The principles of gaining muscle mass in natural bodybuilding boil down to three main ones: proper training, proper nutrition, and rest.
One of the fundamental principles of proper nutrition for gaining mass is the necessity to ensure what is called “caloric surplus” or the intake of energy in greater amounts than required in a normal state.
It is on this principle that sports nutrition manufacturers speculate, offering a special product – a gainer, a type of sports nutrition designed to accelerate muscle mass gain.
In this article, we will explore what a gainer is, why it is needed, what ingredients are included in its composition, explain its mechanism of action, who and how to take it correctly, and also answer the popular question “which is better, gainer or protein for gaining muscle mass?”.
What is a gainer and what is it for?
A gainer or mass gainer (from the English “gain” – to enhance, increase) is a type of sports nutrition designed for gaining muscle mass in sports.
The main target group for this product in sports is ectomorphs – individuals with a slim physique and a high internal metabolic rate, which can be accurately characterized by the following definition: “no matter how much I eat – I am always thin“.
Besides sports, gainers are sometimes used by thin people, both women and men, to increase overall body mass (not just muscle mass, as will be shown below).
To gain weight, ectomorphs and thin men/women need to eat a lot. To facilitate this task, which can sometimes be quite difficult to solve with natural food products alone, the gainer was developed – a product “charged” with calories and building material for muscle mass.
The actual audience for gainers is significantly broader than just the thin part of humanity, as the magic of the meaning hidden in the name “mass gainer for gaining muscle mass” proves to be too strong: many novice athletes find themselves unable to resist it in hopes of becoming bigger quickly, and a lack of experience and understanding of the mechanism of action makes them susceptible to marketing slogans and recommendations from sports nutrition sellers.
A gainer is designed to help ectomorph athletes and thin people (both men and women) consume more calories, which is a necessary condition for gaining muscle mass or increasing overall body mass.
Composition of a gainer
The composition of gainers from different manufacturers varies significantly. But the general principle is the same for all: a sufficiently large proportion of carbohydrates and protein per serving.
The purpose of carbohydrates is calories, and the purpose of protein is building material for muscles.
The caloric content of gainers varies widely – from 500 to 1500 kcal per serving. This is very important to keep in mind. Why? It will become clear below.
The protein in gainers is usually found in the form of various types of milk proteins (whey or casein), egg protein, or their combination (so-called complex proteins).
These types of protein are among the most effective for muscle mass gain due to their complete amino acid profile and high absorption rate.
The use of a combination of different types of proteins, both fast and slow, allows for a steady rate of absorption over a long period, which is also a favorable condition for muscle growth.
Carbohydrates in gainers are also usually a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates, which helps to avoid a sharp spike in blood insulin levels.
Instead of sugar, known for its negative health effects, maltodextrin is most often used as a simple carbohydrate – the so-called “plant sugar” – a fast carbohydrate derived from wheat, rice, or corn.
Maltodextrin is often marketed as a “safer alternative to sugar,” however, as will be shown below, this is not the case.
Often, manufacturers also include creatine in the composition of gainers.
Creatine is one of the few sports supplements whose use is justified in bodybuilding for muscle mass gain, and its effectiveness is supported by scientific research.
The carbohydrates in gainers also improve the absorption of creatine.
In addition to the basic ingredients listed, the ingredient list of gainers may also include vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats, and other components that, in the manufacturers’ intent, are designed to make these products meal replacements.
From a business perspective, this is a decent idea, but not from the standpoint of health and the contents of the average consumer’s wallet.
It is important to remember that any types of sports nutrition are nothing more than supplements or additions to food. They should never replace natural products as the foundation of the diet.
The essence of this distinction at a physiological level is described in the material What is better: amino acids or protein? Opinions of doctors and experts
The calorie content of gainers varies widely: from 500 to 1500 kcal per serving. The composition of gainers also differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, but always includes carbohydrates and protein.
The difference between gainers and protein or the mechanism of action of gainers for weight gain
The essence of a gainer or how it works is best examined alongside the question of its difference from protein, as both issues are interconnected.
Both gainers and protein are intended for muscle mass gain.
The difference between them lies in their composition.
A typical serving of sports protein usually contains about 20-30 grams of protein, and its calorie content is 100-150 kcal.
In the case of a gainer, the protein dosage is usually the same, but the calorie content is significantly higher due to the addition of carbohydrates.
The calorie content of a serving of gainer can range from 400-800 kcal or even more.
Protein is the building material for muscle cells. With physical training that creates a stimulus for muscle development, consuming an adequate amount of protein is a necessary condition for the recovery of muscle cells and their growth, both in quantity and quality.
But this is not enough.
Let’s imagine a situation where both the training regimen is correct and protein is consumed in the right amount, but the overall calorie content of the food is insufficient. In this case, part of the protein may be used not for its building function, but for energy. Remember that each gram of protein, like carbohydrates, carries 4 kcal of energy.
Low calorie content of food is the main reason for the lack of progress in muscle mass growth, as well as the so-called muscle catabolism – the breakdown of muscle cells due to a lack of energy in the body to meet its basic energy needs.
The addition of carbohydrates to the composition of gainers provides an additional source of energy and prevents the use of protein for unintended purposes.
But the role of carbohydrates is not limited to energy function.
Carbohydrate consumption is accompanied by an increase in the level of the hormone insulin in the blood. We all know or have at least heard about the relationship of this hormone with a disease such as diabetes, but few know that insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones (= muscle growth stimulators) in our body.
This explains the fact that professional bodybuilders even inject it into their bodies. Yes, like diabetics..
The reason for the anabolic potential of insulin lies in its mechanism of action – it is a transport hormone that ensures the delivery of nutrients and building materials into cells, including muscle cells.
– So why do people suffering from diabetes not generally have excellent physical shape compared to bodybuilders who also “inject” insulin?
There are many reasons. One of them is that in their bodies, insulin, performing its transport function, sends excess energy to be stored in fat reserves, as the demand for energy and nutrients in muscles is low due to their low physical activity.
Against the backdrop of excessive calorie consumption, including from carbohydrates, which is also very characteristic of diabetics, and the disruption of the insulin secretion mechanism, this leads to the development of obesity. Details can be found in the material linked below.
We recommend: Powerful and deadly.. The mechanism of insulin action in bodybuilding for muscle gain and weight loss.
Thus, when carbohydrates and protein are consumed together in the form of a gainer, the delivery of energy and building materials to muscle cells is improved.
A gainer differs from protein by the presence of carbohydrates in its composition. Carbohydrates, in addition to their energy function, perform another important role for muscle gain: they cause an increase in insulin levels, which improves the delivery of nutrients to the muscles.
Who and how should take a gainer?
So, to ensure muscle mass growth, a calorie surplus is necessary.
If the caloric content of your current diet is above your baseline by 500 – 1000 kcal or if it is not difficult for you to increase it by consuming more natural products, then you do not need a gainer.
As can be seen from the composition of the gainer, there is absolutely no magic in it that would significantly accelerate the rate of muscle mass gain, similar to hormonal pharmacological drugs.
As with protein, it is very important to understand that a gainer is a dietary supplement. Emphasis on the word supplement.
This means that it makes sense to resort to its help only when, for some reason, it is not possible to ensure the necessary intake of protein or energy (calories) through natural food products.
The reasons can be quite varied: from a simple lack of appetite to a very high internal metabolic rate (a person is thin, no matter how much they eat, as mentioned above), when the lion’s share of the energy coming from food is spent on maintaining the body’s internal functions, and there is simply not enough left to build muscle mass.
People with such a slender constitution are called ectomorphs. In sports, the nutrition and training program for them should be structured in a special way.
It makes sense for thin people or ectomorph athletes to experiment with taking a gainer, as it is difficult for them to ensure a calorie surplus solely through natural products.
From the described principle, another follows logically: if the caloric content of the diet is sufficient, then consuming a gainer may hinder achieving the ideal body composition. An excess of calories will inevitably lead to an increase in body fat percentage.
Thus, to understand whether a mass gainer is necessary for you, it is essential to learn to count calories, understand how much you are currently getting from food, what your basic needs are, and how much it is necessary (if necessary) to increase the caloric content of your daily diet.
There is no point in taking a gainer for weight gain for full people and those whose current daily caloric intake is already high or can be easily ensured with natural products.
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How many grams of gainer to take per day? Example calculation
One of the formulas that is most often used to calculate basic energy needs is the so-called Harris-Benedict formula. It allows you to estimate the approximate number of calories needed per day for a man/woman, taking into account physical activity.
It is important to understand that all such formulas for calculating daily caloric needs provide a very rough estimate. It is fundamentally impossible to calculate the exact value.
According to the Harris-Benedict formula, the average daily caloric intake is calculated as the product of the basal metabolic rate (the energy required to maintain the body’s life in a resting state) and the level of physical activity:
Daily caloric intake = (Basal metabolic rate) * (Level of physical activity)
The formula for calculating the basal metabolic rate is as follows:
| Formula for calculating the basal metabolic rate for men and women |
| Basal metabolic rate for men = 66 + (13.7 * weight) + (5 * height) – (6.76 * age) |
| Basal metabolic rate for women = 655.1 + (9.6 * weight) + (1.9 * height) – (4.7 * age) |
The level of physical activity is characterized by one of the following coefficients:
- 1.2 sedentary lifestyle (physical activity is low or completely absent)
- 1.375 low activity (training 1-3 times a week at low intensity)
- 1.55 moderate activity (training 3-5 times a week at moderate intensity)
- 1.725 very active (intense training 6-7 times a week)
- 1.9 super active (very intense training or physical labor)
How many grams of gainer to drink per day and how often is determined by the necessary daily caloric intake that must be provided for weight gain
Example of calculating daily caloric intake
As an illustration, I will use this formula to calculate the approximate daily caloric intake for myself.
Metrics: body weight – 90 kg, height – 183 cm, age – 36 years, level of physical activity – 1.55 (training 6 days a week, I will take a slightly lower coefficient for calculating the lower limit; remember that all is conditional).
Total:
| Calculation of daily caloric norm for Andrey Kristov | |
| Basal metabolic rate | 66 + 13.7 * (90 kg) + 5 * (183 cm) – 6.76 * (36 years) = 66 + 1233 + 915 – 243.36 = 1970 kcal |
| Level of physical activity | 1.55 |
| Daily caloric needs | 1970 kcal * 1.55 = 3050 kcal |
To understand whether there is a need for gainer intake, it is necessary to assess:
- the current caloric intake;
- the goal pursued by the subject: weight gain, weight loss, body cutting;
- the possibility of modifying the current diet to increase caloric intake.
Let’s do this using my own example.
The most popular formula for calculating caloric intake is the Harris-Benedict formula. It is important to understand that all such calculations are very conditional
Recommended: How to properly take protein for muscle growth?
Example of a daily diet
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Below I will provide an approximate composition of products and their caloric content for calculating the daily calories consumed by me personally. After that, we will compare this figure with the one obtained in the previous section.
| Caloric calculation of the daily diet for Andrey Kristov | ||
| Breakfast | 3 eggs 150 g of porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat) 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil 1 slice of whole grain bread |
180 kcal 450 kcal 120 kcal 55 kcal |
| Lunch | 1 Greek yogurt (250 mg) 1 tbsp of raisins 1 apple 30 g of pumpkin seeds |
165 kcal 30 kcal 80 kcal 165 kcal |
| Lunch | 100 g of lentils 3 egg whites vegetable salad 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 slice of whole grain bread 30 g of nuts/seeds |
284 kcal 156 kcal 130 kcal 120 kcal 55 kcal 170 kcal |
| Dinner | 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese 1 tbsp of honey 1 apple 1 peach |
140 kcal 56 kcal 80 kcal 60 kcal |
| Total: ~ 2500 kcal | ||
So, the caloric content of my daily diet is ~ 2500 kcal.
If I were aiming to gain muscle mass, I would need to raise it to at least 3500 kcal: 500 kcal more compared to the calculated base caloric content of 3050 kcal above.
That’s an additional 1000 kcal per day.
Since the difference is quite significant, in my case, taking a gainer might be justified.
But I would do it differently: slightly increase the amount of nuts/seeds, add a slice of whole grain bread to each meal (I really like it), and mix the lentils at lunch with buckwheat or rice (incredibly tasty ;). From my point of view, this is much tastier and healthier than a gainer.
Nuts and seeds in this solution, in addition to ~30 grams of protein per 100 g, contain quite a lot of healthy fats that are not to be feared.
According to my calculations, I need to increase my caloric intake by about 1000 kcal per day to gain muscle mass. But if gaining mass were my goal, instead of a gainer, I would increase the amount of nuts/seeds and grains in my diet.
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When is it better to take a gainer: before/after a workout? at night?
The answer to this question is purely individual and is determined by the calculated daily caloric intake, the ability to cover it with food products, and the composition of the gainer.
Consuming a gainer with a high fat content slows down the absorption process, which is undesirable after a workout.
Taking a gainer with a high glycemic index at night may also not be the best idea, as the insulin spike creates conditions for fat deposition and can disrupt nighttime sleep. This applies to gainers with a high content of simple carbohydrates and sugar in particular.
The most justified time to take a gainer, from the perspective of its mechanism of action, is immediately after a workout. At other times, it depends on the daily caloric needs.
The best time to take a gainer is immediately after a workout
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Which gainer is better to buy?
If you find it difficult to ensure the necessary caloric intake in your daily diet with natural food products and you have a lean body constitution and want to gain muscle mass, then it might make sense to experiment with a gainer.
But believe me, only 1 person out of 100 really needs it.
What to pay attention to in the composition of a gainer when buying:
Caloric content
When choosing a gainer to avoid gaining fat mass while consuming it, prefer products with a caloric content in the average range of 300-600 kcal per serving.
Type and amount of carbohydrates
Sugar and other carbohydrates with a high glycemic index are not the best choice.
A sharp increase in insulin levels can be an advantage immediately after a workout, as this hormone, as mentioned above, improves the delivery of nutrients to the muscles, thus speeding up recovery. At other times of the day, insulin spikes in the blood are undesirable (especially at night).
To learn how to properly manage insulin levels throughout the day by controlling the amount and type of carbohydrates at each meal to avoid gaining fat mass and maximize muscle gain, read the article Powerful and Deadly.. The Mechanism of Insulin Action in Bodybuilding for Muscle Gain and Weight Loss.
Prefer gainers that contain a combination of complex and simple carbohydrates.
Type and amount of fats in the gainer’s composition
Avoid gainers with a high content of saturated fats. Triglycerides and unsaturated fats are a better alternative.
When buying a gainer, it is important to pay attention to the calorie content per serving, the type of carbohydrates, and fats in the composition.
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Homemade gainer or How to make a gainer yourself at home?
The recipe for making a homemade gainer is very simple: any protein product + carbohydrates + (if necessary) healthy fats.
Don’t forget that the essence of a gainer lies in the combination of protein with carbohydrates for energy and increasing insulin levels. Fats are added if you need to further increase the energy value of the serving.
The advantage of a gainer made at home is complete control over its composition and calorie content. You choose the types of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats yourself.
To prepare a drink at home that closely resembles the taste qualities of a sports gainer, you can mix sports protein from the list below with maltodextrin or dextrose (available in sports nutrition stores):
- whey protein and its varieties;
- casein;
- egg protein;
- pea, rice, and other plant varieties;
- soy protein (not recommended, strictly the opinion of the editorial team of promusculus.ru, justified here);
- multi-component proteins, which represent a combination of the above.
Maltodextrin and dextrose are fast carbohydrates obtained from plant starch (corn, rice, potatoes). They are often marketed by sports nutrition manufacturers as a healthier alternative to sugar; however, in terms of their effect on the body, they are no different from it.
Moreover, the harm to human health from their regular consumption in large quantities may even exceed the harm of sugar, as the glycemic index of these substances is significantly higher: the body reacts to their presence with a stronger insulin release, which, as is known, is one of the main reasons for the harm of sugar.
To make this version of the homemade gainer more “healthy,” you can use crushed oatmeal or oat flour, honey, and fruits as carbohydrates.
Fructose from honey and fruits, has a lower glycemic index compared to sugar, maltodextrin, and dextrose, while oatmeal adds a “complex” component that slows down absorption and smooths out the insulin spike.
To increase the overall caloric content of the diet or a serving of homemade gainer, you can use healthy fats. For example, coconut, olive, flaxseed oils, peanut butter, or paste.
Use a mixer to blend all the ingredients.
A gainer analog can be prepared at home from “completely” natural products. To do this, following the principle described above, you need to combine natural sources of protein with carbohydrate products.
At the same time, you need to consider the compatibility of products: not all natural protein products are well absorbed when taken with fast carbohydrates. For example, meat plus fruits or any other sweets is a bad option.
An example of a good combination is dairy products (cottage cheese, Greek yogurt) with fruits, honey, or jam.
Meat, fish, and eggs as sources of protein pair well with grains (cereals) and pasta, and such a mixture is absorbed significantly slower. Meat is a record holder for digestion time.
In this “natural” version, you will get a slower gainer with less impact on insulin levels. This is both a disadvantage and an advantage at the same time: sharp insulin spikes are not very good for health; at the same time, they are considered beneficial immediately after a workout to increase muscle growth potential.
As always, the decision on whether to use a sports gainer, a homemade analog, or to skillfully combine natural products to achieve the same effect is up to you.
The recipe for making a homemade gainer is very simple: protein source + carbohydrates. There are many options for such a combination.
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In conclusion: pros and cons of gainers
1 Pro: high caloric content
It is indeed easy to gain mass with a gainer. But what kind: muscle or fat? That’s a big question.
We have already discussed the importance of a caloric surplus for gaining muscle mass above. But the main thing is not to overdo it and figure out whether I personally need a caloric surplus, and if so, what should its magnitude be?
2 Con: the very high caloric content of gainers significantly increases the likelihood of gaining fat mass
It is worth noting that an excess of carbohydrates in the diet creates ideal conditions for increasing the percentage of body fat.
This explains the well-known fact of the fundamental difference in the body composition of bodybuilders during competition and off-season – a common phenomenon especially in past decades.
The characteristic “beer bellies” in the off-season were a result of excessive calorie consumption in an attempt to ensure an energy surplus and gain more muscle mass.
Conclusion: learn to count calories.
Practice shows that few people adequately assess the caloric value of the food they consume. Usually, the actual value is significantly underestimated.
The use of gainers in an attempt to gain mass, in this case, not only leads to a waste of money but also results in an outcome that is diametrically opposed to what athletes and bodybuilders/fitness enthusiasts expect: a disruption in body composition.
In many cases, the lack of progress in muscle mass growth among amateur athletes is a result of improper nutrition and training, rather than a problem with the selection of types of sports nutrition, particularly gainers.
3 Disadvantage: gainers do not satiate
This is a common property of “carbohydrate” products.
They are loaded with calories but do not satisfy hunger.
As a result, very soon after consuming them, one feels hungry again, which naturally increases the risk of gaining fat mass even more.
4 Disadvantage: an excess of carbohydrates in gainers can be harmful to health
Numerous scientific studies indicate the undeniable benefits of low-carbohydrate diets, which primarily exclude “unhealthy” simple carbohydrates in the form of sugars.
Low-carbohydrate diets are the most effective for weight loss. Athletes who maintain a consistently lean physique typically adhere to such diets.
5 Disadvantage: gainers often worsen muscle definition
This disadvantage follows from the previous one.
Carbohydrate-rich foods worsen muscle definition, i.e., the degree of visual delineation of muscles. This is related not only to the excess calories, which naturally affects the increase in skinfold thickness.
The thickness of the latter is also determined by the amount of fluid present in the subcutaneous layers.
The hormonal mechanism underlying the carbohydrate metabolism in the body also affects how much fluid is accumulated in the subcutaneous layers. This issue was indirectly addressed in our analysis of Stanislav Lindover’s interview about the advantages of casein over cottage cheese.
That is why during body drying, athletes almost completely exclude carbohydrates from their diet.
6 Plus: carbohydrates make muscles more “full”
Muscles are a storage for glycogen – a short-term energy source that is replenished directly from carbohydrates.
When we consume carbohydrates, after their digestion and absorption, part of the energy obtained goes to meet the body’s current needs, while the excess is stored in short-term storage – glycogen in the liver and muscles. Once these stores are filled, long-term fat storage begins to fill up.
Glycogen is an energy substrate. Additionally, each gram of it “binds” several grams of fluid. Therefore, the more glycogen in the muscles, the easier it is to train and the more “full” they are, i.e., the greater their volume.
The mechanism of action of carbohydrates, why they are needed in bodybuilding, and how they work is detailed in the material Carbohydrates in sports and bodybuilding: functions, how many carbohydrates are needed for muscle mass gain, how and when to take them.
7 Plus: more energy for workouts
Carbohydrates in the composition of gainers are energy, the primary source of it for the human body. The more energy, the easier it is to train.
This is partly explained by the subconscious attraction to sweets and baked goods: our body tends to take the path of least resistance in an attempt to provide itself with energy for life.
