What is a gainer?
Gainer is a carbohydrate-protein sports supplement for rapid muscle mass gain and body weight gain. Most often, a gainer consists of a mixture of whey protein and fast-digesting carbohydrates, in some cases, creatine, as well as vitamins and minerals, can be added to its composition. The word gainer refers to the English verb to gain, meaning in this context a set of masses.
Usually, a gainer is needed by naturally thin athletes (ectomorphs) who have difficulty with weight gain, and weight gain – it helps better than protein. The key role of this supplement in the process of muscle growth is both to increase the total calorie intake and to more efficiently transport nutrients to the muscles by increasing the level of insulin in the blood.
At the same time, it is recommended to drink a carbohydrate cocktail only during mass training – when training for cutting, pure protein is preferable. Otherwise, a set of unwanted fat mass is possible. Novice athletes (especially girls) do not usually need a gainer – in their case, regular food should be the source of carbohydrates.
Gainer or protein?
The main difference between a gainer and a protein is the carbohydrate content. If a good sports protein is practically pure protein, then more than half of the weight of a gainer can come solely from carbohydrates. Most often, their source is maltodextrin, a carbohydrate with a high glycemic index, which is broken down into glucose during digestion.
If a serving of pure whey protein contains about 100 kcal (and 20-25 g of protein), then a gainer can contain about 1000 kcal – however, scoops and recommended serving sizes also differ significantly. That is why it is necessary to compare the content of nutrients per 100 g. In addition, the composition of the gainer may contain creatine – which also helps in weight gain.
| Macronutrients (per 100 g) | Protein | Gainer |
| Calories | 450 kcal | 370 – 400 kcal |
| Proteins | 70 – 80g | 15 – 20g |
| Fats | 5 – 6g | 5 – 6g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 – 25g | 70 – 80g |
Mass gainer
Despite the fact that protein is the main sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass, its calories are often not enough for thin people – this is where a gainer is needed. In fact, the supplement is designed to completely replace the meal, while the protein is only an addition to the usual diet (or a way to fill the need for protein after a workout).
The use of a gainer (in fact, a mixture of fast carbohydrates and easily digestible proteins) is both an additional source of calories for the body and increases the level of insulin, a hormone that opens up the possibility for the absorption of nutrients by the muscles. In addition, a gainer taken immediately after a workout reduces cortisol levels, stopping catabolic processes and helping muscle growth.
What is the difference between a gainer and a protein:
- the presence of a large amount of carbohydrates
- higher calorie content per serving
What is a gainer for?
Recall that the main source of energy during strength training is glycogen – the reserves of carbohydrates in the muscles. These reserves are formed as a result of the digestion of carbohydrate foods eaten. The carbohydrates in a gainer directly affect the replenishment of glycogen stores – which helps to train more efficiently and gain mass faster.
In total, about 500-600 g of glycogen obtained from carbohydrates is stored in the athlete’s body. The lack of carbohydrates in the diet does not allow the body to replenish glycogen stores after training, negatively affecting strength and muscle growth. Unfortunately, most skinny beginners simply can’t bring themselves to eat that many carbohydrate-containing foods – in which case they need a gainer.
How to take a mass gainer?
It is necessary to drink a gainer either immediately after strength training in one serving or a third of the serving before training and two-thirds after the end of the workout. In the latter case (taking a gainer before and after training), you will provide the muscles with quick additional energy, which will affect the increase in strength indicators – especially if you train at the end of the working day.
A typical recommendation for the amount of gainer to increase muscle mass is a serving containing 20-30 g of protein and 40-60 g of carbohydrates – most often this is one scoop of the finished product (about 80-100 g). Dry powder is poured into a shaker, then 250-300 ml of water or skim milk is added, after which the cocktail is thoroughly shaken and drunk.
Do I need to take a serving every day?
Taking additional servings of a gainer during the day (especially on days of rest from strength training) is acceptable only for extremely thin ectomorph teenagers or with a significant shortage of the macronutrient ratio for muscle growth. In all other cases, it is recommended to either get energy from regular food or drink whey protein without additional carbohydrates.
Otherwise, there is a risk of rapid fat gain. The reason is that the main part of the carbohydrates of the gainer refers to sugars and has a fairly high glycemic index – taking such a high-calorie mixture in isolation from strength training can lead to obesity. Moreover, fat will grow in the most problematic area – the stomach.
Which is better – protein or gainer?
Once again, we note that a gainer is needed primarily by naturally thin athletes who experience serious problems with weight gain and muscle growth. In their case, a regular whey protein with a minimum content of simple carbohydrates will be much less effective than a high-calorie mixture of fast proteins and a lot of carbohydrates.
At the same time, in athletes prone to gaining excess weight, taking a gainer can easily affect the increase in body fat and the growth of belly fat. That is why a gainer is often used only when a quick increase in overall body weight is needed – without focusing on whether lean muscles are increasing or weight gain was achieved at the expense of some fat.
Harm and cons of the gainer:
- Higher cost of protein
- The presence of a significant amount of carbohydrates
- high glycemic index
How to make a homemade gainer?
A way to save on sports nutrition is to make a gainer at home – that is, mixing whey protein with carbohydrates and creatine. In this case, you will not overpay for carbohydrates, which are more than half in the gainer – in fact, they are much cheaper than the significantly more expensive whey protein.
The source of carbohydrates for a homemade gainer can be either maltodextrin (it is sold in its pure form), fruit, or even juice. You need to drink such a carbohydrate cocktail immediately after training. Note that there are no advantages of a gainer compared to a “manual” mixture of whey protein with carbohydrate sources – it is only about ease of use.
Gainer is a high-absorption protein-carbohydrate sports nutrition that is an important tool for weight gain and muscle growth in naturally lean ectomorphs. However, taking a gainer by people who are prone to gaining excess weight will quickly cause an increase in fat mass and an increase in belly fat. In their case, it is preferable to drink regular whey protein.