Gainers are mass supplements with about 80% carbohydrates and 10-20% protein. The most important effects of using gainers are the increase in energy resources and weight gain in people who train in strength. However, gainers have their drawbacks - they are not able to cover the daily requirement for amino acids, and they can cause side effects. When is it worth using gainers and how to dose them to get the best results?

Gainersare nutrients good for slim people, the so-called ectomorphs, because the main effect of their use is to increase mass. Gainers will not work for people who have a tendency to gain weight, because they can cause additional fat accumulation. In the case of endomorphs, protein supplements will be better.

Contents:

  1. Gainers - composition
  2. Gainers - action
  3. Gainers - who are they recommended for?
  4. Gainers - dosage
  5. Gainers - when to take the conditioner?
  6. Gainers - what to look for when buying?
  7. Gainers - side effects

Gainers - composition

Gainersare used to increase mass and speed up recovery after training. Compared to other supplements, gainers contain less protein, but more carbohydrates and a small addition of supporting substances. A 100 g supplement usually contains:

  • 60 to 90 g carbohydrate,
  • 10 to 30 g of amino acids (protein),
  • 3-10 grams of supporting substances.

Due to the relatively low price (the cheapest gainers cost about PLN 25 per kilogram, while good-quality whey protein from PLN 60 / kg), beginner gym adepts eagerly reach for the gainers. Most often, they are young, inexperienced people, convinced that the daily use of the conditioner will help them obtain the desired muscles.

Are gainers really effective? For whom the consumption of gainers gives effects?

Gainers - action

The action of gainers depends on the time in which they will be delivered to the body. Consumed before training, they add energy and delay the appearance of fatigue during exercise. Taken immediately after training, they rebuild glycogen stores in the muscles and support the growth of muscle tissue.

Also, for the sake ofhigh carbohydrate content, gainers increase the level of adipose tissue in the body. Research conducted in the 90s on a group of athletes showed that after 4 weeks of supplementation, the participants of the experiment had a fat gain of 700 g and it was only about two times less than the total increase in muscle tissue.

Gainers - who are they recommended for?

From the results of the study, it can be concluded thatgainers work best for people with low body weight , because in addition to muscle growth, they increase body fat. This is good news for ectomorphs, i.e. people who are naturally thin, with a fragile body, who have difficulty gaining weight. By using gainers, they can easily increase their daily caloric intake (a 100 g portion of the supplement contains 300-400 kcal).

Much smaller benefits from the use of gainers are observed in advanced bodybuilders and people who mainly want to increase muscle mass. In such cases, better results are achieved by regular consumption of whey protein, which is characterized by the highest content of essential amino acids (depending on the product, they account for from 75 to 95% of the composition).

Check: Whey protein - which one to choose? Types, effects, dosage

Gainers - dosage

On the packages of gainers you can find guidelines regarding the suggested daily dose of the supplement - most often it is recommended to take the supplement 3 times a day, 50-150 g. However, these are very indicative guidelines that do not take into account the individual needs for nutrients.

For this reason, it is best to independently estimate your daily need for protein and carbohydrates, count how many of these ingredients you get from your diet and in the event of a deficiency of one of them, determine the appropriate dose of the gainer.

See how to calculate your Daily Caloric Requirement (BMR) here

Gainers - when to take the conditioner?

People who want to increase muscle mass should take gainers right after exercise as part of a post-workout meal. Since the gainer contains a relatively small amount of protein, an additional portion of amino acids should be taken in the next 2-3 hours - preferably in the form of fresh, natural ingredients, e.g. chicken breast or cottage cheese (or whey protein).

See also: High-protein meals - recipes

In exceptional situations, when we do not have time to prepare a wholesome meal, the gainer can also be eaten during the day as a substitute for a regular dish, e.g. instead of lunch.Apart from the above-mentioned cases, the use of gainers in people with a normal metabolic rate is not necessary, and even not recommended due to the risk of exceeding the daily caloric requirement.

Ectomorphs may take the gainer in larger amounts and more frequently. The first dose should be consumed in the morning, the next one 1-2 hours before training, the next one after training. In addition, you can use a gainer to increase the calorific value of conventional meals - for example, drink the conditioner as a dessert or drink it while eating.

Gainers - what to look for when buying?

When deciding to buy a gainer, you need to pay attention to the type and quality of ingredients used in its production. There are many cheap but poorly digestible supplements of this type available on the market, the use of which is practically ineffective.

This will be useful to you

What features should a good quality gainer have?

  • high-quality gainer is characterized by a high protein content - it should be at least 20 g per 100 g of the product;
  • high digestibility of amino acids is also important - often in cheaper products whey or casein proteins are replaced with wheat proteins, which are less digestible and have less nutritional value;
  • good if the composition includes the following types of amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, lysine, histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, threonine (the more proteins, the more varied the time of their absorption and faster muscle anabolism);
  • low-quality gainers contain m altodextrin, dextrose and fructose - the last two are harmful simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. M altodextrin, although in theory a complex carbohydrate, actually breaks down in the body at a rate similar to glucose, and therefore also causes rapid spikes in insulin. It is best to look for gainers that contain starches derived from wheat or corn - they have the lowest GI and do not increase blood sugar levels sharply;
  • if the gainer is to be used only to accelerate recovery after training and build muscle mass, it should contain a minimum amount of fat (in the case of ectomorphs it is not necessary);
  • it is good if the gainer contains supporting substances such as beta-alanine, creatine, arginine as well as vitamins and minerals (however, you need to pay attention to their percentage content, because it may turn out that they are actually trace amounts, which the manufacturer added only to extend the list of ingredients).

Gainers- side effects

The use of gainers in accordance with your caloric needs is generally safe and does not cause side effects. Only in a few cases mild digestive system disorders are observed - most often they are flatulence caused by taking weight gainers with a high content of gluten (this applies to nutrients containing plant-based proteins). People with acne-prone skin may notice the deterioration of the skin condition while taking gainers - this is the body's natural reaction to the increased amount of simple sugars in the diet.

The most serious side effect of improper use of gainers may be uncontrolled weight gain associated with exceeding the daily dose of the supplement. Then the extra calories provided with the conditioner are deposited in the form of fat, mainly around the waist.

Equally unhe althy is the frequent replacement of traditional, wholesome meals with a portion of a gainer. It should be remembered that this supplement is devoid of many ingredients necessary for the functioning of the body, including vitamins, trace elements and fiber, therefore it cannot be the basis of a varied diet. In any case, the main source of carbohydrates and protein should be fresh, natural products, not powdered supplements, which are only intended to support the growth of muscle tissue.

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