A gainer is a protein-carbohydrate mixture designed for weight gain. Designed for ectomorphs and all athletes who have difficulty gaining weight (gainer - from the English word gain - to gain, build up). The gainer contains protein (most often whey), carbohydrates (in high-quality gainers usually in the form of maltodextrin), and also, depending on the manufacturer and concept, amino acids, creatine, vitamins, etc. Components.
The presence of carbohydrates in the composition allows you to maintain a high level of energy content in the body, despite high loads. And protein restores the supply of amino acids and suppresses catabolism. Thus, the gainer allows you to train more actively and gain muscle mass. However, gainer is contraindicated for people with an endomorphic physique, since excess carbohydrates will increase fat mass.
What is a gainer made from?
In the old days, gainers were made from cheap, low-grade protein and sugar with added fat. Today, serious manufacturers use highly purified protein and high-quality carbohydrates. At the same time, the gainer is very demanding on storage conditions, so some of the problems that arise after consuming the gainer can be attributed to violations of storage conditions - at high humidity, carbohydrates and protein become an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.
How does a gainer work?
The carbohydrates in the gainer provide the body with energy, which helps to train hard. At the same time, fast carbohydrates allow you to instantly meet the body's needs, while slow carbohydrates provide nutrition for a longer time. Protein stimulates the growth of muscle fibers and provides building material for them.
Often, in asthenic athletes with a fast metabolism, even a calorie surplus in the diet does not provide a noticeable increase in muscle mass. And even more excess calories are hampered by the ability to digest and a small appetite. Thus, the gainer allows ectomorph athletes to significantly increase the calorie content of their diet and make their muscles grow.
The mechanism of muscle growth.
A muscle is made up of a large number of fibers. Each of them is a cell containing contractile proteins - peculiar threads that are shortened under the influence of brain impulses. Together, this results in muscle contraction. When working, it consumes energy, which it receives from nutrients - carbohydrates and fats. In it they are broken down and converted into energy, which allows the muscle to work.
During long-term training, lactic acid and hydrogen ions accumulate in the tissue, which enter the brain through the bloodstream, which reacts by releasing hormones. They enter muscle tissue and force the fiber to synthesize more proteins. There are more of them, the muscle grows.
Carbohydrates, when digested in the gastrointestinal tract, cause the pancreas to release insulin. This hormone essentially opens muscle cells to allow amino acids to enter. When taking proteins and carbohydrates simultaneously, their combined effect is enhanced.
This can be represented schematically like this:
Carbohydrates are divided into “fast” (glucose) and “slow” (starch) according to their absorption rate. People with an asthenic body type are recommended to use gainers with a high content of “fast” carbohydrates (dextrose, maltodextrin, glucose, fructose).
In response to the intake of large amounts of simple carbohydrates, the pancreas releases the main anabolic hormone, insulin, into the blood. The combined action of, for example, whey protein and glucose affects muscle growth within 20 minutes.
It is possible to use gainers containing starches (“complex” carbohydrates). But, starch in combination with protein will have an effect on muscle growth only after 4 hours.
Gamers may contain creatine (monohydrate). It helps accumulate fluid in the muscles and better absorb insulin.
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Types of gainers
Gainers can be divided into high-protein mixtures (with a protein content of up to 60%) and high-carbohydrate mixtures (with a protein content of 20-30%). This allows the gainer to be used with greater efficiency depending on the personal characteristics of each athlete. For those who lack protein, the high-protein option is beneficial - it more strongly stimulates muscle hypertrophy, and a small amount of carbohydrates not only increases the total calorie content, but also improves protein absorption.
Athletes closer to the ectomorph constitution, whose rapid metabolism hinders growth, are better suited to a high-carbohydrate gainer, which will provide the opportunity to sharply increase caloric intake and build muscle mass.
Conclusions[edit | edit code]
Firstly, the servings of the vast majority of gainers are clearly excessive. Even if we take into account that athletes weighing under 130 kg will drink them. Of course, the manufacturers can be understood: they announced a rapid increase in mass, which means that it must be ensured somehow. Unfortunately, this must be achieved through the growth of adipose tissue, among other things. If we talk about a normal gym goer, then a third of the stated portion will be enough for him - in our case, its calorie content will be 410 kcal.
But here comes the “second thing”. Such a truncated serving will contain only 17 grams of protein, which is clearly not enough. That is, you will have to add protein powder to the gainer. So isn’t it better to try to make a gainer yourself using a protein shake and juice, for example? You can also add a banana, a little syrup, low-fat ice cream to a regular protein shake made with water or milk - it’s delicious, and you can precisely tailor it to your needs in terms of calories and macronutrient content.
There is no doubt: the gainer is convenient - just stir and drink. It may be suitable for those who find it very difficult to gain weight. But even for them, drinking a full portion of gainer at a time is contraindicated. Imagine a 60-pound guy who wants to gain weight. He needs to get about 2100 kcal per day, but here one portion of the gainer gives 1230 at once! As for the rest of the “muscle mass fighters,” a gainer is unlikely to be useful to them.
Optimal gainer composition
Protein-carbohydrate mixtures are presented in a huge variety, therefore, in order to choose a gainer whose composition is completely satisfactory, you need to have an idea of what a gainer is in sports nutrition and what a good sports nutrition is.
Gainer is actively used by both professional and novice athletes. In addition, the huge variety, price range and difference in composition will make anyone confused. So, what is the right gainer, how to choose and what must be included in it?
When purchasing, pay attention to the description of the gainer and the presence of the following components:
- Polysaccharides or slow carbohydrates should make up the majority of the carbohydrates in the supplement, up to 80%. A high-quality gainer contains ground oats or rye, which are not just sources of slow carbohydrates and energy, but also contain a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. In addition, these cereals contain a large amount of fiber, which improves digestive processes and removes excess from the body;
- simple sugars in small quantities should also be present in the protein-carbohydrate mixture. Maltodextrin is perfectly absorbed, saturates with glucose and promotes the production of the hormone of joy - endorphin;
- protein at least 20%. Most athletes prefer whey protein, despite the fact that vegetable and egg whites are also actively used by sports nutrition manufacturers.
There are not so many requirements for a gainer, the composition of which should be as clear and simple as possible. And there is certainly not a single substance in it that would cost fabulous money. Therefore, we can definitely say that the high cost of a gainer does not mean that it has an excellent composition. The Russian sports nutrition manufacturer Befirst only proves this rule by producing high-quality and affordable supplements with the correct composition.
What benefits does regular use of gainer give?
Having looked at what a gainer does, we see that its constant use allows you to:
- overcome the training plateau,
- increase muscle strength and volume,
- increase performance during training,
- speed up recovery.
In order for a gainer to bring only benefits, it is necessary to take into account its composition and quantity of components, as well as the body’s own needs. Sometimes, when taking a gainer, digestive problems may occur. And of course, those who tend to quickly gain fat mass should not use a gainer. If you need to support muscles in such a situation, it is better to choose pure protein.
How to take gainer?
When it is clear why a gainer is needed, the question of how to take it also becomes clearer. The gainer can be taken immediately after training - in this case it will close the so-called. “protein-carbohydrate window” is a period during which the body experiences a greater need for nutrients.
It is sometimes recommended to take a gainer before training - in this case, the body will have abundant energy and amino acid reserves and will not have the need to break down fat and muscle for energy. So in this case, the weight loss will be significantly less - this is important for those athletes for whom it is important not to lose weight.
Gainer can be taken at other times - between regular meals - but only if your constitution is close to ectomorphic. Otherwise, there is a very high probability of gaining fat mass.
Kidneys and liver
There is also an opinion that drinking a carbohydrate-protein mixture is harmful to the kidneys and liver, which suffer due to increased stress and the effects of toxins. In fact, healthy organs do an excellent job of processing the nutrients they receive. Gainer poses some danger only for people who have chronic liver and kidney diseases. In this case, taking the supplement is actually harmful and may make the problem worse. To eliminate any dangers, it is advisable to consult a specialist.
What sports supplements can you combine with a gainer?
Gainer itself is a combination of a number of substances, so it goes well with other supplements - such as creatine, vitamins and pre-workout complexes. It is not recommended to combine a gainer with BCAA for the reason that the gainer already contains protein and when digested, its components will compete with amino acids. That is, this combination is not harmful, but it makes taking BCAA pointless.
There is also a point related to cost. The question may arise: why do you need a gainer if you have protein? Protein supplements are always cheaper than gainers, not to mention sugar and cereals. Therefore, for athletes on limited budgets, there are a number of homemade gainer recipes from inexpensive protein and various carbohydrates widely available in everyday life.
Understanding what a gainer is for and what it gives, everyone who has problems with excess weight will have to give it up. When training to lose weight, it is better to choose protein to support muscles.
Conclusion
When asking which gainer is best to buy, you should consider the following:
- More protein, less sugar.
- The average cost per 1 kg is approximately 1,000 rubles.
- Choose based on the daily calorie intake calculated for yourself, as well as the intensity of your training and diet.
- Recalculate the composition as a percentage, without bothering your head with portion sizes.
- Choose products from well-known brands, but do not overpay, since some manufacturers often inflate the cost just because of the brand.
- For ectomorphs - high-calorie gainers, and for mesomorphs and endomorphs - high-protein or balanced ones are better.
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