John: Creatine is the best muscle builder by far, and it’s cheap. 1000grams of creatine monohydrate will probably only run you $50. That’ll last you months. After that you might look into some protein, and maybe some glutamine. I can’t point to any research that proves glutamine or protein helps with muscle building, but guys still seem to want to take them. You’ll most likely be given a sales pitch for some sort of “nitric oxide” stimulating product as well as branched chain amino acids and testosterone boosters. For true scientifically proven effectiveness for muscle building I can only recommend creatine. There is one other testosterone boosting ingredient that has got some recent research showing it might actually boost testosterone so that might be a product worth trying out, but then you’re getting into hormone manipulation that some people might not be comfortable experimenting with. On top of that, just because it might boost testosterone there is no evidence that it will cause an increase in muscle mass the way creatine does.
So for muscle building I think creatine approx $25/month, some protein $40/month, glutamine if you like $40/month, and testosterone booster approx $60/month.
Rusty (Follow-up): John…So really, someone could just invest in creatine and make sure they get enough protein from food or adding in a good protein powder. That sounds like an affordable solution, since creatine only costs $25 per month. For someone who wanted to gain muscle, without adding a bunch of fat…what would you suggest their protein intake be? I hear so many different answers, but what do you think is a good starting point?
John: Most people in north America already eat more than enough protein for muscle building so chasing some mythical amount of protein in hopes that you will build more muscle isn’t a smart investment of your energy. I just finished editing Brad’s new book on this very topic. The book is called “How Much Protein” and it’s the definitive answer about protein and muscle building.
Brad: Take the 200 dollars and give it to the biggest guy in the gym. Tell him all you want to do is train with him for the month. Try to lift the same weight as him. Become as competitive as possible. Strive to beat him in a lift. Imagine there are millions of people watching the two of you in competition and YOU are the underdog. Do everything you can to keep up and eventually best his lifts. It will be the best 200 you will ever spend.
Rusty (Follow-up): Brad…That is funny, but competition certainly is a great motivator. It also never hurts to workout with someone one step ahead of you. A related question…after the workout is complete, do you recommend a post workout shake or anything of that nature for someone looking to add size? The common advice is a fast absorbing protein shake after working out and then a well balanced meal an hour after that. I used to drink Nestle Quick mixed with non-fat milk after working out when I was younger and it worked well.
Brad: I’m just not sold on the whole post workout nutrition idea. Sure it has been shown to transiently increase markers of protein synthesis through measurement of surrogate endpoints...but what the hell does that mean? It’s also been shown to reduce protein breakdown and free radical production and possibly cortisol – but how do we know these are not necessarily components of the muscle building adaptation? Lastly, we’ve seen that you can increase the size and weight of muscle by taking creatine after your workout, and creatine supplies no known nutrient value, so muscles CAN grow without immediate post-workout calories. The timing story is interesting, but the panic-driven need to eat right after your workout otherwise you will get ZERO results seems to be driven more by marketing than logic.