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Professional bodybuilders are not the only ones who want to build muscle. Everyone, from high school athletes to senior citizens, is interested in increasing muscle mass and function. Anyone participating in sports will be vested in the idea. As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass. Anyone over age 40 needs to begin building or at least maintaining their muscle mass. Muscle loss can also be a result of injury, illness, and prolonged inactivity.
Muscle loss can contribute to difficulty with everyday tasks such as cleaning, shopping, and even simply walking. Decreased muscle strength can also hinder your ability to recover from an injury or illness. In addition, loss of muscle can contribute to dangerous falls, resulting in possible disability or death.
Whether you are an athlete, a young adult who wants to look fit, a parent approaching middle age, or a budding senior citizen, building and sustaining your muscle mass should be a top priority for your health and longevity. While bodybuilding and weight lifting are effective, they are not the only way to increase muscle mass.
A combination of strength training and natural supplements could be the best duo to achieve the muscle-building results you are looking for at any age.
Here, we will discuss the top five supplements for muscle growth.
A key component in cellular energy production, creatine is an amino acid that naturally occurs in the body. Primarily found in the brain and muscles, creatine is mostly obtained from foods such as red meat and seafood like salmon and herring, with lesser amounts found in chicken and cod. However, the body will make some creatine daily in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Muscles use creatine to produce more energy.
Not only does creatine produce more energy, but it also may increase water content and the hormone IGF-1, which can contribute to muscle growth. Taking a creatine supplement could increase levels of this muscle-building amino acid by up to 40%.
A comprehensive review of several studies shows that creatine supplementation is effective in upper limb strength performance for exercise with a duration of less than three minutes, independent of population characteristics, training protocols, and supplementary doses or duration.
Other studies have shown that creatine paired with exercise can help increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance. In addition to athletic and exercise improvement, research has shown that creatine supplementation may enhance post-exercise recovery, injury prevention, thermoregulation, rehabilitation, and concussion and/or spinal cord neuroprotection.
Several clinical applications of creatine supplementation have been studied involving neurodegenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease, as well as diabetes, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, aging, and pregnancy. These studies provide a large body of evidence that creatine can not only improve exercise performance but also play a role in preventing and/or reducing the severity of the injury, enhancing rehabilitation from injuries, and helping athletes tolerate heavy training regimens.
Researchers have also identified several potentially beneficial clinical benefits of creatine supplementation. These studies show that short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) is safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals. Safety and efficacy were also demonstrated in many patient demographics ranging from infants to the elderly. In addition, significant health benefits may be provided by ensuring habitual low dietary creatine ingestion (3 g/day) throughout one’s lifespan.
If muscle gain, injury repair, or enhanced muscle performance are on your to-do list, creatine may be the perfect supplement to add to your daily routine. It is thought to be perhaps the best supplement for muscle growth.
If you are a beginner weight trainer or just starting your muscle growth routine, HMB could be the right supplement for you. A byproduct of leucine metabolism, HMB may be essential for a reduction in muscle protein breakdown. This muscle-sustaining function of HMB could help maintain muscle mass and decrease muscle loss.
Research studies show that when combined with weight training, untrained adults taking HMB may improve their lean body mass gains. On the contrary, other research shows HMB supplementation is likely ineffective at increasing muscle mass in adults who are established athletes or have experience with weight training.
As a new weight trainer, HMB could be the supplement that helps you get off to a great start to achieving your muscle growth goals.
A popular source of protein in today’s society, protein powder supplements can provide a substantial amount of protein in your diet. Protein is made of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle tissue. Protein powders can come from either plant or animal sources. Animals like cows and elephants get all of their protein from plants. It is a misconception that we must eat animals to get enough protein.
Regarding cows, casein and whey protein powders are quite popular and made from cow’s milk. This protein source is not advised for those with dairy allergies or sensitivities. Egg white protein is an alternative powder to cow’s milk protein also made from an animal source.
Plant-based protein powders are manufactured from various plant sources, including rice, hemp, soy, pea, algae, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and quinoa.
Research has shown that protein powder supplementation may help maintain muscle mass and promote muscle growth. This applies even if you are on a weight-loss diet. Studies suggest combining resistance training with protein powder supplementation may improve recovery, enhance physical performance, and promote muscle growth.
Additional studies discovered that as the duration, frequency, and volume of resistance training increase, protein supplementation may promote muscle growth and enhance gains in muscle strength in both untrained and trained individuals. Evidence also suggests that protein supplementation may accelerate improvement in both aerobic and anaerobic power.
Another benefit of protein supplementation is that increased blood amino acid levels may induce muscle synthesis. Looking to increase your muscle growth? A protein powder supplement may be just right for you.
If you struggle to get enough calories in your diet, weight gainers could be a part of the solution. There are various reasons why people may not be able to get sufficient calories daily, including illness, injury, disability, loss of appetite, high activity level, or a busy schedule.
Research shows that physically inactive adults can increase their lean muscle mass with increased calorie intake. Sufficient protein would still need to be consumed to achieve these results. Weight gainers are primarily carbohydrates; however, they typically have 20-60 grams of protein and typically provide around 1000 calories per serving.
Additional research shows an opposite effect in adults who are active weight trainers. For this population, consuming weight gainers may not influence lean muscle mass gains.
If you are inactive and struggle to get sufficient calories and protein, weight gainers may be the ideal option for you if you are looking to increase muscle growth.
Also, an amino acid, beta-alanine, may help improve muscle growth in conjunction with an exercise routine. The research does have mixed results.
A study found that beta-alanine combined with high-intensity interval training increased lean body mass by one pound more than placebo. Another study showed that taking beta-alanine for eight weeks increased lean body mass in college athletes, including football players and wrestlers when compared to placebo.
Other studies have found that beta-alanine did not improve muscle mass, regardless of dose or if combined with weight training. Although the research results are mixed, beta-alanine could be worth a try if you want to build muscle mass in conjunction with an exercise routine.
Whether you want to grow muscle mass for fitness or to maintain muscle function, a muscle growth supplement is right for you. You may need to build muscle or decrease muscle loss due to aging or injury, or perhaps you are a bodybuilder. Either way, these five supplements can bring you the muscle growth you are looking for.
While protein powders are generally considered well-tolerated and safe, they have some risks. Kidney damage or worsening kidney disease can result from too much protein in your diet. Heart disease risk may increase due to the potential for protein supplements to raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and increase your blood pressure.
Due to the added sugars, unwanted weight gain and blood sugar spikes can also be associated with protein powders. Heavy metal contamination has also been a concern after a 2018 study found nearly all popular protein powders contained heavy metals and toxins.
Always consult your physician or licensed healthcare provider before starting a protein supplement routine.
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By Dr. Carlie Biggins, N.D.
