By Paul Becker owner of Truly Huge Supplements
Mike Mentzer remains one of the most influential and controversial figures in bodybuilding history. Decades after his competitive career, bodybuilders are still interested in his Heavy Duty training system, diet, recovery philosophy—and the supplements Mike Mentzer actually used.
Questions such as “Did Mike Mentzer use supplements?”, “What supplements did Mike Mentzer take?”, and “What supplements did Mike Mentzer recommend?” continue to come up among bodybuilders who want to understand how Mentzer approached nutrition and muscle growth.
I am particularly interested in this subject because I was a student of Mike Mentzer. I read his books and articles, trained personally with him in the gym, and had many conversations with him about training, nutrition and bodybuilding.
Based on my experience with Mike, along with information he published and discussed, the answer is more nuanced than simply giving someone a long list of bodybuilding supplements.
Mike Mentzer was never a person who believed you needed a cabinet full of supplements to build muscle. In fact, he was highly skeptical of most bodybuilding supplements.
However, there were several supplements that he did use or recommend under particular circumstances.
Here is a closer look at the Mike Mentzer supplement list.
Did Mike Mentzer Use Supplements?
Yes, Mike Mentzer did use supplements.
But it is important to understand that Mike Mentzer was not a big believer in supplements as a replacement for good nutrition.
His philosophy was that a well-balanced diet should provide most of the nutrients required for health, recovery and muscle growth. Supplements were secondary.
This attitude made a lot of sense considering the bodybuilding supplement industry during the 1970s and 1980s.
Many products made extraordinary claims with little scientific support. Some were essentially combinations of inexpensive carbohydrates, protein and other ingredients marketed as revolutionary muscle-building formulas.
For example, Joe Weider’s Crash Weight Gaining Formula No. 7 was promoted with claims of gaining as much as a pound of muscle per day. Obviously, gaining a pound of actual muscle every day is not physiologically realistic.
Mike was skeptical of this kind of marketing.
His approach was essentially:
Eat properly. Train correctly. Recover. Then use a supplement when there is a legitimate reason for doing so.
That philosophy is still useful today.
Mike Mentzer’s Approach to Supplements
One of the biggest misunderstandings about old-school bodybuilding is the idea that legendary bodybuilders had enormous supplement stacks.
Mike Mentzer’s approach was almost the opposite.
He was interested in whether something actually worked.
This is particularly interesting because Mentzer had a strong interest in science and physiology. When a supplement had a reasonable scientific basis, he was willing to investigate it.
When he believed something was simply bodybuilding marketing hype, he wasn’t afraid to say so.
His documented use of milk-and-egg protein, amino acids, creatine and a basic multivitamin/mineral supplement is consistent with this philosophy.
So what supplements did Mike Mentzer actually use?
1. Mike Mentzer Protein Powder
One of the best-known supplements associated with Mike Mentzer was milk-and-egg protein powder.
During his competitive years, Mentzer’s post-workout nutrition included a milk-and-egg protein drink along with fresh fruit such as pineapple or grapes. A surviving description of his typical diet specifically lists a post-workout milk-and-egg protein drink and fruit.
This is significant because milk and egg were considered excellent protein sources by many of the old-school bodybuilders.
Milk proteins provide a combination of casein and whey proteins, while egg provides a highly complete amino-acid profile.
The objective wasn’t necessarily to find the newest or most exotic protein.
It was to consume high-quality protein.
Why Did Mike Mentzer Use Milk and Egg Protein?
Protein powder offered Mentzer a convenient way to consume quality protein without having to prepare another complete meal immediately after training.
That doesn’t mean he believed protein powder was somehow superior to real food.
Instead, it was a convenient nutritional tool.
That distinction is important.
Modern sports-nutrition research similarly describes protein powders primarily as a convenient way to help athletes meet protein requirements rather than as a magical form of protein that is inherently superior to quality whole-food sources.
Truly Huge Bio-Available Protein
At Truly Huge Supplements, our Bio-Available Protein is based on the old-school concept of combining milk and egg proteins.
For bodybuilders who appreciate the old-school approach to protein supplementation, this is one of the products in our lineup that follows that philosophy.
2. Mike Mentzer Amino Acids
Amino acids were another important part of Mike Mentzer’s supplementation during contest preparation.
This is particularly interesting because Mentzer wasn’t simply taking amino acids because they were popular.
He discussed their use in connection with his own contest preparation.
According to material describing his preparation for the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Mentzer used amino acids while dieting and reported benefits including improved recovery and less fatigue. He also described using amino acids to help control appetite and maintain energy while following a reduced-calorie diet.
This was an important consideration because contest preparation is very different from an off-season mass-building diet.
When calories are reduced, maintaining muscle mass becomes increasingly important.
Mentzer’s goal was not simply to lose bodyweight.
He wanted to become significantly leaner while preserving—or even gaining—muscle.
Mike Mentzer and His 1980 Contest Preparation
Mentzer’s approach to his 1980 Mr. Olympia preparation is one of the reasons his supplementation philosophy remains so interesting.
He was attempting to get extremely lean while maintaining his muscularity.
He reported gaining approximately 10 pounds of muscle while losing approximately 5–6 pounds of fat during the three months leading into the contest.
Whether every aspect of those historical body-composition estimates would withstand modern measurement standards is a separate question, but the important point is that Mentzer viewed amino acids as a useful nutritional tool during an aggressive contest-preparation phase.
Nitrobol Amino Acid Complex
At Truly Huge Supplements, we offer Nitrobol Amino Acid Complex, formulated around essential and branched-chain amino acids.
The modern supplement market is obviously very different from the market Mike Mentzer encountered during his career, but the underlying interest in amino acids and protein nutrition remains.
3. Mike Mentzer Creatine
This may be the most interesting supplement on the entire list.
Creatine was not available to Mike Mentzer during the height of his competitive bodybuilding career in the way it is today.
Creatine supplementation became popular among athletes much later.
Mentzer, however, continued reading scientific literature after his competitive career and eventually tried creatine himself.
And he apparently liked what he experienced.
According to accounts of Mentzer’s use of creatine, he described it as one of the few supplements he had tried that he believed genuinely worked.
He reportedly said:
“The stuff works.”
He also described being able to train harder, saying that he “tore up the gym,” and credited creatine with helping his recovery.
That is a remarkably different attitude from his skepticism toward many bodybuilding supplements.
Why Did Mike Mentzer Like Creatine?
Creatine is now one of the most extensively studied sports supplements available.
Research has found that creatine supplementation can increase muscle creatine stores and improve strength and performance during resistance training.
At Truly Huge Supplements, we offer Pumped Extreme Kre-Alkalyn Creatine for people interested in the most effective creatine formulation.
4. Mike Mentzer Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement
Mike Mentzer also recommended a basic multivitamin/mineral supplement.
However, his reasoning was different from the way many supplement companies market multivitamins today.
He viewed a multivitamin primarily as nutritional insurance.
In other words, if your diet is already good, a basic multivitamin can help cover potential nutritional gaps.
This becomes particularly relevant during contest preparation.
When calories are substantially reduced, there may be fewer opportunities to obtain all essential micronutrients from food.
Sources describing Mentzer’s supplementation specifically identify a multivitamin/mineral supplement as something he used, particularly during reduced-calorie dieting.
Modern sports-nutrition literature similarly notes that a well-formulated multivitamin may be useful when restrictive diets make it more difficult to obtain sufficient micronutrients, while emphasizing that whole foods should remain the foundation of the diet.
5. Mike Mentzer Potassium
Potassium is another supplement associated with Mike Mentzer, particularly during contest preparation.
This requires some explanation.
Potassium is an essential mineral involved in normal nerve function, muscle contraction and fluid balance.
During a restrictive bodybuilding diet, athletes can make significant changes to their food intake and electrolyte consumption.
Mentzer used potassium as part of his contest-preparation strategy.
This is why we include potassium as on of the supplements in our fat loss program Get Lean Quick.
Why Mike Mentzer Didn’t Believe You Needed a Huge Supplement Stack
Perhaps the most important lesson from Mike Mentzer’s supplement philosophy isn’t actually about supplements.
It’s about priorities.
Mentzer believed that bodybuilding results came primarily from:
- Proper training
- Adequate recovery
- A well-designed diet
- Consistency
- Then, potentially, supplementation
This philosophy remains relevant.
A supplement cannot compensate for inadequate training.
It cannot turn a poor diet into a good diet.
And it certainly cannot replace adequate sleep and recovery.
Modern research supports the broader principle that supplements generally play a supporting role rather than replacing sound nutrition and training. For example, sports-nutrition literature identifies creatine as having strong evidence while emphasizing that protein supplements are primarily a convenient way of meeting protein needs.
Mike Mentzer Supplement List at a Glance
| Supplement | Did Mike Mentzer Use It? | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Milk & Egg Protein | Yes | Convenient high-quality protein |
| Amino Acids | Yes | Used particularly during contest preparation |
| Creatine | Yes | Training performance and recovery |
| Multivitamin/Mineral | Yes | Nutritional insurance |
| Potassium | Used during contest preparation | Electrolyte/mineral support |
The important distinction is that Mike did not approach all of these supplements in exactly the same way.
Protein and amino acids were particularly relevant to his protein intake and contest preparation.
Creatine was something he became impressed with after investigating and trying it.
The multivitamin was more of an insurance policy.
Potassium was a targeted nutritional consideration during dieting.
What Supplements Did Mike Mentzer Recommend?
If we reduce the question to the most important supplements associated with Mentzer, the answer is:
Protein powder, amino acids, creatine, a multivitamin/mineral supplement and potassium during certain contest-preparation circumstances.
But I would not characterize Mike Mentzer as a person who recommended taking a huge list of supplements.
That would completely miss the point of his philosophy.
Mike was skeptical of exaggerated bodybuilding claims.
He wanted to know whether something actually worked.
And when he found something that he believed was effective—such as creatine—he was willing to acknowledge it.
Did Mike Mentzer Take Supplements During His Competitive Career?
Yes, but the answer depends on the particular supplement and period of his career.
His diet during his competitive years included a milk-and-egg protein drink after training, along with fruit.
His contest-preparation experiences also led him to experiment with amino acids.
Creatine is different because it became available to Mentzer much later, after his primary competitive career.
This distinction matters when researching what Mike Mentzer took, because it is easy to accidentally combine supplements he used at different stages of his life into one giant “Mike Mentzer stack.”
That isn’t an accurate representation of his approach.
The Mike Mentzer Lesson for Modern Bodybuilders
There is a bigger lesson behind the question, “What supplements did Mike Mentzer take?”
It isn’t that you should attempt to duplicate everything Mike did.
It is that you should understand why he used something.
Mike Mentzer wasn’t interested in taking 15 or 20 supplements simply because someone claimed they would increase muscle growth.
He focused on fundamentals.
His Heavy Duty training philosophy emphasized brief, intense training and sufficient recovery.
His nutritional philosophy emphasized eating properly.
And his supplementation philosophy was essentially:
Use supplements when they have a legitimate purpose—not simply because they’re being advertised.
That is a philosophy that I believe still makes sense today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mike Mentzer Supplements
Did Mike Mentzer take protein powder?
Yes. Mike Mentzer used a milk-and-egg protein drink, including as a post-workout meal during his competitive years.
Did Mike Mentzer use amino acids?
Yes. He used amino acids, particularly during contest preparation, and discussed their potential benefits for recovery, energy and appetite control.
Did Mike Mentzer take creatine?
Yes. Although creatine wasn’t part of the supplement landscape during his peak competitive years, Mentzer later tried creatine after studying the scientific literature and became a strong believer in its effectiveness.
Did Mike Mentzer take a multivitamin?
Yes. He used/recommended a basic multivitamin and mineral supplement as nutritional insurance, particularly when dieting.
Did Mike Mentzer take potassium?
Yes, potassium is associated with his contest-preparation supplementation. However, potassium supplementation requires considerably more caution than ordinary sports supplements because excessive potassium intake can create serious health risks.
Was Mike Mentzer a big fan of supplements?
No. He was skeptical of most supplements and believed a good diet should provide the majority of necessary nutrients.
What was Mike Mentzer’s favorite supplement?
Creatine appears to have been one of the supplements he became particularly enthusiastic about after personally trying it. He reportedly described it as one of the few products he had used that he felt genuinely worked.
Final Thoughts: What Can We Learn From Mike Mentzer?
Mike Mentzer’s approach to supplementation was remarkably simple compared with today’s bodybuilding supplement industry.
He didn’t believe you needed a complicated stack to build an impressive physique.
Instead, he emphasized effective training, proper nutrition and recovery, with supplements playing a supporting role.
The supplements most closely associated with his approach include:
Milk-and-egg protein, amino acids, creatine, a multivitamin/mineral supplement and potassium during certain contest-preparation circumstances.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that Mike Mentzer wasn’t automatically against supplements.
He was against supplements that didn’t live up to their claims.
When he found something he believed worked, he was willing to use it.
That combination of skepticism and willingness to follow the evidence is one of the reasons Mike Mentzer’s ideas continue to attract bodybuilders decades later.
If you’re interested in the old-school Mike Mentzer approach to bodybuilding, the goal shouldn’t be to copy every detail of his diet or supplement routine. The goal should be to understand his underlying philosophy: train intelligently, eat properly, recover adequately, and use supplementation strategically rather than blindly.
About the Author
Paul Becker is the owner of Truly Huge Supplements and a longtime student of Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training philosophy. Paul studied Mentzer’s books and articles and had the opportunity to train personally with Mentzer and discuss bodybuilding, training and nutrition with him.
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