If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best supplements for cutting is then I’d recommend One a Day Multivitamin as the best one.
Effective cutting can be tricky. You want to preserve as much of the muscle mass gained during your bulk as possible while at the same time becoming leaner. Supplements can be a massive help while you’re cutting, but which ones should you choose? I’m going to take a look at the best supplements for cutting and discuss how they give you a leg up.
Table of Contents
How They Work
I’ve included five types of supplements in this roundup. Here’s a brief overview of how each one can benefit you when you’re trying to lose weight.
BCAAs
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are a staple in the fitness world, no thanks in large part to their lengthy list of benefits. Why? Because this supplement helps with energy, muscle recovery, and immune regulation, allowing you to squeeze in more sessions per week.
But perhaps the most critical reason for you to take them while cutting is that they prevent muscular catabolism. In other words, even if you’re burning more calories than usual, you won’t lose existing muscle mass. Pretty important, to say the least.
Whey Protein Isolate
Like BCAAs, whey protein has a long list of benefits. Anyone serious about weightlifting knows that bulk or cut, protein is a must.
Its advantage when cutting is that it helps you maintain muscle mass, while at the same time promoting lean muscle tissue growth. Research also indicates that whey proteins help accelerate weight loss in individuals that are actively supplementing.
Pre Workout
As its name suggests, you take pre workout before hitting the gym. This supplement is designed to enhance performance during your sessions. Pre workout contains nitric oxide, which helps your muscles receive more blood and primes them to work. It also gives you a boost of energy that allows you to train harder.
Glutamine
Intense sessions can slash glutamine reserves by up to half their typical stores. Glutamine provides the immune system with cellular fuel, and this supplement is critical because it can help diminish muscle tissue breakdown. If you want to keep your muscles growing, you should take glutamine.
Multivitamin
Lastly, we recommend rounding out your diet with a multivitamin. A multivitamin will fill in the holes where your nutrition falls short and help keep you healthy and illness free.
The Best Supplements for Cutting
Now that you know a little bit more about each supplement type, let’s take a look at our top picks for each category.
Scivation Xtend BCAAs
Our top pick in the BCAA category, Scivation Xtend, is a well-known name in the supplement world. Its recipe features 7 grams of BCAAs per serving, which is a higher dosage than some of its competitors. It also includes glutamine, B6, and citrulline malate. Scivation Xtend has a zero carb formula, no added sugar, and no caffeine.
We like that these BCAAs are available in many different serving sizes to cater to different needs. There’s only one real “downside” to them: some users complain that it’s too sweet when mixed as indicated. If you find that’s the case, you can dilute it with more water until you achieve the desired sweetness.
Pros:
- Comes in a variety of sizes and delicious flavors
- No calories
- One of the most popular BCAA brands on the market
Cons:
- May be too sweet for some
Cellucor Whey Protein Isolate & Concentrate Blend Powder
This protein is one of the most highly regarded and widely used protein powder products. Each scoop packs 25 g of a high-quality whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate blend at 130 calories each. It’s got low sugar and fat content and includes three types of enzymes that aid digestion. Users are pleased with how soluble it is.
Cellucor Whey Protein comes in a variety of flavors and serving sizes to suit all tastes and needs. It’s gluten-free but does contain common allergens like peanut, soy, and lactose. The only real downside is the price, but any good supplement will cost you.
Pros:
- Excellent taste, especially when mixed with milk
- Great solubility
Cons:
- Price
- Includes common allergens
Evlution Nutrition ENGN Pre Workout
You’ll feel the effects of this highly popular product, as it helps increase pump and promotes muscle recovery. Evlution ENGN contains caffeine, which will put some pep in your step, as well as nitric oxide, which also increases energy. The formula is sugar-free and includes folic acid, niacin, and vitamins B12 and 6.
One aspect we find very useful about Evlution is that their products are designed to work as one. If you buy protein powder or BCAAs from this brand, they will work in tandem with the pre workout to give you the best results. We also think the flavors of this supplement are delicious.
The only real downside to this pre workout is that it contains a proprietary formula. Many companies are moving away from proprietary formulas because it can be challenging to know what’s in them exactly.
Pros:
- No sugar added
- Excellent taste
- Proven energy burst
- Aids muscle recovery
- The formula adds B-vitamins and antioxidants
Cons:
- Contains a proprietary blend
NOW Sports L-Glutamine
This glutamine from NOW Sports is a bestseller with loads of positive Amazon reviews. The one-pound tub will provide you with 90 servings of pure L-glutamine that will boost your immune system, as well as help improve leaky gut syndrome. It will also aid in your recovery after intense workouts.
There are five grams in a serving that you can mix as you like, seeing as the formula is flavorless. Another great thing about this supplement is that it’s free of common allergens like wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish or tree nut—making it suitable for everyone.
Pros:
- Gluten-free, vegan, kosher formula
- Excellent value for money
- No flavor formula is easy to mix
Cons:
- May cause stomach cramping
- Some users complain of rash or other side effects
One a Day Multivitamin
Our last supplement is the One a Day Multivitamin (also available in a version specifically for women) that supports heart health, as well as immune health. It includes twenty essential nutrients, most of which will put you at 100 percent of your recommended daily intake. This multivitamin also helps promote healthy blood pressure.
If you need a good multivitamin to round out your diet, you can’t go wrong with One a Day. We do have to mention that the amounts of vitamins in this option are slightly lower than comparable multivitamins, but the price is also much more economical.
Pros:
- Excellent all-around vitamin
- Lower price
Cons:
- Lower levels of vitamins than comparable brands
Top Pick for the Best Supplement for Cutting
Usually, as part of my final thoughts on the products reviewed, I would declare a winner for the best supplements for cutting. However, given that I have discussed various classes of supplements with entirely different functions, it would be quite challenging to name just one of the products as the top cutting product. My favorite pick is One a Day Multivitamin. It’s an excellent multi-purpose supplement for my health needs.
Not everyone will find that all of the types of supplements on this review are for them. You may also find that some are more effective for you than others while cutting. We encourage you to take the time to figure out what those supplements are. And remember: supplements are just that—they are intended to supplement your diet, not replace healthy foods.