💊 SUPPLEMENT GUIDE — exhaustive & practical (how to actually take each one)

The hands-on companion to 03_SUPPLEMENTS_PLAN.md (the "what/why/dose") and research/VERIFIED_FACTS.md (the verified UAE products). This file answers "what is it, how much, and how do I actually take it?" for every item — including how to mix the collagen drink, why beta-alanine is only 2 g/day now, and exactly how the caffeine trial runs. Doses match the plan.

Golden rules: (1) Food first — these are small, legal, evidence-based edges. (2) Nothing new on a day you need to perform — only things you've trialled. (3) Keep everything in original packaging through customs. (4) Everything here is legal and OTC in the UAE.

0. Your whole day at a glance

When	Take	How much	How to take it
Breakfast	Nordic Omega-D3 2X · NOW D3+K2 · Solgar multi	1 softgel · 1 cap · 1 tab	Swallow with the meal (needs a little fat — yogurt/nuts/oil is enough)
Lunch	Solgar multi · beta-alanine	1 tab · 1 HSN tab (1 g)	Swallow with the meal
~45 min before Wed/Sat training	Collagen + Vitamin C	15 g collagen + 1 Vit C tab in ~250 ml water	Stir & drink (recipe in §Collagen) — Wed + Sat only
During training/match	Electrolytes (± gels)	1 stick/tab per 500 ml	Dissolve in your bottle; gels as needed
Right after training/match	Creatine (+ whey)	5 g (+ 20–40 g whey)	Stir into water/milk — or into the S1 / POST-MATCH shake
Dinner	Nordic Omega-D3 2X · Solgar multi · beta-alanine	1 softgel · 1 tab · 1 HSN tab (1 g)	Swallow with the meal
~60 min before bed	Magnesium	1 effervescent tab	Dissolve in ~200 ml water, drink
Match evening (trial only)	Caffeine gel	per trial (50 → 100 mg), ≤150 mg, never after 19:45	½–1.5 226ERS cola gel — see §Caffeine

Daily totals: creatine 5 g · beta-alanine 2 g (2 × 1 g HSN tabs) · omega-3 2 softgels (2,150 mg + 1,000 IU D) · NOW D3+K2 1 cap (1,000 IU + K2) · Solgar multi 3 tabs · magnesium 1 tab. Collagen 15 g + Vit C only on Wed + Sat. Total vitamin D ≈ 2,400 IU/day (safe).

1. Every supplement, in full

🔴 Creatine monohydrate — daily, the highest-value one

What: The single most-proven sports supplement. Refills your muscles' fast-energy fuel (phosphocreatine) for short explosive efforts — sprints, jumps, accelerations.
Why: More repeat-sprint power, better strength gains, faster recovery between efforts. Perfect for box-to-box football.
Product / dose: Creapure Micronised (AlzChem) 300 g or MyProtein Creapure 500 g (Amazon.ae) — 5 g/day (1 level scoop), every day, no loading (avoids a water-weight spike while cutting).
How to take: Stir 5 g into water, juice, or straight into your post-session / POST-MATCH shake (S1) — dissolves better in warm liquid, a little grit is normal. Timing doesn't matter — pick the shake so you never forget it.
Expect: ~1–1.5 kg of intracellular water in the first weeks — performance fuel inside the muscle, not fat. Judge leanness by the mirror.
Caution: Normal fluids, no kidney concern for healthy people. Saturates over ~3–4 weeks.

🔴 Beta-alanine — daily, 2 g maintenance, split into 2 tabs

What: An amino acid that raises muscle carnosine, which buffers the acid (H⁺) that builds up and burns during repeated high-intensity efforts.
Why: Delays the "burn" in repeated sprints — useful across a full 11-a-side shift.
Product / dose: HSN Beta-Alanine 1000 mg tabs — 2 g/day = 2 × 1 g tabs (1 with lunch, 1 with dinner).
Why only 2 g now (not 4): You've been saturated since June — carnosine is already topped up. A 2 g/day maintenance dose holds that saturation for good; bumping back to 4 g/day would just burn through tubs for zero extra buffering once you're saturated. So the plan runs the lighter maintenance dose deliberately — this is a change from the old 4 g loading dose, not a shortfall. (Historical note only: the 4 g/day figure was the June loading dose; it has done its job.)
How to take — and why it's split: Take 1 HSN tablet (1 g) at lunch and 1 at dinner. A big single dose (>~0.8–1 g at once) causes paraesthesia — a harmless tingling / pins-and-needles on the face, hands, or scalp. Two 1 g doses keep each under that threshold. Same total, same benefit — splitting is purely for comfort.
Runway: at 2 tabs/day, an HSN 120-tab pack = 60 days — one pack covers most of the 72-day block; add the 30-tab pack (or a second 120) once for the tail so you never run dry mid-block.
Expect: You won't feel it acutely — it works by holding muscle saturation. A quiet, steady edge.
Caution: If a dose ever tingles, take it with food.

🟠 Omega-3 + Vitamin D — Nordic Ultimate Omega-D3 2X

What: High-strength fish-oil (EPA + DHA) with vitamin D3 built in.
Why: Recovery, lower muscle soreness, anti-inflammatory support; the D covers a likely-suboptimal status. (You avoid fish fillets, but fish oil is fine.)
Product / dose: Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3 2X — 2 softgels/day = 2,150 mg omega-3 (2,000 mg EPA+DHA) + 1,000 IU D3. Double-strength, so 2 softgels do the job of the old 4 minis.
How to take: 1 softgel with breakfast, 1 with dinner, with a meal that has some fat (yogurt, nuts, eggs, olive oil) — fat roughly doubles absorption.
Expect: Nothing acute; a slow-building recovery/health base. Lemon flavour = minimal fishy burps.
Caution: None at this dose.

🟠 Vitamin D3 + K2 — NOW Foods (the D top-up)

What: Vitamin D3 (1,000 IU) plus vitamin K2 (45 mcg) per capsule.
Why: The concentrated omega only carries 1,000 IU D, so this tops you to target. K2 helps direct calcium into bone (not soft tissue) and works with D3.
Product / dose: NOW Vitamin D3 & K2 — 1 capsule/day with breakfast (with the omega — both like a fat-containing meal).
Total vitamin D: omega 1,000 + this 1,000 + Solgar ~400 = ~2,400 IU/day — safe (ceiling 4,000). The 25(OH)D blood test was declined (May pilot-medical panel didn't include it), so the dose continues as-is; fine-tune if you test later and read low.
Caution: The only K2 caution is blood thinners — you take none.

🟠 Multivitamin — Solgar Male Multiple

What: A broad men's multivitamin + multimineral with lycopene.
Why: Micronutrient insurance (B-vitamins, zinc, selenium) — more valuable while in a calorie deficit, when some micros can dip.
Product / dose: Solgar Male Multiple — 3 tablets/day, divided.
How to take: 1 tablet with each main meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — divided dosing is gentler on the stomach.
Expect: Nothing to feel — background insurance. Adds ~400 IU D (already counted).
Caution: None. Save your standalone Vit C for the collagen protocol, don't double-dose it generally.

🟢 Collagen + Vitamin C — the pre-training tendon drink (Wed + Sat only)

What: Collagen peptides (the structural protein of tendons/ligaments/cartilage) + vitamin C (the cofactor your body needs to build collagen).
Why: Tendon/ligament/joint insurance — important for a 40-y/o loading sprints and jumps. Evidence "emerging," low-risk, cheap.
Product / dose: your collagen powder + 1 Vit C tab (~250–500 mg) — 15 g collagen + 1 Vit C.
⏱️ HOW TO MAKE THE DRINK: 1. Put 15 g collagen into a glass/shaker (~1.5 scoops if the scoop is ~10 g, or a heaped tablespoon — weigh once to learn the amount). 2. Add ~200–250 ml water or juice (orange juice adds vitamin C too). 3. Stir / shake ~20–30 s until dissolved — peptides go clear and near-flavourless. Cold or warm both work. 4. Take 1 Vitamin C tablet with it (or drop an effervescent one in to fizz). 5. Drink it ~45 min BEFORE you train.
Why "pre-training" and why only Wed + Sat: the collagen + C floods your blood with tendon-building blocks ~45 min before you load the tendon; the session itself tells the body where to deposit them. The plan's two tendon/strength exposures are Wed (Strength B, posterior/tendon) and Sat (Strength A, heavy lower) — so the drink is timed to those two days only; taken on an easy or match day it mostly goes to waste.
Caution: None. The exact Vit C amount isn't critical (~50 mg is the studied minimum; a 500 mg tab is fine).

🟢 Magnesium — pre-bed

What: Your effervescent magnesium.
Why: Sleep quality + replacing magnesium lost in heavy Dubai heat-sweat.
Dose / how: 1 tablet dissolved in ~200 ml water, ~60 min before bed (take it alongside the S2 pre-bed snack so you never forget). Drink, then wind down.
Caution: If it ever loosens your stool, take it with a little food or halve it.

🟢 Whey protein — protein top-up

What: Fast-digesting protein (ON Gold Standard).
Why: Hits your ~167 g protein/day target (163 g from 74 kg) — key for keeping muscle in a deficit — and kick-starts post-session repair.
Dose / how: 20–40 g (≈1–1.5 scoops) in ~300 ml water or milk, shaken. Use post-session (S1) and/or to top up a low-protein meal (S5).
Caution: It's food, not a drug — fill the protein gap, don't replace whole-food meals.

🟢 Electrolytes — Liquid I.V. (hard/heat/match) · Nuun (light days)

What: Sodium-forward hydration mixes.
Why: Replace the sodium you sweat out; maintain blood volume, avoid cramps — critical in Dubai heat and during the 20:30 matches.
Dose / how: Match / hard / heat days → 1 Liquid I.V. stick in ~500 ml (more sodium + carbs); lighter days → 1 Nuun tab in ~500 ml. Pre-load a bottle 1–2 h before a hot session; sip through. Heavy sweat → add a pinch of salt.
Caution: Don't over-drink plain water without sodium on long hot days.

⚡ Caffeine — Tier 2 match-night weapon (trial first!)

What: CNS stimulant — more alertness, lower perceived effort, better repeat-sprint output.
Why / how much: You're effectively caffeine-naïve, so the effect is strong — and a 20:30 kickoff means protecting sleep is the priority. Hard caps: ≤150 mg single dose, never after 19:45.
The trial decision tree: 1. Wk 2 — Jul 30 match: 50 mg (½ a 226ERS cola gel) at ~19:45. 2. Next morning: check Apple Watch sleep (latency, total, wake events). 3. Clean → Wk 3 — Aug 6 match: 100 mg at ~19:45 (never both trial doses in one week). 4. Aug 6 clean → standing match rule from wk 4: up to the tested dose, ≤150 mg, never after 19:45. 5. Sleep suffers at any step → matches run caffeine-free by default. Sleep beats a caffeine edge in a match-dense block.
How to take: 226ERS Bio Energy cola gel = 100 mg each — ½ = 50 mg, 1.5 = 150 mg. Same product trial → match = "nothing new."
Expect (naïve responder): a strong effect — good, but watch for jitter / racing heart / GI in the trial. Any of those → drop the dose or go caffeine-free.
Caution: Late caffeine wrecks sleep for a naïve athlete — the 19:45 cutoff is firm.

Owned extras

226ERS / GU gels — in-match / gut-training carbs (~22–30 g each). 5–7 in the match bag; part of the ~75 g MATCH-FUEL target.

2. A normal training day — hour by hour

Breakfast: Nordic Omega-D3 2X 1 softgel · NOW D3+K2 1 cap · Solgar multi 1 tab. (with the meal)
Lunch: Solgar multi 1 tab · beta-alanine 1 HSN tab (1 g).
~45 min pre-training (Wed/Sat only): Collagen 15 g + 1 Vit C tab in ~250 ml water · fill a bottle with electrolytes if it's hot / a match.
During: sip electrolytes; gels if it's a long session.
Right after: Creatine 5 g + whey 20–40 g in the shake.
Dinner: Nordic Omega-D3 2X 1 softgel · Solgar multi 1 tab · beta-alanine 1 HSN tab (1 g).
~60 min pre-bed: Magnesium 1 tab in water (with the S2 snack).

3. A match day (Mon/Thu, 20:30) — supplement walkthrough

Breakfast (B1): omega + D3/K2 + multi with the meal. 500 ml water + electrolytes.
Lunch ~13:00 (M1-hi / M11-hi): Solgar multi + beta-alanine 1 g. Keep it normal.
~19:45–20:00 pre-match: creatine 5 g (or save it for the post shake); caffeine ONLY per the trial outcome (≤150 mg, never after 19:45); start the RAMP warm-up.
During (MATCH-FUEL): Liquid I.V. every break + 1–2 gels + banana (~75 g carbs).
~22:30 (POST-MATCH shake): creatine 5 g + whey 40 g stirred into the recovery shake · beta-alanine 1 g (the dinner-slot tab, taken with the ~23:00 plate).
~60 min pre-bed: magnesium; screens down, cool room — protect sleep after the late whistle.

4. What NOT to take (waste of money / no good evidence)

BCAAs/EAAs (redundant if protein is adequate), glutamine, "testosterone boosters"/Tribulus/DAA, HMB, fat-burners/thermogenics, exotic creatine forms.

5. Quick FAQ

Will I feel any of these? Caffeine yes (acute). Everything else is a slow/background edge — creatine and beta-alanine work by saturation; omega/D/multi are health/recovery base. Don't expect a "buzz."
With food? Omega, D3+K2, multivitamin — yes, with some fat. Creatine, beta-alanine, collagen — food optional (collagen is timed to pre-training, not to a meal).
All at once? The breakfast stack (omega + D3+K2 + multi) can go down together. Keep collagen separate + pre-training (Wed/Sat) and creatine post-session (habit, not chemistry).
The beta-alanine tingling? Normal, harmless, avoided by the 1 g split. It should barely happen at 2 g/day.
Creatine and my weight goal? The ~1 kg it adds is water inside the muscle = fuel, not fat.
Missed a dose? Just resume — these work on weekly saturation, not single doses (except caffeine, which is acute, match-night).

6. Buy & restock (Amazon.ae — periodic, not weekly)

Order in: creatine (Creapure) · beta-alanine (HSN 1000 mg, 120 tabs) · 226ERS cola caffeine gel (100 mg). Restock your collagen + Vit C.
Beta-alanine: 120-tab pack = 60 days at 2/day — reorder once for the block's tail.
Everything else (omega, D3+K2, multivitamin, magnesium, whey, electrolytes, gels) you already own. Verified UAE SKUs → research/VERIFIED_FACTS.md.