In the sports nutrition market, the best-selling sports supplements have always been and remain gainers and proteins. Therefore, most athletes begin their acquaintance with the world of sports nutrition with them. In this article, we have collected the main questions that a beginner in the field of sports supplements may have. Despite the fact that brief instructions are present on the can or package of each gainer, many have difficulty reading these instructions in English, and not finding the usual grams, but some pounds. In addition, the packaging will never write about when it is better to drink a gainer, how to dilute it and how much to drink. Before starting the quick survey, let’s remember how to drink a gainer. Mix half or a whole (we already talked about dividing the portion in this article) with water or milk. Do not use juice, tea, kefir, yogurt or fermented baked milk for gainer. Fermented milk products will not allow the gainer to completely dissolve due to their high density, juice and tea will give the supplement a terrible aftertaste. It is optimal to use a mixture of water and milk in a ratio of 1 to 1. Do not try to stir dry gainer in a glass of water using a spoon or other cutlery - it will not work. It’s better to first buy a plastic shaker or use an immersion blender. Now that we are done with the main instructions, let's move on to our question answer section.
When should you take a gainer?
When to drink a gainer, we already wrote a little higher. However, let us remind you when it is better to drink a gainer:
- Gainer can be drunk between meals. This way you support your body with a constant supply of amino acids, protein and carbohydrates. In addition, this method of administration boosts metabolism.
- Gainer can be drunk before training. Fast carbohydrates and proteins will give you energy for the entire workout. So, a gainer will give you energy for a good workout and increase your endurance.
- Gainer can be drunk after training. Of course, not immediately after (the protein window is a myth; in fact, this state is maintained from 12 to 24 hours), but 20-30 minutes after the gym.
- You can also drink a gainer when you have a long period of time without eating. Complex carbohydrates and casein protein will allow you to “hold out” until your next meal.
How to use gainer correctly
Content
Gainer consists of carbohydrates and protein complexes; their regular intake will allow you to gain additional muscle kilograms and provide them with the necessary amount of energy. To get the most positive effect, this remedy should be used according to a special scheme. Initially, you should decide on the number and volume of servings. There are a lot of calculators on the Internet that will help you calculate all the necessary parameters in a minimum amount of time.
How to calculate dosage
When calculating how much gainer you need, focus on your total daily calorie intake.
For example, to gain weight, you need to consume 4000 calories, but from regular food you only get 3000. Then the rest can be “covered” with such a carbohydrate-protein cocktail.
Serving recommendations from supplement manufacturers are not very accurate and are often overestimated. For example, one may contain from 2000 to 4000 kcal.
At a time when the average daily food intake for men weighing 70 kg to gain muscle mass is about 3000 kcal.
In this regard, it is better to start taking half the recommended serving.
If the desired effect in weight growth does not occur, increase the portion gradually until you achieve a sustainable positive result.
What is better - protein or gainer?
Let us note once again that a gainer is needed primarily by naturally thin athletes who experience serious problems with weight gain and muscle growth. In their case, regular whey protein with minimal simple carbohydrates will be much less effective than a high-calorie mixture of fast proteins and large amounts of carbohydrates.
At the same time, in athletes who are 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 gain in total body weight is needed - without emphasis on whether lean muscles are increasing or whether the weight gain was achieved at the expense of some fat.
Harm and disadvantages of gainer:
- Higher cost of protein in the composition
- 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, of which more than half are in the gainer - in fact, they are much cheaper than the much more expensive whey protein.
The source of carbohydrates for a home gainer can be maltodextrin (it is sold in its pure form), fruit or even juice. You should drink this 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 - we are talking solely about ease of use.
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A gainer is a protein-carbohydrate sports nutrition with a high absorption rate, which is an important tool for weight gain and muscle growth in naturally thin ectomorphs. However, taking a gainer for people 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.
Gainer - doctor's description
Is a gainer a high-carbohydrate protein? gainer is . Well, let's dot all the i's. In general, we have before us a protein-carbohydrate mixture, the purpose of which is to replenish human energy resources. However, recently, some manufacturers have begun to add creatine, minerals, vitamins, etc. to their gainers. But all this practically does not change the main function of this supplement.
You should not compare protein complexes and gainers. Even though both products contain protein, they still perform different functions. In the first case, we get pure protein, without fat and carbohydrates, which in turn allows us to take this supplement both when losing weight (cutting) and when gaining weight. Gainers, on the other hand, contain quite a lot of carbohydrates, often with a low glycemic index. We all know that such simple glucose can only be consumed after training or immediately after waking up. But when we are talking about an athlete who simply cannot replenish the body’s energy expenditure, such rules lose their value.
Who should take a gainer? Often, lean athletes (ectomorphs) cannot bring themselves to eat 2-3 extra meals. Yes, it is not necessary, because deliberately stretching the gastrointestinal tract is quite stupid. This is where a gainer can come to the rescue. By consuming several servings per day, you will dramatically increase your daily caloric intake. The vast majority of products from this series can give you 1000-1500 calories per serving. In general, a gainer can be taken by everyone, but only when gaining muscle mass. During drying, these additives are simply impractical. Also, people with an excessive percentage of subcutaneous fat should avoid using gainer. Let's make a small digression. You need to be aware that weight gain is only possible with an excess of energy (calories). It doesn’t matter how much protein you eat in a day, muscle mass will not begin to grow if you have a negative energy balance. This is how man is already built. That is why, when gaining weight, you must pay attention to carbohydrates and their quantity in your daily diet.
When should you take a gainer? If you manage to gain an average amount of carbohydrates per day, then a gainer will come in handy immediately after training. During this period, the so-called “carbohydrate” window opens, during which the body tries to restore glycogen by greedily absorbing glucose from various foods. By giving him a dose of gainer, you will insure yourself against muscle breakdown. Such a rapid intake of carbohydrates will allow you to quickly move on to the recovery process. In addition, after training, contrary to the stereotypical opinion, there is practically no appetite, since all the blood from the stomach goes to the muscles and other organs, plus at this time hormones are active, which simply interfere with the digestive processes. The body calms down only 30-40 minutes after strength activity. It would seem that there’s nothing wrong with it, but the carbohydrate window opens from the first minutes, which means your task is to make up for the lack of glucose as quickly as possible. In cases where you simply cannot reach the average amount of carbohydrates from natural food, use a gainer additionally, either in the morning or after lunch. Never take the supplement in the evening, as most of the serving will be stored as fat. The exception is evening training.
Negative consequences. Of course, the gainer does not have mythical side effects. This is a simple additive that does not pose any potential danger from a physiological point of view, but no one has canceled the threat to aesthetics. The fact is that any excess calories can simply be stored as fat, but you wouldn’t wish that even on your enemy, would you? That's why be careful. Calculate your daily calorie intake, and do not exceed it beyond measure. Gainer is certainly a good supplement, but its fanatical use will significantly increase the percentage of subcutaneous fat.
Which gainer should you choose? List of the best supplements according to the number of sales at the Atletic-Food.ru store:
Buy a gainer right now
Benefit
Depending on the type of gainer, its benefits, as well as the method of application, may differ:
- Ectomorphs with fast metabolisms can compensate for caloric needs with huge amounts of slow, balanced mixtures.
- A quick and cheap gainer based on maltose molasses - can be used to close the carbohydrate window. When properly combined with amino acids, it will increase the level of anabolism by 300-350% during the post-workout feeding period.
- Complex creatine gainers are recommended to be taken an hour before training to saturate the body with creatine and energy for the breakdown of glycogen in the blood during the training process.
- Fifty-fifty, the ideal combination for mesomorphs. Allows you to gain maximum lean muscle mass.
It is important to understand why a gainer is needed: after all, it is not a replacement for nutrition, but just a supplement that increases the total calorie content and partially covers the body’s needs for essential nutrients.
If you cannot get enough calories from your diet, feel free to add a gainer to your diet. But eating only gainer or only protein mixtures is a bad idea, harmful to the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system.
Which gainer to choose
Choosing the right gainer is not an easy process for the uninitiated. To purchase the most suitable product for your purposes, use our tips:
- contact a consultant for help; he must be in the store and have a good understanding of the products;
- be sure to pay attention to the manufacturer, the availability of quality certificates and documents indicating the original origin of the mixture;
- do not be tempted by low prices for unknown brands, their quality and effectiveness are often questionable;
- if you are planning to increase your body weight without going to the gym, give preference to mixtures containing complex carbohydrates. They will help to significantly increase the nutritional load of the overall daily diet and achieve the desired results without causing harm to health;
- Do not forget about high-quality balanced nutrition and regular intake of vitamins.
Difference between gainer and protein mixtures
Often people cannot understand the difference between a protein shake and a mass gainer. After all, both mixtures contain protein.
Let us explain: the protein mixture is needed solely to maintain the amino acid balance in the body. Gainer is predominantly carbohydrates. Protein is added solely to stabilize the digestion process. Without protein, the gainer will be absorbed into the blood at the rate of glucose, which means it will not differ from sugar. In addition, part of the protein goes to help ferment carbohydrates, and part of it replenishes protein balance after a workout.
The carbohydrate window occurs first after training, and then the protein window. Taking a gainer frees you from closing these windows in one fell swoop. While before taking protein you will still have to load up on bananas or other fruits in order to open the body’s cells with insulin.
Conclusion: a gainer is a protein mixture with a high carbohydrate content.
