Which supplements help build muscle?

Which supplements actually help build muscle?

Creatine first. A sports nutrition society, the ISSN, calls creatine monohydrate the most effective supplement for adding lean mass during training.

Protein comes next, but only up to a point. A protein powder is food in a tub. It helps when your meals leave you short.

Neither works without lifting. The NHS says to work all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week.

Your next move: check how much protein you eat, then add creatine. For the training side, see how to build muscle.

Does creatine build muscle?

Yes, a little, if you lift. Across 12 trials in adults under 50, creatine plus weights added 1.14 kg more lean mass than weights alone. It also cut fat by about 0.7 kg.

Lean mass is everything that isn’t fat, so part of that gain is water. Creatine helps muscle hold a little water, and weight gain is its only regular side effect.

The two numbers come from different trials, so compare them loosely.

Take 3 to 5 g a day. That raises your muscle stores over 3 to 4 weeks, so you don’t need to load. Buy plain monohydrate: see the best creatine to buy and how much creatine per day.

Over 55? A UK health claim says 3 g a day can boost the strength gains from weight training. That’s training at least 3 times a week for several weeks, with the load going up over time.

Do you need protein powder to build muscle?

No, not if food already gives you enough. Across 49 trials, protein supplements added about 0.3 kg of lean mass to what lifting built. They also added about 2.5 kg to the most people could lift once.

Here’s the number from the top: about 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. Past that, extra protein added no more lean mass on average.

For someone who weighs 75 kg, that’s 120 g a day. The ISSN gives 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for most people who exercise. It suggests doses of 20 to 40 g every 3 to 4 hours.

Count what you eat for 3 days before you buy a tub. See how much protein per day and the best protein powder for muscle.

What are the best amino acids for muscle growth?

The essential ones. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The ISSN says it’s the essential amino acids (EAAs) that switch on muscle building.

You don’t need them as pills. Eggs, milk, whey, soy and beef can do as well or better than loose amino acids with the same amount of EAAs.

BCAAs are three of the EAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine (see EAAs vs BCAAs). One expert review found the claim that BCAAs alone switch on muscle building in people is unwarranted.

So spend the money on protein food or a full protein powder instead.

Are muscle mass builders worth it?

Most mass gainers are protein powder with added carbs. They add calories, which normal meals can do too. Check the protein per serving, as you would on any powder.

Be wary of anything that promises steroid-like gains. UK Anti-Doping warns that supplements can be contaminated with banned substances, and labels can be wrong.

Anabolic steroids are prescription-only medicines. The NHS lists serious side effects, including heart attack or stroke, liver or kidney problems and infertility in men. They’re addictive too.

Tempted by a testosterone booster? See what testosterone boosters actually do.

When to speak to a GP

Book an appointment if:

• You have kidney disease and want to try creatine. The ISSN suggests you ask your doctor first, though it found no strong evidence of harm.
• You take anabolic steroids and think you may be addicted. The NHS says to see a GP.
• You worry a lot that you’re not big or strong enough. Some people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), where you worry about flaws others barely notice, take steroids for this. The NHS says to see a GP if you think you might have BDD.

Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.

Worried creatine will upset a kidney blood test? See does creatine raise creatinine.