Although weight loss is a very common goal, many people actually want to gain weight. Some of the common causes include improving daily functioning, muscle building and athletic development. Generally, those who want to gain weight should focus on gaining muscle. It is usually healthier to gain more of your weight as muscle than fat. Although diet and exercise are very important in gaining muscle mass, supplements can also help by providing calories and protein or by allowing you to exercise more.

Here are the 4 supplements that may help you in gaining weight –

1. Protein

Most people know that protein is an important part of muscle. Several studies have shown increased muscle gain in older adults who use protein supplements as part of their diet. However, the most important thing is probably your daily amount of protein intake rather than whether it comes from supplements or foods. As a general recommendation, the Institute of Medicine recommends that 10-35% of your daily calories come from protein. Most scientists agree that a daily consumption of 0.6-0.9 grams per pound (1.4-2.0 grams per kilogram) of body weight per day is appropriate to support muscle growth in active adults. If you are able to use this recommended amount of protein in your diet naturally then protein supplements are not required.

However, many people consider supplements in the form of shakes or bars as an easy way to incorporate large amounts of protein into a busy schedule. Another way to help determine if you are eating enough protein without dietary supplements is to track your diet for a few regular days. You can use free resources like USDA SuperTracker, MyFitnessPal or other similar apps or websites.

It is also important to note that eating a high-protein diet will not cause weight gain unless you eat enough calories overall. In fact, some studies indicate that high-protein diets can promote fat loss, perhaps by boosting your appetite after eating and reducing your intake.

Creatine

Creatine is a chemical found in the body, dominantly in our muscles and the rest about 5% is found in the brain, liver, pancreas and kidneys. It is stored in the form of phosphocreatine in the muscles and is used to generate energy from there. It allows the body for shorter recovery time and intensive workouts and provides quick in-workout muscle recovery.

Creatine in the oral form is used as a performance-boosting substance by individuals who are involved in intensive activities, athletes and by people in their middle age. Creatine is generally acquired from meat and sea food. Artificial creatine is used to create a short boost in performance by athletes and bodybuilders and helps in increasing muscle mass.

Some of the benefits of consuming it are-

• Instant Performance boost
• Strength:
• Mental benefits
• Medical Treatments
• Improves muscle strength in old adults
• Increases muscle mass

Weight Gainers

The main function of weight gainers is to help you get more calories and protein. Typically, they’re used by individuals who find it hard to gain muscle. Some people struggle to gain muscle, even when they consume substantial amounts of calories and lift weights.

Weight Gainers are nutrition supplements that support the muscle & help in weight gain by giving additional calories to the body. Lean Gainer & Mass gainer are two key types of weight/mass gainers. Choose the type of mass gainers depending on your health goals and body type. It’s pretty common for a weight gainer to contain over 1,000 calories per serving, however, it can vary from one supplement to another.

Often, there are 75–300 grams of carbs (that’s where most of the calories come from) and 20–60 grams of protein per serving present in these high-calorie supplements. It’s recommended to go for weight gainers if you are struggling to eat enough food.

Exercise-Enhancing Supplements

There are very few supplements that can help in weight and muscle gain without exercise. However, there are some supplements available that may help you exercise harder, which could lead to more muscle gain over time.

Caffeine                                                                           

For many people, the best way to start a day is with a mug of tea/coffee. Reportedly, Coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian shepherd. He noticed that it gave extra energy to his goats. The late 1800s was the time when caffeinated soft drinks hit the market, which was soon followed by energy drinks. Nowadays, a caffeinated product is consumed each day by 80% of the world’s population.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee, and cacao plants. The natural sources of caffeine are seeds, nuts, or leaves of certain plants. Caffeinated foods are produced by harvesting & processing these natural resources. The caffeine follows the path from the gut (where it is quickly absorbed) into the bloodstream, then to the liver, where it finally breaks down into compounds, affecting the function of different organs. The major effect of caffeine is on the brain. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system. It works by blocking the effects of a neurotransmitter called adenosine (which is responsible for relaxing the brain and making you feel tired). Caffeine may also escalate blood adrenaline levels & brain activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. This further stimulates the brain and promotes a state of arousal, attentiveness, focus & prevents the onset of tiredness. Caffeine is often referred to as a psychoactive drug as it affects your brain.

Citrulline

Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid, first found in watermelon. It is considered non-essential as our body can naturally produce some on its own. Our body changes L-citrulline into nitric oxide & in another amino acid called L-arginine. The body needs some ingredients to make certain proteins; L-citrulline might help to increase the supply of them. It might also help to improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure by opening up veins and arteries. 

Rather than relying on your body’s production alone, it’s better to additionally rely on food & supplements. Eating foods containing citrulline is a natural way to increase your citrulline levels. Watermelon, pumpkins, cucumber, bitter melon, gourds are some of the known foods to include citrulline. If this is not possible, then taking dietary supplements may help.

Most of the amino acids are used to build proteins but unlike them, citrulline has important roles other than this. Citrulline produces several vital effects on the body. One of them is vasodilation (widening of blood vessels). It’s fascinating that consuming citrulline may increase arginine in the body more than consuming arginine itself. The reason being how the body processes and absorbs arginine and citrulline is different.

Among dietary supplements, L-citrulline (refers to citrulline itself, nothing else attached) & citrulline malate (citrulline + another compound called malate) are the two major forms available. Although the two of them produce some similar effects, malate is consumed more in sports supplements. 

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that reduces tiredness/exhaustion and may increase exercise performance. Additionally, if you are following an exercise program, beta-alanine may help increase muscle mass. A study done on college wrestlers and football players showed that taking 4 grams of beta-alanine daily for 8 weeks increased lean body mass more than a placebo.

Reportedly, there’s another study that showed that adding a beta-alanine supplement to a high-intensity interval training program for 6 weeks increased lean body mass (approx. 0.45 kg) more than a placebo.

Taking excessive amounts of beta-alanine may cause an abnormal sensation on the skin, typically tickling/tingling (paraesthesia). The affected spots are usually the face, neck, and back of the hands. Therefore, it’s recommended to take small doses — around 800 mg at a time.

To sum it all up, sufficient exercise and proper nutrition are the most important lifestyle factors allowing you to gain weight and muscle. More specifically, you need to intake more calories than used by your body and eat more protein than broken down by your body.

Some dietary supplements such as weight gainers, creatine and protein can be convenient ways to help you consume more calories & help with weight gain. Other supplements may help you exercise harder & provide a stronger stimulus to which your muscles need to adapt, such as – caffeine, citrulline and beta-alanine.