Anyone who's been to a sports nutrition store knows how many fancy cans they have with labels like "Mass Up," "Hyper Mass," "True Mass," and so on. They'll come up with all sorts of things using people's insecurities.
Yes, gaining weight is just as much of a problem as losing it. And we're talking more about muscle mass here, which is probably more relevant for guys. So today's post will be about that. And no trivial nonsense like eating a lot and working out—we'll leave that to the trainers at the gym. 
So, we have no health problems, our gastrointestinal tract and hormones are fine, we eat healthy food, but our muscles are still there, not growing. Where is the trigger that starts muscle growth? 
Answer: Muscle growth depends on the activity of a protein called myostatin in tissue . The name itself seems to suggest that this protein inhibits muscle growth. If its activity is high, muscle growth is low, and vice versa. Roughly speaking, of course.
So, by suppressing the activity of this protein, it's possible to epigenetically increase muscle mass. At the end of the post, there will be photos of animals that received this "upgrade . "
Scientists have long been developing drugs targeting this protein to treat muscular dystrophies ( Follistatin-344 , ACE-031 ). Moreover, these experimental drugs are even available on the black market. However, this is not the path I recommend. 
I'm sure you've all tried a vegetable that contains a substance that indirectly suppresses myostatin, but you didn't know it
. That vegetable is broccoli. And the substance it contains is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane, in plants like broccoli, acts as a kind of "growth hormone," released when the plant is mechanically damaged by the enzyme myrosinase .
Sulforaphane has a variety of effects in the human body. One of its effects is the inhibition of certain enzymes (histone deacetylase, DNA methyltransferase) that work with the DNA of skeletal muscle satellite (stem) cells. Simply put, this action blocks the DNA regions containing the genes encoding the protein myostatin. As a result, there is less myostatin in muscle cells, and more muscle mass.
I won't bore you with complicated terms, but I'll just say that taking broccoli supplements can increase muscle mass. Of course, every result is individual, but I managed to gain 3 kg of "lean" weight in 6 months of taking sulforaphane. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:
When choosing such a supplement, you should look for the enzyme myrosinase. Supplements without it are a scam that have no effect. See the photo for an example of the supplement I take .
Moderate physical activity is essential. Without it, muscles don't grow. We're not talking about lifting heavy weights at the gym. Swimming, running, or simply doing bodyweight exercises are sufficient.
It's advisable to take other nutrients (vitamins and minerals, see the post above). You can also add creatine malate (if you don't have kidney or acne problems).
Some of you might also think it's better to eat a lot of broccoli. Perhaps. Especially if you combine it with mustard (which helps with sulforaphane absorption) and garlic (which also has a positive effect on muscles).
However, I've never met anyone who can eat broccoli every day. It's easier and more effective to take supplements.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23092945/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25080109/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28946211/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29806738/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32649980/
