Gaining muscle mass is closely related to training and nutrition. You don’t just gain muscle mass by lifting weights. Good nutrition is essential if the objective is for the muscle to grow, and for this, we must obtain a complete supply of amino acids and proteins of high digestibility and high biological value.
Next, we discover the best mass gain supplementation to increase muscle mass.
1. Whey protein
Whey protein is the easiest and cleanest way to supply your body with high-quality, high-biological-value proteins in concentrated form.
It is the best source to help to recover the muscles and with it the regeneration and muscular growth.
In addition to being low in fat and carbohydrates, whey proteins contain high concentrations of essential amino acids, especially BCAAs, which, as we have seen in other posts, are branched chain amino acids, and which play an essential role in the muscle growth.
Studies show that people who take whey protein before and / or after training are able to gain muscle mass faster than those who do not supplement.
2. Creatine
Creatine is one of the best known and most effective supplements for increasing the capacity for high intensity exercise and increasing lean body mass during training.
Creatine is a type of supplement of natural origin used mainly to increase sports performance² and increase muscle mass.
That creatine favors the growth of muscle mass is due to the fact that it increases the formation of proteins that create new muscle fibers.
Creatine works by increasing the phosphocreatine reserves of the muscles allowing it to produce more energy in the form of ATP, which is the energy molecule.
Creatine is one of the star supplements as it is indicated whether you are an elite athlete, or if you are just starting out in the world of sports. No matter what physical condition you are, 4 you will always benefit from its effects if you combine it with a good training and diet adapted to your goals.
3. BCAA
Proteins are made up of small chains of amino acids. BCAAs are made up of three amino acids which are leucine, isoleucine and valine, together they are responsible for activating muscle protein synthesis, which is the process by which the body produces new proteins and for which muscle fibers are repaired.
But especially leucine has anabolic effects on protein metabolism by increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein breakdown in muscle. 5
A good supply of BCAAs is important when we exercise to ensure that the muscle fibers are repaired and in this way promote muscle growth. 6
4. HMB
HMB is a natural compound present in our body from the amino acid leucine. Leucine is an amino acid that belongs to the branched chain BCAA and its main interest when it comes to gaining muscle mass is that it has an anticatabolic effect, it stimulates protein synthesis in the muscle after being subjected to a high level of stress such as high intensity or strength training.
In addition to stimulating protein synthesis, it accelerates muscle recovery 7,8 after training and this is very important when our objective is to gain muscle mass, because during training muscle micro-tears are produced and HMB contributes to reducing this muscle damage by repairing the tissue.
5. Citrulline malate
Citrulline malate is a combination of a non-essential amino acid, citrulline, which is found naturally in watermelon, 9 and a compound called malate which is found in apples. Citrulline is a precursor to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide increases vasodilation that favors oxygen delivery, and a higher oxygen supply means that your muscles will be able to exercise for longer, thus increasing training volume. 10
Citrulline malate, taken in isolation or as a fundamental part of a good pre-workout, helps reduce fatigue, minimizes soreness the days after training and even more so after 48 hours when it is the maximum peak of soreness, and also increases growth hormone and improves the immune system.
6. Gainers or weight gainers
Gainers are excellent supplements to increase muscle mass for those who find it difficult to gain weight due to a very accelerated metabolism.
The gainer helps to increase the number of daily calories when we want to generate a caloric surplus and thus meet energy requirements in an easy and healthy way.
The gainer or weight gainer can be taken before or after training, and is also a perfect option to take as a replacement for a meal or when you are away from home.
They are mainly composed of proteins of high biological value, essential amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Are food supplements necessary?
Under normal circumstances, a balanced and varied diet provides all the necessary nutrients to keep us healthy. However, in some situations, this may not be the case for all nutrients and for all population groups, such as pregnant women, people with little access to sunlight, or vegetarians.
You can find different names to refer to these products, such as “nutritional supplements”, “food supplementation” or “dietary supplements”, but in our country, the correct legal name for these products is food supplementation. These may include, but are not limited to, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, fiber, various plants or herbal extracts.
When it comes to supplements, you need to be sure that you take them from verified and certified places, such as Supersmart.
What are food supplements?
They are food products whose purpose is to complement the normal diet and consist of concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances that have a nutritional or physiological effect, in a simple or combined way.They are marketed in dosed form, that is:
Capsules, pills, tablets, pills and other similar forms.
Powder sachets, liquid ampoules, dropper bottles, and other similar forms of liquids and powders to be taken in small unit amounts.
What are they used for? Who needs them?
Balance diet are replace by food supplements.
Under normal circumstances, an adequate and balanced diet provides all the nutrients necessary for the normal development and maintenance of a healthy body. However, the research carried out shows that this ideal situation does not exist in practice for all nutrients or for all population groups, as could be the case, for example, of pregnant women, women of childbearing age, people with little access to sunlight or vegetarian people.
