Gaining mass is the main goal of all bodybuilders and many other athletes. But we are all individual, and not everyone manages to quickly turn their dreams into reality: some are hampered by metabolic characteristics, some by nature cannot boast of a large constitution, and for others it is difficult to sharply increase their usual portions of food. The main functions of a gainer are muscle mass gain and timely restoration of energy losses after intense training.
How harmful is a gainer and how can it negatively affect your health?
Gainers, like proteins, are classified as sports nutrition. They differ from each other in the percentage of proteins and carbohydrates. If protein is a protein mixture, then gainers are the ratio of proteins and carbohydrates. The emphasis in this case must be placed on the fact that both types of supplements are nothing more than nutrition for athletes, that is, for people who have a certain degree of physical activity, and in connection with this, a high need for nutrients, which can be obtained with With the help of food, even if it is possible, it is extremely difficult, and often it simply does not work. In this case, sports nutrition comes to the rescue, which replenishes energy costs, promotes the restoration and growth of muscle mass, while not exceeding the daily caloric intake.
That is why, looking for the balance of a gainer: benefits and harms, you need to answer the question, what is dangerous about ordinary food rich in proteins and carbohydrates, which you take 3-5 times daily? But at the same time, of course, we should only talk about a high-quality product that is made from high-quality raw materials. Supplements made by unscrupulous manufacturers may not only be ineffective, but also lead to the opposite result.
The harm that a gainer can cause if used incorrectly is, first of all, its very high calorie content. If you incorrectly calculate the amount of gainer, or simply forget to include it in the calculation of your daily diet, then you can gain a lot of extra pounds due to fat. Even an ectomorph, after overdoing it with gainers, can build up a belly instead of muscles, but what can we say about endomorphs, who generally gain weight extremely easily.
Another danger is that the gainer, like any concentrated product, has a number of side effects and contraindications, ignoring which can cause trouble.
Gainer - what is it?
Gainer is a type of sports nutrition, which is a mixture of proteins and substances. The word comes from the verb to gain - to gain, receive, acquire, which perfectly reflects the essence of its action.
Basic functions
Many manufacturers include gainer, vitamins, creatine, amino acids and other components that athletes need to increase set time, strength and recovery speed. But the basic functions of gainers are still considered:
- acceleration of muscle mass gain;
- providing the body with building tools for new cells (anabolic function);
- replenishment of energy reserves.
Gainers have been used for gaining weight for a long time. This is one of the oldest types of sports nutrition, time-tested. Now it is a highly effective, balanced product.
Mechanism of action
The mechanism of action of the gainer is based on the influence of its individual components on muscle tissue as a whole and the entire body, the athlete as a whole.
Carbohydrates are the basic energy source for any person. They make up most of our diet, and in sports nutrition they take up 50% of the total nutrition. This component allows you to speed up the recovery process, but provides energy for the growth and growth of muscle cells.
gainer
Protein (usually whey isolate). The main element of myocytes. Thanks to this component, the sports gainer allows you to start the process of synthesis of new cells in the muscles and gain weight faster. Therefore, a sufficient amount of protein in an athlete’s diet is one of the primary tasks when creating a sports diet.
Varieties
Sometimes companies that produce sports nutrition add other elements to the gainer.
Vitamin and mineral complexes. Manufacturers who add vitamins to mass gainers know what they are doing. With a lack of certain substances, muscle growth is greatly slowed down. Both minerals and vitamins should be constantly present in the diet of a physically active person.
The drug also contains creatine. It enhances the energy gainer effect and supplies the bodybuilder with energy for activities accompanied by an instant release of energy. You can’t do without it when drying the body, during the recovery period after heavy exercise.
Gainer: harm and side effects
Like any new product, especially with a high degree of concentration, a gainer can cause the following side effects:
- disorders of the digestive tract - if you are lactose intolerant, have gastritis or other gastrointestinal problems, consuming sports nutrition with whey protein or casein can cause vomiting or diarrhea;
- allergies: some weight gainers may contain gluten, soy protein or pea starch, which can cause an asthma attack or other allergic reactions in a person with an allergy to such substances;
- hypertension - adaptogens, often found in some gainers, can increase blood pressure, which is especially dangerous during intense training;
- kidney problems - creatine, which is sometimes added to a protein-carbohydrate mixture, can lead to kidney dysfunction in some people with problem kidneys, which leads to fluid retention in the body, swelling and weight gain;
- weight gain - a high content of fast carbohydrates, especially if the gainer is selected incorrectly depending on your body type, can lead to the gain of fat deposits rather than muscle mass.
Of course, most of these problems are caused by inattention to the composition of the product and the contraindications indicated on the packaging, but sometimes it happens that a person does not suspect that he has health problems and taking a gainer may reveal them for the first time.
Why do they take it?
Gainer (from the English “gain” - increase, increase) is a cocktail of carbohydrates and proteins. The carbohydrate part in it is 70 percent or more. Quality products use complex carbohydrates that are beneficial to the body. In cheap ones - simple ones, which lead to the growth of visceral and subcutaneous fat.
Thanks to its high-calorie composition, the gainer increases the daily calorie intake without resorting to overeating, which burdens the body. Why does an athlete need this? There are several reasons:
- To increase body weight and muscle mass
- Accelerate the body's recovery after increased stress
- As a meal replacement when it is not possible to eat normally
If you have not yet decided which gainer to choose, I recommend that you read the gainer rating and reviews:
For what diseases is gainer contraindicated?
Gainer is definitely contraindicated if you are allergic to the corresponding components (lactose, gluten, legumes, etc.), if they are present in the composition. It always creates an increased load on the digestive tract, so people with problematic digestion (gastritis, enteritis, ulcers, etc.) should avoid it, at least during exacerbations. If you have liver and kidney diseases, or if you are overweight, it is better to refrain from taking a gainer, or at least consult a doctor about the possibility of taking it. Children and young people under 18 years of age are also not recommended to use mass gainer.
Combination with other sports nutrition and products
To increase the effect of the gainer and enrich its composition, you can combine its intake with other types of sports nutrition.
With creatine. This is a special organic compound that accelerates muscle growth. In combination with carbohydrates (which the gainer is rich in), it is better absorbed. Combining these two sports nutrition products gives an enhanced effect of increasing muscle mass.
The nuances of taking it together - you need to carefully regulate the dosage.
Take creatine with plenty of liquid. A daily dose of 5-10 g is quite enough.
Take before and after training.
It is necessary to take breaks while taking creatine. For example, after a month of taking it, rest for 3-4 weeks. This is explained by the fact that muscles are able to accumulate creatine, but up to a certain point. Then its use becomes useless.
With proteins. When taken together with proteins, it provides everything muscle tissue needs for rapid growth and recovery. Use with “fast” whey proteins before and after training.
At night it is better to take only slow proteins (for example casein), without gainer. At night, the body does not need extra calories.
With vitamins. Taking them together speeds up the body’s recovery after physical activity. Some gainers already contain a vitamin complex. Otherwise, you can choose the appropriate vitamins yourself.
You need to monitor the dosage of vitamins; it is enough to take their daily dose at once in one of the carbohydrate cocktail meals.
With amino acids. Taking BCAAs, according to many athletes, is very effective for improving the growth of high-quality muscle mass. Carbohydrates provide energy for training to the entire body, and essential amino acids contribute to the production of energy in the muscle fibers themselves and accelerate their growth.
Take in the morning and after training (after 30 minutes)
Whether to take a gainer with fruits or grains is a matter of personal preference. It already contains carbohydrates, proteins and a complex of vitamins. It is better to enrich your regular daily diet with fruits, vegetables and cereal products. They contain valuable minerals, fiber and other beneficial substances that are not found in sports nutrition.
On the other hand, if you really want to diversify the taste of the cocktail, then why not? Especially if you can’t eat normally, you can throw a handful of oatmeal and dried fruits into a shaker. Makes a good lunch.
Adding fruit (for example, strawberries, banana) can improve the taste of the drink if it does not contain artificial flavors or sweeteners. This can help people who are trying to avoid using chemical additives.
How to take a gainer to avoid side effects?
Any side effects from using a gainer can be easily avoided with proper selection of the supplement. First of all, you need to pay maximum attention to the composition. It should be as simple and understandable as possible. The fewer components it contains, the better. You should not buy into various kinds of vitamin and amino acid supplements - you need to think about whether they are needed in a gainer.
The second point that is worth paying attention to is the amount of carbohydrates. Their high content is acceptable only for people who have difficulty gaining both muscle and fat mass. If you gain weight without much difficulty, then choose a sports drink with a large number of proteins and a minimum of carbohydrates, especially fast ones. And, of course, the gainer should not contain chemical compounds or additives that are unclear to you.
In order to minimize the possible harm of the gainer or side effects, you must follow simple rules:
- carefully study the composition and correlate it with your personal characteristics, physique and the presence of health problems,
- carefully calculate the caloric content of a portion of the gainer, its composition according to BZHU and coordinate it with your individual plan, including the gainer in your diet,
- start taking a gainer (like any new product) with a small trial portion, which is half (or even better, a third) of the standard one,
- never drink a gainer (or anything at all) without good reasons and a clear understanding of the mechanism of action, simply because “a friend (trainer, expert from the Internet...) advised.”
Most often, the harm of gainers is noticeably exaggerated due to a false analogy with steroid drugs, which are also used to gain muscle. However, sports nutrition has nothing to do with such substances and does not cause such harm to the body even if used unreasonably.
What can you mix with?
Gainer is sold in the form of dry powder for making cocktails. You can dilute it with any liquid, to taste. Most often used for this:
Milk. This is the most popular product. Milk complements the taste of the cocktail and makes it richer. The content of milk protein in it enriches the nutritional composition, increasing the percentage of proteins.
Baked milk can be used if desired.
The fat content of milk affects the final calorie content of the drink and its saturated fat content. If the athlete’s goal is to increase the amount of calories consumed as much as possible, then his choice is full-fat milk. If he is drying and does not need extra fat, it is better to take milk with minimal fat content.
The origin of the milk (cow, goat, sheep) does not play a special role. You just need to take into account its fat content.
Water. The second most popular dilution liquid. Its advantage is the absence of additional calories. It dilutes the too sweet and flavor-rich taste of a sports cocktail. Water is easily accessible; you don’t need to go to the store to get it.
The disadvantage of water is that it does not add anything useful, unlike milk.
Other liquids. Use fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, yoghurts). They can help out. If you have an intolerance to fresh milk. True, it can be difficult to dilute the gainer in thick drinks so that there are no lumps.
Juice is also suitable, but its taste must be combined with the taste of the mixture (if it already has flavorings), otherwise it can turn out to be a very unpleasant drink.
You can use sparkling water. Only unsweetened. Lemonades and cola are not the healthiest drinks for humans.
In general, the choice of liquid is a matter of taste and calorie preference.
Do not use hot liquid; the whites will curdle. If it is too cold, it will be difficult to dissolve the mixture.
It is most convenient to stir in a blender or a special shaker.
