Four supplements that will help you gain muscle mass

We decided to take the huge variety of supplements available on the market and choose four that can help you gain muscle mass.

These are products that will help you improve your diet and also improve your performance in the gym.

Above all, they are supplements that will help you achieve better results.

Here is the list of the four chosen ones and why.

Protein powder

The most common supplements.

It is whey or Casein, are good choices for adding high-quality, practical protein to your diet.

It is not always easy to reach the daily protein amounts needed to gain muscle mass, which is why this type of supplementation can be so useful.

With a simple protein shake you can ingest around 20 to 30g of high-quality protein in less than a minute.

Different types of proteins

whey protein

It is one of the proteins in milk, and has an excellent amino acid profile.

It is quickly absorbed and therefore very useful after training to help with recovery, or even before training, if you need a quick source of protein to go to training soon.

It can be said that when it comes to protein supplements, Whey is the most interesting choice.

Casein

Casein is the other protein in milk, but unlike Whey, it is slowly absorbed.

It's a good choice especially before bed, but it can also be used during the day.

It should not be used before training, as due to its slow digestion it can cause discomfort during training.

Albumin

Albumin is the protein in eggs, and although it is much less popular than milk proteins, it is also of good quality.

It has a very good amino acid profile, and compared to milk proteins, it can be said that it has an average absorption speed.

Great for use during the day.

Other proteins

Although milk proteins and albumin are the most popular in terms of supplementation, there are still other types.

From soy protein, used mainly by people who do not eat animal protein, to even meat protein supplements, the choice is immense.

However, both in terms of quality and price, the Whey protein It is without a doubt the best choice.

There are also products that are a mixture of several proteins, pay attention to the content of this “mixture” as lower quality protein is often used to lower the price of the supplement.

An example of this is the WIN Nutrition Hi-Protein.

Why?

To be able to gain muscle mass, you need a good amount of protein daily.

In addition to a good amount of protein, it is important that it is good quality protein, with a good amino acid profile.

By using a quality protein powder supplement, you can achieve just that.

Furthermore, after training a Whey protein shake can be very useful to help you recover and increase muscle mass.

A huge advantage is the ease with which you can add protein to any meal with a simple shake.

You don't really have any great advantage in using a powdered protein supplement compared to a good steak or piece of fish.

But can you get all the protein you need from these foods alone?

You find here reviews of various protein supplements.

Gainers

Although gainers have their pros and cons, they are valid supplements for anyone looking to gain muscle mass.

They are hypercaloric supplements, that is, rich in calories.

It always depends from product to product, but the common factor in all of them is the high levels of carbohydrates and calories.

Below is a basic guide to help you choose a good gainer.

How to choose a good gainer?

Firstly, you must pay attention to the amount of protein per 100g and not per dose.

For every 100g you should have at least 20g of protein.

Brands usually highlight the amount of protein in their product per dose.

The problem with this is that each brand defines its dose and this can be 100g, 200g or 300g.

A product with 30g of protein per 100g is a good gainer.

One with 50g of protein for every 300g is a bad gainer.

Always look at the amount of protein per 100g, not per dose.

Second, you must see what protein sources are used.

A supplement that uses soy as its main protein source will always be inferior to a product that uses milk proteins.

How to see this?

Look at the label, in the ingredients listing area, the ingredients that appear at the top of the list are those used in the greatest proportion in the supplement.

Example.

Gainer A
Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Soy Protein, Wheat Protein, Whey Protein Concentrate

Gainer B
Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate

What will likely be the cheapest product? Gainer A.

What will be the BETTER product? Gainer B.

In Hypercaloric A, the main protein source is soy, followed by wheat and finally whey protein, that is, Whey.

In Hypercaloric B, the main protein source is whey protein, followed by calcium caseinate.

Biological value is how we classify the quality of a protein.

In the case of soy and wheat, the biological value is much lower than that of Whey protein, and therefore, they are lower quality proteins.

Carbohydrates

Finally, you should pay attention to the source of carbohydrates in the supplement.

Oats will always be a better quality source of carbohydrates than dextrose or maltodextrin.

The method for discovering this is the same as for protein.

Look at the label, and in order you will find the most used and least used ingredients.

Example.

Ingredients: Dextrose, Whey Protein, Maltodextrin, Soy Protein Isolate, Oat Flour

Looking at this label, you would know that in this product the main ingredient would be dextrose, followed by whey protein, maltodextrin and so on.

Why?

To gain muscle mass, you need to consume more calories than you burn.

A simple way to achieve this is by using this type of supplement.

A gainer is a type of product that contains a huge amount of calories, and this will help you reach a calorie surplus.

Although we are not advocates of regularly using this type of supplement, it is an acceptable choice for quickly and practically increasing calories in your daily life.

It has no advantage over using good quality food, but if it makes the difference between consuming the necessary calories or not, it's worth it.

Creatine

Creatine is an excellent supplement for those who practice bodybuilding, especially when the objective is to gain muscle mass.

It is a supplement that will help you gain strength and consequently more muscle mass.

Unlike proteins and gainers, in the field of Creatine there are not many mysteries.

There are several types of Creatine, but the most studied, recommended and safe is Creatine Monohydrate.

You find here analysis of the various Creatine supplements on the market to help you decide which one to choose.

Why?

The reason to use a Creatine supplement is simple.

It works.

Creatine is considered the most effective supplement for those looking to gain muscle mass.

While protein supplements and gainers help you complement your diet, and thus achieve good results, Creatine is different.

Creatine has a very unique effect, which cannot be reproduced through diet.

You will have more energy and more strength, which will lead to superior training and with more load and thus, more muscle mass.

It's a slightly simplistic description of what Creatine can do for you, but if you want to know more, see here our guide.

Pre workout

Pre-workout supplements, like gainers, generate some discussion regarding their usefulness and benefits.

However, a good pre-workout supplement can provide significant help.

This type of supplement aims to increase your training performance, greater concentration, more energy and more strength.

In specific cases they can be really valuable, for example, for those who train very early in the morning and need something to wake them up for training.

If you want to use a pre-workout, choose products that focus more on the energy component and concentration rather than supplements that only appeal to a greater “pump” for example.

The most popular pre-workout to date was the famous Jack3d for the simple reason that it gave incredible energy and a huge desire to train.

Arginine-based supplements, BCAA's It is Glutamine They just won't make a big difference in terms of energy performance and motivation to train.

Choose supplements that also contain caffeine or another type of ingredient that will stimulate you to perform better.