The 3 Best Supplements to Gain Muscle
If you exercise regularly, you likely want to be sure you’re getting the most out of it.
One important benefit of exercise is gaining muscle and strength. Having a healthy amount of muscle allows to you to perform your best during exercise and daily life.
Three main criteria must be met for maximal muscle gain: eating more calories than you burn, consuming more protein than you break down and an exercise program that is challenging to your muscles.
While it’s possible to meet all these criteria without taking dietary supplements, certain supplements may help you meet your goals.
The 5 supplements listed below may help you gain more muscle with your exercise program.
Getting enough protein is critical for gaining muscle.
Specifically, to gain muscle, you need to consume more protein than your body breaks down through natural processes.
While it’s possible to get all the protein you need from protein-rich foods, some people struggle to do so.
If this sounds like you, you may want to consider taking a protein supplement.
There are many different protein supplements available, but some of the most popular are whey, casein and soy protein. Other protein supplements contain protein isolated from eggs, beef, chicken or other sources .
In fact, some research shows that consuming very high amounts of protein supplements doesn’t help increase muscle if you are already following a high-protein diet.
Research shows that adding extra protein via supplements causes slightly more muscle gain in people who exercise than adding extra carbs.
However, the effects are probably largest for people who aren’t getting enough protein in their normal diet.
Many people wonder how much protein to eat daily. If you are an active individual trying to gain muscle, 0.5–0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.2–2.0 grams per kg) of body weight may be best.
Creatine is a molecule that’s produced naturally in your body. It provides energy for your muscles and other tissues.
However, taking it as a dietary supplement can increase muscle creatine content by up to 40% beyond its normal levels.
This affects your muscle cells and exercise performance, promoting muscle gain. In fact, a large amount of research shows creatine improves muscle strength.
This is good news if you’re trying to gain muscle. Greater strength allows you to perform better during exercise, leading to larger increases in muscle mass over time .
Creatine can also increase water content in your muscle cells. This may cause your muscle cells to swell slightly and produce signals for muscle growth.
Moreover, some research shows that creatine could decrease the breakdown of proteins in your muscles
Creatine has also been studied extensively and has an outstanding safety profile.
If you are looking for a supplement to help you gain muscle, consider creatine first.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three individual amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine.
They are found in most protein sources, particularly those of animal origin like meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fish.
BCAAs are critically important for muscle growth and make up about 14% of the amino acids in your muscles.
Just about everyone consumes BCAAs from food every day, but it’s also very popular to take BCAAs as a supplement.
A small amount of research has shown that BCAAs may improve muscle gain or reduce muscle loss, compared to a placebo.
However, other research shows that BCAAs may not produce greater muscle gain in those following an exercise program.
It’s likely that BCAA supplements may only benefit you if you are not eating enough high-quality protein in your diet.
Although they may be beneficial if your diet is inadequate, more information is needed before BCAAs are recommended as a go-to supplement for muscle gain.