Fortunately, we're here to set the record straight. Knowing what to take, how much to take, and when to take it will help you squeeze every ounce of results from your hard work, so let's zero in on the right supplement stack for your needs.
If your goal is to get as mass, these seven products will help you do it.
WHEY PROTEIN POWDER
Why it made the list: Whey tops the list of mass-gain supplements because it's the most crucial for pushing protein synthesis. Whey is a milk protein that has a high level of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, No. 4 on our list). Bottom line: Whey takes the crown because it digests fast and gets to your muscles rapidly to start building muscle. Whey also contains peptides (small proteins) that increase blood flow to the muscles. This is why we always recommend consuming whey protein immediately after training.
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
BCAAs are beneficial not because they directly help your muscles build up, but because they reduce muscle damage after strength training and speed recovery, which means you can get back in the gym sooner, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. “This blend is made up of three of the most important amino acids needed to build and repair muscle tissue,” says Franci Cohen, personal trainer, certified nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and founder of Fuel Fitness in Brooklyn. Leucine alone can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, but combined with isoleucine and valine, BCAAs are a trifecta with endless muscle-building benefits. We’re talking more energy and muscular capacity during workouts, the stunting of cortisol (a hormone that degrades the muscles), less post-workout soreness, and increased muscle growth over time, Cohen explains. For best results, she suggests looking for BCAA products that offer leucine at a ratio of 2:1 per dose of isoleucine and valine.
Creatine
Creatine is the LeBron James of supplements, says Rehan Jalali, certified sports nutritionist and President of the Supplement Research Foundation. “It’s the most research-proven sports supplement on the market today, with hundreds of clinical studies showing that it can enhance lean body mass, increase strength, enhance energy levels, and increase muscle size.” It works by helping produce energy for your muscle tissue to use to churn out those last few reps.
Beta-alanine
Why do I need it?
Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring type of amino acid and a common ingredient in sports nutrition products designed to be taken before your workout. When consumed, it binds with another amino acid, called L-histidine, to create a new compound called carnosine.
You know that deep burning feel you get in your muscles during intense exercise? That’s a build-up of lactic acid, a by-product of exercising at high intensity, and carnosine acts as a buffer that prevents such a build-up – and therefore enables you to train harder for longer before your muscles hurt too much to continue.
In short, beta-alanine improves muscular endurance, but only during intense exercise, such as a 400m sprint or a set of heavy squats.
Glutamine
Why it made the list: This amino acid has been a favorite of bodybuilders for decades because it’s central to muscle function and is one of the most plentiful aminos found in the human body. Glutamine provides numerous bodybuilding benefits, such as aiding muscle growth by increasing levels of leucine in muscle fibers, helping decrease muscle breakdown and bolstering the immune system, which helps prevent you from getting sick and missing workouts. Glutamine taken before workouts can help decrease muscle fatigue and boost growth hormone levels. In addition, recent research shows that glutamine might also play a role in fat loss by increasing the amount of calories and fat burned at rest and during exercise.
ZMA – Sweet Dreams
ZMA is a powerful combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. Zinc and magnesium are known to have crucial roles on hormone regulation. Studies conducted with people with zinc and magnesium deficiency have shown that ZMA can have a major impact on muscle-building hormones such as testosterone and IGF-1.
Due to its science-based formulation, ZMA has been proven to be an easy way to balance zinc and magnesium levels and so help gym goers and athletes in general to do better at their workouts.
Zinc and magnesium also play a role in regulating sleep patterns. If your zinc and magnesium levels are below adequate, your sleep quality will be poor, which in turn will affect muscle recovery as the body’s recovery process happens mainly during rest. ZMA eases your mind and helps you get a decent sleep night.
Weight Gainer
Gainers are excellent supplements for hardgainers, who tend to struggle to gain weight due to having fast metabolisms.
People with fast metabolisms burn calories at a higher rate, making it difficult to have spare calories to put on muscle mass.
Gainers are designed to help people achieve the calorie surplus necessary to gain muscle mass and weight. They are composed of high biological value proteins, essential amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals.
If you were blessed with a fast metabolism by genetics, mass gainers can help compensate for your natural high calorie expenditure and set you on the right path to muscle growth.