Muscle Building Supplements That Actually Work
By: Theo Brenner-Roach
Tags: Health, Lifestyle, Supplements, Nutrition, Fitness

When it comes to building muscle, nothing will ever replace the basics.

These are the things that make up the foundation of muscle growth and include proper diet, progressive overload and a well-structured workout plan.

When it comes to body composition these things are non-negotiable and if you do them, you will see results, there is no doubt about that.

However, once you’ve got these things ‘banked’ then it can be worth looking at which supplements could help you improve your results by:

Making your life easier

Improving performance

Speeding up recovery

The important thing to remember when looking at supplements is that they only ever make up a small percentage of your overall success. This means they should be used to compliment your efforts and not replace them.

In this article, we’ll look at the 3 muscle building supplements worth buying and how they can help you.

#1: Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is created by the body that helps produce a molecule called Carnosine.

Carnosine, in turn, helps to reduce the build of acidity in your muscles during exercise. (1)

You see, when you continually contract a muscle i.e. when doing 10 reps of the bench press, the level of acid builds up until it reaches the point where you can longer continue. (2)

By supplementing with beta-alanine you can improve your endurance during short-duration exercise which means you’ll be able to do a few extra reps and continue making progress where before you might have got stuck. (3)

In addition to this, there are a few studies which show that beta-alanine supplementation appears to improve muscle growth (4, 5).

Exactly how this works and the degree to which it helps isn’t entirely clear, but the fact that Beta-Alanine can improve workout performance and may increase muscle growth makes it one of the few supplements worth taking in my book.

#2: Protein Powders

It’s no secret that your protein intake is an important part of your ability to build and maintain muscle when training in a calorie surplus.

Research (6, 7, 8) shows that a protein intake of between 0.7g — 1.1g per pound of body weight is enough to support muscle growth, with researchers concluding that when an intake of as little as 0.7g is effective muscle growth.

Now I largely recommend you try and get the majority of your macronutrient intake, protein included, from whole food sources.

However, I also recognise the value of protein shakes in your diet to help you meet your protein needs, particularly when you’re busy or on the go a lot.

When this is the case, protein powders can be an invaluable part of your supplement regimen for the following reasons:

Speed : The most basic shake can be made by adding water and shaking which means they can be made both quickly and easily making them perfect for anyone who is tight on time or too busy to put together anything more time consuming

: The most basic shake can be made by adding water and shaking which means they can be made both quickly and easily making them perfect for anyone who is tight on time or too busy to put together anything more time consuming Convenient : They are the perfect way to get a good hit of protein without having to stop and cook a full meal. This makes them ideal pre or post-workout

: They are the perfect way to get a good hit of protein without having to stop and cook a full meal. This makes them ideal pre or post-workout Transportable : Protein shakes can be made in any kind of container that has a lid with only the addition of water which makes them hugely versatile and the perfect way to consume protein pre or post-workout or on the go

: Protein shakes can be made in any kind of container that has a lid with only the addition of water which makes them hugely versatile and the perfect way to consume protein pre or post-workout or on the go High Protein: With most protein shakes containing 15g+ of protein per scoop, they’re an incredibly simple way to help you meet your protein needs

As for which protein powders to use, you have several options depending on your goals, dietary preferences and more.

Additionally, most if not all protein powders now come in a variety of flavours and mix easily with different kinds of milk and of course good old water.

Examples include:

Whey Protein Powder

The most popular form of protein, this is a by-product of the cheese-making process. It is considered a complete protein as it provides all amino acids and comes in 2 main forms; concentrate and isolate.

It’s fast-digesting and typically contains 20–30 g of protein per serving making it ideal for protein shakes or smoothies.

Casein Protein Powder

Casein is a slow-digesting, milk-based protein that contains a full amino acid profile and is also considered a complete protein. However, due to its gel-forming properties, it is badly suited to making protein shakes but perfect for making protein desserts.

Casein is a slow-digesting protein that typically contains 20–30 g of protein per serving and is ideal for a pre-bedtime snack due to the fact its slow releasing.

Vegan & Vegetarian:

Vegan and vegetarian proteins often include a mix of soy, hemp, rice, pea and other plant-based proteins to ensure they contain a complete protein source.