Without a doubt, you can get muscular by simply eating well and lifting weights. But to really maximize your growth potential, protein supplements are a popular choice. Now the question is: which ones to choose?
That is why we have compiled 8 of the best proteins to increase muscle mass that is worthwhile for being so effective. Here we show you the best proteins to build muscle mass.
How can you maximize its effects? Simple! Take 20 grams of protein powder in the 30 minutes before training and take 40 grams within 60 minutes after training.
1. WHEY Protein Powder Shake – OPTIMUM NUTRITION
Whey Protein tops the chart of proteins for increasing muscle gain because it is the most crucial for boosting protein synthesis process in the body. Whey is a milk-based protein that has a high level of branched-chain amino acids. In short: Whey digests fastest and reaches your muscles quickly to start muscle building process. Whey also includes peptides (small proteins) that increase blood flow to your muscles. That’s why its recommend consuming whey protein shakes immediately after training.
How can you maximize its effects? Simple! Take 20 grams of protein powder in the 30 minutes before training and take 40 grams within 60 minutes after exercise.
2. Creatine Shakes
Creatine is composed of 3 amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. Anecdotal reports and scientific studies find that men who take creatine gain 10 pounds or more of body weight and drastically increase strength.
Creatine works in several ways. On the one hand, it increases the amount of quick energy in your muscles needed to perform repetitions in the gym. The more this quick energy is available, the more repetitions you can do with a given weight, which will allow you to grow and strengthen in the long term.
Creatine also attracts more water to the muscle cells, placing a stretch in the cell that increases long-term growth. More recently, it has been discovered that creatine increases insulin levels such as growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in muscles, which is crucial for stimulating muscle growth.
How to maximize its effects? Take 2-5 grams of powder with your protein shake immediately before workouts. It will keep your muscles saturated with creatine, producing the fast energy you need to perform more repetitions.
3. Glutamine Powder Shakes – Nutrex Mass Infusion Vanilla
This amino acid is the preferred choice of bodybuilders for decades because it is essential for muscle function and is one of the most abundant amino acids found in the human body. Glutamine provides numerous bodybuilding benefits, such as helping muscle growth by increasing leucine levels in muscle fibers, helping to decrease muscle breakdown and strengthening the immune system, which helps prevent you from getting sick and missing out on training.
Glutamine is taken before workouts can help decrease muscle fatigue and increase levels of growth hormone. Also, recent research shows that glutamine could also play a role in losing fat by burning fat gained during rest.
How to maximize its effects? Take 5 to 10 grams of glutamine in the morning with breakfast, with your pre- and post-workout shakes and your nightly snack.
4. Branched-Chain Amino Acids Shake
The term branched chain amino acids refers to leucine, isoleucine and valine, the essential amino acids to repair and build muscle tissue. Leucine is the most essential of the three since research shows that it can stimulate the synthesis of muscle protein by itself. However, it is best to combine all three, as they work in synergy to provide a multitude of benefits, including muscle growth, increased energy during workouts, reduction of cortisol (a catabolic hormone that inhibits testosterone and increases muscle breakdown) and Decreased late-onset muscle pain.
How to maximize its effects? Take 5 to 10 grams of BCAA with breakfast, as well as in your pre- and post-workout shakes.
5. Carnitine Shakes
This is another of the best proteins to increase muscle mass. Besides being a popular fat loss supplement, it is now known that carnitine shake improves muscle growth through a series of mechanisms, all of which are supported by clinical research. On the one hand, carnitine can increase blood flow to muscles. It also increases testosterone levels after training and the amount of T receptors inside the muscle cells, which allows more testosterone to stimulate further growth. Also, it has been found that carnitine supplements increase IGF-1 levels. With these benefits, you will have the possibility of gaining enormous amounts of muscle.
How to maximize its effects? Take 1 to 3 grams of carnitine in the form of L-carnitine, or L-carnitine along with breakfast, your shakes before & after work, and evening meals.
6. Nitric Oxide Reinforcements Shake
Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule found throughout the body that is involved in multiple processes. Bodybuilders are more interested in the ability to dilate blood vessels, allowing greater blood flow to the muscles to increase the supply of oxygen, nutrients, anabolic hormones and water (blood is mainly water, after of everything). This gives you extra energy during your workout, an improved muscle pump and better recovery and muscle growth after training.
The reinforcements do not provide directly, but rather they administer it in the form of the amino acid arginine, which is easily converted in the body. Research has found that subjects who received arginine increased muscle strength and growth and lost body fat.
How to maximize its effects? Take a NO booster that provides 3-5 grams of arginine in the form of L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine ethyl ester, or arginine malate.
In addition, it considers the propellant of ingredients such as citrulline, and American ginseng, which improves the ability of arginine to increase NO.
Take one dose at each of the following times: in the morning before breakfast, 30-60 minutes before training, immediately after training and 30-60 minutes before bedtime. When possible, take each dose without food and consider combining it with 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C, which can help maintain levels for longer.
7. Beta-alanine / carnosine Shake
In the body, the amino acid beta-alanine combines with another amino, histidine, to form carnosine. Research shows that when muscles have higher levels of carnosine, they have more strength and endurance.
Carnosine shakes seems to increase the ability of muscle fibers to contract more strongly, and to do so for longer without fatigue. Several studies show an increase in muscle strength and power in athletes who took beta-alanine. A study found that those who took beta-alanine along with creatine gained better muscle mass and lost extra body fat than subjects who took only creatine.
How to maximize its effects? Take 1-2 grams of beta-alanine or carnosine immediately before and after each workout, in addition to your shakes and creatine. On non-working days, take 2 grams with breakfast, along with the creatine.
8. Casein Protein Powder Shake
The other milk protein, casein, resonates just below the serum. Casein has always played the second violin due to its very slow digestion speed, however, this makes it ideal as a snack before going to bed, since it prevents catabolism while you sleep slowly and constantly emptying. Casein also makes you feel less full , thus making it a good snack for those who want to solid muscles.
When casein is taken after training, muscle protein synthesis increases as does serum. It is even suggested that a whey and casein protein shake after a workout increases muscle growth better than any of the proteins taken alone.
How to maximize its effects? Choose a casein protein containing micellar casein (the slowest casein digestion you can buy) and take 20 to 40 grams just before bedtime. After workouts, add 10-20 grams of casein to your whey protein. Also, use 20-40 grams of casein in your protein shakes between meals.
What did these 8 proteins look like to increase muscle mass? Do not hesitate to start consuming the one that best suits you so that you start from now on to build muscle mass!
Also Read:-
- 10 Homemade Protein Shakes For Building Muscles
- How To Speed Up Muscle Growth
- 8 Eating Habits For Losing Weight And Gain Muscle
