Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry and a lot of them are useless and/or toxic.

This is especially true for muscle-building supplements.

To help you save money and get healthier, I wrote a list of researched-backed, muscle building supplements I have purchased myself and found to be effective.

So here are the most anabolic supplements that I would highly recommend spending your money on

1) Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most anabolic molecules in the human body and nearly everyone is deficient.

Without enough vitamin D, your testosterone and DHT will be lower, you'll have less energy, more myostatin (catabolic), you'll gain more fat and lose muscle, etc. Get your levels tested.

Optimal levels are 60-100ng/mL.

Obviously, you're going to want to prioritize sunlight as much as possible.

For the average person, spending 20-30 minutes outside daily and during peak UV hours is enough. I understand this is not feasible for most people. You can't just strip off your clothes and go outside while at work.

So here's the busy man's guide to optimizing vitamin D levels (60+ ng/mL):

- Supplement 4-10,000 IUs daily + 100mcg Vitamin K2 (as Mk-4)
- Use a quality supplement that isn't based in seed oils (use coconut oil/MCT oil)
- Get sunlight on your face every morning upon waking
- Spend weekends/days off shirtless outside in the summer and spring months (between 10am-2pm)
- Take 500-1,000mg of magnesium every night or morning (do NOT take together with vitamin D)

2) Creatine

I'm sure you're aware by now just how critical creatine is for physical and mental health.

Let's not forget how effective it is at building muscle.

Creatine will lower myostatin naturally.
Creatine increases IGF-1.
Creatine speeds muscle recovery.
Creatine increases muscle hydration.

If you've built a decent amount of muscle mass already and/or train often take 10g a day of creatine monohydrate.

Now where some people complain that creatine gives them dry mouth and dehydrates them, I would recommend going for creatine HCL instead of monohydrate.

Another option is Guanidinoacetic Acid (GAA) it is a precursor to creatine naturally found in the body and methylated in the liver to form creatine.

3) Electrolytes + H2O

Proper hydration is probably the most overlooked aspect of muscle growth. Protein synthesis requires water to transport amino acids into the muscle cells. If you're dehydrated, you will not recover as effectively.

Hydration involves a bit more than just drinking water. The body needs electrolytes like sodium to retain the water.

The simplest/cheapest way to do this is by having some salt with your water, especially during the warmer months.

"Where salt goes water flows" is a common saying in human physiology 101.

Make sure your diet provides you with enough of the other important electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium).

Hydrating before a workout is very important to prevent injury (especially true for older gentlemen) and to train better. Have 1 liter of water with 1-2g of sea salt or a high quality electrolyte powder.

4) Glutamine

Glutamine was once a very popular supplement in the 1990s and for good reason. It is a highly studied supplement that increases muscle growth in a lot of ways.

Nowadays, fewer people talk about glutamine.

Glutamine supports gut health, which is vital for muscle growth.
Glutamine increases mTOR activation.
Glutamine acts as an osmolyte and pulls water into muscle cells.
Glutamine after training increases blood flow and nutrient uptake.
Glutamine enhances the synthesis of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that protects muscle cells from oxidative stress caused by intense exercise.

2012 Glutamine Study

A study by Hakimi et al. (2012) investigated the effects of glutamine supplementation on muscle growth and performance during an 8-week resistance training program in non-athlete male students. Participants in the glutamine group consumed 0.35 g/kg/day of glutamine while following a structured resistance training program.

Here's what the study found.

Increased Muscle Mass: The glutamine group experienced a significant increase in body mass (+2.3 kg) and fat-free mass (+2.9 kg) compared to the placebo group.
Improved Strength: Greater improvements in upper and lower body strength were observed in the glutamine group, along with enhanced explosive muscular power.
Hormonal Changes: Glutamine increased levels of testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and IGF-1, while cortisol levels were significantly reduced, supporting an anabolic environment.

10 grams per day is commonly recommended for muscle recovery and growth, split into smaller doses throughout the day (e.g., post-workout and before bed).

Study link: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3010/301025283005.pdf

5) Taurine

Taurine doesn't directly increase muscle growth per se, but it has many mechanisms in which it indirectly does.

Lowers cortisol: Taurine lowers cortisol levels especially after a training session. This promotes muscle growth and testosterone production.
Improving recovery: Some studies suggest taurine may help reduce muscle damage and accelerate recovery after exercise.
Modulating muscle function: Taurine may improve muscle function and reduce oxidative damage during exercise.

It is also the most abundant amino acid in the testicles and protects them from oxidative damage, thus promoting more testosterone production.

2-5g are typical dosages for those looking to boost muscle growth and exercise performance.

6) Protein Powders

More specifically, ANIMAL protein powders. Whey isolate, casein powder, egg white protein, beef protein, etc.

Plant protein powders are not nearly as absorbable and contain high amounts of heavy metals.

If you're someone who struggles to get their protein in, then I'd recommend using protein powders as they can be very useful for people with smaller appetites.

You can take as many scoops as you need. Protein powders are food.

That's it for the list.

There are a few other ones but these are what I've found to be the most effective and affordable.

For training programs click the link below:

https://najibrahal.gumroad.com/l/maximumhypertrophy

Talk again,

- Najib

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