Gaining muscle mass can be a challenging and lengthy process. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people (especially newbies) try to find ways to speed up the process. In an effort to achieve quick results, they therefore often pin their hopes on all sorts of supplements. One of these is often a gainer. This dietary supplement is very similar to the classic whey protein, but differs from it in that it contains a bunch of carbohydrates in addition to a large amount of protein. This makes them suitable for bulking phases, when a high intake of quality carbohydrates is important for the body to draw the necessary energy from.
But is it better to take a protein or a gainer after training? And is a gainer really suitable for everyone? Find out all the important information in today's article.
The main benefits of a gainer
To begin with, we need to be clear about what a gainer actually is and what its benefits are compared to classic whey protein. The main difference is of course the protein and carbohydrate content. While a regular whey concentrate contains around 75 g of protein per 100 g, in gainers, protein usually makes up only about 30% of the composition. This is mainly due to the fact that about half of the product is carbohydrate. In contrast, conventional whey concentrates contain a bare minimum of these.
Hence, gainers are particularly suitable for the volume phase of preparation, when one needs toIn addition to a large amount of protein, one needs an increased intake of quality carbohydrates. However, due to the lower protein content compared to protein, these missing proteins need to be supplemented elsewhere. So on the one hand a Gainer helps with carbohydrate intake, but on the other hand it offers less protein, which after all is the most important macronutrient for building muscle.
When is a gainer worth buying?
The first situation in which the use of a gainer is suggested is the aforementioned bulking phase. In it, a person doesn't mind gaining some fat in addition to muscles, because after the bulking phase comes the bulking phase. But this applies more to advanced athletes who have a reliable control over theand have a tailor-made training plan and diet. Gainer can also come in handy when you need to perform within a short period of time (typically during a two-phase training session). In this case, the body needs to replenish the necessary energy quickly and efficiently, which a gainer serves perfectly. Last but not least, the gainer is also suitable for athletes who generally have problems with gaining weight. In this case, however, a gainer should only come into play when the weightweight gain is not possible even when following a well-balanced diet.
When and for whom is a gainer not suitable?
Gainer is also very popular among newcomers who are trying to gain weight quickly. For them, however, this supplement is usually useless. The reason is quite simple. If you are just starting out with weight training, you should try to get into the right habits first. One of them is, among other things, the appropriate diet setting. Instead of reaching for a gainer right away, you should focus on making sure that your diet contains all the necessary nutrients and that it suits you in the long run. In the vast majority of cases, you'll find that you don't even need a gainer and you'll be fine with whey protein. Of course, there are also athletes who, despite following a strict diet, are unable to gain hardly anything. In this case, of course, a gainer is offered, but it should be used for newnewcomers should really only come to the table when the regular diet does not work.
Don't forget that even whey concentrate alone will help you gain weight.will help you gain muscle (if you have your diet figured out). And it's much easier to add the missing carbohydrates to your diet than it is to add the necessary protein. For this reason, it's usually not worth investing in a gainer for newbies and they're much better off taking a classic protein.
What if I can't gain muscle?
Finally, let's take a look at a few hints and tips to help you build muscle. Most important of all are a proper training plan and a proper diet. Our article Training plan for men will help you with the first, in which you will learnYou'll get the basics, and you'll also find a sample training plan to work from. You can also learn how to break down your sets and reps from our article How Many Reps and Sets for Maximum Muscle Growth.
On the other hand, you can get help with your diet with our overview on How to Set Up a Post-Workout Meal or Tips on the Best Foods to Help You Gain Muscle Guaranteed.
Conclusion
Although a gainer can be very useful in some situations, it usually doesn't have much benefit for beginners. If you need to put on weight, first make sure you have a proper diet and use classic whey protein instead of gainer. This has much more protein compared to gainer and is therefore more effective for building muscle mass.
In case you have any questions on the topic, feel free to contact us in the comments below the article.
Why can you trust us?
Sport has been my lifelong passion, I have been close to it since I was a child. For a long time I was primarily involved in athletics, which also eventually led me to the gym. Every good sprinter knows that to get one tenth of a start, he must therefore sacrifice hundreds of hours in training. And it was this toil behind the curtain, which no one sees, that was my greatest passion.
Every kilo in the gym helped me to move a little closer to my goal and I fell in love with the gym very quickly. Even though I don't race anymore, nothing has changed in my relationship with uncompromising training.