Nutritional Supplements for Muscle Hypertrophy: Mechanisms and Morphology-Focused Evidence.

ABSTRACT: Nutritional supplementation is widely used in resistance training, yet assessment of "hypertrophy" is often confounded by body-composition surrogates. This narrative review, anchored in mechanistic plausibility, integrates trials reporting morphology-direct outcomes (ultrasound/MRI). Across 46 eligible trials, protein/essential amino acids (EAA) showed consistent benefits when daily intake was <1.6 g·kg^-1·day^-1 or when per-meal leucine provision was <2-3 g; effects plateaued once intakes exceeded ~2.0 g·kg^-1·day^-1. Creatine monohydrate (3-5 g·day^-1, with or without loading) produced measurable increases in muscle thickness or cross-sectional area in interventions lasting ≥8-12 weeks, mediated by enhanced training volume and quality. β-

SUBMITTER: Manescu AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12655760 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature