Sports nutrition for weight gain. A complete set of sports nutrition for weight gain

Which of the million nutritional supplements are best for gaining mass? Each athlete is unique, but these 3 supplements have helped many build quality mass.

When you're looking to gain mass, you try to do your best: lift weights while you can still move, eat until you feel sick, take every drug you can afford. After all, you want to make the most of this precious period of growth, don't you?

Yes...but it's best to stay within reason. When it comes to sports nutrition, if you're spending on some crazy money that you could spend on, say, food, you're on the wrong track.

If you want to gain quality mass - without excess body fat - focus on the main nutrients. These three nutritional supplements will make your workouts more productive, increase your pace, and protect muscle tissue from the breakdown of training stress.

They are the holy trinity for bodybuilders who want to build quality muscle mass!

1. Creatine: more energy for more volume


Findings from studies published in Nutrition and Metabolism and the Journal of Food Science show that - in particular whey - stimulates muscle growth more than other sources, and that when combined with strength training, whey protein intake can lead to more gaining muscle mass.

To reach the full potential of whey protein, take at least 20-30 grams at least once a day, and if possible, twice a day during the specialized mass-building phase. On training days, take at least one serving after your workout, when your body's ability to synthesize protein is at its highest.

Researchers at the University of Toronto found that taking 25 grams of whey protein immediately after exercise resulted in a 67-69% increase in nitrogen retention compared to carbohydrate intake. The scientists also noted that a post-workout whey protein shake provided 53-70% better post-workout recovery than post-workout carbs.

3. Essential amino acids for boosting anabolism

Simply increasing your daily protein intake goes a long way in turning hard workouts into great results. However, experiments indicate that the better your fitness, the more often your body switches between a pronounced anabolic state (muscle growth) and periods of catabolism (muscle tissue breakdown). By manipulating these anabolic peaks with protein that is rich in all the essential amino acids, you can give your muscles the extra boost they need to boost growth.

Of course, some bodybuilders can accomplish this by eating grilled chicken breast and a whey protein shake throughout the day, but there is one downside to this strategy. Food and whey protein satisfy hunger, and it's often hard to force yourself to swallow another thick smoothie, even when you know you have to. Essential amino acids, on the other hand, are not much different from water in terms of saturation.

In addition, many studies show that amino acids or protein taken before exercise can increase the anabolic response to strength training. Again, a thick vanilla protein shake, no matter how tasty and healthy, is often not the best choice, as the feeling of a full stomach is very distracting from the training process. This is where amino acids come into play.


Essential amino acids are nine nitrogen-containing organic compounds that your body must obtain from dietary sources because it cannot synthesize them on its own. Three of these nine - if it's easier for you, consider them the most indispensable - isoleucine and valine. This trinity has a huge impact on insulin sensitivity and glucose utilization by the muscles, and leucine is considered the most effective stimulator of muscle protein synthesis.

Why not take pure leucine then? Although BCAAs account for many of protein's anabolic effects, a recent study by scientists in Sweden found that essential amino acids are more effective than pure BCAAs and leucine. They stimulate the mechanisms of muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent during the first 90 minutes after training and after supplementation. In fact, during the first 90 minutes of recovery, essential amino acids were 18% more effective than BCAAs in activating a key anabolic mechanism known as mTOR. They remained almost 40% more effective than leucine after 180 minutes.

Take an essential amino acid drink that contains at least 1.8-3.0 grams of leucine and approximately 0.9-1.5 grams of isoleucine and valine per serving. Drink at least one serving of an Essential Amino Acid supplement before or during your workout, followed by an Essential Amino Acid drink throughout the day or between meals to support muscle growth.

Today, sports nutrition has a strong place among other products in the diet of many athletes in bodybuilding and other sports. In most cases, athletes buy these supplements to gain muscle mass, improve relief and strength performance. The current number of manufacturers in the sports nutrition market makes athletes rack their brains for a long time - to analyze reviews on the Internet, choose based on composition, balance, quality, brand awareness. In this article, we will talk about the best sports nutrition designed to gain muscle mass.

What muscle building supplements are there?

In the world of bodybuilding, there are several types of sports complexes that work effectively on mass gain:

  • Protein complexes;
  • Pre-workouts;

Each of these supplements to some extent affect the growth of the athlete's muscle mass, proteins, gainers, and creatines are considered the most effective. The rest have a slightly different purpose, but still indirectly help build muscle.

What is the best sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass?

Protein

Speaking about the right sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass, we primarily mean proteins - protein-carbohydrate mixtures, sold in powder form, from which protein shakes are prepared, rich in protein, amino acids and many other nutrients. Today most manufacturers make high quality proteins, here are some of the best:

Gainer

- another type of protein-carbohydrate mixtures, but in this case the bias lies on the amount of carbohydrates, not proteins. The peculiarity of the gainer is that in addition to muscle mass, they can also increase fat mass, which may not suit everyone. Most often, these supplements are used by ectomorphs - people with a lean physique, who have a very fast metabolism and a minimal amount of muscle mass, for them gaining fat will not be a problem. Here are some of the best weight gainers on the market:

Creatine

Pre-workout complexes

Pre-workouts can also be attributed to sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass in bodybuilding. These supplements are primarily designed to improve the quality of training, as a result of which we get an improved result. Many of the pre-workouts give a pumping effect that accelerates muscle growth. You can get acquainted with the best representatives of this type of sports nutrition in the article about.

Amino acids

Amino acid supplements also help build muscle to some extent, especially when it comes to BCAAs. They also perfectly protect muscles from destruction, that is, they have an anti-catabolic effect. Here is a small list of great amino acid supplements:

As you can see, sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass is very diverse. Too large an assortment and variability can confuse a novice athlete, sometimes it is difficult to choose something ideal in terms of price and quality ratio, in which case it is better to focus on popular manufacturers who will not sell you a pacifier.

Video about the best sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass

For those who are serious about it, you need to understand that without sports nutrition, gaining muscle mass in men, as well as in women, is much more difficult.

To get enough energy, nutrients, you need to eat a lot and often. Unfortunately, the quality and composition of nutrients in modern foods are quite low. For this, sports nutrition manufacturers have developed special supplements to, taking into account the needs of the body when recruiting muscles.

Considering that muscles are made of protein, it's no surprise that eating more food will allow you to gain muscle mass faster.

Many experienced users consume up to 4 g of protein per day, while the condition of the kidneys does not worsen.

For muscle growth, you need to eat food containing animal proteins:

  • eggs;
  • red meat;
  • white meat and fish;
  • dairy products.

The best sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass for men and women

Protein powder

Many people find it very difficult to eat so many high-protein foods every day. And sometimes it’s impossible to eat right away, or there’s simply no time during the day, then a protein shake is a good alternative to supply the muscles with the necessary nutrients to grow.
- the most popular supplement for gaining muscle mass, as it is quickly digested and absorbed into the muscles. Other types of protein, such as , which is a slow-digesting protein, are best consumed before bed because the amino acids will be delivered to the muscles throughout the night.

Sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass for thin men

Creatine

- a natural organic compound, is a source of ATP, the main form of energy that the body uses. It is found in certain foods, such as red meat, and is stored in the muscles.

Many studies indicate that increasing creatine levels through supplementation leads to significant increases in muscle size, strength, and power.

Supplementing creatine in the diet is safe and improves muscle performance, especially power, also increases anaerobic endurance by acting as fuel for cells, as muscle cells will use creatine for energy before using glucose.

Creatine can retain excess water in the body in the first few weeks of use.

Always take it with water or juice. Creatine “loading” is necessary to begin with, which means taking a high dose for a short time and then decreasing to a lower maintenance dose indefinitely.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

- the main building blocks of protein, prevent the destruction of muscle tissue and stimulate muscle protein synthesis. More than 500 amino acids are known, but only a few play an important role in the formation of new muscle tissue, and therefore are considered the main nutrients for the diet. Most of these can be synthesized by the body from other compounds, but there are amino acids that athletes must consume from food or supplements. Athletes and bodybuilders use BCAAs to:

  • increase in protein synthesis;
  • increase in muscle hypertrophy;
  • improving physical activity;
  • increase muscle endurance;
  • energy increase.

Weight gain supplements for girls

Caffeine

The stimulant effects of caffeine help you get out of bed in the morning and stay awake at work. Caffeine can also stimulate the release of the hormones adrenaline and dopamine. But the main advantage for gaining muscle mass is that it significantly increases muscle power. If the athlete does not drink coffee, then take a dose of caffeine, containing 400-600 mg 30 minutes before training.
You may need to stop using caffeine for at least a month to regain caffeine sensitivity.

Girls are also allowed to take additional amino acids and whey protein.

Scheme of taking sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass for men

  1. Morning: Take a serving of BCAAs (according to the manufacturer's instructions) on an empty stomach before meals.
  2. Before training: creatine. The most effective form is creatine monohydrate, and a daily dose of 5 g is enough to increase results. Take 30 minutes before exercise. People with more muscle mass may take up to 10 g divided into two daily doses of 5 g.
  3. After training: BCAA - the second portion.
  4. Whey Protein. After training mix 30-40 g of whey protein with water, take the drink immediately after exercise to restore the body, getting amino acids into the muscles.
  5. Before bedtime: a serving of casein protein or complex (comprising several types of fast and slow proteins).

Conclusion

To increase muscle mass, it is necessary not only to take sports supplements for growth, but also to take a comprehensive approach to this process. Firstly, sufficient, well-chosen sets of exercises are needed. Second, you need a varied and balanced meal plan that provides enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the right amounts for recovery and growth. Thirdly, it is necessary to provide the body with eight hours of deep, high-quality

These additional substances provide intensive and harmonious growth of muscle tissue, promote muscle recovery after stressful loads, and quickly replenish energy costs.

Let's see what sports nutrition nutrition for muscle growth is optimal and how it should be taken.

Why you need sports nutrition

An effective set of muscle mass requires an extremely intensive intake of the substances necessary for this, which, moreover, must be absorbed as completely and quickly as possible.

Specialized, biologically active, highly concentrated sports nutrition fully copes with this task. It provides an almost instant "stuffing" of absolutely functional, high-calorie "food" for growing muscles.

However, sports nutrition does not replace the frequent and regular consumption of regular food, which must meet the targeted dietary requirements.

Nutrition for gaining muscle mass for men and women

The first item on the athlete's menu are foods rich in well-digestible. This is any low-fat, as well as milk and its derivatives - cheeses, sour cream, etc.

, and also provide durum wheat pasta, black bread, cereals and.

Fats should be classified as useful - these are, first of all, as well as those found in fatty fish.

Optimal number of meals per day 5-7 ; this frequency supports the metabolism at a high rate. Water should be consumed at least two liters in a day.

Sports nutrition for muscle growth

The modern industry of concentrated nutritional supplements for athletes produces a variety of classes of nutrients and stimulants.

This supplement consists of the main "building material" for muscles - squirrel, which is in the form of a dry powder that is optimal for long-term storage. After dissolution, a concentrated protein solution is obtained, which is completely absorbed and used to form new muscle cells. According to the speed of assimilation, there are "fast" and "slow" proteins. The name is derived from the English "gain" - "growth". Gainer is basically a protein-carbohydrate blend. This composition is focused on the accelerated replenishment of protein deficiency and the elimination of energy costs. Three servings a sports gainer per day is enough to ensure that muscle mass is guaranteed to increase even for those who are naturally thin. For those who are initially inclined to be overweight, gainers are not recommended.

BCAA amino acids

Proteins - the building blocks of muscles - are made up of amino acids. Among them are irreplaceable, not formed in the human body. Three essential amino acids - leucine, isoleucine and valine, which are especially effective in stimulating both recovery and muscle growth, are part of the BCAA complex.

According to the chemical composition, this substance is an organic acid containing nitrogen. It is actively involved in the energy metabolism of muscles and causes increased growth of muscle tissue of skeletal muscles.

Vitamin and mineral complexes

Vitamin-mineral complexes are needed by bodybuilders due to the specifics of their nutrition: the main emphasis is on high-calorie foods rich in protein, which, moreover, enters the body often and in large quantities. In addition, it can be difficult to consume fruits and vegetables in sufficient volume for “vitaminization”: digestion simply cannot cope with the load. At the same time, with regular training, vitamins and minerals are required in an increased dose. To provide such a dose, vitamin-mineral complexes have been developed for training athletes.

At the same time, special attention should be paid to the fact that, taking into account physiological differences, “targeted” complexes have been developed - specifically for men and separately for women.

Pre-workout complexes

Pre-workout complexes are designed to make training more effective, provide quick recovery after exercise and enhanced muscle growth. The composition of such complexes includes ten or more components. The most common of these are creatine, BCAAs, vitamins and minerals, stimulants caffeine and geranamine, and the stimulant-restorer taurine. In addition, individual amino acids are added: arginine, which improves muscle nutrition, and beta-alanine, a restorer and antioxidant for muscle tissue.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential fats that are not synthesized in the human body, but enter it exclusively from the outside, with food or dietary supplements. The use of polyunsaturated fatty acids while building muscle mass has a positive effect on the condition of the whole body, prevents the accumulation of body fat.

Muscle-building girls should adhere to the following when choosing dosages of sports nutrition reduced portions protein, gainer and creatine, and use only those vitamin-mineral complexes that are designed specifically for them.

How and when to take

Correctly chosen mode of taking sports nutrition provides the most effective combination of it with the rhythms of the body. A variant of this mode is illustrated by the table:

Time of receipt Protein Gainer BCAA vitamins Creatine Pre-workout complex PUFA
Morning (half an hour before breakfast) one serving "quick" (22g) 5-10g
Breakfast one portion one portion
Dinner one portion
Half an hour before training one serving "quick" (22g) 5gone or two servings
Shortly after training one portion 5g
Before bedtime One or two servings of "slow" (22-44g)

The optimal amount of sports nutrition and the frequency of its intake is selected individually, taking into account the tasks of the athlete and his natural constitution.

Nutrition when gaining muscle mass - video

The main recommendations on how to choose the best sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass are presented in the video. It describes and justifies the use of the main components of sports nutrition for beginners and for those who have been bodybuilding for more than a year, given options for different budgets and ages.

A wide range of sports nutrition, its physiologically correct intake, combined with the body's natural rhythms and training regimen, allows you to build muscle mass in the shortest possible time.

Perhaps there are champions among you who have grown excellent muscles in a matter of months? Maybe someone met unexpected difficulties along the way and will warn others? Share your options for combining regular and special sports nutrition with us in the comments!