Supplements for Golfers: Enhancing Performance and Recovery

Golf is often perceived as a low-impact sport, but anyone who plays seriously knows it requires high skill, endurance, and mental resilience. A successful round of golf demands precision, coordination, stability, and focus, all while walking several miles over a course and executing repetitive, high-force movements.

Optimising nutrition and supplementation can help golfers enhance their game, improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and speed up recovery. While diet should always be the foundation of any performance-enhancing strategy, targeted supplementation can address gaps and support key physiological demands.

As a health and performance coach to numerous PGA Tour, European Tour, and LPGA Tour players for nearly two decades, I can assure you that investing in yourself in this aspect of the game can significantly impact your wellbeing and performance. While there are many advanced strategies we could explore, this post will concentrate on essential supplements for golfers and explain how each can enhance performance and recovery.

The Demands of Golf: Why Supplements Matter

Golf may not be as physically demanding as contact sports, but it places unique stress on the body:

Cognitive load: Golf requires intense focus, mental clarity, and decision-making under pressure. It also involves problem-solving, emotional intelligence, hand–eye coordination, high-level motor skills, and an extended duration of play that exceeds most other sports. This combination of factors can easily result in mental fatigue (Nagashima, Ehara et al. 2023).

Repetitive stress: The golf swing is a high-velocity, rotational movement that can strain the shoulders, spine, and wrists. To execute safely and effectively, golfers require good levels of mobility, core stability, neuromuscular control, strength and speed (Hume and Keogh 2017, Brennan, Murray et al. 2024).

Energy demands: A full 18-hole round can take several hours, as you walk over four miles on foot and burn an average of 700 calories during a round (Kasper, O'Donnell et al. 2023). For tour professionals, energy requirements are considerably greater because their rounds are framed by various active commitments: pre-round movement preparation in the gym, pre-round warm-ups on the range, post-round fitness training, and/or daily technical practice. While it may appear glamorous on television, the days on tour are long for players.

Recovery & inflammation: Frequent play and practice can contribute to muscle soreness, joint stiffness, and low-level inflammation (Lindsay and Vandervoort 2014). You may have experienced this the day after a round, feeling tightness and restrictions around the hips, back, neck and shoulders.

There’s also broader stress to consider. Golf doesn’t happen in isolation. Lifestyle factors like poor sleep, emotional stress, and a high workload increase the overall load placed on individuals, which can also contribute to the overall inflammatory load (O'Connor, Thayer et al. 2021).

In short, there’s more to golf than meets the eye. The right supplements can help golfers maintain peak performance by targeting brain function, energy production, joint health, and muscle recovery.

Let’s divide supplementation into two categories: performance and recovery, and then give insight into what nutraceuticals can help with each.

Key Supplements for Golf Performance

Several supplements can help golf performance by enhancing energy, focus, stability, and endurance, ensuring golfers maintain consistency throughout a round. These include:

·       Creatine Monohydrate

·       Whey protein

·       Electrolytes

·       Caffeine with L-theanine

Let’s briefly look at each.

1. Creatine Monohydrate

Traditionally associated with power sports, creatine helps with faster recovery from high loads. A recent systematic review also showed that it may support cognitive function, which is key in golf (Kreider, Kalman et al. 2017, Forbes, Cordingley et al. 2022, Xu, Bi et al. 2024).

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Improved explosive power in the swing.

·       Supports neuromuscular coordination for better movement control.

·       It may enhance cognition, reducing fatigue during long rounds.

·       Aids muscle recovery to maintain performance when technical and training load is high.

Dosage: 3.4g (1 scoop of Kinetica Sports Creatine Monohydrate) daily , ideally post-workout or in the morning.

2. Whey Protein

Dietary protein is essential for repair, recovery, and strength, especially for golfers who play regularly and train in the gym (West, Abou Sawan et al. 2017, McAdam, Lyons et al. 2022). Supplementing with whey protein is an excellent way to meet your daily protein needs.

While many gym-goers have a whey protein shake after their workout, I often recommend that Tour players try it during their rounds. Why is that? There are several reasons. First, many players find eating food on the course challenging, but they discover that a protein shake works well. Consuming protein during the round can help stabilise blood sugar, support energy levels, and provide calories for those who prefer not to eat much on the go. Research also indicates that whey protein can assist with cognition and mood (Field, (Kita, Obara et al. 2018)p.

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Supports muscle recovery after competition and gym work.

·       Helps maintain lean muscle mass for stability and control.

·       Regulates blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes mid-round.

Dosage: One 30g Serving (1 scoop[SP1]  Kinetica Sports Whey) contains 23g of protein post-round or after resistance training. Grass-fed whey protein is ideal for digestibility.

3. Electrolytes

Staying hydrated is critical for optimal performance, especially in warm conditions. Hypohydration can lead to many physiological changes that blunt performance, such as excess cortisol and blunted testosterone, and separate research has shown poor hydration status to increase anxiety and perceived mental effort (Smith, Newell et al. 2012, Early, Earnest et al. 2018, Young, Cousins et al. 2019, Zaplatosch and Adams 2020). As you might imagine, none of this is conducive to thriving under pressure.

Electrolytes—sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate—are essential for hydration, nerve function, and muscle contraction. They regulate fluid balance, pH levels, and electrical signalling. Hydration isn’t just about water; maintaining electrolyte balance is key to preventing fatigue, cramps, dizziness, and cognitive decline.

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Prevents dehydration, muscle cramps, and fatigue.

·       Enhances endurance and focus during long rounds.

·       Supports nerve function and coordination.

Dosage: Add 1 tablet of Kinetica Sports Electro-C electrolytes daily to your water, especially in hot weather.

4. L-Theanine & Caffeine

Caffeine and L-theanine work well together to enhance focus and mood. Caffeine blocks adenosine, increasing alertness and reaction speed, but can also lead to jitters and energy crashes. This is where L-theanine comes in. It’s an amino acid in tea that promotes alpha brain waves and neurotransmitters like GABA and dopamine, creating a calm focus. When combined, L-theanine smooths out caffeine’s overstimulation, delivering sustained energy, sharper concentration, and better stress resilience—ideal for deep work, golf and high-pressure performance (Owen, Parnell et al. 2008).

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Increases alertness without jitteriness.

·       Enhances concentration and mental endurance over long rounds.

·       Reduces stress and improves decision-making under pressure.

Dosage: 2 scoops of Kinetica PreFuel 30 minutes before play

Supplements for Recovery

What about optimising recovery? Creatine Monohydrate, Whey protein, Electrolytes and Caffeine with L-theanine are great pre-round and during your round, but what happens after also matters. Many supplements can help here, but here are four:

·       Collagen

·       Magnesium

·       Vitamin D

·       Omega-3 Fats

Let’s quickly debrief why.

1. Collagen

Bovine collagen aids recovery in golf and athletic performance. It contains glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which support joint integrity, tendon resilience, and muscle repair. This helps counteract the wear and tear from repetitive golf movements (Zdzieblik, Brame et al. 2021, Shenoy, Abdul et al. 2022, Kviatkovsky, Hickner et al. 2023).

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Collagen supplements can improve joint health, reduce activity-related joint pain, and enhance joint function

·       Collagen helps repair damaged tissues such as skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments by providing the necessary building blocks for tissue growth and strengthening.

·       Collagen’s anti-inflammatory properties help reduce swelling and discomfort associated with injuries, potentially speeding up the overall recovery process.

Dosage: 10-15g collagen peptides, best delivered with other nutrients, such as vitamin C, curcumin and Biopterin black pepper extract. 

2. Magnesium

Magnesium is a crucial mineral for golfers. It supports muscle function, cardiovascular health, energy production, stress regulation, and sleep (Garfinkel and Garfinkel 1985, Pickering, Mazur et al. 2020, Rosanoff, Costello et al. 2021, Rawji, Peltier et al. 2024). Since training and stress can deplete magnesium levels, optimising intake through diet or supplementation can aid recovery from training and promote better performance (Reno, Green et al. 2022).

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Magnesium helps with muscle function and relaxation.

·       Reduce muscle soreness.

·       Support stress management, facilitating calmness and focus.

·       Aids sleep quality, crucial for recovery and performance.

Dosage: 3 tablets [SP2] Kinetica Zinc Mag 420mg Magnesium is a good starting point.

3. Vitamin D3 + K2

Vitamin D3 is critical for bone strength, inflammation and immune support—all essential for golf performance (Chang and Lee 2019, Bishop, Ismailova et al. 2020, Chauss, Freiwald et al. 2021, Dashti, Mousavi et al. 2021). It is best paired with K2 because they work synergistically: Vitamin D3 helps the body absorb calcium, while K2 ensures calcium is directed to bones and teeth rather than accumulating in arteries and soft tissues. Current research indicates that nearly 50% of the global population is Vitamin D deficient (Cui, Zhang et al. 2023).

Potential benefits for golfers:

Benefits:

·       Strengthens bones and reduces injury risk.

·       Helps to prevent chronic low-grade inflammation.

·       Supports immune health, reducing susceptibility to illness.

Dosage: 1[SP3]  spray a day of Kinetica Sports Vitamin D3 oral spray (RDA) of 3000 IU

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA & EPA)

Golf requires joint mobility, coordination, and brain function, all of which benefit from omega-3s (Dighriri, Alsubaie et al. 2022, Zhang, Ritonja et al. 2022, Deng, Yi et al. 2023, Fernandez-Lazaro, Arribalzaga et al. 2024). These powerful fatty acids—found in fish oil and algae—are powerful modulators of inflammation and cardiovascular health, so they help your body after play and hard training (Zhang, Ritonja et al. 2022, Fernandez-Lazaro, Arribalzaga et al. 2024).

Potential benefits for golfers:

·       Reduces inflammation and joint pain, supporting long-term mobility.

·       Improves cognitive function and brain health.

·       Helps post-training recovery.

Dosage: 2-3g of combined DHA & EPA daily (2 capsules Kinetica Sports Omega-3)

Final Thoughts

Golf is a fantastic game of precision, endurance, power and mental resilience. Proper supplementation can give players a competitive edge by enhancing focus, strength, joint health, and recovery.

For immediate performance: Caffeine + L-theanine, creatine, whey and electrolytes help sustain energy, endurance, and mental clarity.

For long-term health & recovery: Omega-3s, collagen, vitamin D3, and magnesium will help you respond more effectively and support overall wellbeing.

By combining a well-structured diet with smart supplementation, golfers can enhance longevity, performance, and recovery, ensuring they stay at the top of their game for years. 🏌️‍♂️⛳