If you set a goal to build muscle and get stronger, it’ll definitely be worth it to look into your nutrition. This doesn’t just entail what you eat for your regular meals, but also any additional boosters you take pre-gym and post-gym, as there are lots of supplements for muscle growth out there that you can choose from.
It’ll also help to know how muscle growth works so that you can make the most of your mission to get strong. “At the most basic level, muscle growth generally occurs after subjecting a muscle to a positive stressor like weight training,” says Dr. Anant Vinjamoori, M.D., the chief medical officer at Modern Age. “This stressor causes small amounts of damage to the muscle, but this ‘micro-damage’ is what stimulates the release of growth factors that help the muscle grow in size.”
Your training obviously also comes into play, as does the food you eat throughout the day, but supplements can help, well, supplement your routine. “Supplements play two really important roles in the muscle growth process,” Vinjamoori says. “Some supplements allow us to place more stress on the muscle, making room for harder workouts. Other over-the-counter supplements help us recover from muscle stress more effectively by preventing muscle pains after tougher workouts.”
What you decide to take will depend a lot on your fitness goals. Vinjamoori recommends waiting until you establish a strength training routine before you try to figure out what you might want or need to add in the nutrition department. “Understanding how your body responds to a set exercise regimen allows you to easily identify where you might need support,” he says. Of course, you don’t want to rely on supplements alone during your gym journey. According to Kristin Gillespie, MS, RD, LD, a registered dietician and advisor for Exercisewithstyle, nutrition plays a way more critical role in muscle growth, so make sure you eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of carbs and proteins.
With that in mind, here are the best supplements for muscle growth, according to experts.
Studies referenced:
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