Top 3 Supplements for Growth and Recovery

While the pre-workout supplement gets a lot of hype, the post-workout formula is far more important. Nutrients ingested after a brutal weight lifting session are the key to growth and fast recovery. Here are the top 3 supplement ingredients that you need to be taking after your workout to ensure muscle growth and an increase in strength.

Top 3 Supplements for Growth and Recovery

LEUCINE

One of the top ingredients in Branched Chain Amino Acid supplements, Leucine is an essential amino acid, which means the body cannot make it on its own. It is a powerful post-workout nutrient that aids with protein synthesis. Optimizing protein synthesis after a workout is extremely important and not just because of basic human processes such as cell repair. You are going to need amino acids, the building blocks of muscle, via protein synthesis for repair and recovery. As you can see in this study, published in the American Society of Nutrition, Leucine encourages efficient protein synthesis, as well as an anabolic environment for muscle growth.

BETA ALANINE

The cause of that tingling feeling you get when taking pre-workout supplements, Beta Alanine is an important non-essential amino acid for boosting strength and muscle growth post-workout. Beta Alanine is converted into Carnosine, elevating the levels in the body. Carnosine is important for the post-workout recovery process as it reduces delayed onset muscle soreness and helps muscles to heal. One study, published in the Journal of Amino Acids, found that those subjects supplementing with Beta Alanine saw an impressive increase in muscle size and strength.

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE

This classic bodybuilding supplement is one of the most used and trusted ingredients you’ll find on the market. Creatine Monohydrate is fast absorbing and is directly converted into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Your muscles rely on ATP first and foremost during your workouts so the more you have available, the harder you can push yourself. Increasing your time under tension will boost muscular hypertrophy resulting in bigger gains in size and strength. One academic review, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, took a look at the average results of 22 clinical studies involving creatine supplementation. The results were impressive and as expected: The average increase in strength was 20%!