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Best supplements for muscle recovery of 2024
This content should not be considered medical advice. The information provided is not meant to diagnose or treat any health conditions. Consult with your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine or taking any new supplements.
If you exercise, then it's likely there have been times you couldn't head back to the gym the next day because your muscles were too sore. Muscle recovery plays a major role in ensuring we feel great and can continue on the journey towards better health. Recent research shows that the best muscle recovery supplements include L-glutamine, vitamin D, magnesium, creatine, and L-leucine.
Research shows that L-glutamine helps in faster recovery of peak torque and lessens muscle soreness following exercises like squats, pushups, deadlifts, curls and rows. It also reduces the level of circulating muscle damage markers after exercise. A daily dose of vitamin D, for at least a week, shows the ability to lessen muscle damage and inflammation after exercise. Magnesium shows promise to reduce muscle soreness after exercise, while creatine helps promote faster muscle recovery. Finally, L-leucine shows the potential to decrease muscle damage while increasing peak torque during recovery by about 10% as compared to placebo.
How we chose the best supplements for muscle recovery
When choosing the best supplements for muscle recovery, I used my experience in working with supplement companies over the years and recommending supplement products to patients. I also made sure the products contained ingredients that research has shown to have a positive impact on muscle recovery. Finally, I made sure that the products were certified by a reputable organization to ensure potency and safety measures were taken in the manufacturing process.
Top supplements for muscle recovery
- Best for protein powder: Muscle Milk Sleeping Giant
- Best L-Leucine supplement: Alani Nu Sour Peach Rings
- Best pure L-Glutamine: NutraBio L-Glutamine Powder
- Best potent L-Glutamine: Jacked Factory Fermented L-Glutamine
- Best magnesium: New Chapter Magnesium and Ashwagandha Supplement
Best for protein powder: Muscle Milk Sleeping Giant
About Muscle Milk Sleeping Giant
Muscle Milk Sleeping Giant Protein Powder is a versatile muscle recovery supplement that comes in a nutrient-rich, convenient powder formula. This protein powder comes in two delicious flavors: Hot Chocolate and Vanilla Caramel. It also contains melatonin to support sleep, vitamin D and calcium to support bone health, as well as potent protein content to help support muscle synthesis. With banned substance testing and NSF certification for Sports, Muscle Milk Sleeping Giant protein powder is one you can trust to help support your post-exercise muscle recovery.
Why we like it
- Helps support both sleep and muscle recovery
- Contains tart cherry powder to support reducing muscle soreness
- Excellent source of vitamin D and calcium
What to consider
- Limited flavor options
- Does not come in capsule form
- Contains artificial sweeteners
Best L-Leucine: Alani Nu Sour Peach Rings
- Contains L-leucine and L-glutamine
- Multiple delicious flavors available
- Banned substance tested
About Alani Nu Sour Peach Rings
Alani Nu Sour Peach Rings supplement is a potent blend of both L-leucine and L-glutamine for the ultimate muscle recovery support. As an added bonus, this powder comes in delicious and unique flavors like Sour Peach Ring, Hawaiian Shaved Ice and Sour Gummy.
Just one small scoop mixed with eight to 10 ounces of water can provide 500 milligrams of L-glutamine and five grams of BCAAs, including L-leucine, of which the latter shows promise for supporting reductions of muscle damage after exercise.
This sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan muscle recovery supplement is a perfect addition to any post-exercise supplements and routine. With production in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant facility, you can trust the safety and efficacy of this Alani Nu product.
Why we like it
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant
- Sugar-free
- Contains 500 milligrams of glutamine
What to consider
- Requires preparation since it does not come in a convenient capsule
- Contains artificial sweeteners
Best pure L-Glutamine: NutraBio L-Glutamine Powder
- 5 grams of L-glutamine per serving
- High Performance Liquid Chromatography Lab Tested
- Comes in 500 mg or 1000 mg formulas
About NutraBio L-Glutamine Powder
NutraBio L-Glutamine Powder is a versatile, unflavored muscle recovery product that you can consume with 100 mL of water or in combination with your favorite smoothie or protein drink for easy intake. This hypoallergenic muscle recovery product is ideal for just about anyone since it is also vegetarian-friendly. Not to mention that NutraBio L-Glutamine powder is kosher, sugar-free, non-GMO and gluten-free. With third-party testing using HPLC lab testing, you can ensure that this L-glutamine product is potent, pure and reliable to add to your post-exercise routine. Try NutraBio today in either the 500 g (100 servings) or 1000 g (200 servings) formulas for optimal muscle recovery support.
Why we like it
- Vegetarian-friendly
- Third-party tested for potency
- Contains pure form of L-glutamine
What to consider
- No flavor options
- Does not come in convenient supplement form
- No additional nutrients in formula
Best potent L-Glutamine: Jacked Factory Fermented L-Glutamine
About Jacked Factory Fermented L-Glutamine
Jacked Factory Fermented L-Glutamine powder product is a super potent form of this amino acid to help support muscle recovery. Its unflavored formula is easy to consume in a small amount of water or in your favorite fruit juice, smoothie or protein drink. With no additives, sweeteners, food dyes or artificial flavors, this vegan-friendly, non-GMO formula is ideal for just about any healthy lifestyle. Jacked Factory is made in a cGMP-certified and FDA-registered facility to ensure the potency of the product you buy. Therefore, you can trust Jacked Factory Fermented L-Glutamine is a high-quality product to enhance your post-exercise recovery.
Why we like it
- Potent 5000 mg L-glutamine formula
- No artificial flavors or fillers
- Easy to mix with water or in smoothies
What to consider
- No flavor options
- Does not come in convenient capsule form
- No additional nutrients
Best magnesium: New Chapter Magnesium and Ashwagandha Supplement
About New Chapter Magnesium and Ashwagandha Supplement
New Chapter Magnesium and Ashwagandha Supplement is a supplement product that not only supports muscle recovery but can help support relaxation with sleep. The magnesium content can also support bone and heart health.
This 100% vegan and certified gluten-free product is non-GMO project verified and certified OU kosher. Not to mention that this product is made with TRAACS® (The Real Amino Acid Chelate System) magnesium bis-glycinate and sea-sourced magnesium that is highly bioavailable. In once-daily tablets, New Chapter Magnesium and Ashwagandha supplements are a convenient and effective way to support muscle recovery.
Why we like it
- cGMP and FDA compliant in manufacturing
- Promotes relaxation, heart health and muscle recovery support
- Comes in convenient pill form
What to consider
- No amino acid content
- Not suitable for those who don’t like swallowing pills
- Some customers complain that it makes them nauseous
How to choose a supplement for muscle recovery
When choosing a supplement for muscle recovery, you should take certain factors into account. These factors include choosing products that are in the forms that you prefer, in flavors that you tolerate best and that do not contain any ingredients that you may be allergic to or intolerant to. Also, be sure that the product you choose has been made in a facility that has been certified by an organization like GMP and/or has undergone third-party testing to ensure potency and safety standards have been met.
Forms of muscle recovery supplements
More often than not, you'll find muscle recovery supplements in powder or pill form. For some, taking a pill or capsule is simple and convenient. For others, it's an impossible task. If swallowing a rather large pill isn't for you, powdered muscle recovery supplements will be the way to go. There are various flavors, and powdered supplements are easily added to other foods and drinks to make them even more palatable.
Ingredients
As previously mentioned, the most important ingredients to look for are L-glutamine, vitamin D, magnesium, creatine, and L-leucine. There is more science backing these ingredients up when it comes to muscle recovery than there is with others you may see. It's always important to check with your doctor before starting a new supplement to ensure it will work for you and there won't be interaction with other medications you may be taking.
Third-party testing
Third-party testing is utilized more and more these days. Serious fitness and nutrition brands understand that proving to their customers that the product options are clean and transparent is important. By choosing a muscle recovery supplement that uses third-party testing, you ensuring yourself that wellness and safety standards have been met.
Methodology
To compile this list, our writers and editors reviewed top products on the market, compared specs and features and created a short list of the top supplements on the market. Then, we used product descriptions, reviews and user ratings to find the best supplements for muscle recovery for each category. Note that we do not test every product but base our lists on our research, user reviews and expert opinions.
FAQ
Do you need muscle recovery supplements?
You don’t need muscle recovery supplements if you consume a daily diet rich in nutrients like magnesium and vitamin D that support muscle recovery naturally. Magnesium-rich foods include nuts, nut butter, beans, and legumes, while vitamin D is in fatty fish like salmon and trout or fortified milk or plant-based milk products. However, any additional supplement can enhance and perhaps speed up muscle recovery.
How do professional athletes recover so quickly?
Professional athletes have access to physical therapists and exercise physiologists that keep them up on the latest techniques to aid in muscle recovery. Not to mention that since their career depends on muscle health and performance, athletes will invest in whatever processes or products they need in order to recover their muscles after workouts.
How can I speed up muscle recovery?
To improve muscle recovery, make sure you give yourself time to rest. It's suggested that you give a muscle group two days of recovery before working it again. You can also utilize muscle recovery supplements, clothing geared toward compression, ice baths, massages and anti-inflammatory medications.
References
Caballero-García, A. and Córdova-Martínez, A. (June 2022) “Muscle Recovery and Nutrition.” Nutrients,14(12):2416. doi: 10.3390/nu14122416. PMID: 35745146; PMCID: PMC9230724. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9230724/
Hill, J.A., Keane, K.M., Quinlan, R., and Howatson, G. (March 2021) “Tart Cherry Supplementation and Recovery From Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab., 31(2):154-167. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0145. Epub 2021 Jan 13. PMID: 33440334. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33440334/
Khemtong, C., Tessitore, A., Jaime, S.J., Gobbi, G., Jensen, J., Yang, A-L, Kuo, C-H, and Condello, Giancarlo (2022) “Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation Does Not Accelerate Recovery after a Change of Direction Sprinting Exercise Protocol.” Nutrients, 14(20), 4331; Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204331
Legault, Z., Bagnall, N., and Kimmerly, D.S. (October 2015) “The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab., 25(5):417-26. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0209. Epub 2015 Mar 26. PMID: 25811544. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25811544/
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (updated September 18, 2023) “Vitamin D.” Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#h3
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (updated June 2, 2022) “Magnesium.” Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-healthprofessional/#h3
Reno, A.M., Green, M., Killen, L.G., O'Neal, E.K., Pritchett, K., and Hanson, Z. (August 2022) “Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness and Performance.” J Strength Cond Res., 36(8):2198-2203. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003827. Epub 2020 Oct 1. PMID: 33009349. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009349/
Rojano-Ortega, D. and Berral-de la Rosa, F.J. (June 2023) “Effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function and recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review.” J Hum Nutr Diet., 36(3):1068-1078. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13084. Epub 2022 Oct 3. PMID: 36149089. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36149089/
Waskiw-Ford, M., Hannaian, S., Duncan, J., Kato, H., Abou Sawan, S., Locke, M., Kumbhare, D., and Moore, D. (April 2020) “Leucine-Enriched Essential Amino Acids Improve Recovery from Post-Exercise Muscle Damage Independent of Increases in Integrated Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis in Young Men.” Nutrients,12(4):1061. doi: 10.3390/nu12041061. PMID: 32290521; PMCID: PMC7231404. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32290521/
Wax, B., Kerksick, C.M., Jagim, A.R., Mayo, J.J., Lyons, B.C., and Kreider, R.B. (June 2021) “Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations.” Nutrients,13(6):1915. doi: 10.3390/nu13061915. PMID: 34199588; PMCID: PMC8228369. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34199588/
