The Best Men’s Health Supplements
Supplements are a multi-billion-dollar industry, but it wasn’t until the last two decades that this happened. What started out as multivitamins, protein, and creatine has exploded into such variety that there is a supplement for literally every ailment you can imagine. This includes men’s health.
Men’s health supplements cover a range of possible uses from testosterone boosting to prostate care. However, for this article, we’re going to focus on the best men’s health supplements that can improve your workouts and your results.
Editor’s Picks
We understand how overwhelming buying supplements can be. You’re surrounded by literally dozens of brands and a pushy salesclerk. We get it. That’s why we personally tested dozens of the best men’s health supplements for improving your workout.
Every supplement was tested for potency, quality, and effectiveness for enhancing workout performance and recovery. We also made sure to check for label accuracy. Of all the brands that we tried, here are our picks for the best men’s health supplements for improving workouts:
- Theacrine: Best for endurance (physical and mental). We recommend Double Wood Supplements brand.
- Beta Alanine: Best for strength. We recommend Bulk Supplements.
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids: Best for lean tissue protection. We recommend Cellucor Xtend.
- Creatine: Best for muscular energy. We recommend NOW Sports Nutrition.
- Whey Protein Isolate: Best for post-workout recovery. We recommend Amazon Elements Grass-Fed 100% Whey Protein Isolate.
Best Men’s Health Supplements Reviewed
There are a few dozen ingredients that are popular as pre-workout and intra-workout supplements, but the following recommendations are especially useful for men. Here are our picks for the best men’s health supplements:
Theacrine
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Speaking of caffeine, studies show that when you pair caffeine with theacrine, you can extend the positive benefits of caffeine and reduce the side effects related to it. Subjects reported long lasting energy without feeling of anxiousness when using theacrine and caffeine together. Compared to the rest of the supplements on this list, theacrine is a relatively recent addition to an all-star line-up of workout enhancers. It’s a natural alkaloid found in the cupuacu fruit, which is related to cocao.
Theacrine is structurally similar to caffeine. In fact, they both activate the same receptors that give you that alert and jittery feeling, but there’s a huge difference between the two: theacrine gives you energy without the anxiety.
One study found that theacrine was effective for increasing cognitive and physical endurance, providing energy without the typical coffee crash. What’s unique about theacrine is the absence of anxiety, a side effect that is common in many stimulants, especially caffeine.
Theacrine has been shown to support both physical and mental endurance, making it ideal as an intra-workout supplement as much as a nootropic or brain-boosting supplement.
Theacrine is commonly found alongside other energy supplements, but if you want to purchase it on its own, we recommend the Double Wood Supplements brand. It provides 100 mg of theacrine per serving, which is the scientifically validated dosage. Also, it contains no harmful fillers or artificial ingredients.
Beta Alanine
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A common pre-workout ingredient, beta alanine is famous for that tingle and warmness it causes in your neck and ears. It is an amino acid that has been shown to be useful for intra-workout strength.
One study tested thirty subjects who were healthy and had some prior experience with strength training. Half of the group received a placebo and the other half received six grams of beta alanine each day for five weeks. The results? The group receiving the beta alanine demonstrated significantly higher levels of strength and power output during workouts.
What’s more, in that same study, researchers observed that the beta alanine group showed very promising increases in overall strength during the course of the five weeks of training.
Another study found that when you pair beta alanine with another supplement on our list, creatine, intra-workout strength performance and gains dramatically increased. Sure, using beta alanine and creatine on their own is effective, but the real benefits come when these two are paired together.
There are plenty of brands of beta alanine out there, but we like Bulk Supplements. This is a straight-to-the-point, no frills brand of beta alanine that is effective and inexpensive. There are no cheap fillers; just beta alanine.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
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Supporting a tough workout goes beyond giving yourself a supplement to boost energy and strength performance. You also have to protect the gains you’ve achieved from your weeks, months, or years of training.
If you are performing a high-intensity workout in a fasted state, for example, you put your lean muscle tissue at risk. Why? If there is no usable glucose (carbohydrates) or lipids (fats) to be used as fuel, your body will begin to break down lean tissue for energy. This is the last thing you want if your goal is to build more muscle mass. So what can you do? Take branched-chain amino acids.
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are made up of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. While there are 20 total amino acids in the human body, these three have shown exceptional benefit in the realm of exercise, performance, and recovery.
Leucine, in particular, has been shown to promote protein synthesis and an anabolic or growth-focused environment in muscle tissue. By promoting an anabolic environment, leucine helps to fight the risk for catabolism or muscle tissue breakdown.
What’s more, valine can help to protect lean tissue during workouts as well. Studies show that valine can increase glucose (sugar) uptake into the muscle tissue as fuel. This will spare the lean tissue from being broken down to serve as a fuel source.
An added benefit of using branched-chain amino acids during your workouts is that it can delay the onset of workout fatigue. Studies show that isoleucine and valine are exceptionally effective at preventing that feeling tiredness and fatigue, usually referred to as “hitting the wall.”
When it comes to choosing an efficient BCAA that tastes great, we recommend Cellucor Xtend. Not only does Xtend contain the same dosages found in many BCAA studies, but it also provides electrolytes, glutamine, and citrulline malate. Studies show that citrulline malate is effective in delaying workout fatigue and improving overall performance.
Creatine
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Creatine is a veteran supplement in the bodybuilding world, and it’s come a long way since its days of poor bioavailability and water bloat. Modern-day creatine is ultra-filtered, ensuring a high level of digestion and assimilation. What’s more, it no longer causes issues with bloating or kidney health.
As one of the most studied supplement ingredients, it should come as no surprise that creatine is a must-have for any workout routine. Studies show that once creatine is digested, it is broken down into a compound called adenosine triphosphate or ATP. This is the preferred fuel source of muscle tissue during workouts.
One study found that creatine supplementation led to greater performance during high-intensity exercise. That same study concluded the subjects saw better gains in muscle building and weight loss. Another more recent study echoed these same results.
It’s important to keep in mind that creatine is a unique supplement because of its recommended loading phase. In order to get the most benefit out of creatine in the shortest amount of time, it’s recommended to take 20 grams of creatine per day for the first week, then only five grams every day after that.
While it has been deemed safe for long term use, it’s still recommended to cycle off of it after a few months of use.
We like supplements that include as few extra ingredients as possible, which is why we recommend NOW Sports Nutrition. The only thing it contains is five grams of creatine per serving. What’s more, NOW is a trusted brand that’s been in the industry for years. The reviews speak for themselves.
Whey Protein Isolate
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Whey protein has been in the fitness industry the longest of any popular supplement. What’s more, there are a ton of studies to back up this muscle-building staple.
Whey protein isolate takes the average whey protein concentrate one step further. It is highly filtered, ensuring no less than 90% protein by weight. The best brands report closer to 97% protein by weight. Compare this to the average of 80% protein by weight in the best whey concentrate brands.
It’s during rest and recovery that the real gains happen. Crushing your workout is important, but what you choose to do after is even more important. Whey protein isolate is a fast-acting source of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle tissue.
Studies show that whey protein isolate can help to repair damaged muscle tissue. It is also a key factor in supporting protein synthesis, or the creation of muscle protein.
If your goals are muscle building or weight loss, whey protein isolate can help. Studies found that post-workout consumption of whey protein isolate was effective in supporting lean muscle tissue gains. Other studies concluded that it can help to stimulate your metabolic response, promoting caloric burning and helping with weight management.
We are big believers in proper sourcing of ingredients. Given the competition in the supplement industry, brands have to deliver a certain level of quality, and those who source their protein from grass-fed cows are elite quality. That’s why we recommend Amazon Elements Grass-Fed 100% Whey Protein Isolate. This is 100% grass-fed protein; not a blend that mixes two different protein sources. It’s also cost-effective, making it ideal for the bodybuilder on a budget.
What You Need to Know
Not all men’s health supplements for enhancing workouts are created equal. Here’s what to look for when considering men’s health supplements outside of the ones we’ve recommended:
Benefits
Energy: The best men’s health supplements for workouts will provide long-lasting levels of mental and physical energy. This ensures you’ll be able to get through your hour or two-hour workout without struggle.
Performance: Combining the ingredients we’ve mentioned above can have a significant impact on your intra-workout performance. Creatine and beta alanine alone have been shown to increase strength, endurance, and power output. Imagine what would happen if you combined all five ingredients.
Hormone Health: For men, maintaining healthy hormone levels is key for proper mental, physical, and cardiovascular health. Resistance training combined with the men’s health supplements above can promote proper testosterone and growth hormone production.
Cons
Proprietary Blends: Buying a blend that contains all of the ingredients above is a cost-effective and convenient way to enhance your workouts. The problem is when companies use proprietary blends. This is when they list what is in the supplement, but not the amount of each ingredients. This is a clever way to use less than what is scientifically recommended for results. It’s also a reason to buy each ingredient on its own.
Improper Dosage: Continuing with the point above, be on the lookout for supplements that don’t give you the proper dosage. You could be throwing your money away and skipping on results. Here’s a quick rundown of dosages to check for with each of the ingredients listed above:
- Theacrine: 100 mg per serving
- Beta alanine: 3 grams per serving
- BCAAs: 5 grams (2.5 grams of leucine / 1.25 grams of isoleucine / 1.25 grams of valine) per serving
- Creatine: 5 grams per serving
- Whey protein isolate: 20 to 30 grams per serving
Why Would Men Use Supplements?
Do you find yourself throwing in the towel halfway through your workout because you’re out of energy? Looking for a natural way to increase strength and power levels during your toughest sets? Want to ensure you keep performance levels high without sacrificing muscle tissue for fuel? This is exactly why you need to use men’s health supplements for your workouts.
The ingredients we listed above have the science behind them to ensure results. Adding just one of these supplements can have a positive outcome on your workout performance.