Supplement tubs beside a blender

Five Supplements for Muscle Building That Actually Work

19 October 20242 min read By Dushyanta Dushyanta

The supplement industry sells thousands of products with bold claims. Most have weak evidence behind them. Five carry strong evidence for adults who lift weights. The 2017 ISSN position stand on creatine and the 2018 BJSM meta-analysis on protein (Morton et al.) anchor the list.

+2.49 kg
Extra 1RM strength with protein supplementation
1.62 g/kg
Daily protein ceiling for further FFM gain
1,863
Adults pooled in the protein meta-analysis

Sources: Kreider et al. JISSN. 2017 (PMID 28615996). Morton et al. Br J Sports Med. 2018 (PMID 28698222).

The five with the strongest evidence

01
Creatine monohydrate · 3 to 5 g daily

Largest evidence base of any sports supplement. Adds 5 to 10 percent strength gains on top of training over 4 to 12 weeks. No loading required. Take daily, timing flexible. Stick with monohydrate, the most studied and the cheapest form.

02
Whey or plant protein · to hit 1.6 g/kg

Morton 2018 BJSM meta-analysis: protein supplementation added 2.49 kg of 1RM strength and 0.30 kg of fat-free mass during prolonged resistance training. Returns plateau above 1.62 g/kg per day. Hit the number with food first, top up with powder.

03
Caffeine · 3 to 6 mg/kg, 30 to 60 min pre

Improves strength, endurance and reduces perceived exertion. For a 70 kg adult that is 210 to 420 mg, roughly 2 to 4 cups of coffee. Start low. Skip late doses (after 2pm) to protect sleep.

04
Beta-alanine · 3 to 6 g daily, split doses

Raises muscle carnosine and delays acidosis. Most useful for hard efforts lasting 1 to 4 minutes (e.g. 400 m, last set of 20 reps). Split into 2 doses to reduce the tingling sensation. Takes 2 to 4 weeks of consistent use to load.

05
Vitamin D3 · 10 to 25 micrograms daily in UK winter

Deficiency is common in the UK from October to March. NHS advises 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily across the winter. Lab-confirmed deficiency may need higher doses under a GP's guidance.

What did not make the list

  • BCAAs. Redundant if you hit your daily protein target.
  • Testosterone boosters. Minimal evidence. The most reliable testosterone lever is sufficient sleep.
  • Most pre-workouts. Largely caffeine plus filler. A coffee and creatine cover the same ground.
  • Fat burners. Marketing-led. No reliable effect once calorie intake is matched.

A simple stack to start

Whole-food protein at every meal aiming for 1.6 g/kg. 3 to 5 g creatine monohydrate daily. A pre-training coffee on hard days. Vitamin D3 from October to March in the UK. Add beta-alanine only if your sport sits in the 1 to 4 minute effort window. Choose every product with third-party verification (Informed Sport, NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified).

Work with DT Fitness London

For a complete training and nutrition plan with a tested supplement stack, book a consultation at www.dushyantatomar.com.

Dushyanta Tomar, MSc Applied Sports and Exercise Physiology, CIMSPA Accredited Personal Trainer.

Sources

  1. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017, vol 14, page 18. PMID 28615996. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996
  2. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018, vol 52, issue 6, pages 376 to 384. PMID 28698222. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222
  3. NHS. Vitamin D. nhs.uk
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