workout. MUTANT only creates supplements that are clinically proven to get results.
Our runner ups are as follows:
Fat-Burner Supplement of the Year: MUTANT KILL SWITCH
Shedding off that unwanted fat in order to get shredded for summer can be difficult. Diet and workouts do most of the work, but a good fat burner always helps. MUTANT KILL SWITCH is the best one. When it comes to finding a great fat burner, your search can stop as soon as you land on MUTANT KILL SWITCH. It includes all of the ingredients you will find in a good, natural fat burner, plus more, making it an easy choice to pick. There are a load of good ingredients in KILL SWITCH that make it a great fat burner, from caffeine to vitamin B12.
When your diet or fasted cardio begin to feel like chores, this uniquely explosive thermogenic will kick your ass into overdrive.
Our runner ups are as follows:
Vegan Product of the Year: Transparent Labs Plant Series Organic Vegan
Not everyone likes to consume animal protein powders, and vegan protein powders are hit or miss, but Transparent Labs Organic Vegan definitely delivers. Transparent Labs prides themselves on honest and transparent labels and can assure quality control when it comes to zero artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives in their products. Designed to give consumers a top quality vegan protein free from any added nonsense ensures a clean and safe supplement to really boost your goals.
It contains a healthy amount of protein in 24 grams and also 4 grams of fiber, which is often an understated element when it comes to plant based proteins. With only 3 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fat, this protein is 100% vegan and free of artificial flavoring with the added bonus of being USDA Organic Certified. For the price of $49.00, it can be yours too!
Transparent Labs Organic Vegan is a 100% vegan protein powder with 24g protein that is easy on your digestion system. With no artificial additives, this is great for weight management and muscle growth.
Our runner ups in this section are as follows:
- Kaged Plantein
- Swolverine Plant Protein
- Ambrosia Planta
Protein Bar of the Year: MyProtein Layered Protein Bar
Protein bars are great for a quick snack to help hit macros. The MyProtein Layered Protein Bar is packed with whole food goodness, using just seven natural ingredients to deliver top notch flavor and essential nutrients to stay energized. Whether it’s grabbed as an after school snack or between meetings, the MyProtein Layered Bar delivers quality and convenience to individuals of all ages. It is filled with 220 calories, and 20 grams of protein in total!
Whether it be for meal replacement, snacking, or just a tasty treat, you cannot go wrong with at least giving the MyProtein Layered Bar a try.
Our runner ups for the protein bar of the year are as follows:
- Onit Protein Bites
- Jacked Factory Authentic Bar
- Outright Bar
- Optimum Nutrition Opti-Bar
Women’s Product of the Year: Transparent Labs Lean
Don’t worry ladies, we did not forget about you, we have something just for you. That something is from Transparent Labs. Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN Pre-Workout contains 21 active ingredients designed to provide a high-intensity pre-workout experience, while at the same time working to ensure fat loss without draining your energy. With no added colored dyes, fillers, or harmful additives, you can be sure that great taste is coming from natural flavors with help from stevia giving you a sugar-free, vegan friendly pre-workout.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Our runner ups for the ladies are as follows:
- Kaged Clean Burn Stim-Free
- Opti-Women
- Naturemade Multi for Her 50+
- Centrum Women
Post Workout of the Year: MUTANT CreaKONG
What you consume post workout is huge for your recovery. Lucky for you, we handpicked the best product for post workout, and that is MUTANT CreaKONG. MUTANT CreaKONG is an advanced creatine supplement that has been formulated to maximize your gains! Each serving contains three of the most cutting-edge forms of creatine commercially available and has been lab tested to ensure 100% purity in every bottle.
TOP 3 CREATINES that help build muscle, strength, size and power! Creatine is the #1 muscle building supplement of all time. Mutant Creakong combines the top 3 Creatines from the leading Creatine sources!
The runner ups for post workout are as follows:
- Transparent Labs Post
- Legion Recharge
- Swolverine BCAA
- Nutricost BCAA
Muscle Building Product of the Year: MuscleMeds Carnivor Non-Dairy
A good product to build muscle, what could it be? It is MuscleMeds Carnivor Non-Dairy Beef Protein. MuscleMeds has pushed the boundaries in the sports nutrition game for over a decade and relies on innovation and premium ingredients to produce the best supplements for bodybuilders, strength and high-performance athletes. Packed with 23g of hydrolyzed beef protein that is fast digesting and easy on your stomach, how can you say no? Being non-dairy it helps avoid unwanted results of consuming dairy that some may encounter. It also has great flavors like their new one, Rocket Pop, and comes with 56 servings for just $69.74.
Carnivor is a 100% beef protein isolate that is fast digesting and great tasting for an effective non-dairy protein supplement.
Our runner ups for muscle building products are as follows:
Ready-to-Drink Product of the Year: MuscleMeds Carnivor RTD
Who doesn’t love a good drink that is already prepped, especially a delicious protein drink. Even if you have the busiest of lifestyles, you can enjoy the great taste and take in quality muscle building nutrition of Carnivor, which is the world’s top selling beef protein isolate supplement. You don’t even have to mix it, as Carnivor RTD is already in a delicious ready-to-drink shake, hence the name “RTD”.
This shake is also suitable for those looking to achieve their weight loss goals, as it is low in calories and high in protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied. For a fruity twist, try the Strawberries and Cream flavor of Carnivor RTD, perfect for a post-workout treat. With 40 grams of muscle building protein per delicious serving with 0 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, 0 grams of sugar, 0 lactose and 0 gluten, you will undoubtedly
The number one selling beef protein isolate product is perfectly packaged in a ready-to-drink form, for the busiest of lifestyles.
Our runner ups for ready-to-drink products are as follows:
- Redcon1 Total War RTD
- Iconic Protein Drink
- Quest Nutrition Protein Shakes
- Labrada Lean RTD
Energy Drink of the Year: BUM Energy
When it comes to boosting your energy, sometimes cracking a cold energy drink is much better than mixing up pre-workout. For us, BUM Energy is our favorite energy drink. You can forget about the energy drinks with ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. BUM Energy contains just two simple ingredients, Caffeine & Cognizin. These are to dial in your focus and keep you locked in during whatever you need. This dynamic duo can work wonders for the mind, with no crash later.
- C4 Energy Drinks
- Ghost Energy Drinks
- Reign Total Body Fuel
- Celcius Energy Drink
Best New Brand of the Year: Vaughn’s Treats
Finding the new brands that provide quality products is not always easy. Many new companies do not have the reviews and reputation that makes them truly stand out just because of how youthful they are in the industry. Vaughn’s Treats are high protein, real ingredient filled treat for your enjoyment.
Our runner ups are as follows:
- Iron Bull Strength
Health and Wellness Product of the Year: Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Multivitamin
Health is wealth as they say, and fueling your body with the best possible health products is something worth shooting for. Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Multivitamin is an ultra-potent supplement for both men and women with an advanced formula to ensure your body gets all of the essential micronutrients. Created from bioavailable forms of key vitamins and minerals, it also ensures easy absorption of these key nutrients. 30 servings all packed with the vitamins you need, like A, C, D, and the list goes on, you are getting a great product for just $29.00.
Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Multivitamin is an ultra-potent supplement for those looking to optimize their health. With 22 active ingredients, this will pump you with vital nutrients with easy absorption.
Our runner ups are as follows:
- Performance Lab Multivitamin for Men
- MuscleMeds Vitamin T
- Swolverine Greens + Reds
- Performance Lab Omega 3
Best Testosterone Booster Supplement: MUTANT TEST
Testosterone is key in building muscle, and sometimes you may need a little extra boost to help. Luckily for you we have the best testosterone booster picked out for you. MUTANT® TEST contains a pro-caliber formula with concentrated levels of 18 ingredients designed to raise your testosterone levels faster. MUTANT TEST is different from other test boosters on the market, as the key ingredient in it is Testosurge®.
Testosurge® is a patented fenugreek seed extract that has been clinically shown to quickly & naturally increase the active testosterone forms you need to get results you want, and MUTANT has the results to prove it.
Higher testosterone levels make it easier for you to gain muscle mass, lose fat, feel energetic and have a healthy libido, and as you get older your levels will drop. MUTANT TEST is here to help.
The runner ups are as follows:
Breakout Product of the Year: MuscleMeds Aromatest
These products are new to the market and really make a name for themselves. AROMATEST from MuscleMeds is a potent and natural aromatase inhibitor that contains OctaPren, a proprietary prenyl flavonoid extract of Xanthohumol (XN) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), formulated in a super-bioavailable lipophilic delivery system. AROMATEST reduces the conversion of testosterone to estrogen by binding to and disabling the aromatase enzyme. Thereby, helping to naturally increase testosterone levels and lower estrogen for enhanced muscle building and male performance.
Whether you’re a natural athlete or an enhanced athlete, if you want to get the best results and build hard dense muscle, you should understand a process known as aromatization, and how to gain control of it.
Our runner ups for this category are as follows:
- MUTANT KILL SWITCH
- Vaughn’s Treats
Brand of the Year: Iron Bull Strength
This is the overall brand that stood out the most, which our choice is Iron Bull Strength. They manufacture some awesome gym equipment that you can put in your home or commercial gym, from weightlifting belts to barbells.
Our runner ups for brand of the year are:
- Transparent Labs
- Kaged
- RAW
- MuscleMeds
Workout Product of the Year: Iron Bull Strength Lever Belt
Last but certainly not least on the list is our choice workout product of the year. This section focuses on things you’d wear in the gym like belts, straps, and knee sleeves. IronBull Strength stands out with their 10MM 4” Unleash Lever Belt. The IronBull Weightlifting Belt provides not only amazing support, but feels like it almost isn’t there, so you can throw it on and feel comfortable as well as not worry about if your belt is on tight enough or not.
The Unleash Lever Belt is constructed with uncompromising quality, making it stand out above the competition. Too many times have we found ourselves rebuying belts because they fall apart after repeated use and abuse in the gym, get stained with sweat, and unfortunately just stop doing the job at some point.
However, the Unleash Lever Belt boasts premium, durable leather that contours to your body over time, so rather than wearing down and falling apart, it is ensuring a personalized fit while maintaining its shape and form under heavy stress, so you will not find yourself shopping for a new belt anytime soon.
The Unleash Lever Belt also comes in featuring premium A-Grade 10mm single cut leather and a 10MM thickness, this belt is perfect for serious lifters that want to compete and break new PRs.
Get ready to experience a new world of strength, stability, and power with our Unleash 10mm lever belt.
Our runner ups for this category include:
- Iron Bull Strength Weightlifting Belt
- GymReapers 10MM Lifting Belt
- SBD Knee Sleeves
Recovery Product of the Year: Ice Barrel
Recovery is one of the most important aspects of lifting, as this is where you grow and can really progress in your lifting career. Ice Barrel stands 42 inches high with a width of just 31 inches, making it easy to transport and store. However, it is still big enough for you to stay in an upright position, rather than a reclined position. The upright position is great for you to fully experience the natural response of forced cold exposure. The design of Ice Barrel also allows you to choose how much you wish to submerge yourself, whether that’s up to your neck and shoulders or even dunking completely in the cold water.
Ice Barrel is a cold therapy training tool that offers an easy way to bring ice baths to your routine that can help you recover like never before.
Our runner ups are as follows:
- Theragun Elite
- Bob and Brad C2
- Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller
- Dynamic Barcelona Elite 1-2-Person Ultra Low EMF FAR Infrared Sauna
Supplement Awards Wrap Up
That’s a wrap for all of our top picks for the supplement awards of 2023! We do want to note that purchasing these products should all depend on your goals and how you feel. For example, if you are tired before your workout and want better pumps, perhaps try a pre-workout. If you are looking at putting size on, maybe check out some protein powders or other supplements! We recommend you look into the products a little more in-depth and analyze your goals before purchasing anything.
Which supplements are you going to give a try?
