The quality of a protein is determined by a couple different methods that check for protein absorption. Whey protein is the highest, followed by other animal protein sources like eggs, and plant-based proteins have the lowest absorption[1]. Consequently, the quality of the protein mirrors its capacity to help you build muscle. This is because of the concentration of branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs) found in these different protein sources. The BCCAs, specifically leucine, trigger the cascade of events that signal your body to build new proteins[1].

Fortunately, BCAAs can be purchased as a stand-alone supplement. So if you are restricted in your diet to only eating plant-based proteins, simply combine your protein shake with a BCAA supplement and you’ll improve the absorption of your protein and your ability to build muscle from it.

Creatine is the product of three naturally occurring amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine[2]. When you generate energy for physical activity or other activities of daily living, the first energy system you rely on is called the phosphocreatine system. We primarily rely on this energy system for about the first 10 seconds of activity. If you are participating in power training, sprinting, strength training, or a sport where the plays are around 10 second bouts (like football), then you are heavily relying on your body’s phosphocreatine system. After you exhaust your phosphocreatine system, it can take up to 2 – 5 minutes for it to be fully restored³. Supplemental creatine helps you to restore spent creatine faster, so you can give it your full effort on your next set quicker. 3 Creatine is known to support increasing your 1-repetition maximum strength, power-sport performance, training intensity, as well as increase muscle mass. 1,3,4

Beta-alanine works as a buffer during high-intensity exercise. If you’re looking to bulk up, then this is a good product to have on your radar. Building muscle is about exercising at moderately high intensities with relatively little rest between bouts or sets, and high volumes of work. This will create a really acidic environment locally at the muscles, which correlates with an increase in anabolic hormones, like growth hormone, to be circulated throughout the blood stream. 3 The problem is that working out at high volumes at a high enough intensity can result in that burn you feel in the muscles that can impede with your exercise performance. Buffers, like beta-alanine, postpone that acidosis threshold, allowing you to work harder longer and sustain those acidic environments a little more tolerable, which are associated with building muscle mass. 5

HMB is a derivative of leucine, which was mentioned above, and has a similar role to leucine in triggering muscle development in the body. Our bodies can produce a small amount of HMB from about 5% of the dietary leucine we get from the various protein sources we eat in the day—so it may not be a bad idea to add HMB to your supplement cupboard even if you are consuming BCAAs. 6

Additional tips to help bulk up your protein shakes are to use fruit-juice as your starting liquid for mixing. Many amino acids rely on available carbohydrates, like those in juice, to absorb well into the muscle. Furthermore, if you are drinking this mass-building cocktail after a resistance workout, then using juice in a protein shake will serve an additional important role in restoring lost glycogen from your muscle. Glycogen is a storage form of glucose that is found in your muscle and in your liver, and you can exhaust a great portion of it from a high intensity bout of exercise. When your glycogen levels are low, as can be the case after intense exercise, your adrenal glands release hormones that can break down muscle tissue to produce new glucose. If this happens too much, you may experience some of the effects of overtraining—and your hard work to improve your health and fitness may plateau, or even decline. Eating sufficient carbohydrates and restoring that spent glucose after an intense workout not only helps you to spare your muscle, but it actually helps release different hormones that help to build up new muscle mass.

Combining these ingredients and making sure that your muscles have access to them when they need them (before and after the workout) will help you to workout harder, hit your goals faster, and reinforce the message to your muscles that it’s time to build more mass. For more information, swing by your local Natural Grocers and speak with a Nutritional Health Coach—while you’re at it, ask them when they’re teaching the free class Foods for Fitness!