Are you looking to gain muscle for enhanced performance or simply for the good looks? If your answer is yes then you know that going to the gym to exercise and eating a well-balanced diet is key to muscle gain. However, gaining muscles entails much more than this because the human body requires certain nutrients, minerals, and vitamins to help boost muscle mass gain. This is where using muscle enhancers comes in, as they’ve been proven effective in speeding up muscle growth.
If you want to get stronger a lot faster, here’s a list of proven effective supplements that can help you in your quest to gain muscle strength and mass. Let’s get started.
Whey Protein Powder
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This is a crucial supplement you must incorporate into your workout routine to achieve positive muscle growth. Whey protein contains a huge volume of amino acid leucine which is increasingly vital in promoting protein synthesis. This protein tops all other proteins because it’s easily digested and is quickly absorbed into the muscles to boost muscle growth.
Using whey protein powder after workouts are also proven to be very effective in promoting muscle growth. In addition, this protein allows you to realize your workout goals by boosting your appetite control. As a result, this helps avoid overeating which is one of the greatest challenges many people experience when exercising with the hope of losing weight and gaining muscle.
The recommended amount of whey protein to use before and after your workout is between 20 to 30 grams. However, remember that whey protein only acts as a supplemental protein rather than your main source of protein. Therefore, you’ll still need to eat food that’s rich in protein.
Beta-Alanine
Your body will start to feel fatigued after an intense workout, be it exercising in the gym. In such situations, you need all the energy to improve your endurance; this is where the beta-alanine supplement comes to your aid. After using the beta-alanine supplement, you’ll manage to put in extra time and effort in the gym to realize your muscle growth ambitions.
Beta-alanine is an amino acid and reduces your fatigue levels by combining with histidine, another amino and subsequently forming carnosine. These higher carnosine levels subsequently make your muscles feel stronger and can tolerate continued exercises better. In addition, beta-alanine works by reducing pH levels in the muscle cells. As a result, your muscles feel less uncomfortable, allowing you to continue working out for much longer.
Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA)
This naturally-occurring supplement contains three individual amino acids, namely isoleucine, valine, and leucine. BCAA can be found in a broad range of food sources, including eggs, fish, dairy, chicken, and red meat. It’s a great muscle growth supplement because it fuels muscle by itself. In addition to building muscle, BCAA helps in repairing muscle tissue which is a common issue when partaking in an intense workout routine.
Using BCAA also might also increase carnosine levels in your body. This makes this supplement extremely invaluable when doing intense workouts when your body’s blood pH levels might drop. As a result, it prevents you from experiencing unwanted signs of reduced muscle performance, serious fatigue, and duration of muscular failure.
Creatine
Another crucial supplement is creatine, which comprises three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. This natural supplement is proven to be very effective in helping you achieve your muscle growth goal, and it does this in different ways, including;
- Boost the quantity of glycogen stored in the muscles
- Boost anaerobic endurance
- Improve muscle gain and strength
- Minimize soreness and damage after working out
- Assists in preserving strength and lean mass while limiting calories
You can only enjoy these benefits of creatine by using 2 to 5 grams of creatine before you start exercising. Once you’re done working out, use another 2 to 5 grams, which will be absorbed into the muscles, boosting further growth.
Caffeine
You want to be at your optimal best each time you’re working out, and the caffeine supplement is what you need to get there. This is why you must incorporate caffeine into your pre-workout routine to help your mind remain sharper for longer and give your body the needed energy during this entire period. Doing this is especially helpful if you exercise in the morning when you just might need a pick-me-up to get your body going.
The caffeine supplement also helps you grow more muscles by boosting fat metabolism. This consequently makes your muscles use up more energy when exercising. In addition, caffeine helps delay muscle fatigue and minimize perceived exertion, consequently boosting your endurance. And by working out longer, you’ll be on track towards increasing your body’s muscle growth.
The ideal quantity of caffeine to use should be between 5 to 6 milligrams per kilogram 15 to 30 minutes before your workout. But if you’re starting your workout routine, 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is more than enough.