Weight loss is one of the most talked-about topics in the fitness world, yet there are millions of people who are hoping to gain weight, improve athletic performance or just look more muscular. No matter your reasons for wanting to gain weight, the most important part to achieve this goal is eating more calories than you spend on a daily basis. Believe it or not, eating a lot can be as hard as eating less. If you’re struggling with eating enough calories to gain weight, weight gainer supplements can be of great help. Unlike most bodybuilding protein supplements, mass gainers contain not only protein but carbs and amino acids as well.
Reasons to Use a Mass Gainer Supplement
Meeting Calorie Requirements
Weight gainers help you meet your calorie requirements without having to shove food down your face all day. If you’re what’s called a hard gainer (people who feel like they have to keep eating, yet feel like they’ll explode if they have to look at another serving), meeting your calorie requirements can be very hard, and weight gainers make this much easier. There are weight gainers that can give you a thousand calorie meal in a shake. This allows you to reach your 3000 or 4000+ caloric needs a day.
Stay Lean
One of the biggest reasons why many bodybuilders use mass gainer products is because these supplements feature specially formulated fat which helps you stay lean while you’re building muscle. However, not all mass gainers contain this type of dietary fat, so make sure you avoid products that contain medium-chain triglycerides and saturated fats.
Different Calorie Levels
Keep in mind that you only need so many calories to effectively build muscle, which is why weight gainers come in a wide range of calorie levels. That being said, make sure you pick a supplement that matches your needs. There’s a huge difference between a 1000 calories gainer and a 3000 one when you take it throughout the week. if you go over your recommended calorie level, you’ll start putting on fat mass, which is what most people want to avoid. For most people, a 400-600 calorie supplement is best, while those who really have trouble building mass should look for higher-calorie products. Make sure you don’t start off with taking too much of this supplement so you can make sure it reacts well with your digestive system. Slowly build your way up to the higher calorie levels.
Quicker Recovery
A weight gainer supplement can allow you to recover faster. Being able to recover from difficult workout sessions is just as important as your workout. So if you’re not consuming enough calories, your recovery rates will suffer. Some weight gainers include l-glutamine, an amino acid that plays an important role in recovery. It also supports your immune system, reducing the risk of missing out on workouts due to illness.
Popular Mass Gainer Supplements
Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition
A scoop of Serious Mass comes with 1250 calories and 50g of protein for recovery support makes this supplement one of the most popular post-workout and between-meal replacements. It has everything you need to put on some weight and develop the physique you aim towards. Serious Mass comes with over 250g carbs, 25 vitamins and minerals as well.
Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
This supplement has one of the most effective and arguably the purest weight and muscle gaining formulate. It has everything you need to increase your muscle mass, including 750 calories, 53g protein and 109g clean, natural carbs.
Up Your Mass XXXL by MHP
This weight gainer is nutrient-dense, creating a great metabolic environment for great results. Every serving comes with 50g of sustained release and fast-acting protein that helps you build muscle and recover faster. This advanced protein combination of whey concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed whey protein, combined with milk and micellar casein provide short and long-term retention of nitrogen. This supplement also comes with 250g complex carbs and functional fats like CLA, EFAs and MCTs.
Recommended Dosage
The recommended dosage for weight gainers doesn’t depend on anything but your weight gain goals. If you start taking too much however, you’ll gain body fat, and if you take too little you won’t build enough muscle. You should also make sure you take enough protein, which is somewhere between 1.1-3.1g for every kilogram you weigh. However, there isn’t any upper limit to how much protein you can take in one meal, so it doesn’t matter how much you take in a meal. Some weight gainers also include creatine. The starting dosage should be about 0.3g per every kilogram you weigh, and taking lower doses has shown to be just as effective. It’s important for the weight gainer to have the right protein to fat to carbs ratio for the best results, so that’s also something to look out for when making your choice.
