After you create a growth stimulus in the gym by training as hard as you safely can, you must take in the proper nutrients to allow your body to build muscle. Your post-workout nutrition is your best chance for optimizing and achieving your muscle-building goals. It will vary based on your individual metabolism.
Serious Mass
Optimum Nutrition's Serious Mass is for hard-gainers who need a lot of extra calories, especially carbohydrates. Serious Mass packs 252g of carbs per serving. Fifty grams of protein, a vitamin and mineral blend, and creatine and glutamine can certainly help. Start with half the serving immediately after your workout. Then try to finish the rest 30 minutes to 1 hour later. With 1,250 calories per serving, there is no excuse for not getting enough nutrients to build muscle.
Mass Fuel Xtreme
Twinlab has an intelligent muscle-builder with 50g of blended proteins from whey concentrates and isolates, milk, caseins and glutamine peptides. The 63g of carbohydrates come from maltodextrin, waxy maize, isomaltulose and dextrose, providing the body with the necessary post-workout glycogen replacement. The fat blend contains 18g of MCTs, healthy fats that promote muscle gain. A vitamin, mineral and digestive enzyme blend top off this muscle building formula.
Cytogainer
Cytosport, makers of Muscle Milk, offer Cytogainer as a muscle-building protein supplement with added creatine. The 80g of carbohydrates come from maltodextrin, a complex carb, limiting the sugar to 5g per serving. The 65g of protein come from high-quality, partially pre-digested whey concentrates and isolates. The vitamin and mineral blend ensures that you have all the nutrients needed to build muscle. Cytosport claims that Cytogainer mixes instantly with water in a shaker--great for those constantly on the go.
True Mass
True Mass is a muscle-building protein blend from BSN. It contains Glutamine AKG, Glutamine peptides, Branch Chain Amino Acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and Medium Chain Triglycerides. The 50g of protein come from whey concentrate, isolates and hydrolysates, micellar caseins, milk isolates and even egg whites. The 70g of carbohydrates from maltodextrin and 17g of fat from sunflower oil and MCTs, round out a 600-calorie boost for all of your muscle-building needs. For those who can only manage a few meals a day, two to four servings of True Mass will provide you with adequate muscle-building calories.
Build Your Own Muscle Building Protein Shake
Supplement companies offer products that take the guesswork out of muscle-building. The money saved making your own muscle-building shake can be well worth the effort. Start with a high-quality protein, such as Isopure or ON's 100 percent Gold Standard Whey. Add 60 to 100g of carbohydrates, such as dextrose, maltodextrin or waxy maize. To complete the muscle-building formula, take the "Muscle Nerd" Jeff Anderson's advice and add 30g of healthy fats from flax seed oil or Medium Chain Triglycerides.
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