Muscle is indeed build in the kitchen and not the gym. As protein is used to rebuild your muscle you'll need plenty of it. Muscle building powder as you refer to it are just powders high in whey (this part is important) protein. Whey is high in BCAA's which is required to rebuild muscles and is also a "fast" digesting protein. So generally whey is used post workout. Most powder have different ratios of protein/carbs. Generally they're low in carbs and can range anywhere from 1g/100g. to 10g/100g. Whey isolate is on the lower side of the carb ratio while less "pure" are on the higher range of the carb ratio. I've been taking them for a long time and have no adverse health effects though i do often take 1.5 units of insulin post workout with my shake.
Now all this above is about a supplement, your general diet needs to be on point and there again protein plays it's role. Eating protein rich foods will give you casein protein which is a slow digesting protein. Generally lean meats (chicken, turkey, ...) and fish (Tuna) will give you a nice amount of protein. Keep in mind that it's never just whey or casein in foods but a mixture of both.
Another option is taking amino acids (the AA in BCAA's), in a nutshell it's what protein get's broken into in your body, meaning it's extremely fast acting and often taken during the workout. Since amino acids are protein 10 grams of AA will be about the same as 10 grams of protein. You can take it in pill form, powder or liquid. All with different carbs.
Creatine is another popular (if not the most popular) supplement. It does work, and it does have an effect on power output and lean muscle mass. In higher doses it also retains water (which is technically lean mass
). It is the most researched supplement out there and so far no negative effects to health have been found. I take it myself on occasion and do notice a difference in performance especially when lifting heavy.
A good source to see if the labelling is correct in your chosen supplement:
http://www.supplementlabtest.com/
Me, i take 2-3 protein shakes a day, eat lean foods and generally vegetables (though that is a personal choice). I take a multivitamin every start of the day (supplement not pharmacy grade) and drink a fitness drink which is high in L-carnitine (mostly for taste not for the need). As mentioned on occasion i take creatine supplementation though eventually i usually forget to take it on off days. I had my blood tested this year and i'm healthy as an ox, my bad cholesterol is low, my vitamins are in the high regions, HBA1C is in good range, ... and i've been taking these kinds of supplementation for more than a decade now. On a personal note i rarely get sick at all especially since i've started eating whole foods and lots of veggies. Do keep in mind that i workout a minimum of 3 times a week (DUP program: hypertrophy, power & strength) and go cycling a lot. Lately hiking since i hurt my back a couple of weeks ago. So you obviously need to adjust you nutrition intake to your level of activity.
In short your blood glucose will spike higher from the workouts than from the supplements/diet and adjustment is required for both the diet and the increase in active lifestyle.
Edit: forgot to mention, stay away from weight gainers as they're nothing but carbs upon carbs.
