Written by Andrew Lenau | ISSA CPT & Sports Nutritionist
Fact checked by Robert Iafelice, MS, RD, LDN
FACT CHECKED
We adhere to a strict methodology when reviewing products. We strive to deliver you an unbiased opinion on products and services so that you're able to make an informed decision. Learn More
We may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page at no cost to you. Learn More
When it comes to building muscle mass and healthy muscle tissue, even the most genetically gifted people know that muscle gains aren't easy to come by. That is why people will often turn to dietary supplements to try and boost muscle growth in any way that they can.
Whether to reduce muscle soreness or muscle fatigue so you can train more often, raise your energy levels so you can train for longer, or stimulate muscle protein synthesis or testosterone production to fuel muscle cells directly, getting a supplement regimen right is vital for success.
The issue is, with so many different types of muscle growth supplements on the market, how do you know which to use? Well, we will now show you the best muscle-building supplement in a variety of categories to ensure you can get your muscle supplement regimen just right.
The 9 Best Supplements For Muscle Growth
- Best Testosterone Booster - TestoFuel
- Best Creatine Powder - Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
- Best For Over 50s - Prime Male
- Best Pre-Workout - Transparent Labs BULK
- Best Protein Powder - Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
- Best Meal Replacement Powder - Instant Knockout Complete
- Best Fat Burner - Instant Knockout Cut
- Best Sleep Aid - RestAgain
- Best Joint Protection - FlexAgain
SFS T-Booster Pick
TestoFuel
SFS Creatine Pick
Optimum Nutrition
SFS Over 50 Pick
Prime Male
1. The Best Testosterone Booster For Building Muscle - TestoFuel
TestoFuel is a natural testosterone booster supplement designed specifically to stimulate muscle growth and help people reach or stay at peak levels of physical performance.
Promoted by legendary bodybuilder Robby Robinson, it will also help to prevent testosterone levels from dropping as you age. This will enable you to maintain your muscle mass, prevent muscle breakdown, and allow you to keep increasing muscle mass.
The TestoFuel formula contains:
- D-aspartic acid
- Maca root extract
- Fenugreek extract
- Panax ginseng extract
- Oyster shell extract
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Vitamin K2
- Zinc
- Boron
The amino acid D-aspartic acid is required for the production of testosterone, and taking it in dietary supplements has been seen to help elite athletes boost their testosterone levels.¹
If you want to learn more about the connection between D-Aspartic Acid and testosterone, check out our full article.
Maca root powder and fenugreek are herbal extracts that are known for gently boosting testosterone production and levels. They can both stimulate the growth of lean muscle mass and prevent low testosterone levels.
They can even offer additional benefits, including boosting libido, sexual functions, and mood; reducing anxiety, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, stress, and the symptoms of menopause; and treating depression and diabetes.² ³
Panax ginseng extract can improve your total testosterone levels, mood, immunity, and brain functions and even help your body fight diseases.⁴ Oyster shell extract, meanwhile, boosts your free testosterone levels while also being rich in vitamin D.⁵
While vitamin D supplements and vitamin K supplements won't boost testosterone levels directly, they will stop you from developing deficiencies, which will negatively impact your testosterone production.⁶ ⁷
Magnesium and boron boost your natural testosterone production directly, and zinc increases the production of luteinizing hormone to achieve the same goal.⁸ ⁹ ¹⁰
By boosting testosterone levels from all angles, TestoFuel can improve lean muscle growth and strength, energy levels, focus, mood, self-esteem, and even your metabolism. This is all you could ask for from a testosterone booster to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Some people even feel it is as effective as anabolic steroids while being considerably safer. When you combine this with its very reasonable price tag and serving size of four capsules, TestoFuel easily tops the list of the best testosterone booster supplements for muscle growth.
A lot of men look for a testosterone booster, and they're definitely helpful as PCT or for older men, and there are few with a bodybuilding pedigree like TestoFuel. In optimizing for the muscle growth market, they've created something that focuses more on energy and growth, making it perfect for the best booster spot on this list.
The customer reviews are great, and the parent company has a long track record for good customer service and keeping the formula up to date with the latest improvements in clinical data. Meaning we're always confident to recommend them to our readers.
Pros
- Can promote muscle growth, strength, and weight loss
- Improves your drive, energy levels, mood, and self-esteem
- Promoted by a legendary bodybuilder for its ability to increase muscle mass
- All its natural ingredients are optimally dosed, proven testosterone boosters
- Very reasonably priced
Cons
- Only available directly from the official TestoFuel website
TestoFuel is considered to be a revolutionary, exhaustively researched muscle building supplement with one very focused aim...to smash down the barriers to growth by opening your testosterone floodgates...
2. Best Creatine Powder - Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
Creatine is a substance produced by our bodies that allows the ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate-Phosphocreatine) system to function, which is the main energy system used during short, high-intensity activities, such as weightlifting.¹¹
While this energy system is only able to function naturally for a short while, taking creatine supplements is a fabulous way to extend it, allowing you to keep training harder and building muscle for longer while preventing muscle fatigue.
As far as creatine monohydrate supplements go, there may be none as potent or effective as Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder.
Containing nothing but 3 grams of 100% creatine monohydrate of the highest quality in every serving, it can help you gain muscle as well as any other dietary supplement of its kind.
The small serving size and unflavored powder make it easy to mix in with your favorite pre-workout supplements or protein powder, while the incredibly low price tag makes it great value, especially as it is produced by such a reputable company.
Great value and great customer reviews; there's nothing here not to like. This is a solid creatine powder at a good price produced by a well-known brand in the fitness space.
There are a lot of good options for a top-tier creatine powder, but you can't ever go wrong with Optimum Nutrition.
With all of this considered, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder is comfortably the best creatine monohydrate muscle-building supplement on the market today.
Pros
- Contains only 100% creatine monohydrate of the highest quality
- Very reasonably priced
- Has a small serving size of unflavored powder
- Produced by a reputable brand
Cons
- Some people have reported it made them feel bloated
Creatine monohydrate has been extensively studied and shown to help support muscle size, strength and recovery when used consistently over time in conjunction with a healthy...
3. Best Muscle-Building Supplements For Over 50s - Prime Male
Prime Male is one of a small range of testosterone boosters that are specifically designed to help men keep their testosterone levels up as they age. This will allow it to build lean muscle mass while keeping your libido and energy levels up and even promoting body weight loss.
The Prime Male formula contains:
- D-aspartic acid calcium chelate
- Boron
- Korean red ginseng
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K2
- Zinc
- Black pepper extract
- Luteolin
- Ashwagandha extract
- Nettle root extract
- Vitamin B6
Many of these are the same ingredients seen in TestoFuel and offer the same benefits. However, there are a few changes to help it achieve its stated goal.
Ashwagandha extract and luteolin will boost testosterone levels, increase muscle mass and strength, boost athletic performance, increase fat and weight loss, reduce anxiety, blood sugar levels, and stress, and aid your focus, memory, sleep, and heart and brain health.¹² ¹³ Ashwagandha supplements have started to become more prevalent in testosterone boosting supplements for good reason.
Vitamin B6 prevents estrogen production and regulates hormone levels while boosting the immune system, the production of neurotransmitters, and the metabolism of amino acids, fat, and sugars.¹⁴
Nettle root extract binds to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) to keep your testosterone production up while reducing inflammation and keeping the urinary tract healthy.¹⁵
Black pepper extract then enhances the effects of all the other ingredients in the formula.¹⁶
This formula doesn't just boost testosterone production like most testosterone boosters; it also combats things that can cause your testosterone levels to dip. This easily makes Prime Male one of the very best supplements for muscle growth for men over 50.
That is before we even get to the reasonable price tag and the easy-to-swallow serving size of just four capsules.
All in all, it's not quite as good for muscle gain as TestoFuel, but if you're a little older and want a one size fits all supplement, then this and some creatine is pretty much an unbeatable combo.
Not only will it help you keep pumping iron like a 35-year-old, but it's going to boost a lot of other areas of your overall health too.
Pros
- Naturally boosts your testosterone production and free testosterone levels
- Contains only optimal doses of proven natural testosterone boosters
- Very reasonably priced
- Can help with increasing muscle mass, libido, energy levels, and weight loss
Cons
- Only available in certain countries and directly from the official Prime Male website
Prime Male is a breakthrough testosterone booster — the only one to contain a combination of 12 critical nutrients vital to you becoming the hard-driving, healthy, fit, energetic man...
4. Best Pre-Workout Supplements - Transparent Labs BULK
While tiredness or a lack of energy can ruin even the best muscle-building workout, using a pre-workout supplement is a quick and easy way to give yourself a boost and get back on track.
When it comes to this sort of dietary supplement, Transparent Labs BULK is easily the best pre-workout supplement on the market today and a perfect way to support muscle growth.
It is designed to give you intense focus, pumps, power, and energy without any itches, crashes, or jitters.
The Transparent Labs BULK formula consists of the following:
- Citrulline Malate 2:1
- Beta-Alanine
- Betaine anhydrous
- L-taurine
- L-tyrosine
- Alpha GPC (l-alpha-glyceryl phosphorylcholine)
- PurCaf® Organic Caffeine
- Theobromine
- L-theanine
- Boron
- Black pepper fruit extract
The citrulline-malate helps improve blood flow and create a pumped-up feeling in the muscles. This gives you the physical energy and drive required to help you power through even the toughest workouts with conviction.¹⁷
Betaine anhydrous, l-taurine, and beta-alanine then work to aid muscle strength and reduce muscle fatigue. This lets the muscles contract harder and for longer, allowing you to move bigger weights without getting tired, which is vital for muscle growth.¹⁸
The combination of l-tyrosine and alpha GPC will keep you mentally focused, while PurCaf®, l-theanine, and theobromine will boost your physical energy levels, giving you even more assistance to power through workouts.¹⁹ ²⁰
The black pepper extract will then make all of these effects far more potent.
Transparent Labs BULK isn't just one of the best supplements for muscle growth based on effects either. With 11 delicious flavors and reasonable serving size and price tag, it is a pre-workout supplement that people can actually enjoy using on their quest to build muscle.
Training harder means more muscle gain in almost all cases, and it's certainly going to tip the scales when you're not feeling 100% game for today's gym session. There's a reason pre-workout supplements for muscle growth are some of the most popular in the fitness industry, and they're a fantastic addition to any arsenal.
There are so many out there that it can be hard to pick the best, but Transparent Labs has created an affordable and well-dosed blend that makes sense. But, just in case you're looking for a pre-workout without stimulants, we've compiled a list of the best caffeine-free pre-workouts available.
Pros
- Unmatched transparency
- Effective ingredients
- Won't cause any crashes or jitters
Cons
- Not the cheapest pre-workout supplement around
This pre-workout features natural and evidence-based ingredients, fully transparent labeling, and absolutely no artificial color, sweetener, or flavoring. Formulated to enhance strength...
5. Best Protein Powder - Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
Whey protein powder is one of the most popular muscle-building supplements on the market and has been since dietary supplements became widely used, as protein is required to build healthy muscle tissue and promote muscle recovery.
Protein supplements are a great way to aid your normal diet to ensure you hit your needs, and whey protein is by far the best protein source around. As far as whey protein supplements go, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder is the cream of the crop.²¹
As the name suggests, it consists of nothing but 100% whey protein, which delivers 24 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of essential amino acids in every reasonably sized serving, with only 0.7 grams of sugar and 120 calories.
This is ideal for supporting muscle growth and repairing and building muscle fibers, which explains why it is the top-selling protein supplement in the world.
Available in a choice of flavors that includes banana cream, caramel toffee fudge, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate mint, chocolate peanut butter, cookies & cream, delicious strawberry, double rich chocolate, extreme milk chocolate, French vanilla, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate raspberry, and unflavoured, there are options to suit people of all tastes.
Also sold in a great range of sizes and with a fairly reasonable price tag, given the standing of the product, this is comfortably the best whey protein powder for anyone looking to promote muscle growth.
Cheapest isn't always best, and there are a few ways in which protein powders cut costs but also cut value. A lot of protein powders have been caught lying about their protein content over the years when independently tested, so it's generally worth paying that little bit extra to make sure that you get something that actually contains enough whey protein isolate to do what you want.
Plus, Optimum tastes great, so what's not to like?
Pros
- Contains nothing but pure whey protein
- Packed with branched-chain amino acids
- Available in a great range of flavors
- Contains less sugar and calories than a normal protein supplement
Cons
- Not one of the cheaper whey protein supplements around
GOLD STANDARD 100% WHEY BLEND – 24g blended protein consisting of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and whey peptides to support lean muscle mass...
6. Best Meal Replacement Powder - Instant Knockout Complete
Instant Knockout Complete is a unique supplement that can double up as both a protein powder and a meal replacement shake. Designed with athletes like MMA fighters in mind, it can help with building muscle mass, losing body weight, and balancing your body composition.
The Instant Knockout Complete formula consists of the following:
- Pea protein powder
- Organic brown rice protein
- Chia seed protein
- Oat flour
- Golden flax seeds
This helps it pack in 35 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbs, 13 grams of healthy fats, and 400 calories per serving. It is also rich in essential amino acids, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
This plant-based formula will give both you and your muscles plenty of energy to complete workouts, promote muscle growth and muscle recovery, replenish your glycogen stores, keep your heart, mind, and body healthy, and keep you feeling full to stop you from snacking.
Instant Knockout Complete may not be the cheapest meal replacement powder around or have the smallest serving size, but as it blends meal replacement and protein supplements into a single product, it is worth its weight in gold.
Add in the fact that it has a delicious vanilla flavor, and Instant Knockout Complete is easily one of the very best muscle-building supplements for a wide range of different people.
The great victory for Instant Knockout Complete is the taste and the consistency, we've tried a lot of high protein meal replacements over the years, and they tend to either taste terrible, be thicker than glue, or both. Fortunately, Instant Knockout doesn't have this problem.
The other issue with a lot of the competition is that the micronutrient profiles aren't as good as they should be, or their amino acid profiles are a letdown. There's nothing wrong here at all, and it's a great product. It's a bit expensive, but considering what you get for your money, it's still good value.
It's also vegan, which means that it's a very good addition to the muscle-building supplements stack of anyone who can't simply have whey protein.
Pros
- Boasts 400 calories, 35 grams of protein, and 35 grams of complex carbs per serving
- Packed with all nine essential amino acids and various vitamins, minerals, and MCTs
- Can promote rapid muscle growth and body weight loss
- Enhances your workout performance and improves muscle recovery
- Perfectly equipped to replace whole meals
- Great tasting and naturally flavored and sweetened
Cons
- Only available in a single flavor and directly from the official website
- Quite pricey
Instant Knockout Complete is a 100% nutritionally complete meal replacement shake that’s convenient, nutritious and delicious. Developed to work alongside...
7. Best Fat Burner - Instant Knockout Cut
An ability to build healthy muscle tissue is essential when developing an impressive physique, but your efforts won't be rewarded nearly as much if all your lean muscle mass is covered by a layer of fat. That is why fat burner supplements can be just as useful on a muscle-building plan.
Instant Knockout Cut is a thermogenic fat burner that is designed to help elite athletes shed that last bit of fat through a variety of pathways.
Its formula includes:
- Cayenne pepper seeds
- Black pepper extract
- Green tea extract
- Caffeine
- Glucomannan
- L-theanine
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
Caffeine, cayenne pepper, green tea, and black pepper extract all stimulate thermogenesis, a process that promotes fat burning by increasing your internal body temperature.²²
They also make you more energetic so that you can train harder and boost your digestion and metabolism so that you can make better use of the nutrients in your diet. Black pepper then improves the absorption and efficacy of all of the other ingredients in the formula.
L-theanine prevents the crashes common with stimulants and boosts sleep quality to aid recovery and muscle soreness. The vitamins then lower your blood pressure levels, boost your mood and focus, and enhance your overall health.
Glucomannan swells in your gut to keep you satiated, prevent overeating, and slow and aid digestion. The bloating that can occasionally occur from glucomannan is then counteracted by the antioxidants in the green tea extract.
When you combine all of these effects with the fact that Instant Knockout Cut uses no animal products, artificial substances, or gluten, causes no side effects, and has a very low price tag and serving sizes, it's clearly an ideal product for people looking to show off their muscle gains. In fact, this is such a great product for cutting that it's even made our list of 8 Best Cutting Supplements.
However, if you're doing bulking and cutting, then this should be part of your rotation. Not only does it help you train harder whilst dieting, but it helps you stick to that diet too. And making your cut easier will make the whole cycle go a lot more easily.
Pros
- Promotes fat loss from virtually all angles
- Will help you stick to a healthy diet
- Gives you the energy to perform the sort of workouts required for maintaining muscle growth
- Will help you show off your muscle gains, without causing side effects
Cons
- Not specifically designed as muscle-building pills
Instant Knockout Cut utilizes the latest advances in natural weight loss understanding to produce a supplement that is in the corner of professional athletes around the world. The trademark combination of 9 potent fat fighters...
8. Best Sleep Aid - RestAgain
When you are trying to build lean muscle mass as quickly as possible, it is vital that you get enough sleep to give the muscle cells plenty of time to recover. That is why we feel sleep aids are one of the best options for maintaining muscle growth. Sleeping is when your body actually releases the growth hormones which are required to build muscle mass, meaning if you're not sleeping enough, you're not going to experience muscle gain.
This can be particularly important for people following high-protein diets, which can negatively affect sleep quality. In fact, a huge number of bodybuilders will cite sleep aids as being their most valued supplement for muscle growth, period. It's also helpful to counterbalance the effects of heavy caffeine consumption around training.
RestAgain is a sleep aid from FA Nutra Ltd designed to make it easier to achieve a regular sleep schedule. It can help people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and get better quality sleep.
The RestAgain formula contains the following:
- Ashwagandha
- GABA
- L-theanine
- Magnesium
- Valerian root
- 5-htp
- Calcium
- Melatonin
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
All of its ingredients are natural, carefully chosen, and optimally dosed to safely provide the maximum sleep benefits possible.
Melatonin will improve your sleep-wake cycle and ability to enter REM sleep.²³
Ashwagandha and the amino acids 5-htp and l-theanine will make you feel calm and relaxed while boosting mood, brain, and immune functions and reducing stress and anxiety levels.²⁴ ²⁵ ²⁶
GABA reduces stress and boosts relaxation even more, as well as getting to work within a 1-hour window, while valerian root extract makes its effects more potent.²⁷ ²⁸ ²⁹
Calcium and magnesium prevent you from having trouble falling asleep or entering REM sleep, boost your mood, and prevent cramps, dry mouth, jet lag, and other health issues.³⁰ ³¹
The vitamins then accelerate the recovery of your brain and muscle tissue. This will not only help you to sleep better, but it can also promote muscle gains directly too.³² ³³ ³⁴
By promoting better sleep from every angle, RestAgain gives you the best chance possible to build muscle and maintain it.
Throw in a very fair price tag and a serving size that is easy to swallow, and while it is technically a sleep aid, RestAgain is also one of the best muscle-building pills for people who truly want to gain muscle tissue as quickly as they can.
Getting enough sleep can be challenging, but it's essential for muscle growth, and RestAgain is by far the best sleep supplement on the market, meaning this one is a no-brainer if it's something you need.
It's also got a couple of things in that will help for muscle building by itself, like ashwagandha and magnesium, even if that isn't the purpose of the supplement itself.
Pros
- Helps to prevent sleep problems from every angle
- Neither it nor its ingredients have been linked to any side effects
- Helps you get adequate sleep to prevent muscle breakdown
- Gives you the energy and ability to repair your body required for lean muscle growth
Cons
- As a relatively new supplement, availability and reviews from past customers are limited
- Not specifically designed as a muscle supplement
No more fighting to get to sleep, no more tossing and turning, tackle the problem head on with a powerful dose from 8 of the best natural sleep suplements available over the counter...
9. Best Joint Protection Supplement (And It's Great For Soreness) - FlexAgain
One of the big things that can stop rapid muscle growth is an inability to complete workouts, which is a common issue when people feel pain in their joints. FlexAgain is a joint supplement that is an ideal way to help you forget about joint pain and get back to muscle building.
Beyond being a good joint supplement, it's a good post-workout supplement in its own right. Making this arguably one of the most important muscle growth supplements to take.
There isn't a single man in the gym over 35 that won't tell you he wishes he'd taken something to help look after his joints before it was a problem. And almost everyone will complain about a shoulder or lower back injury slowing their training and hindering muscle growth.
Yes, there are other reasons for these issues as well, but most are well aware that they probably didn't get enough nutrients that would've helped protect their health.
Made using optimal dosages of proven, high-quality ingredients that come from a wide range of different sources, it provides a host of joint health benefits without causing any side effects.
The FlexAgain formula consists of:
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K
- Bromelain
- MSM
- Ginger and blue galangal extracts (70mg hydroxymethoxyphenyl)
- Curcumin extract
- Resveratrol
- Glucosamine
- Chondroitin
- Boswellic acid
Between them, these ingredients will support the joints from all angles.
They protect and produce cartilage, prevent; reduce, and repair joint damage, inflammation, pain, and swelling; enhance joint flexibility, function, lubrication, and mobility; ease arthritis pain and symptoms; and help keep the bones, connective tissues, joints, and muscles healthy.
A lot of the ingredients, like their ginger extract, aid with muscle soreness, and standardizing to 70mg of hydroxymethoxyphenyl makes it equivalent to around 5 grams of ginger. With 2 grams being enough to reduce doms.³⁵
Omega 3 has also been shown to reduce DOMS,³⁶ (DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness) as has curcumin³⁷ and vitamin D³⁸ in even lower dosages than present in this supplement. Resveratrol also seems to help muscles recover and reduce muscle fatigue.³⁹
Lastly, in terms of the ingredients with an effect on the muscles beyond joint protection, we have bromelain. There have been some long-standing myths about pineapple juice helping bodybuilding, and bromelain is the active ingredient in that. Interestingly when dosed highly enough, it has been shown to help decrease muscle fatigue the day after intense training or exercise.⁴⁰
Produced in FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facilities and offering a full 90-day money-back guarantee on all purchases, FlexAgain is an ideal product to help you keep your joints healthy and ensure that nothing gets in the way of your ability to enjoy lean muscle mass growth.
We all know by now that we need to look after our joints in the gym; many of us have waited too long, but if you've got the opportunity to protect them now, then you should. They're not going to help you build muscle mass directly, but not being sore and reducing inflammation isn't going to hurt.
There are a lot of ingredients in there that can help with muscle recovery, meaning you can hit the gym harder for longer the next day. All in all, that makes FlexAgain a great option to take alongside some creatine and a test booster, especially for older gym goers.
For example, if money was no object and you wanted near-perfect optimization for a man over 50, FlexAgain, Prime Male, and creatine would be one incredibly potent muscle-building stack.
Pros
- Promotes joint health from every angle
- Helps with muscle soreness
- Restores damaged joints so they can function properly without any pain
- Ensures nothing will take away your ability to boost muscle growth
Cons
- A little on the pricey side
- As a newer product, relatively few reviews from past customers are available
- Not designed as muscle-building pills
FlexAgain is the most comprehensive joint health supplement on our list, with a whopping 11 fully dosed ingredients designed to support joint mobility, flexibility and overall health it’s a fantastic choice...
How We Rank The Best Muscle Growth Supplements
We've looked at not only the best specific workout supplements but supporting supplements that tackle issues commonly faced whilst building muscle. We all know that creatine or whey protein isolate is going to make almost every list like this, but where a lot fall down is neglecting the importance of good sleep or injury prevention. So, what we're looking for is the very best in each of these categories to ensure you can not only build muscle effectively but recover properly.
The rankings are based on ingredients, value, customer reviews, taste (where relevant), company reputation, and our personal experience.
What Else Should I Know About Muscle-Building Supplements?
Are Muscle-Building Supplements Safe?
All of the supplements for muscle growth on our list can be considered completely safe as they're all produced in FDA-approved facilities in line with CGMP guidelines. However, that doesn't mean that all supplements for muscle growth are safe.
As a result, you should always do your research and only buy a muscle-building supplement from reputable companies and always make sure to look into any brand before purchasing.
Can I Build Muscle Without Supplements?
Of course, muscle-building supplements aren't essential, and for beginners, they're often unnecessary. However, if you're trying to optimize for maximum muscle growth or you've hit a plateau, then they can make a huge difference.
In fact, a lot of the best coaches will recommend that you don't start taking supplements for muscle growth immediately into starting training but save them to help you get past a sticking point.
What Is The Best Muscle Building Supplement?
Generally speaking, creatine is considered the best muscle growth supplement, and for good reason. It's been shown to increase workout performance by 10% for meat eaters and as much as 20% for vegetarians and vegans.
This is because the latter gets less in their natural diet. Aside from that, caffeine is quite possibly the next best singular supplement you can take, and that's why it's in almost every pre-workout. And that's simply because it gives you more energy to train.
Can Muscle-Building Supplements Make Up For A Bad Diet?
The old saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is so well known for a reason. Unfortunately, you can't out-train a bad diet. Even the best muscle-building supplements aren't going to make a difference if you don't make sure to at least hit your macros.
We're not saying that you have to optimize every single micronutrient and essential amino acid to perfection, but you are going to want to make sure to get enough protein. As a result, protein supplements and protein shakes are a good way to supplement a less-than-optimal diet, but the best thing you can do is to make sure to eat mainly whole foods at maintenance calories or in a minimal surplus (no more than 200kcal per day) to optimize for muscle growth. We explain how to calculate your protein requirements here.
Do Vegans Need Muscle Builder Supplements?
Realistically yes, the reality of the vegan diet is that they're very unlikely to get enough of the right omega-3 fatty acids and will have difficulty getting all their essential branched-chain amino acids without supplementation.
The fatty acids are essential for their long-term (and even relatively short-term) joint health, and if your joints hurt, you can't train. It's important to use algae and not other plant-based sources, as algae contains DHA and EPA, whereas other plants contain AHA, which the body has to convert into the previous two, meaning you'd actually need 10x more than the 1100mg required from an algae source.
As for other issues, the only vegan source that contains all of your essential amino acids for muscle-building supplements is soy. And consuming more than 40 grams of soy protein a day can deplete testosterone levels, hampering muscle growth. There is also generally the issue of getting enough protein in general. That being the case, vegans should also look to supplement with a non-soy-based vegan protein powder in most cases.
Do Pump Supplements Help For Building Muscle?
The short answer is some can, but typically they're not optimized for this. Whilst some muscle-building supplements like creatine will also be in a lot of pump supplements as they make the muscles retain water and look larger, that doesn't mean all pump supplements will work the same way. Most just make your body retain water around the muscles without giving you the benefits of creatine for a long-term increase in muscle mass.
Are Weight Gainers Good Muscle Growth Supplements?
This one is a mixed bag and depends on the rest of your diet. Ultimately a lot of weight gainer shakes come close to dirty bulking, which is something that a lot of gym goers will live to regret as it gets them on to the bulk and cut cycle.
This is why we recommend a high-protein meal replacement shake as a muscle-building supplement instead. If you're really struggling to stay at maintenance calories or get the extra 200-300 calories a day for controlled weight gain, then sure. But, generally, they're not the best option for everyone. Building muscle mass should be considered a marathon, not a sprint.
Final Thoughts On The Best Supplements For Muscle Growth, Muscle Protein Synthesis & Increasing Lean Body Mass
When people go looking for the best muscle-building supplements, they will often just pick a single whey protein shake and leave it at that. If you really want to gain muscle faster and see great results, though, it is vital that you use a range of muscle supplements of different types.
You have those that will help you maintain a healthy diet, those that will aid joint and muscle recovery, those that boost your energy levels and workout performance, those that help you sleep better, and even those designed to boost muscle protein synthesis and direct muscle gain.
The more muscle gain supplements you use, the greater chance you give yourself of achieving the physique and lean body mass of your dreams. This guide should have given you all of the information that you need on muscle-builder supplements to ensure that you can do just that.
TestoFuel is considered to be a revolutionary, exhaustively researched muscle building supplement with one very focused aim...to smash down the barriers to growth by opening your testosterone floodgates...
Interested in other muscle-building supplements? Check out our reviews on Hunter Test and Testo-Max.
References:
- Roshanzamir, Farzad, and Seyyed Morteza Safavi. “The Putative Effects of D-Aspartic Acid on Blood Testosterone Levels: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine, vol. 15, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2017, pp. 1–10
- Gonzales, G. F., et al. “Effect of Lepidium Meyenii (MACA) on Sexual Desire and Its Absent Relationship with Serum Testosterone Levels in Adult Healthy Men.” Andrologia, vol. 34, no. 6, Dec. 2002, pp. 367–372
- Wankhede, Sachin, et al. "Beneficial Effects of Fenugreek Glycoside Supplementation in Male Subjects during Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study." Journal of Sport and Health Science, vol. 5, no. 2, 1 June 2016, pp. 176–182
- Frank, Kurtis. "Panax Ginseng Research Analysis." Examine.com, 15 Nov. 2022
- Astuti, Pudji, et al. "Effect of Shell as Natural Testosterone Boosters in Sprague Dawley Rats." October-2019, vol. 12, no. 10, Oct. 2019, pp. 1677–1681
- Pilz, S, et al. “Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Testosterone Levels in Men.” Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- Und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et Metabolisme, vol. 43, no. 3, 2011, pp. 223–5
- Ito, Asagi, et al. "Menaquinone-4 Enhances Testosterone Production in Rats and Testis-Derived Tumor Cells." Lipids in Health and Disease, vol. 10, no. 1, 13 Sept. 2011
- Cinar, Vedat, et al. "Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Testosterone Levels of Athletes and Sedentary Subjects at Rest and after Exhaustion." Biological Trace Element Research, vol. 140, no. 1, 30 Mar. 2010, pp. 18–23
- Pizzorno, Lara. “Nothing Boring about Boron.” Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), vol. 14, no. 4, 2015, pp. 35–48
- Prasad, Ananda S., et al. "Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults." Nutrition, vol. 12, no. 5, May 1996, pp. 344–348
- Kreider, Richard B., et al. "International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Safety and Efficacy of Creatine Supplementation in Exercise, Sport, and Medicine." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 14, no. 1, 13 June 2017
- Lopresti, Adrian L., et al. "A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males." American Journal of Men's Health, vol. 13, no. 2, Mar. 2019, p. 155798831983598
- Martin, Luc J., and Mohamed Touaibia. "Improvement of Testicular Steroidogenesis Using Flavonoids and Isoflavonoids for Prevention of Late-Onset Male Hypogonadism." Antioxidants, vol. 9, no. 3, 13 Mar. 2020, p. 237
- Symes, E. K., et al. "Increased Target Tissue Uptake Of, and Sensitivity To, Testosterone in the Vitamin B6 Deficient Rat." Journal of Steroid Biochemistry, vol. 20, no. 5, 1 May 1984, pp. 1089–1093
- Sharp, Matthew, et al. "The Effects of a Multi-Ingredient Performance Supplement on Hormonal Profiles and Body Composition in Male College Athletes." Sports, vol. 4, no. 2, 6 May 2016, p. 26
- Ms, Butt, et al. "Black Pepper and Health Claims: A Comprehensive Treatise." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2013
- Gonzalez, Adam M., and Eric T. Trexler. “Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 34, no. 5, Jan. 2020, p. 1
- Arazi, Hamid, et al. "Effects of Short-Term Betaine Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Indices of Endocrine Function Following Acute High-Intensity Resistance Exercise in Young Athletes." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 19, no. 1, 22 Mar. 2022, pp. 1–16
- Bloemendaal, Mirjam, et al. “Neuro-Cognitive Effects of Acute Tyrosine Administration on Reactive and Proactive Response Inhibition in Healthy Older Adults.” Eneuro, vol. 5, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. ENEURO.0035-17.2018
- Cappelletti, Simone, et al. “Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?” Current Neuropharmacology, vol. 13, no. 1, 13 Apr. 2015, pp. 71–88
- West, Daniel, et al. "Whey Protein Supplementation Enhances Whole Body Protein Metabolism and Performance Recovery after Resistance Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Study." Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 7, 11 July 2017, p. 735
- Westerterp, Klaas R. “Diet Induced Thermogenesis.” Nutrition & Metabolism, vol. 1, no. 1, 2004, p. 5
- Costello, Rebecca B, et al. "The Effectiveness of Melatonin for Promoting Healthy Sleep: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Literature." Nutrition Journal, vol. 13, no. 1, 7 Nov. 2014
- Cheah, Kae Ling, et al. "Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) Extract on Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." PLOS ONE, vol. 16, no. 9, 24 Sept. 2021, p. e0257843
- Sutanto, Clarinda, et al. "The Impact of 5-Hydroxytryptophan Supplementation on Sleep Quality of Older Adults in Singapore: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Current Developments in Nutrition, vol. 5, no. Supplement_2, June 2021, pp. 372–372
- Popa-Wagner, Aurel, et al. Citation: A Novel Theanine Complex, Mg-L-Theanine Improves Sleep Quality via Regulating Brain Electrochemical Activity. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9017334/pdf/fnut-09-874254.pdf
- Hepsomali, Piril, et al. "Effects of Oral Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Administration on Stress and Sleep in Humans: A Systematic Review." Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 14, 17 Sept. 2020
- "How Long Does GABA Need to Work?" Centertrt.org
- Bent, Stephen, et al. "Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." The American Journal of Medicine, vol. 119, no. 12, Dec. 2006, pp. 1005–1012
- Patel, Kamal. "Calcium Research Analysis." Examine.com, 28 Sept. 2022
- Abbasi, Behnood, et al. "The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial." Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, vol. 17, no. 12, 2012, pp. 1161–9
- Symes, E. K., et al. "Increased Target Tissue Uptake Of, and Sensitivity To, Testosterone in the Vitamin B6 Deficient Rat." Journal of Steroid Biochemistry, vol. 20, no. 5, 1 May 1984, pp. 1089–1093
- Al-Musharaf, Sara, et al. "Sleep Quality Is Associated with Vitamin B12 Status in Female Arab Students." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 9, 25 Apr. 2021, p. 4548
- Abboud, Myriam. "Vitamin D Supplementation and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies." Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 5, 3 Mar. 2022, p. 1076
- Hoseinzadeh, Khadijeh, et al. "Acute Effects of Ginger Extract on Biochemical and Functional Symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness." Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, vol. 29, 2015, p. 261
- Jouris, Kelly B., et al. "The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on the Inflammatory Response to Eccentric Strength Exercise." Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 10, no. 3, 2011, pp. 432–438
- Yoon, Wan-Young, et al. "Curcumin Supplementation and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Effects, Mechanisms, and Practical Considerations." Physical Activity and Nutrition, vol. 24, no. 3, 30 Sept. 2020, pp. 39–43
- Pilch, W., et al. "The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Muscle Damage after Eccentric Exercise in Young Men: A Randomized, Control Trial." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 17, no. 1, 11 Nov. 2020
- Huang, Chi-Chang, et al. "Protective and Recovery Effects of Resveratrol Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Muscle Damage Following Acute Plyometric Exercise." Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 9, 16 Sept. 2021, p. 3217
- Shing, Cecilia M., et al. "Acute Protease Supplementation Effects on Muscle Damage and Recovery across Consecutive Days of Cycle Racing." European Journal of Sport Science, vol. 16, no. 2, 21 Jan. 2015, pp. 206–212
Andrew Lenau
Author