The use of dietary supplements to build muscle mass and to gain competitive edge in physical strength is a very popular practice among athletic and non-athletic individuals, according to a study published by the "Journal of Family Practice" in August 2001. Based on an electronic survey published by the National Academies in 2008, roughly six to seven percent of the population use supplements to increase muscle mass, conditioning and strength. According to a study published by the "Journal of Family Practice," Americans in 1996 spent a total of $6.5 billion to reap the claimed benefits of these muscle mass building supplements.
Creatine
Based on the study published by the "Journal of Family Practice," creatine is the most popular dietary supplement used to build muscle mass. According to the journal, other claimed benefits of using creatine include increased energy during short-term intense exercise, increased muscle strength and decreased accumulation of lactate, the body chemical that causes muscle soreness. According to a study published by the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" in 2009, creatine has a potential to significantly increase lean muscle mass and fat-free body mass among body builders. However, according to the said study published by the "Journal of Family Practice," the claims of creatine's effectiveness to improve muscle strength and muscle mass have not been equivocally studied.
Branched-chain Amino Acid
Branched-chain amino acid is another popular dietary supplement used for building muscle mass according to another survey published by the National Academies in 2008. In fact, according to this survey, 18 percent of the study population admitted using the branched-chain amino acid supplement to increase energy and muscle strength. According to a study published in "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness," the use of branched-chain amino acid is a useful supplement for those body builders who want to have the benefit of better muscle recovery. Furthermore, based on this study, another added benefit in using this supplement is increased body resistance and immunity against infection.
Whey Protein Supplement
Based on a study published by the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" in September 2001, whey protein is a proven effective dietary supplement for building lean muscle mass in men. The researchers noted that resistance exercise training coupled with whey protein supplementation results in an overall greater lean muscle mass improvement compared to resistance exercise training alone.
References
- JFP Online: Ergogenic Supplements and Health Risk Behaviors
- The National Academies: Findings from Recent Surveys on Dietary Supplement Use by Military Personnel and the General Population
- PubMed: The effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without D-pinitol on resistance training adaptations; C.M. Kerksick et al.; December 2009
- PubMed: Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system; M. Negro et al.; September 2008
- PubMed: The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength; D.G. Burke et al.; September 2001
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