Introduction
Before we get started it’s crucial to understand one thing.
Taking herbal supplements on their own is not going to directly increase the size of your muscles.
There, I said it. You’re probably now thinking “what the hell? Why did I bother clicking on this useless page?”. Well carry on reading and hopefully we can shed some light on this interesting topic.
There are three essential factors which must be in place to promote muscle growth in your body. Lacking any of these pillars can bring the whole process crashing down.
- Pillar 1 – Ensure your body’s hormone levels are primed for muscle growth
- Pillar 2 – Engage in resistance weight training to stimulate muscle growth.
- Pillar 3 – Ensure your diet is packed with protein and essential amino acids to give your body the material to build muscle from.
Whilst herbs cannot help with Pillars 2 and 3, there is unquestionable medical research showing that they can help with Pillar 1. This is the same pillar which is targeted by users of illegal anabolic steroids. Some anabolic steroids are so strong that they do have the power to increase your muscle size without engaging in Pillar 2 or Pillar 3. However, when supplementing your diet with natural herbs for muscle growth, this is not the case and you will need to also workout in a gym or at home, and consume protein either via standard food (meat, dairy etc) or via protein shakes or similar.
It should also be noted that you can still get amazing results without taking herbs. This is because (especially if you’re a healthy male) you are likely to have a ready supply of the hormones required for hypertrophy (muscle size increase) in place naturally and secreted by your sex organs. However, taking the herbs we list below can help prime the body for size increases and ensure you are at the optimum levels. This is especially true if you’re genetically female or an older male (45+) and want to increase muscle growth when testosterone is in shorter supply.
Yes we mentioned it – testosterone. Testosterone is essentially a natural anabolic steroid which can increase protein in muscle cells and initiate the muscle growth cycle. It naturally occurs in both male and female bodies (from testes in men and ovaries in women), but is in around 7x greater quantities in men. However the production of testosterone does drop off in later years which makes muscle growth more difficult.
Some herbs can promote the production of testosterone in the body and therefore optimise Pillar 1 in our muscle growth requirements list. Other herbs can improve your drive and alertness, which can help focus your mind on training which in turn improves Pillar 2. This may seem farcical but we have seen the effect that supplements like Pure Shred (which contain these extracts) can have on your ability to train.
So let’s take a look at the best herbs for muscle growth, albeit indirect muscle growth.
Tribulus Terrestris (Puncture Vine)
Tribulus Terrestris is a useful herb for combatting low testosterone levels, and can be taken by anyone looking to prime their body and optimise hormonal conditions for building muscle. For millennia, it has been used in India as a natural herb to increase ‘virility’ and help young boys become more ‘manly’. As discussed above, testosterone plays a significant role in muscle growth, and so any herb which can naturally and safely boost testosterone will set the seeds for big results.
Many athletes have used tribulus as part of their training diet and it is believed that the saponins it contains (steroidal glycosides) can improve the androgen levels in the body, either directly or indirectly. Consuming tribulus on a regular basis can increase your testosterone levels, allowing you to attain your muscle-building goals. However the research performed with tribulus on animals and humans has shown some variation in outcome, with not all test subjects getting improved performance. However, one study in particular using theTradamixina supplement showed impressive results in older men.
If you’re interested in increasing the levels of testosterone in your body then I recommend checking out our roundup of the best natural testosterone-boosting supplements on the market today.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, commonly known as Indian ginseng or Winter Cherry, is a herb that is native to India and belongs to the nightshade family of plants. The root and leaves are used chiefly as herbal supplements because they contain most of the active ingredients in the plant. Don’t worry about the word ‘nightshade’ though – it brings up horrific visions of getting poisoned by Deadly NIghtshade, but in truth Ashwagandha is just as closely related to the aubergine and is not poisonous in any way.
Ashwagandha is used to treat a range of issues like anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), dementia, joint pain, and generally refreshing the body. It is also sometimes used as a treatment for tuberculosis, asthma, and adrenal gland problems. Normally this would ring alarm bells with us because it is scientifically unlikely that one substance can achieve such a range of outcomes. However, we’re interested in the use of Ashwagandha for muscle growth.
So does it work for this? Well the answer lies in a research article from 2012 which reports “significantly increases in muscle strength on the bench press” for 29 healthy males in the 18-50 years age bracket taking Ashwagandha compared with placebo. This is an impressive result in a peer-reviewed blind trial.
Finally, Ashwagandha is termed an adaptogen. This is a class of herbs which can improve mood and help resist stress. You may not think that this would have much impact on your weight training regime, but you may be wrong on this. There is some evidence to suggest that improved mood can help you focus more clearly on your real goals, taking the stress out of the equation. If your goal is training for muscle growth then Ashwagandha root could be a good herb to supplement that training.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
Cannabidiol or CBD has been shown to encourage a wide range of health benefits in the human body, but you would not think that helping set the conditions for bigger muscles would be one of them. Well, you could be wrong with that assumption.
There is some evidence to show that CBD may help improve muscle growth by lowering cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is the stress hormone in the body, and too much of it can stop your muscles growing – it’s known as a catabolic hormone, where the word ‘catabolic’ comes from the greek ‘kato’ meaning ‘downward’ or ‘shrinking’. This is not what you want from your workout! Taking CBD oil or tea can reduce cortisol and therefore improve your results.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a flowering plant from the daisy family, and the leaves, roots and petals themselves have been used as herbal remedies for many years – for example in the treatment of colds and other immune-boosting activities.
More recently, there has been a surge in athletes using Echinacea to enhance their endurance. The thinking behind this is because some studies have shown that Echinacea can increase erythropoietin (EPO) levels in the body. EPO is the drug which pro-cyclists have been known to take which can increase the number of red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells carry oxygen molecules which is essential for energy creation, and so the more red blood cells you have, the higher endurance you will have. In combination with weight training, a natural EPO booster could be a game-changer for muscle growth.
Unfortunately, several other studies have been performed using Echinacea, and the results have not been so conclusive. This is a herb to give a try for a month and let us know how it goes!
Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root)
Rhodiola Rosea is another adaptogen herb which can improve mood and focus to achieve your goals. There is also some scientific evidence that the antioxidants held within the plant can reduce fatigue, improve endurance and crucially increase protein synthesis. The latter effect is what we want in order to build muscle.
Many of the fat burning supplements which we’ve reviewed at BDAWeightwise contain Rhodiola Rosea and the results have been impressive as a combination. Unfortunately we haven’t tested the herb in isolation and so cannot comment on its efficacy. The scientific paper linked above is impressive however as it showed that muscle size after weight training with Rhodiola grew more than when taking a placebo. However, as always it is only one study and may not be representative of your own results if you try it.
Conclusions
That concludes our round up of the best herbs for muscle growth. As we mentioned at the start, no single herbal supplement is going to turn you into Dwayne Johnson, but they can set the foundations for that transformation. Make sure you also increase your protein levels and start lifting those heavy weights until you can’t lift them any more – then watch those biceps ripen!
