Substrates for anaerobic digestion are composed of heterogeneous and complex organic matter. General parameters of the organic matter can be used to describe its composition such as sugar, protein and lipid contents, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) and kinetic of methane production. These parameters are required for the monitoring of digesters but their characterization are time consuming and expensive; thus, these parameters are rarely assessed all together. We investigated the existing correlations between COD, methane yield, biodegradability, kinetic of methane production and sugar, protein and lipid contents on 222 samples using principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Our work aims at providing a support to operators when only a partial characterization of the substrates is available. Positive correlation between methane yield and methane production kinetic but also unexpected independence of COD and BMP are shown. Sugars, proteins and lipids modulated differently the anaerobic digestion performances. Sugars are correlated with readily biodegradable organic matter while proteins are slightly anti-correlated with biodegradability. Lipids were correlated with high methane yield but slow methane productions. Finally, partial least square regression points towards more descriptive organic matter characterization that could be used to predict the kinetic of methane production.