Mike Sommerfeld is coming off a win at the 2025 Arnold Classic (Classic Physique). His preparation for the competition was extremely difficult, taking a toll on him both physically and mentally. However, Mike is an experienced bodybuilder, meaning that he has a great knowledge of how to recover. Moreover, he revealed the 10 supplements that he takes for recovery.
Bodybuilding at the pro level is a tough game. Athletes keep pushing their muscles until they’re totally worn out just to make them grow bigger. That means they need smart ways to rest up and keep their bodies going strong for more work. Mike Sommerfeld stands out as one of the top bodybuilders right now. He’s obviously figured out how to bounce back like a champ.
Mike Sommerfeld’s Top 10 Supplements for Recovery
Mike Sommerfeld takes his recovery very seriously and has a list of supplements that he takes on a regular basis. After revealing his stack of supplements, Mike also explained what the purpose of each one was.
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- Sleep & Dream
- Multivitamins
- No Stress
- Vitamin C
- Thyroid Support
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Liver Support
- Creatine
- Electrolytes
- Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs)
Sleep & Dream
It is a well-recognized fact that sleep and recovery are largely correlated. So, Mike Sommerfeld takes a supplement that helps him relax and go to sleep easier, as well as improve the quality of his sleep.
“This contains different ingredients to help sleep better, tighter, and wake up more recovered. So, as I’m taking these pills, it takes like 30–45 minutes until I’m getting tired because there’s also melatonin in it. You can get melatonin on top of it as an exclusive supplement to add to these Sleep and Dream,” said Sommerfeld in his YouTube video.
Multivitamins
Seeing that he is often on a very strict diet, Mike Sommerfeld needs to compensate with multivitamins. So, he takes four pills a day, two before and two after a workout.
“I take that every day—365 days a year. Unfortunately, we’re not able to eat high amounts of vegetables or high amounts of fruits, especially when we’re in contest prep because we’re limited in calories.”
No Stress
Mike Sommerfeld also takes a supplement to lower his stress levels, especially after training. He does this in order to enable his body to go into recovery mode, thus improving his muscle-building process.
“This will help to reduce stress levels post-workout. This is incredibly important because the moment we go into our relaxed kind of recovery state, that will help to build muscle tissue… If you stay in a really, really stressful environment, your body is not able to recover properly.”
Vitamin C
Although he does take multivitamins, Mike Sommerfeld also makes sure to stock up on vitamin C. This does wonders for his immune system and lowers the water retention as well. Mike takes four grams of vitamin C a day.
“The reason for that is that Vitamin C is an incredibly strong antioxidant, and it helps to reduce water retention as well. It keeps you healthy because it boosts your immune system.”
Thyroid Support
Mike Sommerfeld’s thyroid is put under a lot of stress due to his difficult workout and diet regimen. So, seeing that it plays a role in regulating the metabolism, a hindered thyroid can make fat loss much more difficult while also affecting Mike’s energy.
“We did over 20,000 steps every day, an incredibly low diet, incredibly intense workouts, and my thyroid needs to work really, really hard. I can see that my thyroid is exhausted—I saw that in my blood work. My levels were already dropped, and this is a natural adaptation.”
Omega 3
Mike Sommerfeld did not elaborate much on the function of the Omega 3, since it is clear to many that it is one of the most incredible supplements out there. It helps with cardiovascular and brain health, while also improving a number of other parameters.
“We have a super, super, super high-dosed Omega-3 Plus.”
Liver Support
Mike Sommerfeld has an extremely rare genetic disease called Porphyria Variegata. It leads to a buildup of toxins that his liver has to filter, which puts a lot of stress on this specific organ.
“I have a genetic sickness, so my liver is always under, let’s say, kind of pressure. So, I need to make sure my liver has full support…
So many things are produced in our liver, especially IGF-1. IGF-1 is the most potent hormone for building muscle tissue and so, so much more. The liver is incredibly important.”
Creatine
Creatine is perhaps the most researched supplement on the market, and Mike Sommerfeld is clearly a big advocate for it. He pointed out that it does not only result in a better pump but also improves cognitive functions.
“I take creatine every day, 365 days a year. The reason for that is it also helps cognition, so you can remember better and you’re much more fresh right here (brain). And of course, better pumps, better ATP production, you’re stronger—so many benefits.”
Electrolytes
The diet that pro bodybuilders adopt leading up to a competition can often leave them without certain necessary nutritional products. So, Mike Sommerfeld often found himself cramping up. He fixed the issue by implementing electrolytes to his supplement stack.
“I used to cramp a lot when I prepped, especially because I was lacking in micronutrients. But here is the answer—if you guys are more likely to cramp, four pills of this will help you, and you will not cramp—I can almost guarantee you.”
Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs)
Lastly, Mike Sommerfeld takes human milk oligosaccharides, which help with his digestion and gut health. He also revealed that this is his favorite supplement on the list.
“Basically, it’s breast milk—mother’s breast milk—and we extracted the most powerful ingredient. The reason for that is HMOs are known to rebuild your microbiome. This is the thing right here in your digestion—what decides if you digest food well or not, if you’re bloated or not, if you have diarrhea or not, if you’re constipated or not.”
Watch the full video here:
Mike Sommerfeld will now continue to work hard and improve his physique, as he is one of the main candidates to take over the Mr. Olympia throne in the Classic Physique division. He finished in second-place last year behind Chris Bumstead. However, Bumstead decided to retire, leaving the top spot vacant for 2025.
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