Are there helpful bodybuilding supplements for men over 50?
Nutritional supplements are nothing new.
In fact, humans have been using supplements for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
For example, Viking raiders used a herb called bog myrtle to increase endurance and aggression.
These warriors were called Berserkers, and the term “going berserk” comes from it, meaning to go a little crazy.
And then there were the ancient Romans, who fed dried bulls’ testicles to their gladiators to increase muscle strength and stamina, hoping to harness the power of these immense animals.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and while the ingredients have thankfully changed, the basic concept of nutritional supplements is mainly the same.
While some people take supplements to improve their health, others take them for improved exercise and athletic performance.
This raises the question – can supplements help men in their 50s build muscle or lose fat faster?
Or are nutritional supplements just a waste of money?
It turns out that some supplements can be helpful for older adults.
They can allow you to train harder, longer, or more often, recover faster, and ease your aches and pains.
As a man who started eating clean and doing weight training workouts after I was 55, I feel I benefited from some of the supplements below, particularly a multivitamin, vitamin D3, and EFA.
I still use them daily.
While no supplement will ever make you feel like you did in your 20s and 30s, they can help you get more from your workouts.
This article reveals 8 helpful bodybuilding supplements for men over 50 to support muscle growth and fitness as you age.
Useful Bodybuilding Supplements for Men Over 50
With so many nutritional supplements available, it can be hard to know what to buy.
To make your decision easier, here are eight of the best supplements for men over 50.
Whether you are trying to get back into shape, improve your exercise performance, or maintain what you have:
– Whey Protein Powder
If you only use one supplement, whey protein powder should be it.
Exercise is catabolic, meaning it causes muscle breakdown.
Your body needs enough protein for muscle repair and growth.
Consume too little protein, and your progress will soon grind to a halt.
Building muscle in your 50s can be hard, as your body recovers more slowly than in your younger years.
Using whey protein makes it much easier to meet the recommended 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (1 gram per pound).
There are many whey protein powders available on the market.
Find one that is well-priced, mixes easily, and, most importantly, a protein shake that tastes really good.
– Creatine Monohydrate
Supplements come and go, and many have been proven to be useless.
However, creatine has been extensively researched and really does work.
Creatine, which has been around for nearly 40 years, is a non-stimulant energy source used by your muscles.
Taking this supplement can help you lift more weight, do more reps, and recover faster between sets and workouts.
It’s also been shown to enhance muscle growth, minimize muscle catabolism, and burn fat.
It may even be good for your brain, too.
Research shows that creatine supplements are safe and have few unwanted side effects.
There are different forms of creatine available, but plain creatine monohydrate is as good as any, and it’s cheap and widely available.
– Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids.
Three of these amino acids are especially important for muscle growth – leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Collectively, because of their structure, these substances are called branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs for short.
Taking BCAAs before, during, and/or after exercise can help ward off fatigue, reduce muscle breakdown, and speed recovery.
Combine with creatine to make the perfect pre-, mid-, or post-workout drink.
An excellent product will contain all the critical BCAAs plus other fatigue fighters and recovery boosters, including a welcome shot of energizing caffeine.
– ZMA
Sleep is crucial for building muscle and burning fat.
Too little sleep can undermine your energy levels and even reduce the production of testosterone and growth hormone, which drive muscle repair and growth.
While you could take a prescription pill to ensure you sleep through the night, this type of medication is not without risks.
A safer option is the supplement ZMA, which contains the natural sleep-enhancing essential nutrients: zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
Take 2-3 capsules shortly before heading off to bed to sleep longer and more soundly and gently increase testosterone and growth hormone production.
There are lots of ZMA supplements available.
– Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in testosterone production.
Testosterone is an anabolic hormone vital for muscle repair and growth that also regulates your sex drive.
Levels of testosterone peak in your early 30s and decline gradually after that.
Low T-levels can have a significant impact on your health and fitness.
Studies reveal that taking vitamin D supplements may increase testosterone production in men over 50.
Your body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunshine, but, as that’s not always possible, a supplement may be a better choice, especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t get much sun.
Vitamin D supplementation is cheap and safe and could be the missing link to optimizing your testosterone levels.
You can also find an organic Vitamin D3 that comes in easy-to-swallow soft-gel capsules.
– Pre-Workout
As a man in your 50s, you probably have days when your motivation levels run low, and you don’t have as much energy as usual.
In some cases, a cup of coffee and some positive self-talk is all you need to get up and moving.
You’ll probably feel fine once you start to exercise.
But if you’re still feeling less energetic than usual, a pre-workout could be the answer.
Pre-workout supplements are drink powders designed to get you fired up and energized so you can power through your workout program.
They contain various ingredients, including vasodilators to increase blood flow, lactic acid buffers to ward off fatigue, and natural stimulants to boost mental and physical energy.
Some pre-workouts contain dangerously high levels of caffeine, as much as 4-6 cups of coffee.
Look for a product that provides a more modest 175mg plus creatine, vitamin D, and a host of other beneficial and energizing ingredients.
That tastes pretty good, too.
Take a shot the next time you don’t feel like working out but still want to hit the gym.
– Essential Fatty Acids
Most older men have to contend with joint pain.
It’s part and parcel of the aging process and usually the result of accumulated wear and tear.
The discomfort is caused by inflammation, which is the swelling and reddening of tissue.
While a few minor aches and pains are only to be expected for over-50s exercisers, they can sometimes be severe enough to put you off your workout.
The good news is that there is a natural supplement that can help calm your joints and is also good for your heart – essential fatty acids, or EFAs for short.
EFAs are a special kind of fat that your body uses for chemical and cellular reactions, including reducing inflammation.
EFAs are typically found in fish, but you have to eat a lot to get enough of what you need.
A high-potency supplement is a much easier and more convenient way to ensure that you’re getting enough of this beneficial substance.
– Multivitamin/Multimineral
In theory, you should be able to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet.
However, even if you eat healthily most of the time, you may still be a little deficient in some of the compounds you need for optimal health.
As you age, especially if you are an avid exerciser, your body needs more than the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals.
And while you could supplement these substances individually, it’ll probably be easier to use an all-in-one product designed specifically for men.
It should contain the most essential vitamins, such as;
- vitamin C,
- and vitamins D, vitamin E, and vitamin B12, as well as
- zinc to enhance immune function, maintain normal hormone levels, and potentially boost hormone production in cases of deficiency. ¹
And it should also provide essential amino acids, antioxidants, and virility boosters to be an excellent product for men over 50.
– Testosterone Booster
A healthy diet and strength training program can help maintain your testosterone levels.
That said, age-related decreases in testosterone production are inevitable.
Lifestyle factors, including stress and genetics, may also lead to your T-levels declining sooner or more rapidly than they should.
Low testosterone can make it all but impossible to gain muscle, often resulting in fat gain and reduced sex drive.
While very low testosterone levels can be treated medically, testosterone-boosting supplements are generally cheaper, safer, and more accessible.
There are lots of testosterone boosters to choose from.
Bodybuilding Supplements for Men Over 50 – Wrapping up
While no supplement is essential, if you want to get more from your workouts, any of these supplements can help you reach your fitness goals.
But if it comes to choosing between a supplement and real food, or between working out consistently and eating clean food and engaging in regular physical activity, eating clean and working out should always be your top priority!
While supplements are powerful aids, they can’t make up for a poor diet or irregular exercise routine.
Think of supplements as effort multipliers – the harder you work, the more effective they’ll be.
Sadly, there are no magic pills or potions that will do the hard work for you!
But if you combine some well-chosen supplements with a balanced diet and consistent workout plan, you’ll be amazed at how well your body will respond.
What’s Next
To get the best results from your workouts, you need to eat clean and take advantage of supplementation when appropriate, as explained above.
While the most powerful compound movements on earth, like:
- Deadlifts,
- Squats, and
- Bench presses will strengthen your primary muscle groups, and you might be most interested in hypertrophy, meaning building bigger muscles.
For that, you need an excellent bodybuilding routine to shed fat, build muscle, and transform your body, while respecting that you’re in your fifth decade.
The following article, The Ultimate Bodybuilding Workout Routine for Men Over 50, explains why bodybuilding is an excellent workout for men over 50 and provides an eight-week program to follow.
Related Posts
- 5×5 Workout for Over 50; The Pros & Cons You Need to Know
- How to Get Started Bodybuilding: A Beginner’s Guide
- Minimalist Training: Build More Muscle in Less Time
- Powerlifting Over 50: Benefits + One Great Routine to Get Started
Footnotes
¹ Correlation between serum zinc and testosterone: A systematic review – PubMed (NIH) National Library of Medicine
