The Recovery process is as important as the workout itself when it comes to building muscle mass and gaining strength. A lot of people are planning their workouts strictly and carefully but neglect the recovery process. In this case, results will always be sloppy and below average. On the other hand, athletes that are prioritizing the recovery process equally with their workouts and nutrition plan will experience outstanding results.
A good recovery is crucial for several reasons:
- Repair and Rebuild Muscle Tissues properly
- Recover Tendonds and Ligaments (reduce risk on injury)
- Central Nervous System Recharge
- Better Hormone Regulation
- Improves Mood and Motivation ( essential for your next workout)
The most important factors are sleep, nutrition plan, and hydration. Providing your body with good and quality sleep is essential for the right regulation of hormones including testosterone and growth hormones. Consuming the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats from healthy sources plays a key role in recovery. Getting enough water is essential for delivering vital nutrients like amino acids, glucose, and electrolytes to the muscles, aiding in their repair and rebuilding.
What are the best recovery supplements?
If you are getting enough quality sleep, your nutrition plan is good and you’re drinking enough water then your recovery is probably very good. However if you want to improve even more and move to the next level there are some supplements that can help with that.
Here are our top picks for the best recovery supplements:
- Best Protein Muscle Recovery Supplement: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standart Whey
- Best Creatine Muscle Recovery Supplement: Optimum Nutrition Creatine
- Best Amino Acid Muscle Recovery Supplement: Transparent Labs BCAAs & Glutamine
- Best Sleep Recovery Supplement: Optimum Nutrition ZMA
- Best Recovery Supplement Pack: Recharge Post-Workout by Legion Athletics
- Best Casein Recovery Supplement: Optimum Nutrition Casein
- Best Recovery Supplement for Soreness Reduction: AthleanX Reconstruction
- Best Energy Muscle Recovery Supplement: Prelab Pro Preworkout
1 .Optimum Nutrition Gold Standart Whey
Best Protein Muscle Recovery Supplement
A Heavy workout puts a lot of stress on the muscles experienced in tiny tears and damage. To repair the tissues the body starts a process called muscle recovery. Proteins are made of amino acids which are the main building blocks of muscle fibers. High Protein can be found in foods such as Fish, Meat, Beans, Nuts, milk,cheese, and more. However, the body needs around 2.2g per kilogram of body weight per day for optimal performance and recovery! If you are having trouble hitting those numbers every day a Protein Powder is a great and tasty option to help you achieve your goal.
100% Whey Gold Standart offers a high amount of quality protein per single scoop. It also contains all essential amino acids in optimal proportions which makes it even more effective for muscle recovery. On the top of that it contains high dosage of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) which are also essential for muscle growth and repair. Protein Powders are very quickly absorbed by the body which means they can deliver amino acids to your muscles faster initiating the muscle recovery process right after exercising.
The Company
Unlike other supplement companies Optimum Nutrition has been on the market for over 30 years and during this time has always been the number one company for protein powder. This is the most sold protein powder in the world and is used by many top athletes and bodybuilders around the world. Optimun nutrition has several certificates assuring the high quality of its products. Some of them include GMP ( Good Manufacturing practices) , NSF International Certification Informed-Sport certification, and ISO certifications.
2.Optimum Nutrition Creatine
Best Creatine Muscle Recovery Supplement
Creatine Monohydrate is very popular because of its ability to increase strength, power, and muscle mass. However, what most people don’t know is that it plays a huge role in muscle recovery as well. This supplement increases the water content in the muscle cells which will not only make you bigger and more muscular but will also create a more anabolic environment for protein synthesis. Creatine also helps reduce muscle inflammation and damage caused by intense workouts. This can lead to reduced soreness and faster recovery between your workout sessions.
Benefits From Creatine Monohydrate
- Increased Muscle Strength and Power
- Improved Muscle Recovery
- Increased Muscle Mass
- Improved high-intensity exercise capacity
- Neuroprotective effects: Research suggests that creatine may have potential neuroprotective properties, which could be beneficial for brain health and cognitive function.
- Safe and well-tolerated: Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied and safest sports supplements available.
How to take Creatine?
To experience the mentioned benefits above you need to take one scoop of creatine monohydrate every single day without skipping! The reason is that this supplement will work after it is saturated in the body. Skipping even a single day will decrease the creatine levels in the body which will reduce its effectiveness. With that being said you can experience the benefits from this supplement after a few weeks of consuming it but not immediately.
Please keep in mind that this supplement will work only if your nutrition plan and workout regimen are on point. Providing your body with good quality sleep every day is also crucial.
3. Transparent Labs BCAAs & Glutamine
Best Amino Acid Muscle Recovery Supplement
BCAAs play a vital role in promoting muscle protein synthesis. As you already know this is the process of building new muscle proteins to repair and grow muscle tissues. BCAAs support that process by providing a readily available source of these essential amino acids.
During intense physical activity, the body may break down muscle proteins for energy. BCAAs can help reduce this breakdown, preserving muscle mass and supporting the recovery process. It is also shown that BCAAs can reduce the muscle soreness which can allow the athletes to return to their training sooner.
Glutamine is another amino acid that has an essential role in the muscle building process. It’s proven that taking glutamine as a supplement after workout can decrease your soreness and aid to better recovery. Some studies have suggested that taking glutamine before bed may increase growth hormone levels during sleep. So if you are taking protein powder which also includes glutamine there is no need to take glutamine after workout but instead take it before bed.
Since both BCAAs and Glutamine are playing a vital role in muscle recovery taking them together is a powerful combination that can help your muscles recover much quicker. If you are someone who is training the same muscle group 2 times per week, this can help you fully recover that specific muscle group before hitting it again.
4. ZMA by Optimum nutrition
Best Sleep Recovery Supplement
ZMA is a popular supplement that consists of three essential nutrients: Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6. Both magnesium and zinc are involved in numerous biochemical processes in the body, including those related to muscle recovery and repair.
Magnesium
Some studies show that magnesium supplementation may improve exercise performance, particularly in activities that require muscular strength and power. Magnesium is also known for its calming effects on the nervous system which makes it very beneficial for promoting quality sleep. Of course, this mineral plays a key role in the proper functioning of the muscles, and meeting the recommended daily dose is very important for workout performance and muscle growth.
Zinc
Zinc is involved in anabolic hormones regulation including testosterone and growth hormone. It is also involved in the protein synthesis process which is crucial for muscle recovery and repair. Just like magnesium this mineral also has calming effects on the nervous system and people are often reporting improved sleep quality when taking it before bed.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is also involved in numerous physiological functions in the body. It assists in the metabolism of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins which makes it essential in the muscle recovery process. This vitamin is involved in melatonin production which is the primary hormone responsible for sleep.
Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin B6 combined are a powerful supplement that promotes hormone regulation, improves sleep quality , supports the immune system and improves overall muscle recovery.
5.Recharge Post-Workout by Legion Athletics
Best Recovery Supplement Pack
Recharge by Legion is a very powerful combination for muscle recovery and soreness that includes 3 main ingredients.
Creatine
In this article, we have already mentioned the amazing benefits of creatine monohydrate. It will improve your strength and power at the gym and will aid in the muscle recovery process by increasing the water content in the muscle cells which boosts the protein synthesis.
L-carnitine L-tartrate
L-carnitine L-tartrate is famous for enhancing the muscle recovery process by increasing the body’s capacity to use fat as a source of energy during physical activity. As a result, glycogen (stored carbohydrates) isn’t used as energy which decreases fatigue. This amino acid also helps the body clear various byproducts of exercise responsible for muscle soreness like lactic acid. Some studies show that L-carnitine L-tartrate increases nitric oxide production which helps in widening the blood vessels. This means improved blood flow and increased nutrient and oxygen delivery into the muscles.
Corosolic acid
Corosolic acid is a natural compound found in certain plants, like in the leaves of the banaba tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa). Research shows that this ingredient enhances glucose uptake in muscle cells. This effect may facilitate the transport of glucose into muscles, where it can be used as an energy source during recovery and muscle repair.
These 3 ingredients together are creating a powerful combination that can reduce soreness after heavy workouts and aid in better recovery and muscle growth. This can help you train more frequently and introduce yourself to a whole new level.
6. Casein By Optimum Nutrition
Best Casein Recovery Supplement
Casein is a form of protein powder. What makes it different is that it’s being digested slower than the usual Protein Powder. How is this better? Well, this slow digestion rate provides a continuous supply of muscle-building blocks for muscle repair for longer periods of time ( such as sleep).
However, there is no proof that Casein is better than regular protein powder when it comes to recovery. There is only one thing that may surpass the regular protein and it is the ability of casein to keep you full for longer periods which can help in weight loss programs. But the price of casein is much higher than Protein Powder.
Pros
- Can reduce Hunger ( optimal for weight loss programs)
- Perfect for Intermittent Fasting
- The same benefits from Regular Protein Powder
- Added Zinc & Magnesium
- Contains more calcium than regular protein
Cons
- More expensive than regular protein
7. Prelab Pro Preworkout
Best Energy Muscle Recovery Supplement
PreLab Pro Preworkout is not a product created specifically to aid recovery. It is a very good pre-workout that improves focus, concentration, energy, and power in the gym. It’s all made from natural ingredients and is safe for health, unlike some other pre-workouts. Outside of its energy benefits this supplement is well-researched and is shown that aids in muscle recovery. There are 2 main reasons for this.
- Contains L-citrulline & Setria: These ingredients are proven to reduce fatigue and boost Muscle Recovery
- Contains Essential for Recovery Minerals and Vitamins . ( Such as Vitamin D3 , B complex Vitamins , Potassium and so on)