Best supplements for muscle growth

Best supplements for muscle growth at a glance

• Best protein powder: Innermost The Strong Protein smooth chocolate flavour, £29.95
• Best protein bar: Barebells white salty peanut protein bar, £23.99 for 12
• Best vegan protein powder: Protein Works Vegan Wondershake Chocolate Bueno, £25.49/750g
• Best vegan protein bar: Trek Power Peanut Butter Crunch vegan protein bar, £1.85
• Best creatine: Innermost The Power Booster Creatine, £19.95
• Best pre workout supplement: Elite All Blacks Pre-Workout Fuel + Caffeine, £32.99

Jump to:

• Best protein powder
• Best protein bar
• Best vegan protein powder
• Best vegan protein bar
• Best creatine
• Best pre workout supplement

Best protein powder

Protein powders are the tried and tested way to increase your protein intake and build muscle. They provide the raw materials needed to grow muscle and are best taken after a workout. Whey protein, which is from milk, is well absorbed and contains all the essential amino acids. Another popular option is casein, also from milk but is absorbed more slowly meaning a longer delivery of protein throughout the day.

Innermost The Strong Protein smooth chocolate flavour

Available from Naturisimo (£29.95), Innermost (£29.95), Debenhams (£30)

Highest protein option per serving

• Grams of protein per serving: 34g per 40g serving
• Calories per serving: 147 kcals
• Type of protein: whey protein concentrate, whey isolate and casein
• Fat per serving: 1.1g (0.3g sat fat)
• Carbohydrates per serving: 0.8g (0.8g sugar)

This powder has a subtle chocolate flavour and mixes really well. It has a lot of protein per portion so great if you are trying to bulk up. It has a blend of whey and casein and also contains creatine which means you won’t have to take a separate supplement for that. It has a number of other ingredients including magnesium, which alongside creatine has a role in energy production and can reduce fatigue, and some anti-inflammatory compounds.

Available from:

• Naturisimo (£29.95)
• Innermost (£29.95)
• Debenhams (£30)

See our review of the best protein powders.

Best protein bar

Bars are a convenient way to get some protein following a workout as they are easy to carry around and can be tasty snacks. As with protein shakes, they are best eaten after a workout to support muscle repair and growth. There are different types of protein used in bars from whey and egg white to plant-based sources like soy and peanut, all of which are well absorbed.

Barebells white salty peanut protein bar

• Available from Barebells (£23.99 for 12), Ocado (£2.70 for 1)

Best no-added-sugar option
Star rating: 4/5

• Grams of protein per serving: 20g per bar
• Calories per serving: 209 kcals
• Type of protein: milk protein and collagen peptides
• Type of sweetener: maltitol, sucralose
• Fat per serving: 9.3g (3.7g sat fat)
• Carbohydrates per serving: 14g (1.5g sugar)
• Fibre per serving: 3.7g

This Barebells flavour is a winner in our book – a fluffy, slightly chewy bar, studded with caramel-dipped chunks of peanut, covered with a generous white chocolate coating. It’s a good choice if you don’t want any added sugar in your snack, although it does contain sweeteners maltitol and sucralose.

Available from:
Barebells (£23.99 for 12)
Ocado (£2.70 for 1)

Read our review of the best protein bars.

Best vegan protein powder

If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint or just reduce animal products in your diet, then plant-based supplements can help you do this. While it’s easy to get enough protein from vegan sources, it is worth noting that different plants contain different amino acids. Soy and pea proteins which are legumes, complement grain-based proteins like brown rice. Getting a range in your diet is important and looking out for this in your protein shake is an easy way to do this.

Protein Works Vegan Wondershake Chocolate Bueno

Available from Protein Works (£25.49/750g), Amazon (£44.41/750g)

Best premium vegan protein powder

Star rating: 4.5/5

• Grams of protein per serving: 20g protein per 25g serving
• Calories per serving: 94 kcals
• Type of protein: pea protein isolate, soy protein isolate, pumpkin seed protein, brown rice protein
• Type of sweetener: sucralose

This isn’t the cheapest vegan protein on the market but it has a range of different plant-based proteins making sure you get the range of essential amino acids. It also has 20g of protein per serving with a good flavour and texture. It’s sweetened with sucralose meaning it’s lower in sugar than some other vegan protein shakes so is a good choice if you are limiting your carb intake.

Available from:

• Protein Works (£25.49/750g)
• Amazon (£44.41/750g)

Read our review of the best vegan protein powders

Best vegan protein bar

Vegan protein can come from lots of different sources with peanut, soy and pea being the most common in protein bars. All are well absorbed by the body and have the additional benefit of containing fibre, which you don’t get from whey. Protein is best consumed following a workout to help provide nutrients for repairing and building muscle.

Trek Power Peanut Butter Crunch vegan protein bar

• Available from Sainsbury's (£1.85), Holland & Barrett (£1.68), Amazon (£31.20 for 16)

Best vegan protein bar for refuelling after exercise

• Protein per serving: 15.5g per bar
• Calories per serving: 229 kcals
• Type of protein: soya protein isolate, peanut flour
• Type of sweetener: dates, glucose syrup, cane sugar, date syrup, fruit juice concentrate
• Carbohydrates per serving: 14.9g (10.5g sugar)
• Fibre per serving: 6.6g

This Trek bar provides over 15g of protein (which is close to the 20g usually offered by a protein powder) but also contains about 20 per cent of your recommended fibre for the day. Although it has a fair amount of calories and sugar, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing after exercise as it will help replenish energy and glycogen stores in the muscles, aiding recovery.

Available from:

• Sainsbury's (£1.85)
• Holland & Barrett (£1.68)
• Amazon (£31.20 for 16)

Read our review of the best vegan protein bars

Best creatine

Creatine monohydrate is extremely well studied and is used by athletes to improve muscle growth and improve performance. It is naturally occurring in the body and works by regenerating energy in the cells so muscles recover more quickly between bursts of energy like in weight lifting. Unlike with some other exercise supplements there is no consensus about the best time to take creatine around your exercise, but taking 3-5g per day consistently, seems to be the most important thing.

Innermost The Power Booster Creatine

Available from Innermost (£19.95), Debenhams (£19.95), Bodykind (£19.95)

Best creatine supplement overall

Price per day (recommended dose): 33p
Star rating: 4.5/5

This flavourless powder can be mixed with any liquid, including other workout drinks like protein powders which makes it very convenient. One scoop will give you 166% of the minimum recommended effective dose. Although this isn’t the cheapest creatine supplement, you can get a free 15-minute consultation with Innermost to help you pick the best product for your personal situation.

Available from:

• Innermost (£19.95)
• Debenhams (£19.95)
• Bodykind (£19.95)

See our review of the best creatine

Best pre workout supplements

Pre-work supplements often have a range of different ingredients to prevent fatigue, improve recovery or even promote concentration. The pre-workout supplements that are best for muscle building should contain some protein and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) which will help muscle growth and repair, and creatine which helps muscles regenerate energy quickly which is useful for short bursts of activity in weight lifting.

Elite All Blacks Pre-Workout Fuel + Caffeine

Available from Healthspan (£32.99), Amazon (£33.23)

Price per day (recommended dose): £2.75

This pre-workout powder from All Blacks contains protein for muscle growth and some creatine for quick recovery between each rep. It also contains carbs meaning it can fuel a longer workout and caffeine which has been shown to improve endurance. Although this isn’t the cheapest pre-workout supplement on the market, it does offer a discount if you subscribe.

Available from:

• Healthspan (£32.99)
• Amazon (£33.23)

Check out our review of the best pre workout supplements

More health reviews

Best collagen supplements
Best magnesium supplements
Best vitamin C supplements
Best biotin supplements guide
Best iron supplements
Best zinc supplements
Best ashwagandha supplements
Best joints supplements

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.