A nutritional supplement comprising at least a therapeutically effective amount of ethyl pyruvate and a therapeutically effective amount of at least one α-hydroxy branched-chain amino acid metabolite is provided by the present invention. The ingredients of the present nutritional supplement substantially simultaneously act to induce a anabolically-favorable state for muscle by substantially simultaneously maintaining blood and muscle physiological pH levels as well as increasing cellular concentrations of branched-chain amino acids. Both a composition and a method are provided by the present disclosure.