Building muscle is more than just lifting weights. Without the proper nutrition, you won’t be able to grow a substantial amount of muscle. We’ve spoken before on the blog about needing to be in a calorie surplus to grow muscle. While you won’t be able to grow a huge amount of muscle without doing this, you can still ensure some growth through the combination of lifting weights, good nutrition, a high amount of protein, and recovery.
Supplements can play a role in this process, providing the nutrients and support your body needs to perform at its best. In this blog post, we’ll dive into some of the best supplements for muscle growth and why they can aid your fitness journey.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched and effective supplements available for muscle growth. It works by increasing the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles, which helps produce more ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy currency of your cells. Sounds fancy, I know. To put it simply, it helps maintain a continuous energy supply to your muscles during intense lifting or exercise. In addition to this, it also helps increase muscle growth through speeding up muscle recovery. When exercising, micro-tears in your muscles are created, creatine helps restore them, allowing them to grow quicker.
Read more about creatine in our blog posts here.
Benefits:
- Increased strength: Enhanced ATP production means you can lift heavier and perform more explosive movements.
- Muscle growth: Creatine draws water into your muscle cells, increasing their volume and promoting growth.
- Enhanced recovery: Creatine helps restore muscles, allowing for faster recovery times, meaning you can train harder and more frequently.
Where you can buy creatine from:
Whey Protein
Protein is the building block of muscles, and whey protein is a convenient, high-quality source. It contains all the essential amino acids and is quickly absorbed by the body. Basically, it provides all the important building blocks your muscles need and gets absorbed quickly, helping you recover faster and grow stronger. It’s easy to use and very effective for anyone looking to build muscle and improve their fitness.
Read more about the benefits of protein for muscle growth in our blog post here.
Benefits:
- Muscle building and repair: The amino acids in whey protein help repair and build new muscle tissue, which is crucial after a workout when your muscles have been stressed and need to recover.
- Convenience: Whey protein is easy to prepare and consume, whether you’re at home or on the go. It’s available in powder form that you can mix with water, milk, or into smoothies.
- Boosts recovery: Because it is quickly absorbed, it helps kickstart the muscle recovery process, reducing soreness and getting you ready for your next workout faster.
Where you can buy whey protein from:
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
BCAAs include three important amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These are essential because your body cannot produce them on its own; you need to get them from your diet or supplements.
BCAAs are crucial for building muscle and providing energy during your workouts. Here’s how each one helps:
- Leucine: This amino acid is the star of the show. It directly activates the process of muscle protein synthesis, which is how your body builds new muscle.
- Isoleucine: Helps with energy production and improves endurance during workouts, allowing you to train longer.
- Valine: Supports muscle repair and growth, and also helps with energy production.
In simple terms, BCAAs are like special building blocks that help your muscles grow and give you the energy to work out harder and longer. Adding them to your supplement routine can make a big difference in your muscle-building journey.
Benefits:
- Reduced muscle soreness: Taking BCAAs before or after your workout can help decrease muscle soreness, making it easier to stick to your training schedule.
- Increased muscle growth: By activating muscle protein synthesis, BCAAs help your muscles grow bigger and stronger.
- More energy during workouts: BCAAs can be used by your muscles as an energy source, delaying fatigue and allowing you to push harder during your workouts.
Where you can buy BCAAs from:
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is a type of amino acid that your body uses to make carnosine. Carnosine helps manage acid levels in your muscles. When you exercise intensely, your muscles produce acid, which can cause fatigue and make you feel tired. Carnosine helps to buffer, or neutralise, this acid, allowing you to keep training for longer.
To put it simply, beta-alanine helps your muscles handle the burn from intense exercise, letting you push through and perform better. Adding beta-alanine to your supplement routine can make your workouts more effective and help you build muscle faster.
Benefits:
- Improved performance: By reducing the acid build-up in your muscles, beta-alanine helps you exercise harder and for longer periods.
- Increased muscle endurance: It lets you sustain intense workouts, helping you perform better during activities like weightlifting.
- Supports muscle growth: Longer and more intense workouts mean more opportunities for muscle growth over time.
Where you can buy Beta-Alanine from:
Incorporating these supplements into your routine can significantly enhance your muscle-building efforts. However, it’s essential to remember that supplements are just that – supplements. They work best when combined with a balanced diet, a solid training program, and sufficient rest.
It must be said that these supplements are not necessary at all to grow muscle. You can grow muscle without them by eating a lot of protein and training. But, they do aid the process. If you’re unsure about any of the supplements, chat to your GP or a medical professional.
If you fancy giving them a go, if you’re part of the One Coaching community, we can get you some stock. Just get in touch.
