Top 10 Gainer Tips

Popular vote - the best mass gainer manufacturer
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R line

Be First

BSN

Optimum Nutrition

Weider

Geneticlab Nutrition

Cybermass

Maxler

S.A.N.

Ironman

Total voted: 22

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Before buying a gainer, it is important to decide if it can help you achieve your goals, maybe it’s better to focus on protein? The first is advised to acquire ectomorphs - thin, wiry people who find it difficult to gain muscle mass. Endomorphs who are prone to fullness are advised to take protein or low-calorie gainers, as they will not allow subcutaneous fat to linger in the body. A universal option for beginners is complex mixtures.

Before training, it is recommended to take protein because it increases energy metabolism and lowers the level of cortisol (a stress hormone that slows down mass gain). An alternative are high-calorie gainers, in which the protein content reaches 70% -80%. It is important to remember 2 rules:

1. Ectomorphs take sports nutrition right before a workout, wait a few hours after class and drink a regular gainer.
2. It is better for athletes to use the mixture 30-40 minutes before class, so as not to disturb the production of hormones.

As a rule, professionals use both gainers and proteins, it is not necessary to stop the choice on one thing. These products help with eating disorders, solve the problem of protein and carbohydrate deficiency.

The basis of proper nutrition is carbohydrates, which should be about 60-80% of the total. But in second place are proteins, it is much more difficult to get them to normal. The best mass gainers offer 20% to 50% protein along with minerals, vitamins and fats for effective absorption of the active ingredients.

Despite this, foods with a high protein content are gaining popularity, which beginners may mistakenly consider the highest quality. They definitely have advantages, but everyone's physique is different.The choice of a gainer depends on this:

1. It is difficult for ectomorphs to gain weight, they need high-quality, easily digestible carbohydrates. The protein content in the gainer can be 20-40%. It is allowed to use it every day, including during periods of rest.
2. Endomorphs quickly gain not only muscle mass, but also fat. They do not need carbohydrates, but protein is important. A gainer with a high protein content (about 70%) 30 minutes after a workout will allow you to save the result without gaining subcutaneous fat. On off days, additional carbs are not required unless there is a calorie deficit.
3. Mesomorphs have pronounced muscles and little fat. They can choose weight gainers to their taste, with protein for mass gain and with carbohydrates for active cardio workouts. The proportion of protein ideally is about 50%.

Champions in protein content - 60 grams per 80 grams of carbohydrates. More expensive gainers in 3rd or 4th place contain components to accelerate mass growth and quick recovery.

In the best gainers, the calorie content varies, taking into account the active substances. At the same time, the portion size depends on the individual characteristics and tasks. Ectomorphs and thin beginners are recommended high-calorie mixtures, from 300 kcal per 100 grams. They will help you gain weight and keep the result. The rest is better to pay attention to the easier gainers, about 100 kcal.

The intake of a sports supplement also depends on the calorie content:

1. The lower the weight, the lower the dose of gainer required by the body.
2. People on a diet should increase the serving to get more protein and carbohydrates.
3. If it is not possible to have a snack after a workout, you can prepare a gainer in advance and drink one serving.

Professional athletes combine regular and sports nutrition and correlate portion sizes accordingly to get their daily macronutrient intake.

The main task of sports nutrition is to increase caloric content, but this goal can be achieved in different ways. All types of action of the gainer on the body are divided into 4 groups depending on the nutrients. The choice directly depends on what exactly the additive will do with the body:

1. Amino acids. They are most popular among strength training enthusiasts. These gainers are high in protein and amino acids. They make up for the lack of calories, give energy and strength for training.
2. Appetizing. These gainers contain substances that stimulate the feeling of hunger. They are best suited for people with a fast metabolism. Herbs are usually added to the composition, and ginger or mint is drawn on the label.
3. Stimulating the production of hormones. Such gainers are most often used by men for mass gain. The composition includes components that change the production of testosterone (l-glutamine, acids, vitamin D3, zinc, magnesium). This hormone affects muscle building and increases body weight.
4. Vitamin complexes. Sports will not help to achieve maximum results if the body lacks vitamins and minerals. Such gainers are especially relevant for people on a diet who limit themselves in the choice of products. The composition often includes potassium chloride, vitamin A, calcium.

The best gainers contain useful substances in an amount close to the physiological need. Many manufacturers add creatine and glutamine, which have an anabolic effect - they trigger reactions in the body that lead to muscle building.Fats in gainers are in last place in the composition and help increase calories.

Since the protein is in one of the first places in the composition of the gainer, its quality greatly affects the result. Manufacturers add different types of protein because each has its own strengths and weaknesses. In total, they are divided into 4 categories:

1. Serum. Popular among athletes for post-workout consumption as it triggers the production of insulin and other anabolic hormones for muscle growth. This protein maintains the amount of amino acids in the blood. However, whey is easily digested, after which a feeling of hunger will quickly appear.
2. Casein. This protein does not affect weight gain so much, but it perfectly satisfies the appetite. A person feels full within 6-8 hours, which is suitable for weight loss.
3. Soy. This protein has a very low biological value and production cost, these gainers are the cheapest. It is suitable for those who for some reason refused animal protein. This protein contains a female hormone, so the increase in muscle mass is not as noticeable as with other types.
4. Egg. The most expensive to manufacture, rarely used in gainers. However, it is considered ideal, as it contains many amino acids. Luxury manufacturers sometimes mix egg and whey proteins for greater effect.

The fifth type of protein - complex - is created on the basis of whey with the addition of casein, soy and egg. It is considered an effective option, but the results will take longer. This protein is inexpensive and suitable for most athletes.The complex protein in the gainer is recommended for beginners who do not yet know their dose and needs.

It is known that in order to gain mass, calorie consumption per day must be less than consumption. This makes it very difficult for ectomorphs to gain weight because they have a fast metabolism and need to eat a lot. The optimal way to increase calories is to take 1-2 servings of a gainer on fast (simple) carbohydrates, which is labeled on the package as Fast Carbs. Each such portion carries about 1000 kcal, so even thin people on such supplements recover very quickly.

If in order to gain the most pure muscle mass, then a composition with complex carbohydrates should be preferred. The main component in it is isomaltulose, which is broken down in the body for a long time and does not cause the release of insulin into the blood. After taking such a gainer, satiety is felt for a long time, so a cocktail may well replace a snack or meal.

There are also combined products with a minimum content of fast sugars and a maximum concentration of protein.They simultaneously stimulate muscle growth, ensure their recovery after training, close the protein-carbohydrate window and satisfy hunger. The action is universal, but it manifests itself more slowly than specialized supplements, so they are more often chosen by beginners.

Contrary to popular belief that only men need sports nutrition and that it affects the female body badly, we undertake to assert the opposite. Women are increasingly taking important positions in professional and amateur sports, so they, too, need to think about the timely replenishment of nutrients.

So, for girls who are engaged in powerlifting, bodybuilding, triathlon and other hard sports, it is recommended to take a Fast Carbs type gainer immediately before training. It will help them achieve better results with good health and without compromising muscle mass. Due to the increased consumption of nutrients, it also makes sense for athletes to turn to foods enriched with a vitamin-mineral complex.

In the absence of intense training, a fast-carbohydrate gainer is shown to a woman only if she is a pronounced ectomorph.

For girls with a normal physique and prone to fullness, it is better to pay attention to products on the packaging of which Slow Carbs are indicated, but there is no such component as creatine. The undesirability of creatine in the composition is explained by the fact that it creates the effect of muscles swollen with water. In addition, there are differences in the recommendations for taking a gainer by girls: it is better for them to drink not 2, but 1 cocktail per day immediately after exercise.

Since a gainer is not a one-time product, but a constant consumption, and quite expensive, it is important that it does not contain harmful and ballast components.

Simple sugars - sucrose, glucose, dextrose. Why would a buyer overpay for an ordinary component, which, with a healthy lifestyle, is recommended to be excluded altogether? In a good gainer, maltodextrin, isomaltulose, sucralose and stevioside are used as the carbohydrate component.

Vegetable proteins - soy, rice, pea. It's best not to consider a product that lists cheap, low-digestible proteins with an incomplete amino acid profile in the first place. Saving on a gainer will result in the fact that expensive whey protein will have to be added separately to the cocktail.

Hydrogenated fats, trans fats, hydrogenated oil - substances that form dangerous compounds in the body and provoke cardiovascular diseases.

The list of "non grata" can be quite extensive, since the sports nutrition market is extremely competitive, and its players are constantly working to reduce the cost of products. There is only one way to choose a protein-carbohydrate mixture with guaranteed high quality - by buying it in a reliable store from a reliable manufacturer.

American companies have long and well established themselves, which carefully develop formulas for mixtures, control the composition and ensure that counterfeit products do not appear on the market. Americans are literally stepping on the heels of manufacturers from Europe - Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland. Their products are cheaper, but at the same time they are practically not inferior in quality, despite the fact that European food standards are softer than American ones.

The most affordable are domestically produced gainers. They are often reproached for their low-quality composition, but one cannot but admit that there are Russian companies with effective products. Consider the brightest representatives of all categories.

Optimum Nutrition ‒ a legend in the US and around the world with a 35-year history of development, a sports nutrition manufacturer that has repeatedly won the title of "Best Brand of the Year" and its products - "Best Supplements of the Year". The entire ON range is produced in our own US factories in accordance with GMP requirements.

BSN is a young brand founded in 2001. In 2005, he was already recognized with many major awards for product performance. To avoid the spread of fakes, the company's website contains a list of official representatives in each region.

R line are the pioneers of the Russian sports nutrition market with the widest product line (more than 300 items). Over 20 years of work, they have grown to their own production, but raw materials are bought abroad - they could not choose a reliable supplier in Russia. The R-Line gainer is considered the most delicious among all, while it is claimed that there is no sugar in it.

Gainers are usually available in foil packs of 0.9–1.4 kg, as well as plastic jars of 2–3 kg. It is convenient and economical: for the first acquaintance, you can choose a mini version, and when you like the product, go to the second one.aboutmore volume. Banks, although they require a separate place for storage, are more convenient to close and better protect the contents from damage.

In terms of flavors, the classic options are berry, banana, vanilla, and chocolate. By itself, a cocktail from a gainer is a sweet and thick liquid, which, contrary to expectations, not everyone likes. Someone feels a chemical taste, someone does not like the aroma, someone does not like the consistency. It is impossible to guess in advance what will work and what will not - you just need to try it yourself.

When choosing, it is worth considering the origin of flavoring additives - natural or synthetic. In all-natural formulations, the ingredients for the different flavor forms are: fruit pieces, natural juice concentrate, chocolate drops and cocoa powder. An allergic reaction can occur on any of them, so you need to try a new gainer with caution.