Before any supplement, before any device. The cheapest intervention with the strongest evidence is food built right — for your body, your region, your budget.
Skeletal muscle requires a minimum daily protein intake to prevent atrophy — even without exercise.Dietary protein for athletes (SCI context)Reviews evidence that protein requirements are elevated (1.4–2.0 g/kg/day) for muscle maintenance. Immobilization substantially increases catabolic rate, making adequate intake foundational.PubMed → After SCI, below-level muscle loses both neural drive and anabolic signaling. Meeting a daily protein target of 1.6–2.2 g/kg bodyweightA systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strengthMeta-analysis of 49 RCTs (n=1863). Protein supplementation significantly increased FFM during resistance training. Upper CI limit for optimal intake was 2.2 g/kg/day — beyond which gains plateaued. The floor (1.62 g/kg/day) is the evidence-based minimum for muscle maintenance with any neuromuscular activity.PubMed → remains the most robustly replicated nutritional intervention for preserving lean mass.
Enter your current weight and the tool calculates your daily range. If you don't know muscle mass, use total bodyweight — it's a safe overestimate.
The cheapest path to your target depends entirely on what's cheap where you live. Select your region — the table ranks foods by approximate cost per 30g of protein. Foods marked ★ hit the leucine threshold (≥3g/meal)Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acidsShowed that leucine supplementation of a lower-dose protein (6.25g whey) could partially rescue MPS response normally seen with higher doses (25g). Confirms the leucine threshold is the primary trigger for MPS, not total amino acid load — making leucine content of food sources a key selection criterion.PubMed → in a single serving.
| Food | Serving | Protein (g) | Leucine / serving | Est. cost / 30g protein | Cost |
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Cost estimates are approximate regional averages — verified periodically but not live. Last checked: Feb 2026. Submit a correction →
Distributing protein across meals matters as much as the total daily amountIngestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young menPost-exercise MPS was significantly higher after whey hydrolysate versus casein or soy at 1 and 3 hours. The key driver was leucine availability: fast-digesting proteins with high leucine content peaked MPS more effectively. Distributing protein into discrete leucine-threshold meals outperforms continuous low-level intake.PubMed →. Instead of one large protein meal, aim for 3–4 meals each hitting the leucine threshold. Below are templates for common high-leucine foods.
Slide to your monthly supplement budget. Cards unlock in evidence-priority order — the cheapest, most validated interventions first. Evidence hierarchy is not the same as marketing hierarchyThe marketing gap in sports nutritionSystematic reviews consistently show that creatine and protein (food or supplement) have far stronger evidence bases than most commercially marketed "muscle builders." Expensive proprietary blends almost never outperform inexpensive generics in head-to-head RCTs.Google Scholar → — generic monohydrate creatine is outperforming most $60 stacks.
If you have health coverage or access to a physician, these are evidence-supported conversations to have. None of these are fringe — they appear in SCI clinical guidelines.
Prescription-strength D3 (50,000 IU/week) rapidly corrects deficiency. SCI populations show 70–85% deficiency prevalenceVitamin D deficiency in patients with spinal cord injuryCross-sectional study (n=100 SCI) found 68% had 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL. 33% had severe deficiency (<20 ng/mL). Contributors: reduced sun exposure, altered mobility, institutional living. Correction of deficiency has demonstrated benefits on muscle function, immune response, and cardiovascular parameters.PubMed →.
In Germany, France, and several others, creatine can be prescribed for neuro/myopathic conditions, making it subsidized or free. Class evidence for creatine in neuromuscular atrophy is Level BEvidence-based guideline update: Drug treatment for bulbar symptoms in ALS and other motor neuron diseasesCreatine supplementation has demonstrated consistent benefit in muscular dystrophies and myopathies at the Level B evidence threshold (probable effectiveness). Some national formularies include it for documented neuromuscular atrophy. The conversation is worth having with your neurologist or physiatrist.PubMed →.
SCI frequency of testosterone deficiency is 2–3× the able-bodied rateTestosterone deficiency in men with spinal cord injuryCross-sectional study found 43% hypogonadism prevalence in chronic SCI males (vs ~15–20% age-matched controls). Testosterone deficiency independently predicts lean mass loss. TRT in deficient SCI men improves lean mass and bone density. Testing is a first step — not a treatment assumption.PubMed →. Get baseline total and free testosterone before assuming it's normal.
Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle mass — blocking it reliably produces hypertrophy in animal modelsMyostatin and the regulation of skeletal muscle massGenetic myostatin knockout produces 2–3× normal muscle mass in mice. Atrophy from denervation (the SCI scenario) is associated with elevated myostatin. Pharmaceutical myostatin inhibition (e.g., follistatin, anti-myostatin antibodies) is in trial for Duchenne MD — the SCI application is not yet directly trialed but the mechanistic case is strong.PubMed →. Human clinical trials for Duchenne and ALS are underway. Not available except in trials. Track via ClinicalTrials.gov.
Once your nutritional baseline is solid for 2–4 weeks, you're ready to add stimulus.