Increasing muscle growth requires performing high-intensity resistance exercise and adhering to a diet rich in lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Adding supplements to a weight-training and nutrition program can have positive effects on muscle growth, since they often stimulate muscle protein synthesis, the process of building muscle proteins inside muscle cells. Consult your health-care provider before taking any supplements.
Whey Protein
Whey protein might stimulate protein synthesis before and after exercise, according to lead researcher Kevin Tipton and colleagues from the University of Birmingham. Scientists randomly assigned healthy participants whey protein before or after resistance exercise. At the end of the study, which was published in the July 2006 issue "American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism," scientists found that whey protein taken before and after exercise stimulated muscle protein synthesis.
Creatine & Beta Alanine
The compound creatine, which is made up of the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine, combined with the amino acid beta alanine might boost muscle growth. Scientists from the College of New Jersey assigned weight-training participants creatine plus beta alanine, creatine or a placebo. At the end of the 10-week study, scientists discovered that subjects consuming creatine plus beta alanine had greater increases in lean muscle mass than the other groups, the August 2006 issue of the "International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism" reports.
Arginine
Researchers from the Universite de Paris reviewed the literature regarding the impact of the essential amino acid arginine on the body, according to findings reported in the November 2002 issue of the journal "Biomedical Pharmacotherapy." Scientists concluded that arginine is required for the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that increases blood flow by relaxing and opening blood vessels. Increasing blood flow, especially during workouts, enhances the delivery of muscle-building nutrients such as testosterone, oxygen and amino acids to muscles. This in turns boosts muscle protein synthesis.
References
- American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism: Stimulation of Net Muscle Protein Synthesis by Whey Protein Ingestion Before and After Exercise
- PubMed: Effect of Creatine and Beta-alanine Supplementation on Performance and Endocrine Responses in Strength/Power Athletes
- PubMed: I. Arginine
Member Comments