Top 10 Best Supplements for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain (2023)
Looking for the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain? At least a couple of the supplements on this list will be exactly what you need!
Even better, my list of the best supplements for muscle gain and weight loss will help you decide which supplements you need, which you don’t, and which might be better used at a different point.
Throughout my career as a professional basketball player, I have used a variety of workout supplements to support my body, including general health and body composition.
Additionally, while completing my Masters’s Degree in Nutrition Education at American University, I extensively studied supplements for athletic performance, body composition change, and improved general health.
Based on my experiences as a professional athlete and my educational background, I believe the best supplements for muscle gain and weight loss are:
- Protein Powder
- Creatine Monohydrate
- Caffeine
- Carbohydrate Replenishing Supplements
- Beta-Alanine
- Amino Acids (BCAAs and EAAs)
- Citrulline Malate
- Turmeric
- L-Carnitine
- CLA
I ranked these supplements in order of which I think are the most important supplements for muscle gain and weight loss. So, if you are determining whether or not you should buy one of these supplements for muscle gain and weight loss, you can start from the top and work your way down.
However, some people have different needs based on their body type. In that case, feel free to browse around based on what you already have heard and what you would like to learn more about.
The Best Supplements for Muscle Gain and Weight Loss
Whether you’re looking to maintain your muscle mass or browsing for information on how to get shredded, you’re looking at the right article.
Keep reading below to learn more about these weight loss and muscle-building supplements.
1.) Protein Powder
Protein supplements can affect body composition by influencing muscle and fat mass.
Adequate protein intake is necessary for maintaining and building muscle tissue, as amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are required for muscle protein synthesis. When combined with exercise, particularly strength training, protein supplementation can increase muscle protein synthesis, leading to increased muscle mass and strength.
In addition to increasing muscle mass, protein supplementation may also impact body fat mass.
Protein has a high thermogenic effect, meaning that it requires a greater amount of energy to digest compared to other macronutrients. This can lead to an increase in resting energy expenditure, which can contribute to the reduction of body fat mass.
Furthermore, to improve your body composition and reduce your body fat percentage, protein supplementation before weight training can increase resting energy expenditure the day after weight training. This increase in resting energy expenditure contributes to improved body composition and reductions in body fat mass.
Additionally, protein has been shown to increase feelings of fullness, which may lead to a reduction in overall energy intake and potentially result in weight loss and a reduction in body fat mass.
Overall, protein supplementation can improve body composition by increasing muscle mass and potentially decreasing body fat mass, leading to an improved ratio of muscle to fat in the body.
While it is possible to obtain all the protein required through dietary sources, protein supplements can be particularly useful for individuals who need additional protein beyond what they consume in their diet.
Research suggests that optimal muscle gain is achieved at a protein intake of 1.6-1.8 g/kg of body weight, a level some individuals may struggle to reach through diet alone.
Whey protein supplements, like Xwerks Grow Whey Protein Isolate, are the most common protein powder supplement for gaining muscle and weight loss.
However, I use plant protein powder instead of whey protein.
I suggest you choose a vegan protein supplement because vegan protein supplements also offer additional micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, that are not typically found in whey protein supplements.
For example, some vegan protein sources are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that may have various health benefits.
In my opinion, the best vegan protein powder supplement is Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein & Greens!
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2.) Creatine Monohydrate
Second on my list of best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain is creatine monohydrate.
Creatine monohydrate is the most well-researched supplement for athletic performance and has repeatedly demonstrated that it is a great supplement for muscle gain and weight loss.
According to the International Sport Med Journal, creatine supplementation improves muscle mass development through several pathways, including increased muscle glycogen and phosphocreatine, faster phosphocreatine resynthesis, increased endocrine and growth factor mRNA expression, or indirectly through increased training volume.
There are multiple types of creatine supplements, and there are multiple theories about the best way to use creatine supplements for weight loss and muscle gain, but I believe the optimum dose of creatine monohydrate is 3-5g per day, taken with a source of carbohydrates.
Although you can take creatine specifically before or after training, the effect is relatively similar no matter when you take your dosage.
There are many good creatine monohydrate products, but I prefer Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate:
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3.) Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the best supplements for muscle gain and weight loss and one of the only research-backed performance-enhancing supplements.
The performance-enhancing effects of caffeine have been studied for over 100 years, and benefits of caffeine intake include:
- Improved Focus and Concentration
- Increased Motivation for Training
- Increased Fat Oxidization
- Less Connection with Fatigue Receptors
- Reduced Soreness Following Training Sessions
There are multiple ways that you can take caffeine to help with weight loss and muscle gain.
Drinking coffee or green tea before a workout are two natural sources of caffeine that can assist with weight loss and muscle gain due to their natural properties.
Alternatively, you could decide to drink a pre-workout supplement that contains caffeine and other ingredients on my list of best supplements for muscle gain and weight loss.
One of my favorite caffeine-containing pre workout supplements for weight loss is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre Workout.
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Learn More: Coffee vs. Pre Workout Supplements
4.) Carbohydrate Replenishing Supplements
Although you might have an ingrained fear of carbohydrates from years of sensational headlines, it is important to remember that “fat burns in a carbohydrate flame.”
Carbohydrates are necessary for fat oxidation, and adequate carbohydrate intake is key for weight loss and muscle gain.
For optimal muscle recovery and workout performance, you should aim for 6-8 g/kg of body weight of carbohydrate intake per day.
Taking a carbohydrate supplement after your workout can help refuel your muscles to promote maximal muscle repair, long-term strength adaptations, and better body composition.
In my opinion, the best carbohydrate supplement is Swolverine Clean Carbs. Swolverine Clean Carbs is a complex carbohydrate supplement that contains carbs from sweet potatoes, yams, and oats.
Also, it is only flavored with natural flavors and stevia.
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5.) Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is another muscle mass building and weight loss supplement that helps you improve your body composition by increasing your workout capacity.
Beta-alanine is especially effective because it buffers lactic acid build-up within the body, increasing your ability to do intense aerobic and anaerobic workouts. Over time, you will develop much more lean muscle mass because you will be able to lift more weight and perform longer workouts.
Studies have shown that taking 3.2 grams of beta-alanine per day is the optimal dose, and you should split this dosage up throughout your day in 3-4 smaller doses.
In my opinion, the best beta-alanine supplement is:
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As with citrulline malate, many pre workout supplements already contain an optimal amount. However, you may need your own beta-alanine supplement to ensure you get enough each day for maximum results.
6.) Amino Acid Supplements (EAAs)
Although you should consume the majority of your amino acids through whole foods or a protein powder supplement that contains the full range of amino acids, EAAs (essential amino acids) are great supplements for weight loss and muscle gain because they provide easily-digestible amino acids that you can take before workouts, during workouts, or after workouts to promote lean muscle mass gain and body fat loss.
Although the evidence is inconclusive, research backs the benefits of amino acid supplements for improved muscle recovery, enhanced muscle mass development, and fat loss because amino acid supplements are absorbed quicker than whole protein sources and offer an effective way to improve body composition.
Additionally, amino acid supplements can reduce the onset of fatigue during workouts due to slowing the uptake of tryptophan to the brain, providing more energy for longer and more intense workouts!
However, a problem with taking BCAA (branch chain amino acid) supplements all the time is that your body may create an imbalance of necessary amino acids.
According to a study published in Nature Metabolism, long-term exposure to high BCAA diets leads to fat development, obesity, and reduced lifespan, caused by a shift in the quantity of BCAAs compared to other amino acids.
Due to that, a better option is to use an EAA supplement instead of a BCAA supplement, which contains the nine essential amino acids to create a protein. EAA supplements contain a wider variety of amino acids and will not have the risk of developing a long-term amino acid ratio imbalance.
In my opinion, the best EAA supplement is RSP Nutrition Amino Lean.
RSP Nutrition Amino Lean is great because it contains additional natural fat burners and supplements for weight loss and muscle gain on this list.
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7.) Citrulline Malate
Citrulline malate is one of the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain, and it is also one of the most underappreciated supplements.
Citrulline malate promotes vasodilation and better blood flow. Due to this, citrulline malate increases aerobic and anaerobic energy, human growth hormone (HGH) production, the flow of nutrients throughout your body, and stimulates better responses from your circulatory system.
Studies have shown that taking citrulline malate before training increases your work capacity and decreases muscle soreness after training.
Research indicates that about 6 grams of citrulline malate taken before a workout can help with workout capacity and subsequent body composition changes.
In my opinion, the best citrulline malate supplement is:
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Some pre workout supplements contain an adequate amount of citrulline malate, so you may not need to buy an individual citrulline malate supplement. Stim-free pre workout supplements are usually particularly high in citrulline malate.
8.) L-Carnitine
Although L-carnitine is generally known as a weight-loss supplement, it is also useful for building muscle. L carnitine is one of the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain because it reduces blood lactate from accumulating and reduces recovery time from exercise.
Personally, I believe the best L-carnitine supplement is:
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9.) CLA
CLA is a supplement many believe is only beneficial for weight loss but is actually a great supplement for muscle mass and weight loss. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to help reduce body fat or increase lean body mass while improving exercise outcomes.
In this study, the dosage of CLA used was 0.9g per day. Other studies on CLA suggest using 2-4g of CLA per day for the best results.
In my opinion, the best CLA supplement is:
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10.) Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain because it promotes a healthy basal metabolic rate, fights free radical cells, reduces muscle damage, pain, and fatigue from exercise, and improves your overall health so you can train longer and more intensely.
The dosage of turmeric you need to promote weight loss and muscle gain depends on which turmeric supplement you choose.
In my opinion, the best turmeric supplement for weight loss and muscle gain is Okinawa Triple Turmeric:
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Concluding Thoughts – The Best Supplements for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
For more information on dietary supplements, the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website is an excellent resource.
Although there are tons of other dietary supplements you can try, these supplements have at least a minimum amount of scientific evidence that states they are effective for assisting with weight loss and muscle gain.
If you would like to learn more about the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain, you can check out this YouTube video I made:
