Gaining muscle requires hard training and careful attention to your nutritional program. Even when your diet and training are correct, muscle gain can be frustratingly slow. Fortunately, nutritional supplements can offer accelerated muscle gain when used in conjunction with proper diet and training. Not all supplements are as fast acting as others, however. For fast muscle gain, the proper supplement choice can make a significant difference in your progress.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most popular muscle gain supplements in the history of the fitness industry. Introduced into the supplement market in the mid-1990s, creatine quickly gained popularity due to dramatic short-term effects, not previously seen in a non-pharmaceutical dietary supplement. Most athletes who supplement with creatine notice muscle gain after the first week. The quick results are due to creatine pulling water into the muscle cells, making them appear larger and fuller. Creatine also improves short-term endurance, leading to more productive workouts. While progress slows down after a few weeks, the gains made during the first two weeks are maintained with a small maintenance dose of creatine each day. Creatine is deemed safe by the American Council on Exercise.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
The amino acids valine, isoleucine and leucine make up the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are essential amino acids, abundant in muscle. During training, BCAAs are broken down for energy, which can slow down muscle growth following training. By supplementing with BCAAs, less muscle is lost during training resulting in faster muscle gain. Additionally, BCAA supplementation has been shown to increase protein synthesis, the body's process of building muscle.
Whey Protein
Protein supplements have long been a staple of the muscle building diet. Protein is used from various sources including eggs, beef, casein (milk protein) and soy. While all are effective, whey protein is the fastest-acting protein on the market. Whey, found in cottage cheese, is the fastest muscle builder because it is rich in amino acids and fast digesting. Whey protein is especially effective when taken immediately following a workout. Because it is metabolized quickly, whey protein supplies nutrition to fatigued muscles right when they need it the most. Whey protein has a mild taste and mixes well with most flavors.
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