The Best Muscle-Building Supplements for Women

The Best Muscle-Building Supplements for Women

There's extensive evidence that women can enhance muscle gain by increasing their protein intake with protein powders and by supplementing with essential amino acids (EAAs) and creatine: 

Whey Protein Powder

A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism investigated the impact of whey protein supplementation on muscle mass in older women undergoing resistance training (Sugihara Junior et al., 2018). The results showed that the whey protein group experienced significantly greater increases in skeletal muscle mass (+4.8% vs. +2.3%) and strength (+8.7% vs. +4.9%) compared to the placebo group.

Calories and Macronutrients per 100 Grams of Whey Proteins from Bodybuilding Warehouse, Myprotein, and Optimum Nutrition* 

Whey protein is often referred to as the "gold standard" protein powder as it provides a complete protein (i.e., it has an abundance of all essential amino acids). However, other types of protein powder, such as rice powders, pea powders, and soy powders, also have comprehensive amino acid profiles. Additionally, they often have as much protein as whey protein powder.

Calories and Macronutrients per 100 Grams of Brown Rice, Pea, and Soy Proteins from Bodybuilding Warehouse, Myprotein, and Sevenhills*

If you're interested in learning more about how these protein powders can help with building muscle, check out my article on how plant and whey protein powders can help with the development of skeletal muscles. 

Essential Amino Acids

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging found that supplementation with EAAs significantly increased lean mass in healthy elderly women, counteracting age-related muscle loss (Negro et al., 2019). 

Popular EAA powders include:

• Impact EAA (Amazon) (average rating: 4/5) – a powder providing all essential amino acids (including lots of leucine), available in two flavours
• The EAA (average rating: 4.14/5) – a powder providing all essential amino acids (including lots of leucine) and with additional vitamins and minerals, available in four flavours
• The EAA Sample (average rating: 3/5) – as above, but a small and very inexpensive sample
• My Vegan EAA (average rating: 4.17/5) – a vegan powder providing all essential amino acids (including lots of leucine), available in a couple of flavours

Popular Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) powders include:

• Essential BCAA 2:1:1 Powder (average rating: 4.18/5) – a powder providing leucine, isoleucine, and valine in a 2:1:1 ratio, available in various flavours
• Essential BCAA 4:1:1 Powder (average rating: 4.29/5) – as above, but with a 4:1:1 ratio
• Vegan BCAA Powder (average rating: 4.36/5) – a vegan powder providing leucine, isoleucine, and valine in a 2:1:1:ratio, available in "unflavoured"
• Vegan BCAA Sustain Sample (average rating: 4.6/5) – a small and very inexpensive sample providing leucine, isoleucine, and valine in a 2:1:1 ratio, available in various flavours

You can also find a wide range of EAA and BCAA supplements on the Bodybuilding Warehouse website. 

You might also like my article on how BCAA and whey supplements compare for muscle building. 

Creatine Supplements

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that long-term creatine supplementation combined with resistance training significantly increased muscle mass in older women compared to a placebo (Aguiar et al., 2013). Additionally, the creatine group showed greater improvements in maximal strength and performance in submaximal-strength functional tasks over the 12-week period.

Popular creatine supplements include:

• Creatine Gummies (Amazon) (average rating: 4.44/5) – Lemon-flavoured gummies, each with 0.5 grams of creatine
• Creatine Monohydrate Tablets (Amazon) (average rating: 4.4/5) – Unflavoured tablets, each with 1 gram of creatine
• Micronised Creatine Capsules (average rating: 4.59/5) – Unflavoured capsules, each with 0.7 grams of an especially pure form of creatine
• Micronised Creatine Powder (average rating: 4.64/5) – An unflavoured powder comprised of an especially pure form of creatine
• Creatine Monohydrate Powder (Amazon) (average rating: 4.6) – An unflavoured creatine powder

You might also be interested in my article on how BCAAs and creatine compare in relation to increasing muscle size. 

The Best Muscle-Strength Supplements for Women

Protein supplements, EAAs, and creatine use have also all been linked to increases in strength in women when combined with weight training:

Whey Protein Powder

A randomised controlled trial (RCT) published in Nutrients examined the effects of whey protein supplementation before or after resistance training on strength in older women (Nabuco et al., 2018). The results indicated that both groups receiving whey protein experienced greater increases in muscular strength (+8.1% and +8.3%) compared to the placebo group (+7.0%), demonstrating whey protein's effectiveness in enhancing strength regardless of timing relative to resistance training.

If the thought of a protein shake every time you train doesn't do much for you, check out my article on the best protein and energy bars. 

Essential Amino Acids

As well as increases in lean mass, the aforementioned study by Negro et al. (2019) also reported that EAA supplements led to significant improvements in muscular strength and power in older women. 

EAAs are one of many supplements discussed in my articles on the best supplements for strength and the best supplements for older adults. 

Creatine Supplements

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nutrients found that creatine supplements combined with resistance training significantly increased upper-body strength in older women, with particularly notable gains in both upper- and lower-body strength when the training lasts at least 24 weeks (Dos Santos et al., 2021).

If you'd like to get better at lifting heavy weights, you might be interested in my article on how creatine and whey protein compare for increasing strength and in relation to other fitness goals. 

The Best Lean Muscle Mass Supplements for Women

Whey protein, EAAs, and creatine have also all been linked to increased lean muscle mass in women: 

Whey Protein Powder

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nutrition Reviews found that whey protein supplements modestly increased lean mass in women without affecting fat mass (Bergia et al., 2018). 

In addition to using protein powders to increase protein intake, you should consume protein-rich foods. For example, eggs are comparable to whey in terms of their amino acid and protein content. 

Essential Amino Acids

One study found that chronic supplementation with essential amino acids (EAAs) significantly increased lean body mass (LBM) and basal muscle protein synthesis in older women (Dillon et al., 2009). The acute anabolic response to EAA ingestion was maintained over a 3-month period, highlighting its potential to offset sarcopenia-related muscle loss.

You could also take a look at my article on how EAAs and BCAAs can help you grow bigger muscles. 

Creatine Supplements

In addition to increases in strength and muscle mass, the aforementioned study by Aguiar et al. (2013) found that supplementing with creatine monohydrate led to significant improvements in fat-free mass in older women. 

If you're interested in learning more about the current research on creatine, check out my article comparing creatine and glutamine. 

The Best Muscle Recovery Supplements for Women

Whey protein, EAAs, and creatine have also been linked to improvements in recovery in women: 

Whey Protein Powder

A study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism investigated the effects of whey protein on recovery in physically active women following repeated-sprint exercise (Brown et al., 2018). The findings suggest that whey is beneficial for reducing exercise-induced muscle damage and improving muscle function recovery, as evidenced by greater improvements in flexibility, reactive strength index, and reductions in creatine kinase levels compared to a carbohydrate group. Such effects may be related to the capacity of whey to stimulate the proliferation of satellite cells (Farup et al., 2014). 

If you're not opposed to having animal protein, you might be interested in my article comparing whey and collagen proteins. 

Essential Amino Acids

Another study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism explored the impact of leucine in EAA supplements on recovery after resistance exercise in young women (Moberg et al., 2014). The results showed that leucine-enriched EAA supplements led to improved muscle recovery compared to EAA supplements without leucine.

If you stop by Myprotein to pick up some supplements, you might want to also check out their athletic apparel for women. 

Creatine Supplements

A study published in Nutrients evaluated the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on exercise recovery in women during different phases of their menstrual cycles (Gordon et al., 2023). It found that creatine showed a phase-specific improvement in the fatigue index during the high hormone phase, suggesting potential benefits in counteracting performance decrements associated with this phase.

You could also check out my article on supplements for teenage muscle growth and the best supplements for muscle recovery. 

The Best Athletic Performance Supplements for Women

Besides enhancing muscle mass, strength, and lean mass, protein, EAA, and creatine supplements can also improve women's athletic performance:

Whey Protein Powder

An RCT published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that 8 weeks of whey protein supplementation in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III female basketball players led to significant gains in lean mass, reductions in fat mass, and improvements in 1-repetition maximum bench press and agility compared to a control group (Taylor et al., 2016).

You could also check out my article comparing whey with soy and pea protein powders. 

Essential Amino Acids

One clinical trial found that 6 weeks of EAA supplementation significantly improved aerobic exercise performance, as indicated by increased treadmill time to exhaustion in untrained women (Antonio et al., 2000). 

You might also like my article on how BCAAs can benefit professional athletes.  

Creatine Supplements

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that creatine supplementation significantly improved muscle strength in female collegiate soccer players, with greater gains in bench press and full-squat maximal strength compared to the placebo group (Larson-Meyer et al., 2000).

You might also be interested in my article on how creatine can take the performance of athletes to the next level. 

The Best Supplements for Women for Overall Health

Vitamin C

Vitamin C supplementation has been linked to a wide range of potential health benefits for women, such as a reduced risk of heart disease (Osganian et al., 2003) and increased bone mineral density (Morton et al., 2001). Additionally, Vitamin C may reduce oxidative stress in female athletes (Taghiyar et al., 2013). 

Fatty Acids

There's evidence that women who take fatty acid supplements exhibit less inflammation (Haghiac et al., 2015), have a reduced risk of preterm birth (Hovarth et al., 2007), and may have increased fertility (Stanhiser et al., 2022). 

Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide supplements may benefit women by promoting the dilation of blood vessels, which can enhance blood flow and potentially lower blood pressure (Kiani et al., 2022). 

Common Questions About Sports Supplements

How much is enough protein?

How much protein you need depends on your activity level and weight. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that those who lift weights or train for endurance events eat between 1.2 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Therefore, a person who weighs 72 kilos (the average weight of a woman in the UK) would require between 86 and 122 grams of protein per day. 

However, according to Harvard Health, the recommended dosage for a sedentary woman is 0.8 grams of protein per day. Thus, a 72-kilo woman who doesn't engage in intense exercise may only require 58 grams of protein daily. 

What is creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in foods like red meat and human muscle cells. It helps produce energy during high-intensity exercise by increasing the availability of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through the conversion of creatine phosphate into ATP (Hargreaves & Spriet, 2020). In addition to enhancing exercise performance, creatine may benefit those with a range of conditions, such as Parkinson's, diabetes, and depression (Kreider et al., 2017). 

What are the side effects of creatine?

A common side effect of creatine supplementation is water retention, which can lead to weight gain (Powers et al., 2003). Less frequently, users may experience gastrointestinal issues such as stomach cramps and diarrhoea (Bizzarini & De Angelis, 2004; Poortmans & Francaux, 2000).

Final Words on the Best Dietary Supplements for Women 

If you're a woman looking to boost muscle growth, there's extensive evidence that protein, EAA, and creatine supplements can assist. Additionally, research suggests that these supplements can enhance muscle tissue strength and benefit athletic performance when combined with an exercise routine that includes resistance exercise. 

About the Author

Dave Robinson is a co-founder of ukfitness.pro and has a background in psychology (BSc) and neuroscience (MSc, PhD). As well as strength training, he enjoys endurance challenges and has completed marathons and ultramarathons, cycled across several countries, and completed the Three Peaks Challenge. When writing, he draws on scientific evidence to understand the pros and cons of different diets, supplements, and training regimes. 

As an Amazon Associate, the site earns from qualifying purchases.

Footnotes

*Macros, calories, and ratings can vary across flavours and as new versions are released. 

References

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