Performance is often framed as motivation or effort. In reality, performance is biological.

Strength, power, endurance, and recovery all depend on how efficiently the body produces energy, regulates minerals, controls inflammation, and repairs tissue. When these systems are supported, performance becomes repeatable. When they are not, progress stalls regardless of intent.

Modern performance science increasingly focuses on metabolic health, micronutrient sufficiency, and recovery capacity. Supplements such as berberine, vitamin D3 with K2, magnesium, creatine, and collagen have been studied not as shortcuts, but as tools that support these underlying systems.

Metabolic efficiency as the foundation of performance

Performance begins with energy regulation.

Glucose control, insulin sensitivity, and mitochondrial function determine how effectively muscles and the nervous system respond to training. Poor metabolic health is associated with early fatigue, impaired recovery, and reduced training adaptation.

Research reviewed by the National Institutes of Health consistently links insulin resistance and dysregulated glucose metabolism with reduced physical performance and increased fatigue, even in non-diabetic populations.

This makes metabolic support a legitimate performance consideration, not just a clinical one.

Berberine: supporting glucose control and energy utilization

Berberine is a bioactive compound extracted from several plants and has been extensively studied for its effects on glucose metabolism.

Mechanistically, berberine activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator of cellular energy balance. AMPK activation improves glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation, both critical during endurance and high-volume training.

Key findings:

• A meta-analysis in Metabolism (2012) showed berberine significantly improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity

• Studies suggest effects comparable to metformin in certain metabolic contexts, though via overlapping mechanisms

From a performance perspective, improved glucose regulation supports:

• More stable energy during training

• Reduced post-exercise crashes

• Improved body composition over time

Berberine does not increase performance acutely, but it may improve the metabolic environment in which performance adaptations occur.

Vitamin D3 and K2: neuromuscular and skeletal performance

Vitamin D functions as a hormone, not just a vitamin. Receptors are found in muscle tissue, the nervous system, and bone.

Low vitamin D status is associated with:

• Reduced muscle strength

• Impaired balance and coordination

• Increased injury risk

A 2011 review in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology linked adequate vitamin D levels to improved muscle function and reduced falls.

Vitamin K2 is relevant because it:

• Directs calcium to bone tissue rather than soft tissue

• Supports skeletal integrity under load When paired, D3 and K2 support:

• Force transmission through bone and tendon

• Neuromuscular efficiency

• Long-term resilience under training stress

Performance depends not only on muscle contraction but on the integrity of the structures that support it.

Magnesium: recovery, contraction, and nervous system control

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, many directly related to performance.

It plays a role in:

• Muscle contraction and relaxation

• ATP synthesis

• Nervous system signaling

Athletes and physically active individuals often have higher magnesium requirements due to losses through sweat and increased metabolic demand.

A 2017 review in Nutrients reported that magnesium supplementation improved exercise performance markers, particularly in individuals with suboptimal intake.

From a practical standpoint, adequate magnesium supports:

• Reduced cramping

• Improved sleep quality

• Faster neuromuscular recovery

These factors strongly influence training consistency, which ultimately determines performance outcomes.

Creatine: power, strength, and cognitive resilience under load

Creatine is one of the most thoroughly studied supplements in performance science.

Its primary role is to replenish phosphocreatine stores, enabling rapid ATP regeneration during high-intensity efforts.

Extensive research published in journals such as The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition shows creatine supplementation:

• Increases strength and power output

• Improves repeated sprint performance

• Supports lean mass retention

Beyond muscle, creatine also supports brain energy metabolism. This is relevant during:

• High training loads

• Sleep deprivation

• Cognitive fatigue under stress

Performance is not purely physical. Creatine supports the capacity to sustain effort, both physically and mentally.

Collagen: connective tissue and long-term performance capacity

Muscle strength is meaningless without connective tissue that can tolerate load.

Tendons, ligaments, and joint structures adapt more slowly than muscle. When they fail, performance stops.

Collagen peptides provide amino acids such as glycine and proline, which are essential for connective tissue synthesis.

A randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2019) found that collagen supplementation combined with resistance training improved joint pain and functional outcomes.

While collagen does not increase strength directly, it supports:

• Injury prevention

• Joint confidence under load

• Long-term training continuity

Performance over years depends more on durability than peak output.

Supplements do not replace training, they support adaptation

A critical distinction must be made.
None of these supplements create performance in isolation. What they do is support the biological systems that allow training to work.

• Berberine improves metabolic efficiency

• D3, K2, and magnesium support neuromuscular and skeletal function

• Creatine enhances energy availability under intensity

• Collagen supports structural resilience

When these systems are supported, training adaptations occur more reliably and with less friction.

Conclusion: performance as a long-term system

True performance is not about single workouts or short cycles. It is about the ability to train consistently, recover effectively, and adapt over time.

Science increasingly shows that performance is limited less by effort and more by biology. Strategic supplementation, grounded in evidence, can support that biology.

When metabolism is efficient, minerals are sufficient, energy systems are supported, and connective tissue is protected, performance becomes sustainable.

That sustainability is where real progress is made.