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Gainers
A bodybuilder who wants to achieve success in his training must pay attention not only to sports loads. Nutrition is no less important. Properly organized nutrition in combination with training helps in gaining muscle mass and achieving the desired results. Every bodybuilder must remember that a balanced diet is an integral part of the process of building a body.
Gainer is one of the most famous sports nutrition products. It is a special mixture of proteins and carbohydrates. Typically, when making a mixture, manufacturers adhere to standard proportions of the main components - 1:3. The name “gainer” comes from the English word “gain”, which means “gain”, “increase”. This name fully corresponds to the purpose of the drug - helping to gain muscle mass. During the drying period, athletes do not take gainer because it contains a large amount of carbohydrates. The ratio of the main components (proteins and carbohydrates) in the drug may vary, depending on the athlete’s body type. For those who have a hard time gaining weight, a product with a classic composition will be optimal: proteins + carbohydrates in a ratio of 1:3. For athletes prone to gaining excess weight and those who already have fat deposits, a drug with a lighter composition is suitable: 1:1 or 1:2. Having chosen the most suitable option for yourself, you need to consume the product for two to three weeks to make sure that the ratio of proteins and carbohydrates is chosen correctly.
What is a gainer and why is it taken?
A food supplement called “Gainer” is a protein-carbohydrate mixture that is high in calories. This food supplement provides comprehensive nutrition, because the coherent amino acids present in the mixtures replenish the protein deficiency in the muscles, and carbohydrates maintain the overall tone of the body.
The effect of the gainer begins immediately after administration, and therefore it is recommended to use it immediately before training. Today, the market for sports nutritional supplements offers a wide range of gainer types, which differ in the constituent components of the product itself. Due to the fact that this sports supplement contains a large percentage of protein, many are puzzled by the question: “How to make a gainer from protein yourself?”
Advantages of carbohydrate mixture
The beneficial properties of the product, which helps to gain muscle mass, are due to its components. The composition of a gainer is a mixture of proteins and carbohydrates. The advantage is that proteins are absorbed without forming a fat layer. This is explained by the fact that such products contain virtually no fat. The main functions of a homemade gainer include:
- Provides the protein necessary for muscle growth.
- Increased energy and strength reserves, which is necessary for intense training.
The undoubted advantage of a gainer prepared independently is that it will be free of chemicals. Products can be selected to suit every taste. Well, its components will be reliably known and harmless. Due to its calorie content and content of essential substances, such a product that helps to gain weight can replace a full meal. It is recommended to drink the drink, prepared at home yourself, before and after training. The interval between taking it and physical activity should be about an hour. Thanks to this scheme, energy is replenished, and proteins are better absorbed. You should avoid using gainers in the evening, before bed.
Gainers are used by people who are determined to gain muscle weight by doing strength training, because... carbohydrates are the best fuel for physical activity in the gym, and protein is an indispensable building material for muscle growth and muscle mass gain.
How to replace fat burners
Most fat burners contain plant extracts that affect the body in much the same way as amphetamines. Due to this, appetite disappears and energy appears for training. It is obvious that the abuse of fat burners leads to the formation of a dangerous addiction.
Do not believe the tempting promises of manufacturers: modern medicine does not know of substances that can “burn” fat without any physical effort. Therefore, you should not hope that the use of fat burners will contribute to the loss of excess weight: you should not hope for a miraculous effect from taking pills, but carefully plan a diet.
How and when to take gainer correctly
There are two main techniques: drink a gainer before training - 30-40 minutes before the start and after training - no earlier than half an hour later. In the first case, the gainer serves to transport substances necessary to provide energy to the body during intense strength training. It is important to respect the time frame: drinking a cocktail in advance will reduce the effectiveness, since the substances will be absorbed and processed earlier; carbohydrates that are not actively used will turn into fat reserves.
If you take the drink immediately before exercise, it will not have time to be absorbed and will cause an outflow of blood from the working muscles to the stomach, and when working with heavy weights, a full stomach is generally contraindicated.
After a power load, the gainer replenishes the energy expended, promoting muscle recovery and supplying material for their construction. It is not advisable to take the drink earlier than half an hour later: the body is not yet ready to digest food and absorb nutrients. If you feel very hungry, you need to be patient, drink some water, take a shower, change clothes - half an hour has passed, you can drink. Additional gainer intakes are possible throughout the day - between main meals instead of snacks. This method of nutrition ensures that the body receives properly dosed necessary substances (it is more difficult to achieve the correct proportion when taking regular foods). In addition, it is more of a liquid food, which is easier to digest. However, you should not replace many meals with a gainer; after all, it is an auxiliary tool, use it wisely. For example, the following scheme is possible: protein shake, breakfast, lunch, lunch, gainer, (workout), gainer, dinner, protein shake. It is also possible to replace second breakfast with a gainer (especially convenient if you cannot eat a full meal).
- Fast and slow gainers
- Fast gainer
Fast - which includes fast carbohydrates (maltodextrin, glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose). Fast carbohydrates have a very high rate of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, so they cause an immediate increase in blood sugar and a significant release of insulin.
This type of gainer is well suited to be taken immediately after training to quickly restore spent energy during the so-called protein-carbohydrate window. Preferable for people of thin and normal build. Obese people should refrain from taking additional carbohydrates. Almost all foods with fast carbohydrates have a sweet taste. Products containing fast carbohydrates:
- Table sugar
- Confectionery (sweets, cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, etc.)
- Jam and marmalade
- Chocolate
- Honey
- Sweet drinks
- Sweet fruits (grapes, etc.)
Slow gainer
Slow - polysaccharides consist of many hundreds or thousands of interconnected monosaccharides. The main representatives are starch and dietary fiber in plants. They are released gradually in the gastrointestinal tract, providing energy to our body for a long time. It is preferable to take such carbohydrates in the first half of the day. Oatmeal plays the role of slow carbohydrates in our recipes.
What is a home gainer made from?
As you know, a gainer prepared with your own hands has a number of significant advantages:
- All products included in the cocktail are 100% natural;
- Provides money savings;
- It has beneficial properties for the body and improved taste.
This drink consists of three components:
- The basis. As a rule, one of three products is selected as this component: milk, yogurt, juices;
- Protein. Suitable protein components include: cottage cheese, egg yolks, skimmed milk powder, sports supplement “Protein”;
- Carbohydrate. In the form of this component you can use oats, fructose, honey and jam. When looking for an answer to the question: “How to make a gainer?”, it is worth remembering that it is important not only to choose the right products, but also to follow the dosage and proportions according to the recipe.
A warning from nutritionists
In cases where there is a risk of obesity, reinforcing mixtures should be taken once, only after training, 3 hours before bedtime.
Composite drinks saturated with all types of nutrients are suitable only for people with increased physical activity, who are professionally involved in building muscle mass, or for athletes during grueling training.
If you tend to be overweight, it is recommended to replace gainers with protein shakes.
How to make gainer at home
Any professional athlete or person simply passionate about fitness or bodybuilding knows what a gainer is, where to buy it and how to take it correctly, as well as how to make a gainer yourself from available products. Such high-quality mixtures are quite expensive, but the main difficulty is still finding a gainer that is truly useful and completely safe for the body. If you are concerned about this issue, try a variety of ways to prepare a gainer yourself.
When starting to make a homemade protein-carbohydrate mixture, you should not count on significant savings or complete safety of the product. A gainer at home is not much cheaper, and sometimes even more expensive, than its purchased version.
There will also be no guarantee that your product does not contain concentrates, nitrates, GMOs and allergens, because the products themselves from the store often contain all these unpleasant impurities. Therefore, if possible, buy all the products at the market from friends. The advantage of your own homemade gainer will be a reliably known composition and proven content of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, amino acids, fats and calories.
To make a mass gainer at home, you need to determine which products to use as a source of protein and which to use as carbohydrate fuel. There should be approximately three times more carbohydrates than proteins, since they are burned much faster than proteins are absorbed and used.
Is it safe to make mass gainer at home?
When thinking about preparing such a drink at home, you don’t have to worry about the safety of the body, because natural gainer is prepared from commonly available and everyday products, which indicates its environmental friendliness. It is worth noting that in terms of effect, the homemade gainer is not inferior to the mixture purchased at the pharmacy, because it still contains the same whey protein and carbohydrates. The only thing you need to know when preparing such a cocktail is its correct composition and proportions of the right products.
How to make a gainer yourself?
Of course, it’s easier to buy a ready-made mixture from any professional collection of sports nutrition. However, many athletes prefer to consume only natural products, avoiding all kinds of dyes, flavorings, and synthetic substances in their diet. In this case, there are two solutions on the way to the result: make a gainer yourself from classic ingredients or use recipes for delicious cocktails from ordinary products.
Let's look at both.
Classic gainer includes:
- protein;
- maltodextrin;
- fructose;
- sucrose;
- flavoring additive.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to make protein isolate at home, so powdered milk is used instead; this technique is also used by many manufacturers of ready-made sports nutrition. Please note that you need to choose a product with the lowest fat content.
Maltodextrin is the result of the breakdown of starch and can be purchased at your average grocery store (you may have to look for it, but it is a common cooking ingredient). Fructose - in its healthiest form - is honey. Sucrose is regular sugar. For taste, you can add cocoa - we get a chocolate-flavored cocktail. Mix all the ingredients (don't forget to add the required amount of water) in the proportion you choose (classic: 30% protein, 70% carbohydrates). Natural gainer - at your service!
Honey is perfect for making gainer, because... This is fructose in its healthiest form.
Required Tools
To prepare a gainer at home, we will need:
- Blender or mixer;
- Source of carbohydrates;
- Source of protein;
- Something to give the drink a liquid consistency;
- Source of amino acids;
- Flavoring additive.
Blender or mixer - well, everything is clear here, we need a device that can quickly grind, cut and crush even the hardest ingredients such as peanuts. As you understand, a whisk is not a help here. Porridge and various cereals, such as oatmeal, are most often used as a source of carbohydrates. In addition, you can use simple carbohydrates from fruits: apples, pears, bananas.
Although a gainer is a carbohydrate cocktail, it should still contain protein. Its source is most often eggs, raw and boiled, cottage cheese, you can add a little protein powder.
So that our cocktail does not look like porridge and is drinkable, all ingredients need to be mixed with something liquid, for example, water or milk. I recommend using milk, as a water gainer may seem too bland. Regular BCA capsules can serve as a source of amino acids; you can also pour a little 2.5% kefir into a blender. For taste, you can add various fruits, for example, banana, strawberries, if desired, you can sprinkle a little cocoa powder.
Products for cooking
Products that are commonly used to make mass gainer at home are:
- Protein component – eggs, milk powder, cottage cheese
- Carbohydrate component - fruits, jam or honey, berries
- The base is sour fruit juice or milk.
Important conditions for preparing the mixture:
- Products should be easily digestible
- The protein part in the composition should be about 10 - 20 g.
- Simple sugars.
In order to make a gainer with your own hands, you will need protein, which can be used as low-fat cottage cheese, milk, nuts, yogurt, as well as casein or whey protein. The carbohydrate component for the mixture is oatmeal, bran, honey, fiber, fruits and berries, jam or sugar.
If gaining weight is not part of the athlete’s plans, then it is better to use sweeteners instead of sugar and jam. Instead of sweet fruits and berries, you should prefer sour ones. Fiber and bran are needed to ensure that the high-carbohydrate composition has great nutritional value. In this case, the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates should be at the same level – 1:1. Those who find it very difficult to gain muscle mass should prefer oatmeal. How to make a gainer at home? The fruits are crushed, oatmeal, sugar or sugar substitute, cottage cheese or yogurt, milk or water are added and all this is thoroughly mixed in a blender. The mixture should include protein, instead of which powdered milk will do just fine at home. Although you need to be careful with it, as it is a difficult product for the body. Many formulations are prepared using the complex carbohydrate maltodextrin, which is a product of the breakdown of starch.
Homemade gainer recipes and ingredients
Gainers are always created according to the standard scheme:
- First, you need to choose a base with carbohydrates: berries or fruits, honey or jam.
- Secondly, you need to add proteins: cottage cheese, milk, eggs.
- Thirdly, a liquid ingredient is added that simplifies the process of taking the gainer: milk, juice, whey.
This do-it-yourself gainer turns out to be the most correct in terms of the balance of the main necessary components. When choosing proportions, follow a simple rule: there should end up being three times more carbohydrates than proteins. This is the main principle of how to make a gainer effective. If you don’t want to invent it yourself, use simple and popular recipes, tested over the years and by many athletes.
The first way to prepare a gainer will appeal to fans of protein shakes and those who love subtle but familiar tastes.
How to make a banana gainer with your own hands
You will need:
- 180 grams low-fat cottage cheese
- 40 - 50 grams of any nut, you can use healthy peanuts
- 2 large spoons of liquid honey
- 3 medium bananas
- 600 grams of low fat milk
To prepare a gainer at home according to this recipe, just put everything in a blender container and blend until smooth. You can add liquid milk last, when the solids have already been crushed and mixed. If you don’t have a blender at hand, you can mix everything with a mixer or in a regular plastic shaker. This gainer recipe is suitable for you if you take the supplement twice a day between main meals in accordance with your intense training schedule. Nutrients are contained here in the following quantities: 1200 kilocalories, almost 70 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas, nuts and honey give the mixture additional beneficial properties.
The second popular DIY gainer is also based on cottage cheese and bananas, but it turns out to be more intense in taste. It is perfect for the winter and spring periods, when the body especially suffers from a lack of vitamins.
How to make a multifruit gainer
To prepare this gainer at home you will need:
- half a banana
- half a lemon (you can replace it with lime if you wish)
- a tablespoon of any jam (preferably sour berries)
- one hundred grams of low-fat cottage cheese
- 150 milliliters of any citrus juice with minimal sugar content
Home Gamer - DIY Carbohydrate and Protein Blend. It is healthy, has no side effects and is very tasty.
The method of making a gainer is practically no different from the previous one. Mix all the products in a blender: leave only the lemon separately. Add the squeezed juice from it to the already prepared mixture and mix again. This mixture is taken in half: before and after training. If you prepare a fresh mixture after class, you will be able to take your mind off the feeling of hunger and easily maintain an interval of 40 minutes, at the same time you will have time to take a break from the load.
The third gainer recipe contains a chicken egg, which is an irreplaceable source of protein.
Homemade egg gainer recipe
You will need:
- cottage cheese
- eggs
- milk
- honey
- fruits
Take one egg, boil it until fully cooked and separate the white from the yolk. To prepare a gainer with your own hands, add fifty grams of low-fat cottage cheese, two hundred grams of skim milk, one tablespoon of honey, and fifty grams of any berries to a blender along with protein. Mix everything and drink according to the system that you have chosen. The result is a tasty and fairly liquid mixture that is very easy to drink.
Less popular recipes
If you prepare a gainer from ordinary food products, the following recipe options are possible:
1. Gainer made from cottage cheese, milk, banana.
For 1 serving (450 grams) we will need the following ingredients:
- low-fat cottage cheese (200 g);
- low-fat milk (200 ml);
- 1 banana;
- peanuts (50 g).
It couldn’t be easier to prepare: you need to mix everything in a blender, cool and pour into a shaker. To improve the taste, it is a good idea to add honey or sugar.
2. Gainer made from oatmeal, milk and eggs:
Oatmeal and egg gamer is the most affordable source of carbohydrates and protein that can easily be prepared at home.
If you don’t have cottage cheese, then the protein portion of the gainer can be replaced with egg white. To prepare we will need:
- 4 whites (you can add 1 yolk);
- oatmeal (100 g);
- milk (250 ml);
- fruit (100 g)
- jam, honey or sugar to taste.
3. Gainer with milk powder
Skim milk powder is very rich in protein and has virtually no fat. It can be used as a base for a gainer. To prepare we need:
- 2 tablespoons of milk powder;
- milk (200 g);
- blueberry jam (50 g);
- honey or sugar (2 tablespoons).
Instead of jam, you can use any fruit.
4. Gainer based on yogurt and nuts.
- Yogurt (200 ml);
- walnuts (50 g);
- fruits (100 g);
- honey or sugar (2 tablespoons).
5. Gainer for people with accelerated metabolism.
People who are naturally very thin and have a faster metabolism require more calories. This gainer option contains sour cream and is perfect for such people. To prepare we will need:
- sour cream (10%) (150 g);
- milk (200 ml);
- banana (1-2 pcs)
- 2 egg whites.
Prepared in the same way as previous recipes.
6. Gainer with boiled protein and cottage cheese
Another good recipe. To prepare it we will need the following products:
- 1 boiled egg white;
- low-fat cottage cheese (150 g);
- low-fat milk (200 ml).
- sugar, honey or jam to taste.
Usually the ingredients are crushed and mixed in a blender: a couple of minutes - and a tasty (and healthy!) sports drink is ready. Of course, even natural products may contain harmful pesticides or insufficient amounts of antioxidants, but you will definitely be sure that there are no dyes, flavors or flavor enhancers.
If you are interested in how to prepare a gainer yourself and make it especially useful, try to find special supplements in sports nutrition stores or pharmacies. These can be mixtures of amino acids, creatine, glutamine, or a BCAA supplement.
When used correctly, they are very beneficial for health and increase the rate of absorption of gainers and any other sports supplement. The good thing about homemade gainer is that it is always fresh. Therefore, do not prepare it for several days at once, because in this case the main advantage of a homemade supplement is lost. As a rule, the entire cooking process, including preparing the products, takes no more than five minutes, and the main work goes to the blender. The optimal amount of supplement taken at one time is for two doses, but if you have time and desire, prepare it for one time (it’s even healthier for your body). When doing this, expect that you will need to reduce the nutrient content of your serving. In this case, the cocktail should contain approximately twenty grams of proteins, some of which should be easily digestible, and carbohydrates should be approximately seventy grams, and carbohydrates should be quickly digestible (which include simple sugars). If your body is not accustomed to large amounts of milk, use fermented milk products as a liquid milk base; they are very healthy and extremely rarely cause allergic reactions, even in those who are allergic to lactose.
Recipes to increase muscle mass
A selection of recipes gives you the opportunity to try different flavor combinations in portions of gainers with the same energy value of 800 kilocalories.
Orange: whole milk – 250 ml, orange juice – 250 ml, cream – 120 ml, orange flavored protein – 2 scoops.
Chocolate-almond: whole milk – 500 ml, crushed dark chocolate – 60 g, almond paste – 2 tablespoons, chocolate-flavored protein – 2 tablespoons.
Mint: Whole milk - 250 ml, 1 cup chocolate or vanilla ice cream, ¼ spoon mint extract, mint chocolate protein powder - 2 scoops.
Banana-strawberry: whole milk - 350 ml, cream - 120 ml, 1 large banana, 4 medium-sized strawberries, strawberry-banana protein - 2 scoops.
Peanuts with bacon: whole milk - 500 ml, peanut butter - 3 tablespoons, 2 strips of cooked bacon, 2 scoops of peanut flavored protein.
Cinnamon and pineapple: whole milk - 350 ml, cream - 60 ml, coconut oil - 60 g, pineapple juice - 100 ml, ¼ spoon of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of flavored protein.
Coffee-caramel: whole milk - 250 ml, cream - 120 ml, brewed coffee - 120 ml, caramel syrup - 2 tablespoons, and 2 scoops of caramel protein.
Chocolate: whole milk – 350 ml, cream – 60 ml, 60 g each of milk and dark chocolate, chocolate protein – 2 scoops.
Oatmeal: whole milk - 350 ml, cream - 60 ml, 30 g oatmeal, 4 teaspoons of black sugar, 2 standard spoons of protein with your favorite flavor.
Avocado with chocolate: chocolate milk - 350 ml, 1 ripe and peeled avocado, 30 g chopped dark chocolate, and 2 scoops of chocolate protein.
Which is better, homemade gainers or store-bought ones?
Homemade and store-bought gainers do not differ much from each other in quality, because nowadays sports nutrition stores are actively fighting for the quality of the products they supply. In this regard, it is up to you to decide whether to use a gainer purchased in a store or created with your own hands. Sources: kuharim.com/sportivnoe-pitanie/kak-sdelat-gejner-v-domashnix-usloviyax/
finetips.net/zdorove-i-sport/sportivnoe-pitanie/kak-prigotovit-gejner-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html www.fh.nn.ru/bukmjekjer/izgotovlenie-geynera-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html musclesfit. ru/recept-gejnera-v-domashnix-usloviyax/ muscleoriginal.com/kak-prigotovit-gejner-v-domashnix-usloviyax/ proka4katela.com/pitanie/domashnij-gejner fitnesslair.ru/sportivnye-dobavki/gejner/gejner-v -domashnix-usloviyax.html egosila.ru/pitanie/geyner-v-domashnikh-usloviyakh-kak-prigotovit-samostojatelno
How to replace pre-workout supplements
Pre-workout blends contain caffeine as well as "nitrogen boosters" to improve circulation. It is worth noting that the effectiveness of pre-workout mixtures has not been scientifically proven.
To avoid pre-workout blends, try to only drink coffee the night before your workout. This will allow you to save on sports nutrition, while increasing the effectiveness of your training. One cup of strong espresso contains up to 70 mg of caffeine, about the same amount in a teaspoon of instant.