The Best Supplements To Gain Muscle Mass

Many factors can affect your ability to gain muscle mass. Intensity of training, diet, and quality recovery time are all areas that can help or hinder your gains; although supplements can definitely support the process. Whether they promise increased endurance during a workout or heightened hormonal response following training, many supplements fail to live up to their claims. However, a number of basic products have proven themselves useful in enhancing muscular development. Always talk to your physician before beginning a program of supplements.

Glutamine

Amino acids act as the building blocks for all proteins, with the specific combination of amino acids determining the protein's properties and actions. Glutamine represents the most abundant of these amino acids in the human body, but researchers observe a number of responses when individuals use the compound in isolation. Dr Frank Novak, a physician who reviewed the available evidence surrounding glutamine, describes it as a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that the body cannot produce enough in particular situations; these high-stress situations include surgery, infection, excessive workloads and intense workouts. When glutamine levels fall, the body begins to scavenge for other sources of fuel. This process results in tearing branched-chain amino acids out of muscle fibres, breaking down skeletal muscle as it does so. Speak to a physician if you wish to use glutamine.

BCAAs

Although glutamine use can reduce the likelihood of the body undergoing this scavenging of branched-chain amino acids, bodybuilders may choose to use this particular group of amino acids themselves to provide further protection. Nutritional Reviews website notes that athletes supplementing with these branched-chain amino acids—often referred to as BCAAs and including leucine, isoleucine and valine—before or during a workout, increase their concentration in muscle cells so that, when the body is depleted of glutamine, it can use the BCAAs provided through the diet rather than those embedded in skeletal muscle. Some bodybuilders believe that through this increased availability of these unique compounds, the muscles do not undergo breakdown during workouts, and the anabolic growth that occurs afterwards drives further gains. However, many scientists question the benefit of this supplementation. Speak to your physician if you want to take BCAAs.

Multivitamin

Many processes in a large variety of cells must take place for muscle growth to occur. As such, supporting each cell with a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals makes sense to ensure that nutritional deficiency does not stand in the way of the gains you expect. Dr Michael Colgan, a sports nutritionist and the author of “The Sports Nutrition Guide,” explains how every individual should use a multivitamin to take care of basic nutrient requirements, but emphasises that regular training increases requirements for all athletes. Although Colgan says athletes should consider a number of different supplements, a high-strength multivitamin provides the starting point in all cases.