Coach Aditya's Supplement Stack Builder separates every supplement into three evidence tiers — so you cover Tier 1 essentials like creatine and vitamin D before spending on Tier 3 marketing hype.
Start with 5 core inputs. Premium unlocks bloodwork-based precision.
Coach Aditya's recommendation: cover Tier 1 basics before spending on anything else. Creatine monohydrate (3-5g daily, no loading needed), vitamin D3 + K2 (2000-4000 IU — almost universally deficient in India), caffeine (3-6mg/kg pre-workout), and adequate protein from food first. These four have the strongest research base. Everything else is optional until these are locked in. The Bloodwork Interpreter can identify specific deficiencies that change your stack.
Tier 2 holds selective add-ons such as ashwagandha under real stress load. Tier 3 is where marketing-heavy products sit: often expensive, rarely decisive once calories, protein, sleep, and training are fixed. Coach Aditya uses this ladder so spending tracks evidence, not packaging.
If you eat 1.6g protein per kg of bodyweight daily, BCAAs are redundant. The amino acids in BCAAs — leucine, isoleucine, and valine — are already present in any complete protein source. BCAAs only serve a purpose in fasted training or when total protein intake is below the minimum threshold. Coach Aditya categorises BCAAs as Tier 3 — limited evidence, commonly over-marketed. Spend that money on creatine and vitamin D instead.
A practical check: if two meals already contain 25-40g protein each, a third meal usually closes the gap without powders branded as intra-workout essentials. Reserve isolated amino acids for the rare cases when timing and food access genuinely fail.
For muscle gain in an Indian context, Coach Aditya's priority stack is: creatine monohydrate 5g daily (the single most researched sports supplement), whey protein to fill the gap between your food intake and your 1.6-2.2g/kg target, vitamin D3 2000-4000 IU (most Indians are deficient which impairs recovery), and magnesium glycinate 300-400mg before bed for sleep quality. The Calorie Planner calculates your exact protein target, and the Recovery Optimizer tells you if sleep is the bottleneck.
Omega-3 at 2-3g combined EPA+DHA often follows once the base is covered, especially when oily fish intake is low. Re-test vitamin D every 12-16 weeks during hard training blocks so dosing matches labs, not guesswork. The TDEE Calculator keeps surplus size honest so supplements are not compensating for under-eating.