Not knowing how to get to the next level can be frustrating. With the sudden outburst of ‘muscle-growth’ supplements in today’s market, choosing the right one to meet your goals can be a tough challenge. Here are some of the best supplements for enhancing muscle pump and growth.
Although ‘muscle pump’ was referred to that vein-popping blood engorged physique back in the day, the definition has changed significantly over the years. Not only will these supplements help to refine the shape of your muscles, they can also stimulate muscle hypertrophy (growth).
Best Muscle Pump Supplements
1. Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is perhaps one of the most popular muscle stimulants of today’s world, which is biosynthesized from L-arginine and oxygen. In fact, many other supplements attempt to promote nitric oxide synthase, which is an enzyme that provides that muscle pump we are all seeking. Nitric oxide production also stimulates the release of hepatocyte growth factor, which activates muscle growth.
Why is NO important? Why do so many supplements work to increase NO levels in the body? Some of the muscle-popping benefits include:
a. Quicker recovery rates:
If you are usually quite fatigued after a hard day at the gym, Nitric oxide will speed up your recovery, by enhancing the blood flow system to tissues and muscles, allowing quicker delivery of oxygen to working muscles. When you recover faster, you can do more weight-lifting sessions per week, which will yield better results.
b. Increased muscle pump:
NO will pronounce your muscles like never before! This is due to the dilation of blood vessels in the muscle tissue, causing more blood flow to the muscles that you have just worked out.
c. Enhanced energy performance:
Due to enhanced blood flow, NO indirectly regulates your core body temperature. Here’s how:
When you do a hard workout session, your body will try to cool the tissues down as quickly as possible, by using energy. However, if you have enhanced NO, your body will cool down much quicker, so less energy will be required to regulate this process. More available energy = higher performance workouts = more muscle stimulation. It’s a win-win!
So, what supplements can stimulate nitric oxide? Promising evidence suggests that the following supplement is the go-to nitric oxide promoter!
Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine: (GPLC)
GPLC is a molecular bonded form of PLC, and is marketed as GlycoCarn. Current research has demonstrated that GPLC supplementation can promote the levels of nitric oxide in the blood, thus stimulating muscle growth!
The first study provided GPLC to a group sedentary men and women, and placed them on an 8-week supervised aerobic exercise program (1). After the eight-week period, subjects that took GPLC had a significant increase of NO in their blood, compared to the controls. They also had significant antioxidant effects on their lipid levels. This result is promising, and suggests a beneficial role of GPLC on athletic performance!
The second study involved providing GPLC to a group of weight-training men for a period of four weeks (2). Blood NO levels were astonishingly higher in those that took the GPLC supplement, which supports the theories above. They also noted that their forearm muscles looked pronounced, due to the possible enhanced blood-flow causing the pump!
Therefore, if you are looking for the top supplement for muscle pump, GPLC is a brilliant choice! It is the only dietary ingredient to date that has yielded significant results in modern research, in terms of muscle enhancement. If you’re looking for the best results, take at least 4.5 grams of GPLC per day. Soon, you’ll be turning heads in the gym and feeling like the ultimate body-building beast!