Gear for everyone · a plan for ages 13 to 17 · supplements for 18+
Food, water and sleep come first. These are the few things I use or trust on top of that, picked for three reasons: tested for banned substances, simple labels, and every product here is checked for halal concerns. Then the gear I actually use with my athletes.
Imran's code M1P7VPA1DDCA gives 15% off at Designs for Sport.The buttons below add it for you. Shop on Amazon instead? Every supplement card also has an Amazon option.
Disclosure: I earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page. It costs you nothing extra. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have a health condition. Nothing here is medical advice, and none of these products is meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
How I pick
NSF Certified for Sport, checked for banned substances. Look it up yourself at nsfsport.com.
Every product here is checked for halal concerns. Powders, liquids and plant capsules only.
Ages 13 to 17 have their own short list just below. The rest of the supplements are for athletes 18 and over.
I tell you what is on the label and how I use it. No promises about results.
Designs for Sport products are NSF Certified for Sport. I checked every one on this page against the NSF Certified for Sport list at nsfsport.com on 20 October 2026. The Amazon options are Thorne products that carry the same NSF Certified for Sport mark on their labels, sold through the official THORNE store on Amazon (checked 21 October 2026).
Young athletes
Parents, this part is for you. It is exactly what I tell the young athletes I train.
Not under 18: no creatine, no pre-workout, no caffeine or energy drinks, and no melatonin or sleep products. That is my rule for every athlete I train under 18.
Why: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against performance enhancing substances for children and teens, and names protein supplements, creatine and caffeine as the ones teens use most (AAP clinical report, "Use of Performance Enhancing Substances," Pediatrics, 2016). The AAP also says water is the main drink for young athletes, sports drinks are only for long, hard sessions, and energy drinks are not for kids at all (AAP clinical report, "Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents," Pediatrics, 2011). Talk to your child's doctor before starting anything.
Goal 1
Each card has two buttons: the Designs for Sport product with my 15% code, and, where one passed my checks, the closest Amazon option.
Designs for Sport
One ingredient: creatine monohydrate, 5 g a scoop. The most studied supplement in strength training. I put it in water or my shake, same time every day.
Powder · 1 lb or 2 lb tub
Amazon option: Thorne Creatine, 90 servings. One ingredient, NSF Certified for Sport.
Designs for Sport
20 g of hydrolyzed whey protein and 1 g of sugar a scoop. For after training when real food is not close. Contains milk.
Powder · chocolate or vanilla · about 20 servings
No Amazon option yet: I have not found a whey isolate that is both NSF Certified for Sport and halal certified.
Designs for Sport
Magnesium in the bisglycinate form, 150 mg a capsule. Plant cellulose capsule, no gelatin.
120 capsules · labeled vegan
Amazon option: Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder, 200 mg a scoop. No capsule at all; sweetened with monk fruit. NSF Certified for Sport.
Goal 2
Honest note: a real meal and a good night's sleep do more than any scoop. For early sessions, this is the one I would use.
Designs for Sport
Pre workout with 100 mg of caffeine from green coffee beans (about a cup of coffee), plus creatine, L theanine and tyrosine. Sweetened with stevia and monk fruit. Skip it late in the day. (The new name for Workout Complex.)
Powder · cherry lime · 180 g
No Amazon option yet: the Thorne pre workout that passed my checks is out of stock on Amazon.
Goal 3
Texas heat, long practices, cricket all day. Water first; these are for the long or sweaty days.
Designs for Sport
Stick packs for the gym bag: electrolytes in a 1:1 sodium to potassium ratio, plus D ribose and vitamin C. Only 3 g of carbs a stick. One stick in 16 oz of water.
14 stick packs · clementine or watermelon
Amazon option: Thorne Daily Electrolytes, 30 stick packs, zero sugar, no caffeine. NSF Certified for Sport.
Designs for Sport
The tub version for home: potassium, sodium, chloride and magnesium, plus vitamin C and D ribose.
Powder · 240 g
Amazon option: the same Thorne Daily Electrolytes stick packs. Thorne's tub electrolytes are out of stock on Amazon right now.
Goal 4
Sleep is the best recovery tool there is. Dark room, same bedtime, phone away. Then these.
Designs for Sport
Same bottle as in Recovery. Many people take it in the evening. One product, two jobs.
120 capsules · labeled vegan
Amazon option: Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder, 200 mg a scoop, no capsule. NSF Certified for Sport.
Designs for Sport
Contains melatonin, 5 HTP, GABA, L theanine and herbs like valerian and chamomile. Strong label, so ask your doctor first, especially if you take any medication. Two capsules before bed.
60 vegetarian capsules
No Amazon option yet: I have not found a sleep formula on Amazon that is NSF Certified for Sport and in a plant capsule.
Goal 5
For my Over 40 and cricket crowd. The real joint plan is strength work, mobility and load you can recover from. Supplements are the small part.
Designs for Sport
Same tub as in Recovery. Strength is what keeps an older athlete in the game, and creatine is the simplest add to a lifting plan.
Powder · 1 lb or 2 lb tub
Amazon option: Thorne Creatine, 90 servings. One ingredient, NSF Certified for Sport.
Designs for Sport
Yes, again. It is in every group because it is simple, tested and in a plant capsule.
120 capsules · labeled vegan
Amazon option: Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate powder, 200 mg a scoop, no capsule. NSF Certified for Sport.
Most fish oil comes in a gelatin softgel. These two are liquids with no capsule at all:
Heads up: neither liquid is NSF Certified for Sport, so a tested athlete should keep that in mind. Nordic Naturals' NSF certified Sport version only comes as a gelatin softgel, which is why it is not here.
Gear
The tools I use in my own sessions. Well reviewed and fairly priced; you do not need the expensive version of any of these. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Recovery · Foam roller (firm)
Firm, hollow core, holds its shape. The one to roll before every lift.
See it on AmazonRecovery · Lacrosse balls
Feet, hips and upper back. The cheapest recovery tool there is.
See it on AmazonRecovery · Massage gun
A budget percussion massager with tens of thousands of reviews. Go light, and keep it off the spine and joints.
See it on AmazonStrength · Mini bands
Hip and glute warm ups, lateral walks, knee control. Five strengths in one bag.
See it on AmazonStrength · Long resistance bands
Assisted pull ups, band pull aparts, stretching. Good for the garage or a hotel room.
See it on AmazonSpeed · Jump rope
Footwork, rhythm and conditioning in five minutes. Adjustable length.
See it on AmazonSpeed · Agility ladder and cones
Ladder and cones in one bag for footwork and change of direction work.
See it on AmazonBasketball · Game ball
The indoor ball most high school gyms use. Size 7 for men and boys, size 6 for women and girls.
See it on AmazonBasketball · Shooting sleeve
Padded compression sleeve. Comfort on the floor; it does not fix your form, reps do.
See it on AmazonBasketball · Ankle brace
Lace up brace you see in high school and college programs everywhere. Size by shoe size.
See it on AmazonHydration · Shaker bottle
The wire whisk ball shaker. For protein, creatine and electrolytes.
See it on AmazonHydration · Water jug
Half gallon with time markers, so you can see by lunch if you are behind on water.
See it on AmazonGear pictures are my own simple drawings for now. Tap any button to see the real product photos on Amazon.
One click
Each button loads every item in the kit into your cart at once. You still review the cart and check out yourself, and you can remove anything you already own. Amazon asks you to sign in first.
For everyone · Amazon
For everyone · Amazon
Ages 13 to 17, with a parent · Amazon
Adults 18+ · Designs for Sport
Fine print
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Check with your doctor before you start any supplement. Halal notes are from the published labels on the date I checked them; formulas change, so read the label on the bottle you get. NSF Certified for Sport status can be checked at nsfsport.com. The gear is for everyone. For ages 13 to 17, only the Ages 13 to 17 section applies, with a parent's and a doctor's OK; every other supplement on this page is for adults 18 and over. Prices and availability are set by the sellers and can change. I earn a commission on purchases through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product pictures belong to their makers.
Want a training plan instead? That is where the real results are: training in Coppell or a strength form check from anywhere.