Muscle Building Supplements for Women

While they are not a replacement for strict adherence to a nutrition and training program, many bodybuilders and other athletes use supplements to meet fitness goals. The purposes of muscle-building supplements are not that different for women than for men, but women have some different nutritional needs and often have different goals or challenges in bodybuilding.

Multivitamins

• Taking a daily multivitamin helps ensure your body has the basic vitamins and minerals it needs. Women's multivitamins typically include higher levels of nutrients such as iron, vitamin D and calcium.

Protein

• Increasing protein intake is a core component of any muscle-building plan. The most common types of protein supplements are whey, soy and egg white protein. Some women favor soy protein supplements because soy has been shown to have additional health benefits.

Amino acids

• Some bodybuilders supplement their diets with branched chain amino acids--leucine, isoleucine and valine--which are used for muscle production. Creatine is another popular muscle-building supplement that contains the amino acids l-methionine, l-arginine and l-glycine.

Fat burning

• Women tend to store more fat in areas such as the thighs and buttocks, and might be more inclined to use supplements that increase fat burning and metabolism. Common ingredients in fat-burning supplements are synephrine, an ingredient that replaces the banned stimulant ephedra in some supplements; gugglesterones, which speeds metabolism by targeting the thyroid; yohimbe, which stimulates blood flow and movement of fat molecules; hoodia, an appetite suppressant; and green tea.

Precautions

• Experts recommend consulting a doctor and/or a nutritionist before starting a new exercise or nutrition program. Many over-the-counter supplements can have negative interactions with other medications, so it is important to read warning labels, understand all ingredients in a supplement and consult with a professional before taking supplements.