Goals ›

Weight gain

Appetite and healthy weight gain, when the goal is to gain weight.

Strongest evidence: Potassium, Vitamin B9 and Whey Protein.

Supplements for weight gain

Each supplement gets the grade of its strongest weight gain benefit. Open one to see each benefit.

StrongModerateWeakNo trials
SupplementMain effects in studiesEvidenceBenefits studied
PotassiumDiuresis/K+ shifts, BP↓,K+↓Strong1 of 4
Vitamin B9Folate status↑, Hcy↓, Anemia/toxicity↓, Hb↑Strong1 of 4
Whey ProteinMPS +40-100%, Lean mass +4kgStrong3 of 4
Folic AcidFolate↑, Hcy↓, Hb/iron status↑Strong1 of 4
Branched-Chain Amino AcidsAnabolic signaling +mTOR, Muscle preservation +gainsStrong2 of 4
MultivitaminB-vitamin status ↑, Homocysteine ↓Strong1 of 4
Vitamin B12B12 status + homocysteine, Anemia/toxicity reduction +MMAStrong1 of 4
AspartateUDCA/LOLA: ↓AST/ALT, Iron/hepatotoxicity: ↑AST/ALTStrong2 of 4
Essential Amino AcidsLeucine/EAA boost MPS +22%, Lean mass/strength gainsStrong1 of 4
CaseinProtein status: +albumin, Metabolic/BP: glucose, BPStrong3 of 4
Showing 10 of 52 supplements.

What weight gain covers

4 benefits that studies measure, and the supplements with the strongest evidence for each.

Appetite stimulation

Making somebody want to eat who otherwise does not. It matters in illness, recovery and older age, where losing appetite costs weight and muscle, and it is measured by food intake and by weight over weeks.

2 supplements, 0 strong
  1. AsafoetidaWeak, 1
  2. ThiamineWeak, 1

Protein source

The substance supplying protein and its amino acids. What matters is the amount, the amino acid profile and how well it is digested, rather than any effect beyond supplying protein.

10 supplements, 7 strong
  1. CaseinStrong, 46
  2. AlanineStrong, 45
  3. Branched-Chain Amino AcidsStrong, 29
  4. GlutamineStrong, 27
  5. L-SerineStrong, 26

Nutrition source

The substance supplying a nutrient the body needs. The claim here is about composition and about correcting a shortfall, not about an effect beyond that.

33 supplements, 15 strong
  1. PotassiumStrong, 436
  2. Vitamin B9Strong, 166
  3. Folic AcidStrong, 156
  4. MultivitaminStrong, 93
  5. Vitamin B12Strong, 93

Muscle growth

Muscle getting bigger, which is separate from getting stronger. It is measured as lean mass on a DXA scan, as muscle thickness on ultrasound, and as muscle fibre size on a biopsy.

23 supplements, 11 strong
  1. Whey ProteinStrong, 140
  2. Essential Amino AcidsStrong, 88
  3. Branched-Chain Amino AcidsStrong, 79
  4. LeucineStrong, 45
  5. CreatineStrong, 33