Strength and Muscle Supplement Guide

PRIMARY SUPPLEMENTS – proven to show improvements in performance based outputs. Primary

SECONDARY SUPPLEMENTS - Secondary supplements may provide substantial benefit, but only in the right
context. Or they may provide modest benefit but you can be confident in that effect.
1. BCAAS
2. Citrulline
3. Nitrates
4. Sodium bicarbonate

PROMISING SUPPLEMENTS - Promising supplements have less evidence for their effects. They could work or
be a waste of money. Keep them in mind, but think twice before adding them to your regimen.
1. Ashwagandha
2. Tart Cherry
3. Taurine

UNPROVEN SUPPLEMENTS - Unproven supplements are backed by tradition or by mechanistic, animal,

INADVISABLE SUPPLEMENTS (for building muscle & improving sport performance) Inadvisable
supplements are either potentially dangerous or simply ineffective for building muscle or improving sport
performance, marketing claims notwithstanding. At best, they’ll be a waste of money; at worst, they can cause
you harm.
1. Arginine
2. Choline
3. Fenugreek
4. Panax Ginseng
5. Phosphatidic Acid
6. Tribulus Terrestris
 PRIMARY SUPPLEMENTS

BETA ALANINE
- Beta-alanine is a nonessential amino acid that has attracted interest as an ergogenic aid due to its role
in carnosine synthesis
- Carnosine is a dipeptide compromised of L histidine and beta alanine. It works as an intracellular pH
buffer. Theory is increased muscle carnosine will delay fatigue (buffer) and increase exercise tolerance
by regulating calcium handling
- Supplemental carnosine isn’t orally available
- Supplemental Beta alanine important in carnosine synthesis and is a rate limiter
- Beta alanine small effect on performances of 30seconds to 10 minutes; larger effect on exercise
capacity
- Pairing with sodium bicarbonate may work synergistically
- Most common dosage is 4-6g per day, which can be split up into two doses to increase carnosine levels
before exercise or competition
CREATINE
- Creatine is among the most well-researched and effective supplements for increasing high-intensity
exercise performance and muscle mass.
- It is a naturally occurring compound that is present in meat and fish and is also produced in the liver
(and to a lesser extent in the kidneys and pancreas) from reactions involving the amino acids arginine,
glycine, and methionine.
- Creatine enhances the capacity of ATP resynthesis, boosting exercise performance
- Has greatest effect on exercise durations of 5-30 seconds, with greatest effect on repeated
performances of this duration
- Some preliminary evidence that it may also improve cognition to some extent
- Most common dosage recommendation is 5-10 grams per day
PROTEIN
- Strength athletes should get between 1.6g/kg and 2.2g/kg daily
- Leucine is most important Amino acid for building muscle, due to its involvement in the activation of
mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway
o It is suggest that optimal muscle hypertrophy requires 2>g/serving
- Whey Protein has the fastest acting protein and most leucine content
- 0-4 hours post workout is an opportunity for increases protein synthesis
- Ingesting .4g/kg of carbs an hour before working out can have a protein sparing effect, when
carbohydrate sources are low
CARBOHYDRATES
- depletion of carbohydrate stores (i.e., glycogen) during exercise is associated with
- fatigue
o reduced work output, impaired concentration, and increased perception of effort
- Glycemic Index vs Glycemic Load
o Index developed in 1980s and used to rank carbs on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their ability to
raise blood sugar after consumption
o High GI (glycemic Index) food is rapidly digested and absorbed
o High is >70
o Moderate is 56 – 70
o Low is <55
- Glycemic Load considers both glycemic index and how much is consumed
o GL = GI * grams of food/100
 o High is >20
o Moderate is 11-19
o Low is 1-10
- 2.7 – 4.5 g/lb of daily carbohydrate is recommended

CAFFEINE
- caffeine blocks certain adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine downregulates arousal and is
associated with sensations of fatigue
- similar molecular structure to adenosine, binds to adenosine receptors A1 and A2A
and opposes the effects of adenosine, leading to an increase in the concentrations of excitatory
neurotransmitters
- shown to improve exercise performance when consumed in doses of 3–6 mg/kg
- 60 minutes pre-exercise is believed to be the optimal timing of caffeine ingestion because this tends to
correspond with peak plasma concentrations
 SECONDARY SUPPLEMENTS

BCAAS
- Proteins are composed of amino acids
- Ones that the body cant make are called essential amino acids (EAAS)
- BCAAS (branched chain Amino acids) are iso leucine, leucine and valine
- Supplementing with BCAAS is mostly redundant
- Can be of use when eating a very low protein diet or unable to take protein powders
- 10-20 g before exercise with sugary drink recommended if taking
CITRULLINE
- nonessential amino acid found primarily in cucurbits such as watermelons, cucumbers, and other
melons
- better absorption than taking arginine directly, but is converted into arginine in the kidneys
- increasing blood arginine levels can boost nitric oxide production (vasodilator)
- can improve clearance of ammonia during exercise, which could improve recovery
- shown to have small improvement muscular endurance, but no effect on strength
- may decrease feelings of soreness in days following exercise
- 10-15g 1 hour before exercise is the recommended dosing

NITRATES
- nitrates from foods like beets and leafy green vegetables break down into nitrites, which are then
converted into nitric oxide
- Highly trained athletes may get little to no performance benefits from nitrate supplementation due to:
o Athletes have high levels of circulating nitric oxide
o Athletes have more capillaries so they don’t have much room for improvement in blood flow
- Ergogenic dose is 400-1500mg 2-3 hours before exercise

- Nitrates are reduced to nitrites, which eventually can form nitrosamines in the acidic environment of
the stomach.
- These nitrosamines have been studied and determined to have carcinogenic potential.
- Nitrates have been particularly linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancers.
 - Nitrates tend to get most of the attention when it comes to the subject of processed red meat and
colorectal cancer/other cancers, but vegetables with many higher nitrate levels aren't convincingly tied
to carcinogenesis.
- Evidence suggests that the heme iron in meat acts as an important catalyst of nitrosamines formation
when it reacts with nitrates and nitrites.
- For this reason, it might be particularly harmful to consume a large amount of nitrates with red meat,
though the presence of calcium salts, chlorophyll, vitamin C, and various polyphenols may inhibit this
reaction.
- On the one hand, the concurrent consumption of green vegetables and high calcium foods will likely
mitigate this effect to some extent, but on the other hand, it is still unclear how much of these foods is
needed to maximally inhibit the reaction, and it still may be prudent to treat processed meats as
detrimental to gastrointestinal cancer risk regardless of precautions taken.
- Beetroot juice is rich in inorganic nitrates and has been used as a supplement to reduce blood pressure
in adults with varying degrees of success.
- Most vegetables that are rich in nitrates are also rich in oxalate, which can increase the risk of kidney
stones.
- People who are already at an increased risk of forming kidney stones, as well as people with oxalosis or
hyperoxaluria, should keep their oxalate intake to a minimum.
- Other people need not ban all oxalate from their diet, but someone who consumes high amounts of
nitrates (and the dosage range in this guide certainly qualifies) more than twice a week should favor
oxalate-poor vegetables.
- If eating oxalate-rich foods on occasion, consider cooking them and/or pairing them with calcium-rich
foods to reduce oxalate absorption.

SODIUM BICARBONATE

- Sodium Bicarbonate (baking Soda) is a powerful alkaline pH buffer that acts outside of the cell
- when consumed in high quantities of 200-600mg/kg of body weight, bicarbonate can increase blood
pH levels to supraphysiological levels
- benefits of NaCHO3 on mean power in a Wingate progressively increased as more sets were
completed, suggesting more effects are seen after more work has been completed
- most effects are seen on repeated sprint performances or glycolytic activities
- Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea are the adverse events found with oral supplementation and can
sometimes limit the use of sodium bicarbonate.
- 0.3g/kg divided into 2-3 doses throughout the day and taken with meals can reduce chance of GI
distress/upset stomach
 - 200-300mg/kg up to 500mg/kg; higher doses will be likely hard to stomach
- Timing Peak bicarbonate levels will be different for everyone, depending on absorption, but evidence
suggests max alkalosis (highest blood pH) will be 60-90 minutes after ingestion
- Enteric capsules may mitigate the negative side effects when taken over multiple periods during the
day (“serial loading”)
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PROMISING SUPPLEMENTS

ASHWAGANDHA
- Ayurvedic herb that belongs to the Solanaceae family
- purported ability to reduce cortisol, boost testosterone, and mitigate oxidative stress
- ashwagandha may also increase hemoglobin concentrations, leading to an improved capacity to
transport oxygen to exercising muscles, and subsequently, an enhanced aerobic capacity
- has sedative qualities
- most frequently used products are KSM-66 and Sensoril, and the most common dosing protocols are
300 or 500 mg taken twice per day (600–1000 mg total),
- with one dose ingested in the morning and the other before bed

TART CHERRY
- high amounts of polyphenols that are anti oxidants and anti inflammatory
- appears to reduce muscle soreness/inflammation (IL-6;CRP) and lead to faster recovery of muscle
strength/power in some studies
- 8-12 ounces of TC juice twice per day 4 days leading up to competition and two days after competition

TAURINE
- Sulfur containing amino acid that received its name because it was first isolated from bile from an ox
and is otherwise known as Bos Taurus
- Taurine content is said be about 4x times higher in type 1 muscle fiber vs type 2

UNPROVEN SUPPLEMENTS

ALPHA GPC
- Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha-GPC) is a choline molecule bound to a glycerol molecule via a
phosphate group
- rapidly absorbed by the brain and has been shown to significantly increase plasma choline
concentrations
- small body of evidence showing little results with muscle gain/performance

BETAINE
- Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, is the amino acid glycine with 3 methyl groups attached.
 - It was first discovered in the juice of sugar beets in the 19th century and is a significant component of
many other foods, including wheat, shellfish, and spinach
- Some evidence related to increasing muscle endurance but limited strength of results
- Little evidence to suggest any effect on muscle gain/performance

CAPSAICIN
- Capsaicin (CAP) is a natural substance found primarily in chili peppers and is responsible for the spicy
taste.
- Mechanistic data suggests CAP may increase calcium release in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, increase
fatty acid oxidation and decrease glycogen utilization, pain tolerance, and increase the release of
acetylcholine
- Mechanistic model: a hypothesized relationship between the variables in the data set where the
nature of the relationship is specified in terms of the biological processes that are thought to have
given rise to the data. Ie explaining a complex phenomenon

GLUTAMINE
- One of glutamine’s roles in the body is to help get leucine inside the cells. It does so by entering a cell
on its own and then leaving it using a transporter that simultaneously pulls in leucine.
- Basically, when the cell kicks out glutamine, it brings in leucine. This process is necessary for the
stimulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), one of the main anabolic pathways of protein
synthesis
- A few studies have investigated the effects of glutamine supplementation on body composition, and a
meta-analysis of these studies found no benefit
- may be a benefit to exercise recovery, especially when glutamine is combined with leucine, but more
research is needed for confirmation
- Glutamine plays an important role in immune function (it is notably the primary fuel source of white
blood cells).
- After prolonged endurance exercise, plasma glutamine levels are reduced, which correlates with an
increased risk of infection
- Endurance exercise is known to cause “leaky gut” in which heat stress and reduced blood flow to the
guts causes intestinal cell damage that loosens tight junctions between cells. Allows for pathogens to
sneak by.
- Glutamine is suggested to help bring together these loose junctions and limit pathogens from entering.

HMB
- Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate ( Hydroxy-methyl-butyrate)
- metabolite of the amino acid leucine –– a key initiator of muscle protein synthesis after feeding
- HMB supplementation does not have a significant effect on muscle gain in untrained individuals or
resistance-trained (>1 year of resistance training experience) and athletic populations.
- Additionally, HMB has no effect on bench press strength or lower body strength in young, trained or
untrained populations

MACA
- Numerous bioactive compounds in maca (polysaccharides, in particular) have demonstrated the ability
to enhance antioxidant enzyme activity and reduce fatigue.
- In rodent studies, maca supplementation consistently decreases biochemical parameters related to
fatigue (e.g., lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen) and prolongs swimming time to exhaustion
 - there is a lack of human trials investigating the effects of maca on exercise performance

RHODIOLA ROSEA
- known as golden root, is a herb that grows in mountainous and arctic regions of Europe and Asia.
- It is classified as an adaptogen, a substance that increases resistance to a broad spectrum of stressors
(e.g., physical, chemical, biological), thereby promoting adaptation and survival.
- A sizable body of evidence supports the ability of rhodiola to significantly reduce the fatigue generated
by stress and anxiety.
- Acts as CNS stimulator in rats, but has limited evidence displaying effects in human performance
- Some evidence points to delaying time to exhaustion in acute bouts of aerobic exercise
- Not enough human trials relating to exercise to support a recommendation

INADVISABLE SUPPLEMENTS (for building muscle & improving sport performance)

ARGININE
- the conditionally essential amino acid arginine (or L-arginine) stems from it being a precursor of nitric
oxide (NO).
- postulated that arginine supplementation increases NO production and, subsequently,
- blood flow to active muscles.
- This in turn is expected to lead to higher nutrient and oxygen delivery during exercise, thus enhancing
adaptations.
- In opposition to this claim, a robust body of evidence indicates a limited systemic bioavailability of oral
- arginine for NO synthesis.
- Arginine is largely absorbed by the intestines and liver and is mainly converted to ornithine and urea
through first-pass metabolism
- This fact makes arginine inferior to citrulline and nitrate as a NO booster

CHOLINE
- Choline is an essential nutrient and has diverse functions related to cell membrane integrity, lipid
transport, methyl-group metabolism, and brain development.
- It is also a precursor for acetylcholine –– a neurotransmitter responsible for the action potential that
stimulates skeletal muscle to contract –– which has sparked interest in choline as an ergogenic aid.
- Speculated that because choline levels drop in certain strenuous exercise, supplementation could
mitigate issues with muscular contraction and delay muscular fatigue.
- Little to no research to support the claim that supplementing with choline will delay fatigue or improve
performance

FENUGREEK
- Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a popular herb that belongs to the Fabaceae family. It
originates from India and Northern Africa and has a long history of folkloric uses, ranging from treating
edema in the legs to stimulating lactation.
- Fenugreek is rich in steroidal saponins, including diosgenin, which serves as the starting material for
many commercial steroids.
- Interest in fenugreek as an ergogenic aid stems from its ability to increase testosterone, which is
purported to be mediated through inhibition of aromatase and 5-alpha reductase, thereby increasing
total testosterone levels by blocking its conversion to estrogen and dihydrotestosterone.
 - Currently, there is trivial evidence that points to any change in upper/lower body muscular endurance,
strength or power
- May elevate levels of testosterone to normal physiological levels, but have yet to show any
performance benefits

PANAX GINGENG
- Panax ginseng is an adaptogenic herb that has been used for thousands of years to restore energy and
- enhance well-being in China.
- Today, there is widespread interest in Panax ginseng due to its potential role in antioxidant activity,
fatigue, diabetes management, immunomodulation, cardiovascular function, etc.
- Evidence exists in rat studies around anti fatigue benefits, but limited evidence exists in human trials
regarding aerobic and anerobic performance

PHOSPHATIDIC ACID
- Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a phospholipid consisting of a glycerol backbone with 2 fatty acid chains and a
phosphate group. It is naturally found in the body’s cell membranes, as well as in various foods (e.g.,
cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers) in tiny amounts
- Interest in PA emerged due to its role as a direct upstream regulator of mammalian target of
rapamycin (mTOR), which is considered the master regulator of muscle protein synthesis and
essentially mediates resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy
- Very limited evidence exists and results have been equivocal on muscle strength/hypertrophy

TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS
- Tribulus terrestris (TT) is a herb that belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family and has been traditionally
used in Indian and Chinese medicine for many purposes, including as a diuretic and to treat eye
problems and enhance libido
- TT fruits generally contain polyphenolic compounds, alkaloids, and over 20 steroidal saponins ––
predominantly protodioscin, which is considered the main pharmacologically active steroidal
- saponin.
- However, vast variation (i.e., different concentrations in compounds as well as the absence of
- some compounds) has been observed between samples, even ones collected from the same country
- TT has largely failed to alter testosterone in humans, including healthy young and older men.
Recommendations for muscle growth and power

Consume protein throughout the day (1.6–2.4 grams per kilogram of body weight or g/kg), with the help of
protein powder if necessary. Your intake should probably be more towards the lower end of the range if
you are also doing endurance sports. If you are also trying to lose body fat, up to 3.3 g/kg may be helpful,
though this is speculative.
- Consult the carbohydrates entry to set your carbohydrate intake.
The following supplements can be used for additional effects.
- Creatine can be taken as 5 grams of creatine (or approximately 0.3 g/kg) 4 times per day (20 grams
total) for 5–7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3–5 grams daily, or it can simply be taken at a
dose of 3– 5 grams per day right from the beginning, though it might take a little longer to see the
effects.
- Caffeine, can be taken at 3–6 mg/kg an hour before a workout. If you find that caffeine makes you
jittery in an uncomfortable way, even with normal doses, taking 250 mg of theanine may help to
reduce this.
- Nitrates can be taken at a dose of at least 5.1 mmol and up to 25 mmol (378.2–1,550 mg) of nitrate 2–
3.5 hours before exercise.

Recommendations for athletes who exercise for 1 hour or more (alertness and endurance)
- Caffeine 3-6mg/kg hour before workout
o 250mg theanine will help with jitters
- Nitrates of at least 5.1mmols up to 25mmol (378mg-1550mg) 2-3 hours before workout
o 6g of citrulline/10g of citrulline malate in place of nitrates
o Glutathione slows nitrix oxide breakdown, 200mg NAC to nitrates may work synergistically
- Beta Alanine 3.2 – 6.4 g/day split into 0.8-1.6 g every 3-4 hours
o Higher doses may be necessary to stimulate muscle carnosine
o Taking sodium bicarbonate simultaneously may augment the effects