The 7 Best Supplements For Building Muscle After 60

20 Minute Read

Thomas Pearson

Published July 19, 2024

7. Tumeric

Indian inflamation remedy

In your 60s, I'm sure you've experienced your fair share of inflamation. It sucks, and it's something that just doesn't seem to go away. And when you're in the gym, inflammation can be a real thorn in your side.

As I mentioned before, consistency is a key part of the equation when building muscle in your 60s - and it's hard to stay consistent when every workout results in sore joints.

That's where tumeric can help...

Tumeric contains chemical compounds that attack the source of inflammation on three fronts. Let's break it down:

1. Blocks inflammation signals

Inflammation is just a chemical signal your body sends out when it thinks something is damaged — which is great when it gets it right, but oftentimes it overreacts.

Leading to inflamation happening too often, and in bad cases - chronic inflamation. The active ingredient in tumeric (Curcumin ) works by blocking these signals from being sent out - leading to less overreacting by your body.

Think of inflammation like an alarm. When your body senses damage, it sounds the alarm and starts the inflammation process. Tumeric works by "turning the alarm off" stopping those signals from being sent out - therefore reducing inflammation.

2. Reduces the source of inflammation

Another cause of inflammation is cell damage caused by oxidation of the cells by things called "free radicals". These free radicals are troublesome because too many of them can put you at higher risk of serious diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.

This is particularly important in your 60s & beyond because your body gets worse at filtering these free radicals out, which increases your risk of disease even more - which is why taking antioxidants is so important in this age range.

Circling back around, these free radicals are also a major cause of our uninvited guest - inflammation.

Your body sends out inflammatory signals to cell damage - the same as any type of damage. So reducing the cell damage, reduces the inflammation it would have caused. 

It cuts out off at the root - so to speak.

3. Reduces the intensity of inflammation

Not all inflammation is the same. As you're aware, sometimes it's subtle, and sometimes it's intense.

That's because it works on a scale of severity - say 1 to 10. If you break an arm, your body will send a flood of inflammatory signals to the area, and your arm will swell up like a bowling ball. That's a 10 on the scale.

But if you're squatting in the gym, you might get home and your knees are feeling stiff and a bit sore. That might be a 3.

These different levels are due to certain enzymes in your body that decide how bad an injury is. And with many natural responses, they tend to overreact.

Tumeric essentially "calms them down" - making them a bit more rational when deciding how much inflammation to send to an "injury". Broken bones will still be a 10, but your squatting session might calm down to a 1.

And that's a win-win for me...

Speeds up muscle recovery

It's no secret that exercise makes us sore as we get older. Our body simply can't work as hard as it could in our 20s, which makes our muscle recovery process slower. 

So if given the option - why would you not give your body some extra help?

And that's exactly what tumeric can do for muscle recovery. See, another benefit of the plant is that it boosts blood circulation. Not only is that a big part of cardiovascular health - it's also a big part of muscle recovery.

More blood = more nutrients for muscle repair = faster muscle recovery.

When written down, it's a simple formula - yet it still took me a few decades to figure out – don't be like me!

Incorporate turmeric into your supplement routine, and reap the benefits.

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Reduces inflammation symptoms
• Lowers overall inflammation levels
  
• Speeds up muscle recovery
• Increases blood circulation

Where to purchase?

Tumeric is a common supplement nowadays. So look for it at any of these places:

• Your local grocery store (Walmart, Costco, etc)
• Amazon
• Pharmacies/medical outlets
• Health food retailers

6. Fenugreek

Muscle strength enhancement

Fenugreek is a herb that dates all the way back to the Greek & Egyptian empires – with modern studies supporting its traditional use for athletic enhancement and & testosterone boosting effects.

Research shows it boosts athletic performance in a few different ways. So let's dive into it below.

1. Increases testosterone levels

One way fenugreek increases performance is through supporting testosterone production.

The plant contains a set of compounds called "steroidal saponins", which allow less testosterone to be converted into DHT – meaning more free, avaliable testosterone for your body to use.

As you may already be aware, healthy testosterone levels are essential for building strength & lean muscle. And as you get older, your body's T production gets less efficient, leading to lower testosterone levels – and worse gym performance.

2. Increases lean muscle growth

Another way fenugreek can help exercise performance in your 60s is by activating something called the "mTor pathway".

Without getting too technical, the mTor pathway is responsible for sending out signals to your body to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (lean muscle growth).

Fenugreek essentially has the ability to increase the frequency of these signals, and tell your body to send more "repair workers" - and grow more muscle after exercise.

With more muscle repair going on, you also get the added benefit of decreased muscle soreness – bonus!

3. Reduces "wastage" of testosterone

Every man has a set of proteins floating around  their body called "Sex Hormone Binding Globulin" – or SHBG for short.

But the issue lies in how greedy this little protein is. Because it operates by taking free testosterone, and binding to it – making it unavaliable for use by other important parts of the body, such as muscle growth.

Being an antioxidant, fenugreek also protects our testosterone cells from being damaged by the previously mentioned free radicals - further increasing avaliable T.

4. Increases blood flow & nutrient delivery

Just like tumeric, fenugreek has the ability to dilate blood vessels and boost circulation. As mentioned before, enhanced blood flow can help boost your physical performance and streamline recovery.

As you read on, you'll see there are multiple supplements in this list that have circulation boosting effects - and this is for good reason.

Poor blood flow is one of the most common problems you could have as you age. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, cold hands and feet, dizziness, and erectile dysfunction.

If there was only one area to focus on to improve your performance in your 60s and beyond – it should be your blood circulation.

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases testosterone production
• Optimizes testosterone usage
• Increases lean muscle growth
• Improves blood circulation

Where to purchase?

Fenugreek can be hard to find in stores – so your best bet is purchasing online. So look for it at any of these places:

• Amazon
• Pharmacies/medical outlets
• Specialty online retailers

5. Rhodiola Rosea

Reduced fatigue & boosted stamina

As an active guy in his 60s, feeling tired and fatigued during a workout can be a common issue. And this is for a number of reasons: poor blood circulation, lower testosterone levels, slower metabolism - and more...

And this is where rhodiola rosea can come in. The plant has some pretty powerful results when it comes to reducing fatigue, improving muscle performance, and even decreasing muscle soreness.

Let's dive into this in a minute, but first – a bit of history about the plant.

Viking favorite

Rhoiola rosea grows primarily in cold regions around Scandinavia, Europe, and North America – found high up in the hills & alps.

Historical text tells us that the Vikings were actually very familiar with the plant and it's benefits – using it to reduce fatigue from their high intensity lifestyle, and reduce stress on long voyages across the ocean.

And clinical studies have supported these claims. With findings showing the plant is an "adaptogen"—helping r reduce mental and physical stress to the body.

Though, in this article, we're only interested in the physical performance effects Rhodiola can have. So let's dive into it now.

Reduced fatigue for longer & more intense exercise

Rhodiola enhances the body's ability to more efficiently use oxygen during physical exercise - leading to enhanced muscle strength & less perceived exertion.

What that means, in a nutshell, is you'll be able to lift heavier over time, and get more exercises in – due to you feeling less exhausted during the workout.

Leading to a better quality workout, and feeling less fatigued afterwards.

This only makes sense, because oxygen is the fuel your muscles need to perform – so more oxygen, and better use of oxygen lead to easier and more intense workouts.

Less muscle soreness – and more consistent gym days

Rhodiola also has some powerful antiinflamatory benefits – leading to reduced post-workout soreness, and less inflammation in general.

Muscle soreness can be a big killer of gym consistency as we get older. You might have the energy to hit the gym, but the last day's workout is very much being felt.

So if sore muscles are something stopping you from staying consistent – consider adding rhodiola to your daily supplement routine.

Increased ATP production – the energy currency of your cells

ATP is what is responsible for giving you the energy you need to live – big statement, but very true.

With this in mind, ATP is also responsible for giving your muscles the energy they need to contract and retract - which is of course is what happens when you exercise.

And getting to my point – our little friend rhodiola has the ability to increase ATP production, which further boosts the intensity and quality of workouts.

The important point to note is – ATP production slows down with age... And this is part of the reason you start to get more tired and lose strength as you get older.

So taking rhodiola can increase the production of this foundational chemical energy process – making your workout a lot easier, and also making you feel better overall.

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases oxygen to muscles
• Reduces fatigue & improves workout quality
• Reduces post-workout muscle soreness
• Increases ability to stay consistent
  
• Also has mood boosting & stress reducing benefits

Where to purchase?

Rhodiola can be hard to find in stores – so your best bet is purchasing online. So look for it at any of these places:

• Amazon
• Pharmacies/medical outlets
• our reFuel coffee enhancement formula

4. Ashwagandha

Muscle growth & athletic performance

Ashwagandha is most well known for its ability to reduce cortisol levels – your stress hormone. But what many don't know is recent research suggests it can dramatically enhance muscle growth when combined with regular weightlifting...

The results were pretty incredible, see the image below for a summary:

The largest difference is in the increases to testosterone – that's a 534% increase in testosterone compared to the participants who didn't take ashwagandha.

Muscle growth, that's another area that saw some great results. A 235% increase in chest size compared to the placebo, and a 162% increase in arm size — not bad!

I'll save the full breakdown, since the image is there for you to see — but the results were seriously staggering.

One part that may not be as clear is the "creatine kinase" levels — or "CK" for short. CK is an enzyme released into the bloodstream after your muscles have been damaged by exercise. 

Now, an improvement is measured by how fast CK levels can return to normal (stabalize) after exercise — if they return to normal levels fast, it indicates your body can repair muscle damage faster, meaning less soreness after your workout. 

And this is exactly what happened to the subjects taking ashwaganadha...

Their CK levels were actually higher than the placebo group — due to their workouts being more intense, and this also indicates there is more potential for muscle growth. But the main point here is that their CK levels returned to normal much faster than the placebo group.

What this means for you when you take ashwagandha, is more intense workouts, more potential for muscle growth, higher testosterone levels, and faster recovery. The perfect mix for men looking to build muscle & stay fit in their 60s.

Adaptogenic mood booster

Now I know we're talking about muscle building, but it's worth mentioning the mental benefits of ashwagandha too — as these are just as important.

We all have those days where we "just don't feel like it".

And that's okay — but too many of those slow down our progress, and keep us from achieving the fitness results we deserve. And that's where ashwagandha comes in...

Generally, those days where you feel like missing the gym are due to some external factors — maybe you're bringing work issues home, had a disagreement, or are just generally feeling stressed.

Ashwagandha can help reduce those stress levels by lowering cortisol production — your stress hormone. This not only helps you feel happier, but in turn will boost your motivation — limiting those days where you simply "don't feel like it".

Natural sleep aid

I know you've been told this a million times over, but good sleep is super important — it's crucial for staying healthy, and it's essential if you want to pack on some muscle.

You've probably heard the saying "gains are made in the kitchen", which is true, but I think the phrase "gains are made in the bedroom" is even more true. At the risk of sounding like your mom, I won't blab on about the importance of sleep.

Instead, I'll show you how ashwagandha can help improve your sleep, in turn building muscle faster.

Take this 2019 study as an example. 60 participants were given either ashwagandha or placebo. The ashwagnadha group saw major improvements in all areas studied: sleep quality, time to fall asleep, total time asleep — and in the participants sleep diaries, they reported feeling much more refreshed after waking up too. 

These findings were consistent with two more studies in 2020.

So in short, ashwagandha is an extremely beneficial herb for men 60 & over looking to build muscle. Consider adding it to your daily routine. 

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases muscle strength
• Reduces fatigue & improves workout quality
• Boosts tesosterone levels
• Streamlines muscle recovery
  
• Improves sleep quality
  
• Reduces stress & boosts mood
  

Where to purchase?

Ashwagandha can be hard to find in stores – so your best bet is purchasing online. So look for it at any of these places:

• Amazon
• our reFuel coffee enhancement formula

3. Black Maca

A plant with variety

Black maca is a personal favorite of mine. It's got a wide variety of benefits, which is probably the best thing about it. See, most of the other plants on this list are made into extracts — because the specific chemical compound responsible for the benefits is well known.

But black maca is a bit of a wildcard—because scientists can't seem to pin down where the benefits are coming from.

And in short, it's because the entire chemical makeup of the plant is good for you. That also means you should be taking a supplement made with the plant powder — not an extract, like i would recommend with the others on this list.

We want the plant powder because we want all those good bioactive chemicals to stay in the plant, so we can soak up as much as possible.

See, the issue with extracts is they are getting rid of a lot of things in the extract process — in short, there's a lot of "wastage". And waste is fine when we know exactly what gives the plant its benefits, because that's all we're looking for.

But for plants like black maca, where the entire plant holds the benefits, any wastage is not what we want.

It would be like cooking a steak, eating the fat, and throwing the meat away — just doesn't make much sense, does it...

One part that may not be as clear is the "creatine kinase" levels — or "CK" for short. CK is an enzyme released into the bloodstream after your muscles have been damaged by exercise. 

A warrior's history

Black maca has a long history of use by men wanting to biohack their performance. The earliest known use is by the warriors of the Inca empire.

Maca was the gem of the Inca empire — they couldn't get enough of the stuff. And black maca was reserved specifically for the soldiers of their army. They were exclusively given it before battle, due to it's ability to boost strength and endurance.

And this stayed true up until today — yellow maca is for general health optimization, red maca for female vitality, and black maca for male vitality. 

So with this in mind, let's get into some of the benefits of black maca — and how exactly they work.

Boost stamina & energy levels

Probably the largest, and most studied benefit of black maca is it's ability to improve your energy levels  — which is why I initially started taking it myself years ago.

Less afternoon slumps, and more energy to hit the gym were the two major benefits I got out of it — and these are what I'd expect for you as well.

So how does the plant do that? Let's quickly have a look:

A combination of improved blood circulation, improved mitocondrial function, and vitamin/mineral density. It's a bit of a mouthful, but bear with me.

The same as rhodiola, black maca increases blood flow, thus increasing oxygen concentration in the muscles, and ends with better muscle performance — but you know the drill now.

And again, like rhodiola, black maca also increases your production of ATP. As we mentioned before, ATP is responsible for fueling everything in your body, from your muscles to your organs.

Testosterone boosting effects

Studies and analysis of the plant have also linked it to a boost in testosterone levels — this plays a part in it's ability to increase your muscle performance.

The steriodal saponins present in the plant act as a "hormone precursor", telling the body to produce more hormones — which in turn go on to signal for the body to make more testosterone. 

Another way the plant boosts T levels is by regulating the "HPG", a system that is responsible for the production of testosterone — call it the T factory.

Taking black maca stimulates this T factory to start making more of a hormone called "GnRH" — this hormone then triggers the production of our old friend lutenizing hormone (LH) — then lastly, LH sends signals down to our manhood to ramp up production of testosterone.

With similar effects to rhodiola, black maca definitely deserves to be on this list. Consider picking some up to start seeing more consistent energy, and greater intensity in your workouts. 

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases energy levels
• Improves muscle endurance
• Boosts tesosterone levels
• Improves muscle strength
  
• Packed with essential vitamins & minerals
  

Where to purchase?

Good quality black maca can be particularly hard to find — and you definitely won't find it in stores. Buy from a reputable online retailer. Try these below:

• Amazon
• our reFuel coffee enhancement formula

2. Black Ginger

The Muay Thai fighter's unfair advantage"

Black ginger is a member of the ginger family that is native to Thailand. It gained international recognition when it came out muay thai fighters were using it to boost their training peformance & give them an unfair advantage in the ring.

It's pretty unusual looking — a normal ginger plant on the outside, but cut it open, and it reveals a deep purple color on the inside. 

It works as a performance booster because it's the king of blood flow boosting — which, as you're well aware by now, is a key area to improve atheletic performance.

The active ingredient DMF acts as a vasodilator, exanding the blood vessels — opening the flood gates of blood rich with vital nutrients your muscles need to perform at their very best.

It's worth mentioning that this blood flow boost ends up being part of a serious boost to your sex drive as well — which is why the plant is known locally as "Thai viagra". Just an added bonus if you ask me ;)

But back to the gym — taking black ginger will give you a boost to your muscle performance, so don't be surprised when you can lift heavier weights and pump out more reps.

This improvement to muscle endurance is why Muay Thai fighters swear by the plant — the longer you can keep muscle fatigue away, the longer you can last in the ring.

Reduce soreness & inflammation

You'll also see an improvement to your muscle soreness with black ginger. The increased blood circulation not only helps your muscles perform better, but helps them recover faster. 

Soreness is caused by lactic acid buildup in your muscles, which only accelerates as you get older. Your blood is the primary cleanup crew for this lactic acid — so more blood means faster recovery and less soreness. 

Inflammation is another area that only gets worse with age — and exercise unfortunately doesn't help it, short term at least.

Exercise may contribute to some short term swelling and discomfort, but in the long run it will help lower the chance of chronic inflammatory conditions — which should be avoided like the plague...

But fortunately for us, black ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Regular use can help reduce the symptoms of inflammation, especially joint inflammation. 

This not only helps you feel better overall — it keeps you in the gym more often, working to build your fitness and muscle.

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases energy levels
• Boosts base ATP levels
• Balances testosterone & cortisol levels
  
• Improves aerobic fitness & muscle output
  
• Is particularly useful for intense cardio
  

Where to purchase?

Black Ginger can be difficult to find in stores. Buy from a reputable online retailer, or a health food store that stocks it. Try these below:

• Amazon
• Specialist health retailer
  
• our reFuel coffee enhancement formula

1. Cordyceps

The "zombie-mushroom" steroid

The title probably is a bit of a put-off, but I can assure you, this one is worth the read.

Over the years, the cordyceps mushroom has faced a bit of controversy — in part, due to the fact that it infects insects, kills them, then feeds on their corpse while growing mushroms from the inside out (see the photo below).

But the main controversy comes from the 1993 Olympics, where Chinese runners did so well, they were accused of taking steroids. But, as it turns out, they weren't using steroids, they were taking Cordyceps...

That event is what really rocketed the plant into the limelight — as before this, it was a well kept secret among communities of athletes.

The plant works so well for athletic performance because it is the king of boosting ATP. As you'll remember from some other plants on our list, ATP is the foundational source of energy for your body — it's what food an flucose gets converted into to run your body like a well oiled machine.

More ATP means more energy, less fatigue, better workouts, and more muscle growth.

Another area where cordyceps shine is in boosting muscle oxygen content. Giving your muscles even more oxygen to fuel a workout optimized for muscle growth.

Taking cordyceps will allow your workouts to last longer, and with greater intensity—maximizing the potential for muscle growth.

A tip for the pros: combine with creatine

Here's a pro tip — take cordyceps with creatine. Chances are you're already taking creatine — as it's the most used & well known supplement for boosting muscle growth.

And that's for good reason — creatine works.

It works because it increases the amount of ATP available. Without getting too technical, creatine donates a "phosphate" to your ATP molecules — which run on phosphates.

This essentially makes unavaliable ATP "avaliable again" — ready to be used again by the body for energy.

When you combine it with cordyceps, you get a pretty powerful harmony. Cordyceps increases the general amount of ATP in your blood, while creatine boosts the availability of ATP — essentially recycling the molecule, making it available again for use as energy.

And this only happens during intense exercise — so you can expect a boost of energy right when you need it. Awesome!

Protection from adrenal fatigue & over-training

When you're really pushing yourself in the gym — especially in your older years, it can be very easy to over-train.

But what exactly is over-training? The word gets used far too often, so the meaning becomes a bit blurry. But as a guide, the most common symptoms are: extended periods of muscle soreness,  prolonged tiredness/fatigue, and insomnia.

Not to mention the increased risk for serious injury — like a muscle tear.

Being an adaptogen, cordyceps has an impact on adrenal function — hormones. And this feature means it can help protect you from overtraining, and feeling the awful effects of it.

It does this by raising testosterone levels, and lowering cortisol levels — a key identifier of over-training. When cortisol levels are too high, and testosterone levels are too low — it's the primary way you can know you are training too hard, with not enough recovery.

It can be surprisingly easy to over-train, so be sure to keep yourself in check and take enough recovery days. An injury will hurt your progress far more than an extra day or two for recovery.

And consider combining cordyceps & creatine to minimize your chances of suffering through the symptoms of over-training.

Quick benefit breakdown:

• Increases energy levels
• Boosts base ATP levels
• Balances testosterone & cortisol levels
  
• Improves aerobic fitness & muscle output
  
• Is particularly useful for intense cardio
  

Where to purchase?

Cordyceps extracts can be difficult to find in stores. Buy from a reputable online retailer, or a health food store that stocks it. Try these below:

• Amazon
• Specialist health retailer
  
• our reFuel coffee enhancement formula

In summary

So, thanks for reading! I'm sure that you've found at least one supplement to help you in your journey of building muscle in your 60s and beyond. 

We've covered natural supplements to enhance your muscle building efforts in many areas: from blood flow boosting, ATP enhancement, to steamlining your muscle recovery.

The supplements listed here are seriously powerful, and are backed by many cinical triels. That's the reason we've included many of them in our reFuel Coffee Enhancement Formula.

I made it for aging men like myself, who want a natural option to reclaim their vitality and enhance their mind & body performance.

As a thanks for reading this far, I've set you up with a code for 15% off your first order.

Use code MUSCLE15 at checkout for 15% off - Click here to get yours...

From building muscle, enhancing productivity, to boosting energy & motivation—reFuel has got your back.

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