Amidst all the supplements that are just marketing hype, are there some that actually help you build muscle? What is the best muscle-building, strength-supporting supplement?



The supplement industry is filled with bunk products, empty promises, and companies hoping to find the next sucker looking for a shortcut. Inevitably, those products get called out by the media, causing people to question the credibility of all supplement companies. The great brands are guilty by association.



For the average person, it’s hard to discern quality from crap, especially when it comes to supplements to support muscle growth, so I've singled out the four best supplements for building muscle, based on research and experience to date.



Before we get to them, I need to stress two points:




There’s no short-cut for consistently following an intense strength training program (like VIGOR Training), eating plenty of protein, and getting sufficient sleep. Don't expect any of these supplements to make a difference if you don't have those ducks in a row.



The recommendations, and "how to use" sections are not intended to suggest or recommend the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease, nor to substitute for medical treatment, nor to be an alternative to medical advice. The statements below have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of the suggestions and recommendations are for educational purposes only.




Read also: How to Gain Muscle Without Gaining Fat.





Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB)



In my opinion, HMB doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. It enhances recovery from resistance training, most likely by revving up muscle tissue regeneration.



Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a metabolite of the branched-chain amino acid leucine.



Leucine, one of the three branched-chain amino acids, stimulates protein synthesis, or muscle growth. Your ability to build muscle depends on increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein breakdown. They sound like the same thing, but they are not.



In addition to stimulating protein synthesis, at very high doses, leucine decreases protein breakdown, also known as proteolysis. Unfortunately, the dose needed to reduce protein breakdown is so high that it wouldn’t be practical to supplement with leucine for that purpose.



However, researchers found that HMB could reduce protein breakdown like leucine, but at a much smaller dose.




an individual would need to consume over 600 g of high quality protein to obtain the amount of leucine (60 grams) necessary to produce the typical 3 g daily dosage of HMB used in human studies
Wilson, et al. 2013



Multiple studies have shown HMB enhances exercise recovery and improves lean body mass, strength, power, and aerobic performance.



Two forms of HMB are available, the calcium salt form, or HMB-Ca, and the free acid form, or HMB-FA.



To date, most of the research on HMB is based on HMB-Ca. However, a newer form of HMB called HMB free acid, or HMB-FA, may get absorbed and utilized better than the calcium salt version. More research is needed yet.



Personal note: I used the free acid form for about five weeks and found that it bothered my stomach too much, so I went back to the calcium salt version of HMB.



HMB, like all of the supplements in this article, has a strong safety record. Even at doses equivalent to 50 grams per day in adults, researchers saw no side effects in animals. That’s more than 12 times the standard dose used for supporting gains in lean body mass!



Because HMB slows muscle tissue breakdown, it could be especially helpful for those on a fat loss or calorie-reduced diet, where muscle tissue loss is typical.



For HMB to be effective in supporting muscle growth, your resistance training must be intense enough to cause significant muscle tissue damage. For those who are new to exercise, that's pretty easy to do. The adaptation phase to exercise often causes much mus...