MY TOP 3 SUPPLEMENTS FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

I have a bit of a weird relationship with supplements…  I used to spend SO MUCH on supplements because, let’s face it, we all think that taking specific supplements is going to make a huge difference.  In reality, they make a very small difference, IF EVERYTHING ELSE ISN’T IN ORDER.  What I mean by that is your priorities should be to train hard, eat according to your goal, and ensure you are getting an adequate amount of quality sleep.  If those boxes are checked, only then can supplements make a significant difference.

For those looking to build muscle, here are my top three supplements:

HD Muscle (no affiliation)

1. Essential Amino Acids

Why?    

Consuming essential amino acids (EAAs) are, in my opinion, ESSENTIAL (pun intended) during a training session.  While we train, multiple things are occurring within the body, but two important ones are 1) increased blood flow to the muscle and 2) increase in muscle protein synthesis (MPS).  This increase in MPS is a signal to grow and repair muscle tissue.  However, the body needs the proper nutrients to build muscle.  It’s like building a house.  Doesn’t matter if you have the workers if you don’t have the materials to build it. 

Muscles are rich in protein, which is why ingesting adequate amounts of protein is important for building muscle.  But when protein is consumed, it is digested and broken down into amino acids for the body to utilize.  A reason why it is generally recommended for people to drink a protein shake after a training session is because the protein powder is often easily digested and enters the bloodstream quickly (depending on the type of protein powder).

Why wait until after the training session to start the recovery process when you can start it DURING?  EAAs are already in their simplest form, meaning there is no digestion process and is quickly absorbed.  The factor of increased blood flow to the muscles being trained plays a part in that it helps shuttle the amino acids directly to the muscles.  Milos Sarcev refers to this as the Hyperemia Advantage.  Basically, as you train a muscle, blood is being pumped to the muscle.  By ingesting nutrients that are easily absorbed into the blood stream, you are essentially flooding the muscle with the required nutrients (amino acids and carbohydrates) to repair and build new tissues.  Not only is there increased blood flow, but the muscle cells are also more insulin sensitive, meaning they will absorb nutrients very easily (I talk more about insulin in the carbohydrate section).

So, while you’re training, you’re signaling muscle growth through an increase in MPS AND providing the building blocks needed for hypertrophy at the same time.  This is an optimal state for the body to be in to grow.  It gets even better when I explain the science behind carbohydrates…

*An additional note, the risk of having an intolerance to EAAs is slim to none.  Many people are intolerant to whey proteins, resulting in digestive distress and an inflammatory response.  For those intolerant to lactose or dairy products, or don’t like the taste of Beef Protein, EAAs are your best option.

**EAAs vs. BCAAs – BCAAs are only made up of Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.  This is great for stimulating MPS, but you need ALL 9 essential amino acids to build new tissue.

When?        

I generally recommend ingesting 5-10g of EAAs during your training session to maximize muscle growth. I don’t normally recommend fasted training, especially for putting on muscle mass, but if it’s your only option due to your schedule, I would lean more towards the higher end (10g).

Recommended Brands?

My favorite EAAs are XPN’s Opti-EAA, ATP Lab’s Pure EAA, and HD Muscle’s IntraHD.  One scoop of each provides 5-10g of EAAs.

2. Carbohydrate Powder

Why?      

When we train, there is an increase in muscle protein synthesis.  However, there is also an increase in muscle protein BREAKDOWN, meaning we are breaking muscle tissue down.  Whether or not we add more muscle mass depends on the balance between MPS and MPB, with the balance in favor of MPS resulting in muscle hypertrophy.  By ingesting essential amino acids, we are providing the building blocks for growth, but we need to minimize tissue breakdown (also referred to as catabolism).  Carbohydrate powders aid in the minimization of MPB because 1) it supplies glucose to fuel the muscle, thus preventing the need to breakdown proteins to convert amino acids into glucose, and 2) it reduces the catabolic hormone, cortisol.

On top of carbohydrates being anti-catabolic, they also aid in the anabolic or growth phase through the increased release of insulin.  Think of insulin as a key.  Insulin binds to the insulin receptors on a muscle cell and allows all the nutrients in the blood (for example, amino acids) to flood the cell.  The amino acids would enter the cell and activate pathways to increase the formation of proteins used to repair and build muscle tissue.

When?

I recommend 25-50g of an easily digestible carbohydrate blend mixed in with your essential amino acids during your training session.  For smaller body parts or easier training sessions, 25g is enough, but for larger body parts or on High carbohydrate days, 50g is perfect.

Recommended Brands?

I alternate between HD Muscle’s Carb-HD and Redcon1’s Cluster Bomb because the main ingredient is Highly Branched Cyclin Dextrin.  It is a very easily digestible carbohydrate source that passes through the stomach quickly and into the blood stream but doesn’t cause a rapid insulin spike and blood sugar crash. 

Other brands typically use Dextrose or Maltodextrin because they’re cheaper, but I personally don’t digest either of them very well.  They tend to pull water into my stomach and make me feel bloated.

If you’re looking for a cheaper carbohydrate source, I would then recommend Waxy Maize.  Try it out and see how you feel.

3. Berberine (Glucose Disposal Agent)

Why?

As I mentioned earlier, ingesting carbohydrates causes the release of insulin, which then binds to the insulin receptor found on the cell membrane and opens the gates to let glucose and amino acids enter the cell.  HOWEVER, if you are eating a lot of food (especially carbohydrates) and gaining a bit of body fat (which will happen when you are trying to gain muscle), your sensitivity to insulin may begin to decrease, resulting in a decreased likelihood of these receptors opening when insulin is present.

Long story short, berberine improves your ability to store glucose and helps with the management of blood sugar levels.

Berberine works through the activation of the AMPK pathway.  This pathway improves glucose uptake by the cells (preferably muscle cells) by encouraging glucose transport proteins to travel to the cell membrane.  This allows glucose to leave the blood stream and enter the cell.

Besides working through the AMPK pathway, berberine can also act through the activation of PKC.  The activation results in the increased expression of the insulin receptor gene, thus producing more insulin receptors at the cell membrane.  An increase in insulin receptors will result in the cell being more sensitive to insulin. 

Therefore, as you can see, berberine helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, prevent excessive body fat accumulation, and maintain insulin sensitivity as you start to push carbohydrates and calories to gain muscle mass.

When?

For every meal with 75-100g of carbohydrates, I recommend taking 1 capsule (250mg of Berberine) right before eating. 

For meals with more than 100g of carbohydrate (ex. High Day cheat meal), I recommend 2 capsules (500mg of Berberine) prior to eating.

Recommended Brands?

I will alternate between HD Muscle’s GlycoHD, Revive Nutrition’s Glucose, and ATP Lab’s Gluco Control.  The reason why I alternate between the brands is because each has a slightly different formula, so in order to avoid accommodating to one formula, I switch it up every time I finish a bottle (this may just be in my head, but in general it is good to alternate your supplement brands).

Summary

Intra-Training

10g EAAs w/ 25-50g of a Highly Branched Cyclin Dextrin based carbohydrate powder.

High Carbohydrate Meals

75-100g – 250mg of Berberine

> 100g – 500mg of Berberine

*NOTE – I am not partnered with nor am I an ambassador of any of these brands.  These are simply the brands that I trust and know are making a quality product.  If you are an sport athlete competing at any level, be sure to verify that the supplements you choose are certified by NSF or any other WADA-approved certification.

Train hard folks.

Coach Max

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