The best supplements for weight gain have natural anabolic effects on the human body. Gaining weight is a matter of taking in more calories than you burn and you probably do not want to gain large amounts of body fat. Many supplements for lean muscle gains work best in stacks or strategic pairings. Stack them together or choose one at a time to gauge your body's response by monitoring scale weight and body fat percentage.
Creatine and Waxy Maize
Carbohydrates and creatine are the perfect pair for gaining weight. According to Natural Anabolics, creatine is the most effective sports supplement available because of its ability to increase energy production in muscles. Your muscles run on a fuel called ATP or adenosine triphosphate and creatine provides the raw materials for faster production of this energy source. Moreover, creatine physically enlarges every muscle cell by drawing water into your muscles. Carbohydrates like dextrose, maltodextrin and waxy maize increase insulin levels to help drive creatine and water into muscle cells. In fact, waxy maize also has a similar affect on muscle volume, enhancing creatine's size side effect, according to "The Carbo Rater" by Jordana Brown.
Protein and Beta-Ecdysterone
Proteins are an essential nutrient for gaining weight, especially muscle, which is made of amino acids or the building blocks of protein. Your body needs a fast-digesting source of protein like whey immediately following workouts in order to begin the process of repairing muscle tissue damaged during training sessions. Other sources of protein include egg white, milk, soy, peas, brown rice and hemp. Casein protein, a component of milk, digests very slowly and can be utilized to supply amino acids to muscles over long periods of time, such as during sleep. A whey-casein protein blend provides the best of both worlds. Beta-ecdysterone works so well with protein because it increases protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, meaning your body can do more with less protein available. Ecdysterone is to insects what anabolics steroids are to humans. The only difference is that this plant sterol has no hormonal effects on the human body, according to Supplements 101. However, it does have powerful anabolic or muscle building benefits.
BCAAs and L-Glutamine
BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids and L-glutamine are the most important amino acids to muscles. L-glutamine, for example, makes up the majority of amino acid content found in human muscle tissue and a large amount of glutamine can be lost in a single workout. Replacing this glutamine can enhance recovery, increase growth hormone production and volumize muscle cells, according to "Good News on Glutamine" by Matthew Kadey. The branched-chain amino acids, known as L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, are special because they metabolize directly in muscle tissues, due to a unique molecular structure, according to Natural Anabolics. Not only do they provide energy to working muscles for more intense training, they also enhance recovery and inhibit catabolic muscle loss.
References
- "Natural Anabolics"; Jerry Brainum; 2006
- Muscle & Performance; "Good News on Glutamine"; Matthew Kadey, March 2010
- Muscle & Fitness: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook; "The Carbo Rater"; Jordana Brown
- Muscle & Fitness: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook; "Supplements 101"; Jim Stoppani
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