If you're trying to build muscle, there's no shortcut. You've got to work for it. It takes time, consistency, and a whole lot of effort in the gym and the kitchen.
But there's good news…
If your training and nutrition are on point, the right muscle-building supplements can help you make even better progress.
That's why I put this guide together. I'm going to show you the top muscle-building supplements that are backed by science.
These supplements for muscle growth are used by athletes, lifters, and people just like you who want an edge to gain lean muscle. Heck, I personally use all of these supplements as someone who is always looking to build more muscle. They won't do the work for you, but they sure can help!
I'll break it down simply so you can get the most out of your time in the gym. Let's dive into the best supplements for muscle growth.
In This Article:
• The Best Muscle-Building Supplements
• FAQs: Muscle-Building Supplements
• Are Muscle-Building Supplements Worth It?
The Best Muscle-Building Supplements
1. Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched muscle-building supplements out there, and for good reason. It helps your muscles make more energy during intense workouts, which lets you train harder and lift heavier (1).
That added volume and intensity can help you build more strength and lean muscle over time. It also helps your muscles hold more water, which can make them look fuller.
Believe it or not, having your muscle cells hold more water can help you build muscle, too (1). That's why creatine is such an awesome supplement!
There are many forms of creatine out there, but none are better than creatine monohydrate (4). If you see other forms of it out there, just know that none of them outperform creatine monohydrate.
It's the cheapest and most effective form there is!
2. Post-Workout Shakes
You don't build muscle while lifting weights. In the gym, you actually break down your muscles. The real growth happens when your body repairs that damage afterward.
That's where post-workout supplements for muscle growth come in.
In order to build muscle and recover optimally, we need to address 2 things:
• Muscle damage from exercise
• Depleted glycogen (energy) stores
It takes a lot of energy to work out, and that energy comes from stored carbs in our muscles. That's what glycogen is.
Lifting weights also creates little micro tears in our muscles. This damage needs to be repaired if we are going to grow bigger and stronger muscles.
To do this in the most ideal way, it takes the right muscle-building supplements. Fast-digesting protein and carbs are phenomenal to aid in this process (2).
Whey protein isolate is the fastest-digesting protein we know of. Dextrose is the simplest carb source you can get. Putting those two together makes for the most optimal post-workout shake.
If you take creatine as well, throwing it into your post-workout shake is a great idea too. It's the perfect time when your muscles are primed to accept nutrients.
3. Protein Supplements
Protein is arguably the most important macronutrient for building muscle. If you're not getting enough each day, your body won't have what it needs to rebuild muscle after your workouts.
Think about if you were building a brick wall. If you didn't have all the bricks you needed, you couldn't build that wall.
It's the same with your muscles. Protein is the material they're made of. It's crucial that you get enough every day if you want to build muscle.
Do you have to take protein supplements for muscle growth? No, you don't have to. The reason they're so helpful is that most people don't get enough protein, and it kills their results.
Muscle-building supplements like protein powders can make it easy to hit your daily protein goal. There are different types of protein supplements, too.
Sustained Assimilation Protein Shakes
These are slower-digesting, protein replacement shakes. These are typically made with whey protein concentrate, casein, or a blend. They work best between meals, or when you can't get to whole food protein sources.
Rapid Assimilation Protein Shakes
These are fast-digesting protein shakes designed for post-workout. These are typically made with whey protein isolate.
Vegan Protein Shakes
These are made from plant-based sources like peas and rice. These are made for those who follow a plant-based diet, or for those who don't handle dairy well.
Protein Bars & Meat Sticks
Protein bars and meat sticks provide an alternative option for those looking to add to their protein intake outside of protein shakes.
No matter which protein supplement you choose, they can all help you reach your protein goals. For any fitness goal, getting enough protein is super important!
4. Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)
All proteins are made up of amino acids. Not all amino acids are the same, though.
There are essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. The non-essential amino acids our bodies can produce internally from other amino acids.
The essential amino acids (EAAs) are 9 of the 20 total amino acids. These ones we cannot produce, and must get from our diet. This is true whether they're coming from whole foods or supplements for muscle growth.
In order to build muscle, we have to stimulate a process called muscle protein synthesis. This is the process that adds more protein to our muscles to help them grow.
Without essential amino acids, we cannot do this (3). The protein muscle-building supplements I mentioned earlier have a complete amino acid profile. This means they contain all 9 essential amino acids.
If you cannot get to a whole food source of protein or a complete protein supplement, essential amino acids are your next best bet! I'd use them as my third option.
They're also great to have before or during your workouts. I like them for this purpose because they don't fill you up, and are easy to digest around your training.
FAQs: Muscle Building Supplements
Q: What Supplements Should I Take To Build Muscle Fast?
A: First off, building muscle isn't fast ever. No matter what muscle-building supplements you take, it's going to take time. To build muscle effectively, this is the order I'd prioritize these supplements for muscle growth:
1. A quality post-workout shake with fast-digesting carbs and protein
2. Sustained assimilation protein shakes, protein bars, and meat sticks
3. Creatine monohydrate
4. Essential amino acids
These can all help you build muscle. You just have to use them at the right time and prioritize them effectively.
Q: Are Supplements Required To Gain Muscle?
A: No, muscle-building supplements aren't required to build muscle. They can, however, help speed up results when used with proper training and nutrition.
Q: How Much Protein Do I Need To Build Muscle?
A: Aim for between 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight and your actual body weight. This will help you reach any fitness goal you may have. So if you're 180 pounds wanting to be 200, aim for 180-200 grams of protein per day. This includes any protein supplements for muscle growth you use.
Q: Is Creatine Safe?
A: Yes. Creatine is one of the most studied muscle-building supplements and has a strong safety profile when taken as recommended (1).
Q: Should I Take Supplements Every Day?
A: When it comes to muscle-building supplements like creatine, yes, you should take it every day. This is to help your creatine stores stay full. When it comes to protein supplements or EAAs, it depends. You only need to use them when you need them.
For example, on days you work out, I would drink a post-workout shake every time. On a rest day, however, I wouldn't use it.
Q: Can I Stack Multiple Muscle-Building Supplements Together?
A: Absolutely! The supplements for muscle growth I mentioned work great together. You can take creatine daily, use protein supplements as needed, and have EAAs during workouts. Just make sure you're not doubling up on the same nutrients unnecessarily.
Q: When Should I Take Muscle-Building Supplements?
A: Timing matters with muscle-building supplements! Take creatine daily (timing doesn't matter), use post-workout shakes immediately after training, have protein supplements between meals or as meal replacements, and sip EAAs before or during workouts for best results.
Final Thoughts: Are Muscle-Building Supplements Worth It?
If you want to build muscle, you need every advantage you can get. Why? Because it's hard to build muscle.
If it were easy to build muscle, then almost every guy would look like a bodybuilder. They'd have huge biceps, a wide chest and back, and tree trunk thighs.
The reason so few people look like that is that it takes a high level of dedication and patience. It's a lot of work with slow progress over the course of years.
I understand not everyone wants to get that big, but the principle is still true. Muscle growth doesn't come easily or quickly.
The good news is you may be able to speed up your progress with the right muscle-building supplements. They won't make you build muscle without doing the work, but they'll support all the work you do to help you get there.
So yes, supplements for muscle growth are worth it!
These muscle-building supplements have helped me go from 135 pounds to over 200 while staying lean. It took me about 10 years to do it, but they were certainly worth it in my opinion.
If you want to know the best options, here's what I use:
Creatine
When it comes to creatine, nothing beats micronized creatine monohydrate. It's the cheapest form of it, and studies show monohydrate is the most effective form out there.
Plus, with it being micronized, it mixes extremely well and doesn't add any flavor to whatever you mix it in.
Post-Workout Shake
I've tested out a lot of post-workout supplements for muscle growth in my day. I used to run a supplement store and made sure I tried all sorts of different products.
By far the best I've used in terms of flavor and effectiveness is the Post Workout Stack. It's made up of 2 products:
Phormula-1: This is a whey protein isolate with a clean ingredient profile and incredible flavors. It is designed to support muscle protein synthesis and kickstart the recovery process.
Ignition: This is a high glycemic carb powder designed to help replenish your muscle glycogen stores. It can also help support reduced muscle soreness when taken with Phormula-1.
While that's what I personally use, there are 3 other very similar options. Which one you choose depends on your preference and dietary needs.
There's a Clear Post Workout Stack that subs out Phormula-1 for Phormula-1 Clear. It's also whey protein isolate, but has no lactose and has more juice-like flavors instead of milky ones.
There's also a Natural Post Workout Stack that uses naturally sweetened Phormula-1, and a Vegan Post Workout Stack. Instead of whey protein, this one uses a vegan protein powder for anyone out there wanting a plant-based protein shake.
No matter what your dietary needs are, we have a post-workout stack for you at 1st Phorm!
Protein Supplements
If you have trouble hitting your protein goals during the day, there are plenty of muscle-building supplements to choose from.
For sustained assimilation protein shakes, there's Level-1. This is a slower-digesting whey protein concentrate and makes for a perfect bridge between meals. I like to drink this for breakfast because I'm not very hungry in the morning.
For plant-based dieters, you can always go for the Vegan Power Pro. It's made with protein from peas and rice to give you all the amino acids you need to build muscle. This is the same protein that comes in the Vegan Post Workout Stack I mentioned above.
If you prefer to eat your protein instead of drinking shakes, there are several options as well. For whey protein, Level-1 Bars and Power Pro Bars are both awesome options. They taste great and make for an easy snack on the go.
If you prefer to eat meat but want convenience, I recommend Protein Sticks. These are made with beef and pork, and have some awesome flavors I never get sick of.
If you get tired of eating the same thing all the time, just know you have a lot of options to choose from.
Essential Amino Acids
Personally, I'll always prioritize a protein supplement before essential amino acids. With that being said, it still has its place and can benefit you.
Our Essential Amino Acids product gives you about 6.5 grams of EAAs per scoop. They taste great and are a great addition to any muscle-building supplement regimen.
I like to use these during my workout to help preserve muscle tissue from being broken down for energy. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have something with some flavor to sip on while you work out!
There are so many great supplements for muscle growth out there. You just have to choose the ones that fit your diet and lifestyle the best. I've been using these for years and have seen great results.
Not just from me, but from thousands of people I've helped build muscle over the last 10+ years. They won't do the work for you, but they can sure help you speed up your progress!
If you have any questions about muscle-building supplements in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Wu SH, et al. Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1255.
(2) Poole C, et al. The role of post-exercise nutrient administration on muscle protein synthesis and glycogen synthesis. J Sports Sci Med. 2010;9(3):354-63.
(3) Ferrando AA, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Effects of essential amino acid supplementation on exercise and performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023;20(1):2263409.
(4) Antonio J, et al. Creatine Supplementation Beyond Athletics: Benefits of Different. Nutrients. 2024;16(19):3247.
