Best Supplements for Muscle Recovery: Get Into Shape

Muscle soreness prevents you from improving your fitness levels? Use one of the best supplements for muscle recovery we write about. All of them are safe for your health and there is a significant chance that these products will help you maximize your performance and enhance endurance. 

What’s more, we also cover the basics of what you need to do to build up stamina: be sure to take care of the foundation of your general health before giving a try to various dietary supplements. 

1. Healthy Lifestyle, Enough Rest, and Advanced Recovery Methods

Your muscle recovery won’t be satisfactory if you don’t treat your body to a good night’s sleep and go without food that is rich in proteins, vegetables, and fruits. It is also important that you keep away from alcohol and tobacco: they do damage to both your overall health and muscle endurance.

Give your muscles enough time to recover: after a light training session you might only need a day to return to the peak of your performance, while a very intense workout may require a considerably longer time. 

There is scientific evidence that massage, the use of compression garments, contrast water therapy, and cryotherapy can help reduce muscle soreness. Try them out and find which of these recovery methods works best for you.

2. Keep Your Body Hydrated

Dehydration hinders the ability of the muscles to repair after a workout. This is especially true if the weather is hot or humid. Drink from 16 to 24 ounces (470 to 710 milliliters) of fluid for every pound (450 grams) you lose while working out. Use special electrolytes to make up for salt and other compounds you lose with sweat.

Here is one of the most popular electrolyte drink mixes on iHerb:

Hydration Multiplier with a natural lemon lime flavor, 10 stick packs by Liquid I.V.

• Non-GMO, no artificial flavors, sweeteners, and colors
• Includes vitamin C and B vitamins
• 1 stick is enough to get 16 oz (approximately 500 ml) of water for optimal hydration

3. Protein

Physical activity does damage to your muscle fibers; to repair it your body needs the raw material in the form of proteins. Research shows that to maximize muscle growth and boost the synthesis of new fibers you need to take protein both before and after your workout. Eat 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein for each kilogram of your body weight (equals 0.18 to 0.22 grams per pound) before you start working out and the same quantity after the exercise session is over.

If you are looking for the best protein supplement for muscle recovery, try hydrolyzed whey protein which has significantly higher bioavailability than other protein types. 

Here is one of the highest-rated hydrolyzed whey proteins on iHerb:

Platinum Hydro Whey, Chocolate flavor, 1.64 kg by Optimum Nutrition

• 30 grams of proteins in 41 grams of the powder
• Contains no banned substances
• Can be added to water, milk, or some other beverage
• Dependable brand

4. Tart Cherry Concentrate

There is a popular belief that drinking tart cherry juice helps to reduce muscle soreness after a training session. In 2014 there was a study in which 23 athletes took supplements with tart cherry extract (in a daily dose of 480 mg) for 10 days. The athletes reported that they experienced reduced pain perception after their workouts. 

Although further large-scale research of tart cherry properties is necessary, you may give this extremely well-tolerated supplement a try to find out whether it works for you. Here is one of the best supplements for workout recovery on iHerb that contains tart cherry extract.

Tart Cherry, 90 capsules, 500 mg per capsule by NOW Foods

• Dependable brand
• Made from non-GMO Montmorency tart cherry grown in the USA
• 50:1 concentration

5. Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is the most-researched supplement form of creatine, a complex organic compound that helps the body to recycle ATP, energy molecules used by living cells. Creatine is the best muscle recovery supplement for both runners and bodybuilders: it enhances strength and improves aerobic endurance.

A 2003 study made a conclusion that creatine increases power and performance in anaerobic work by 5 to 15 percent. In another 2003 study, it was demonstrated that creatine supplementation led to an increase in muscle mass and leg strength.  

What’s more, there is ongoing research into the beneficial effects of creatine on brain function. It looks like it may help the elderly in maintaining cognitive abilities.

Here is how you need to take creatine to archive maximal athletic performance:

• On the day of your workout use the compound in the daily dose of 20 to 25 grams divided into four or five equal 5 grams intakes
• In order to get the maximal overall level of intramuscular creatine, you may try dividing the daily dose of 20 to 25 grams into equal 1 gram intakes and take them every 30 minutes
• On the days between your workouts take 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate in several equal doses.

Creatine is usually well-tolerated and safe to use: there were found no detrimental side effects of creatine in people who consumed high daily doses of it (up to 30 grams) for as long as five years. Still, individual doses of 5 grams and more can cause diarrhea in some people; thus, if you have never taken creatine before, do not start from a high dosage.

If you wonder, what’s the single best supplement for muscle recovery, try creatine monohydrate. Here is one of the highest-rated creatine supplements on iHerb:

Creatine Monohydrate Powder, pharmaceutical grade, 1000 grams by ALLMAX Nutrition

• Micronized to an ultra-fine powder for better bioavailability
• Contains no banned substances
• Can be dissolved in water or juice; you can add it to the liquid you use for hydration
• Comes with a free scoop
• Well-known reputable brand

6. BCAAs

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine, and valine) account for about 18 percent of all amino acids found in muscle proteins. BCAAs are important for both protein synthesis and energy production.

It was found that BCAA supplementation can improve athletic performance and reduce fatigue. In a 1997 study, it was demonstrated that athletes who were given BCAAs, perceived their exertion to be about 7% lower compared to those who were given a placebo. What’s more, a 2018 study suggests that BCAAs (especially leucine) can help to increase muscle mass. 

The recommended daily dosage depends on your mass: take 200 mg of BCAAs per every kilogram (equals 91 mg per pound) of your body weight. It is still not known what is the best time for taking BCAAs: right before or after the exercises. You might try splitting the total daily dose into two equal ones and take the first of them right before and the second one right after your workout.

You can buy the best supplements for muscle repair on iHerb. Here is one of the most popular BCAA supplements in this online store:

The Original 7G BCAA, lemon-lime flavored, 1.26 kilograms by Xtend

• 7 grams of BCAAs per serving
• Includes electrolytes for hydration — no need to purchase a separate electrolyte drink
• A scoop of the supplement needs to be dissolved in 10-14 fl. oz. (300-410 ml) of water
• Additionally contains vitamin B₆
• No sugar and no calories
• Reputable brand 

7. Citrulline Malate

The body converts citrulline malate from dietary supplements into nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow. As a result, oxygen and nutrients (including proteins) get faster to the muscles and the concentration of lactate acid that causes the pain in the muscles drops down more quickly.

In a 2015 study cyclists who took citrulline were able to cycle for a markedly (12%) longer time before feeling exhaustion compared to those who were given a placebo.

In another 2015 study, it was established that citrulline malate may be useful for boosting exercise performance; it was also demonstrated that athletes’ muscle soreness in the two days after the exercise session was about 40% lower when they consumed citrulline malate before exercising.

Citrulline supplements are considered safe and well-tolerated; the recommended daily dose of the compound is 8 grams.

Here is one of the best citrulline supplements for quick muscle recovery on iHerb:

Citrulline Malate, 200 g (7.0 oz) by Primaforce

• Reputable brand
• Purity and potency tested
• Unflavored

Hope, now you know what helps muscles recover fast. Use the best supplements for muscle recovery we described and stay fit! See you next time!