Best muscle growth supplements 2024: Complement your workout and promote gains with our top picks
Our selection of the best muscle growth supplements to support your fitness regime
Utilising the best muscle growth supplements can be an effective way of maximising your results in the gym. By incorporating them into a balanced diet and consistent workout routine, you can support and increase muscular recovery, performance and hypertrophy.
However, it needs to be stated that muscle growth supplements are not miracle workers. They must be used alongside a strict routine, at the right time and in moderation, to reap the benefits.
In our roundup below, we’ve selected our top picks to help you meet your goal and a detailed buyer’s guide on what to look for. If you already have some idea of what you want, check out the at-a-glance for some of our favourites.
Best muscle growth supplements: At a glance
| Best protein powder | MyProtein Impact Whey Gainer (~£22) | Check price at MyProtein |
| Best creatine | Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder (~£40) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best BCAAs | Thorne Amino Complex (~£40) | Check price at Healf |
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The best muscle growth supplements you can buy in 2024
1. MyProtein Impact Whey Gainer: Best protein powder for muscle growth
Price when reviewed: £22 | Check price at MyProtein
The MyProtein Impact Whey Gainer is an excellent choice for those looking to bulk. It’s ideal for building mass as each 100g serving contains 31.4g of protein, a whopping 50g of carbs and 387 calories – providing your muscles with the necessary ingredients for growth.
The protein is predominantly whey, which will give your muscles an instant hit post-workout and ensure they are getting the protein they need to repair and grow. So, if you’re looking for gains without breaking the bank, this proves excellent value for money.
Key specs – Serving size: 100g; Protein per serving: 31g; Protein type: Whey; Calories per serving: 387; Carbohydrates per serving: 50g; Suitable for vegetarians: Yes; Suitable for vegans: No
2. Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder: Best creatine for muscle growth
Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Amazon
Optimum Nutrition’s Creatine Powder is a brilliant option for those looking to improve performance. It consists of micronised creatine monohydrate, which not only benefits faster and more effective absorption but also makes it easier to mix, preventing clumps or leftovers at the bottom.
If you prefer tablets to powders, it’s also available as capsules, though each capsule only contains 2.2g of creatine compared to the 3g per serving of the powder.
Key specs – Serving size: 3.4g; Creatine per serving: 3g; Calories per serving: 0; Carbohydrates per serving: 0g; Suitable for vegetarians: Yes (though capsules contain gelatin); Suitable for vegans: No (may contain traces of milk, egg)
Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine Powder, 100% Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder for Performance and Muscle Power, Unflavoured Shake, 186 Servings, 634 g
3. Thorne Amino Complex: Best BCAAs for muscle growth
Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Healf
Thorne’s Amino Complex contains a wealth of essential amino acids (EAAs) as well as the three BCAAs, making it a great choice for improving energy levels, performance and recovery. Each 7.6g serving contains 1.25g of leucine, 0.625g of isoleucine and 0.625g of valine, it also has 1g of carbohydrates and just 25 calories.
Available in either berry or lemon flavour, the Amino Complex is also gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free and Thorne assured us that it’s certified vegan too.
Key specs – Serving size: 7.6g; Calories per serving: 25; Carbohydrates per serving: 1g; Suitable for vegetarians: Yes; Suitable for vegans: Yes
4. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB: Best HMB for muscle growth
Price when reviewed: £55 | Check price at Healf
The Transparent Labs Creatine HMB provides a clinically backed dosage of both creatine and HMB to support protein synthesis, muscle retention and performance.
Each 9.3g serving contains 5g of creatine monohydrate, 1.5g of HMB and 0.5g of BioPerine (black pepper extract). The combination of creatine and HMB can be useful in speeding up the recovery process post-workout, while preventing muscle protein breakdown, helping preserve lean muscle and benefit muscle gain.
For those who prefer tablets, the Optimum Nutrition HMB Capsules are an excellent alternative, with each three-capsule serving containing 3g of HMB – effectively double the dosage.
Key specs – Serving size: 9.3g; Creatine per serving: 5g; HMB per serving: 1.5g; Calories per serving: N/A; Carbohydrates per serving: N/A; Suitable for vegetarians: Yes; Suitable for vegans: Yes
5. Nutricost Beta-Alanine capsules: Best beta-alanine for muscle growth
Price when reviewed: £43 (240 count) | Check price at Amazon
Although it’s not been proven to support muscle growth directly, beta-alanine can be beneficial in combatting fatigue during exercise – less fatigue means more exercise, and more exercise potentially means more gains. So, if you’re looking to increase your beta-alanine intake, the Nutricost Capsules are well worth considering, with each four-capsule serving containing a healthy 3.4g of beta-alanine.
If you’d prefer to drink your supplements, you can also get the Nutricost beta-alanine powder – providing 3g of beta-alanine in a 3g serving – which is vegetarian-friendly, unlike the capsules.
Key specs – Serving size: Four capsules; Beta-alanine per serving: 3.4g; Calories per serving: N/A; Carbohydrates per serving: N/A; Suitable for vegetarians: No (capsules contain gelatin); Suitable for vegans: No
How to choose the best muscle growth supplements
When it comes to choosing the right muscle growth supplements for you, it’s important to know what you’re looking at. For most of us, it can be relatively confusing, and you might find yourself aimlessly scrolling through a myriad of products with long, scientific names or indecipherable acronyms. However, once it’s been broken down and simplified, you’ll see it’s easier to understand what they do and how they work.
Protein powder
Protein powder is arguably the most dependable of all muscle supplements. It can be used for muscle growth, toning and can even aid in weight loss. The two main types of protein powder are whey protein (available as a concentrate, an isolate and hydrolysed) and casein. Whey protein is generally the preferred option for muscle growth, as it’s a complete protein – containing all nine essential amino acids – and is absorbed much faster than casein. It helps to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle protein breakdown, resulting in a positive increase in muscle mass when used correctly.
Whey and casein are both proteins produced from milk, so they may lead to some digestive distress if you’re sensitive to lactose – though the production of hydrolysed whey protein and whey protein isolate removes most of the lactose, making them a better choice than standard whey protein for those with lactose intolerance – but perhaps more importantly they’re not vegan-friendly. However, you’ll find a good variety of plant-based protein powders on the market – including soy, pea, rice and hemp – though you may need to mix your sources of plant-based protein to obtain a more complete amino acid profile.
Creatine
Creatine is an excellent option for muscle growth and strength. It’s a molecule found naturally in the body that helps to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a chemical compound that provides energy and supports muscle contractions during high-intensity workouts.
Adding a creatine supplement to your routine can help improve muscle strength and muscle growth. Though, as with all supplements, it must be consumed in adequate amounts and alongside a consistent routine.
Creatine supplements are generally suitable for vegans; however, in capsule form, they often contain bovine gelatin, so we strongly advise that you check the list of ingredients if this is a concern.
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Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that the body uses to synthesise carnosine. Increasing your levels of carnosine acts as a buffer to the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles during exercise, reducing fatigue and helping to improve endurance and performance.
It has not been proven that beta-alanine necessarily supports muscle growth, but it may be beneficial for those looking to increase their lean body mass by allowing them to train harder and for longer.
It should be noted that beta-alanine supplements can cause a slight flushing or prickly sensation. This is not uncommon, though it is completely harmless and usually subsides after a couple of hours.
Beta-alanine supplements are usually vegan-friendly but we still recommend that you check the list of ingredients to be sure.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, contain three essential nutrients that can promote muscle protein synthesis: leucine, isoleucine and valine. Increasing your intake of these amino acids in your diet through supplements, alongside high-intensity or resistance training, can positively affect muscle growth, lessen fatigue and speed up recovery, while also helping to reduce muscle loss or wasting post-workout.
These amino acids can be found in protein sources such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, meaning that it’s arguably more important for vegans to take BCAA supplements than meat-eaters. However, be aware that there is some evidence to suggest that overconsumption of BCAAs might be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, so it may be a good idea to consult your doctor before you start taking these supplements.
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, otherwise known as HMB, is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine – which means it’s created when the body breaks down leucine. It’s crucially important to protein synthesis and reducing the breakdown of muscle proteins.
Upping your HMB levels can benefit body composition by improving exercise performance and subsequent muscle growth, especially when used alongside strength and resistance training.
Generally, most HMB supplements are vegan, but it’s still wise to check the ingredients to be sure.
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Will I see results?
To promote hypertrophy, or muscle growth, you need consistent training, sufficient rest and the correct dietary protein or supplementation to help stimulate protein synthesis – the production of protein in the muscle.
So, muscle growth supplements must be used alongside a consistent fitness program. Whether it’s resistance training, strength training, high-intensity or aerobic exercise, without regular exercise your muscle cells will not be subject to stress and, consequently, will not undergo hypertrophy.
Put in layman’s terms, you will only see results from muscle growth supplements if those supplements are part of a strict fitness regime.