Best Supplements for Muscle & Recovery
Preserving muscle is one of the highest-leverage longevity moves — strength predicts healthspan. These compounds have human evidence for lean mass, strength, or recovery when paired with resistance training (which does the heavy lifting).
Ranked by strength of human evidence (Tier A > B > C) and mechanistic fit — computed from the compound registry, not hand-picked. Every entry links to its full evidence deep-dive with PubMed citations. Educational only, not medical advice.
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GlyNAC
Tier AGlutathione Synthesis — Tier A.
600mg glycine + 600mg NAC·AM·2 PMIDs - 2
Creatine Monohydrate
Tier APhosphocreatine (PCr) / ATP Buffering — Tier A.
3–5g/day monohydrate (optional 20g/day loading, 5–7 days)·AM/PM·3 PMIDs - 3
R-Alpha Lipoic Acid
Tier BRedox Cycling — Tier B.
300–600mg R-ALA·AM/PM·1 PMID - 4
Taurine
Tier BOsmolyte / Mitochondrial Buffer — Tier B.
1–3g taurine daily·AM/PM·1 PMID - 5
Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)
Tier ASpecialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs) — Tier A.
2–4g combined EPA+DHA daily (with fat-containing meals)·AM/PM·3 PMIDs - 6
Ca-AKG
Tier ATCA Cycle Support — Tier A.
1–2g Ca-AKG·AM·2 PMIDs - 7
Glycine
Tier BGlutathione Precursor / Multi-Pathway — Tier B.
3g PM (sleep) or up to 15g/day divided (metabolic)·PM·3 PMIDs - 8
NMN
Tier ANAD+ Restoration — Tier A.
250–500mg NMN·AM·3 PMIDs
The aging mechanisms behind this goal
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What is the best supplement for building muscle after 50?
Creatine monohydrate has Tier A evidence in older adults — added to resistance training it produced significantly greater lean mass and strength versus training alone. It does nothing without a training stimulus.