What Are the Best Supplements for Muscle Growth?
Quick Answer
Creatine and protein are the only two with strong evidence. Everything else is either overhyped or only works in specific situations. Get your protein from food first, add powder if needed, take 5g creatine daily. That's 90% of it.
Key Points
- Creatine: only truly proven muscle-building supplement
- Protein: meet your daily needs (food first, then powder)
- Most "muscle building" supplements are overhyped
- Training and diet are 95% of results
- BCAAs and testosterone boosters are waste of money
Detailed Answer
TIER 1 (ACTUALLY WORK):
1. Creatine monohydrate: • Most researched sports supplement ever • 5-10% strength gains over time • 5g daily, no loading needed • Works for ~70% of people
2. Protein (food or powder): • You need 0.7-1g per pound bodyweight for muscle growth • Powder is just convenient food • Timing matters less than total daily intake
TIER 2 (HELPFUL IN SOME SITUATIONS):
• Caffeine: Improves workout performance (150-300mg) • Beta-alanine: Helps muscular endurance (3-5g daily) • Citrulline: Better pumps, may help endurance (6-8g) • Vitamin D: Only if deficient (many people are)
TIER 3 (OVERHYPED):
• BCAAs: Pointless if you eat enough protein • Testosterone boosters: Don't work • HMB: Minimal effects in trained lifters • Most pre-workouts: Just expensive caffeine
THE HONEST TRUTH:
Supplements account for maybe 5% of results. Training, diet, and sleep are 95%. But people want to buy results instead of earn them. Creatine and protein are the only supplements worth spending on for muscle growth.
Evidence Quality
Multiple high-quality studies support this
Key Sources:
- guidelineISSN Position Stand: Creatine Supplementation
- reviewProtein and Muscle Protein Synthesis: Meta-Analysis
- reviewEvidence-Based Supplements for Athletes: Review
Related Questions
Save your money. None of them work to any meaningful degree in healthy young men. If your T is actually low, see a doctor.
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About this information: Our recommendations draw from peer-reviewed clinical trials, systematic reviews, and the same medical databases your doctor uses. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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