The advertisements that line the pages of fitness magazines are stuffed with supplements promising a bodybuilder-esque physique. However, only a handful of dietary supplements have science to back up their claims. These supplements -- along with a healthy diet and strength training regimen -- can help you build significant muscle mass. As with all new supplements, talk to your doctor before deciding to take them.
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that's largely stored within muscle tissue, Dennis R. Sparkman reports in the November 1996 issue of "Muscular Development Magazine." Challenging training sessions can reduce the levels of glutamine within muscles. Supplementing with glutamine can replenish stores, stimulating muscle growth and the synthesis of new protein synthesis. Sparkman recommends taking a glutamine supplement immediately before a strength- training bout.
Creatine
Supplemental creatine is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes -- raking in $14 million dollars per year, the University of Maryland Medical Center website reports. Creatine is a compound that your body makes and obtains naturally through your diet. Creatine-rich foods include red meat, fish and eggs. Supplementing with creatine can significantly boost strength and muscle mass, according to the UMMC, which advises starting your creatine supplementation with a five day "loading phase." During this time, take 5 g of creatine monohydrate four times per day. After that period, continue to take 5 g of creatine everyday. Note that no studies have confirmed the safety of creatine over the long term. Also, you should not take creatine if you are under 19 years of age.
Protein Powder
Those who exercise on a regular basis need extra protein, dietitian Sharon Howard of ESPN's Training Room reports. Those who strength train should eat between 1.4 g and 1.8 g of protein per kilogram, or 2.2 lb., of body weight. For example, if you weigh 154 lb., you should eat between 98 and 126 g of protein per day. A diet that contains protein-rich foods like beans, chicken, beans and fish should provide the majority of your protein intake. However, supplementing with protein powder can boost muscle growth, reports DG Cando of Laurentian University. In a research study published in the June 2006 issue of the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism," Cando notes that soy or whey protein powder increased muscle mass when combined with consistent resistance training.
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