Best Supplements to Increase Strength and Hit New PRs

Protein serves as the building block of muscle tissue. After an intense workout, your body craves protein to repair and rebuild those microscopic tears you create by lifting heavy things (that's a good thing!). While a balanced diet rich in whole foods like lean meats, fish, and legumes can provide sufficient protein for most individuals, athletes with demanding training programs may struggle to meet their elevated protein requirements.

Protein powder offers a convenient and concentrated source of protein, facilitating the daily intake necessary for muscle repair and growth. Research suggests a daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight may be optimal for maximising muscle protein synthesis (MPS) during resistance training. Whey protein, a fast-digesting protein source, is particularly popular due to its rapid absorption rate, potentially leading to a more pronounced MPS response.

Creatine monohydrate is arguably the most well-researched and effective strength training supplement. It plays a crucial role in cellular energy production, particularly during high-intensity exercise and those explosive lifts. By supplementing creatine, athletes can enhance their intramuscular creatine stores, leading to increased availability of phosphocreatine, a high-energy molecule your body taps into for short bursts of power. Studies consistently show that creatine supplementation can improve maximal strength, power output, and work capacity, giving you that extra oomph to push through plateaus.

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that helps create carnosine, a molecule in your muscles that buffers lactic acid. Lactic acid build-up can lead to muscle fatigue and hinder your performance during high-intensity workouts. Beta-alanine supplementation increases carnosine levels in your muscles, potentially delaying fatigue and allowing you to train harder and longer, ultimately promoting strength gains [5]. However, beta-alanine supplementation may cause a tingling sensation (paresthesia), a harmless but potentially bothersome side effect. Don't worry, it usually fades over time.

Pre-workouts are a diverse group of supplements containing various ingredients designed to enhance energy, focus, and performance during workouts. Common components include caffeine, stimulants, nitric oxide precursors (like L-citrulline), and beta-alanine. Their effectiveness depends on the specific ingredients and your individual response. Caffeine, a well-established ergogenic aid (a fancy term for performance booster!), is a great way to sharpen your focus and alertness, leading to better workouts. L-citrulline may improve nitric oxide production, potentially promoting vasodilation (blood vessel widening) and delivering more nutrients to your working muscles. However, the research on other pre-workout ingredients is less conclusive. So, the key is to experiment and find a pre-workout that works for you.

As mentioned previously, L-citrulline is a precursor to L-arginine, which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays a critical role in vasodilation, facilitating blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscles. Supplementation with L-citrulline has been shown to increase nitric oxide production and may improve exercise performance, particularly in activities demanding high energy output]. L-citrulline might be a more effective way to elevate nitric oxide levels compared to L-arginine due to its better bioavailability (absorption).

Unbeknownst to many, their diet is often already rich in BCAAs. BCAAs include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Leucine, in particular, plays a role in muscle protein synthesis, the process by which your body builds muscle tissue. These essential amino acids are vital for our nutrition and can also be obtained via supplements to diminish muscle degradation. Particularly during rigorous training sessions, as energy levels wane, BCAAs serve as a rapid energy reserve for muscle sustenance.  

Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the body, constitutes 61% of your total content in muscle cells, plays a role in various physiological processes including protein synthesis and immune function. Like BCAAs, glutamine aids in minimizing muscle breakdown. During intense strength training, glutamine levels are rapidly depleted, and supplementation helps replenish them. Athletes with a well-balanced diet likely consume sufficient glutamine, rendering supplementation unnecessary.