Gainer: myths, facts and when it really pays off

A controversial topic in today's fitness world. One of perhaps the most controversial dietary supplements of our time. Gainer. Carbs - call it what you will. But what's the real deal with it? Is it really a useless thing, a mere marketing ploy by manufacturers that has no added value for us? There are a huge number of carbohydrate drinks on the market. From the cheapest to the really expensive ones, from the totally low quality ones to the real "musthave" ones.

But how do we know how to make sense of it all? How to know the really best gainer for gaining weight, which is worth investing in and can fully replace one meal and support us in our journey towards our goal not to buy just expensive poop?

Article content:

• What is a gainer?
• What is a gainer?
• For whom is it worth it?
• What should a quality gainer contain?
• What effects can we expect from a gainer?
• What can we take away from this?

What is a gainer?

Simply put, it is a mixture of carbohydrates and protein to replenish nutrients. It speeds up recovery and primarily increases energy intake, especially for those of us who are trying to gain muscle mass and may struggle to get our daily intake from a solid diet.

There are two types of carbohydrate drink

The first is called "hard." This is a type of gainer where there is a greater representation of carbohydrates with less protein. Per 100g of product, carbohydrates are around 70g and protein about 25g. Hard gainer serves as a quick source of energy represented mostly by fast carbohydrates - glucose, fructose and sucrose. You'll find its best use before strength training, if your last solid meal was more than two hours before your workout and you didn't get a chance to eat anything substantial. Among other things, it is also suitable for individuals with multi-phase workouts to replenish the necessary energy between performances.

The second type is the so-called "soft" saccharide. This one has more protein (up to 50g) and slightly less carbohydrates - up to 30g. Compared to the hard type, carbohydrates are represented in a complex form - in the form of oats or wheat and thus have a low glycemic index. Thanks to its higher protein content, it is also suitable as a post-workout shake.

Among other things, we can also use it if we don't have time to prepare a meal and our stomach starts to growl insatiably. The difference between the two types is mainly that the soft form is of better qualitydue to its favourable composition with a higher protein content.

For whom is it worthwhile?

Its carbohydrate benefits will be used most by strength athletes for better performance and longer endurance during strength training. From the gainers, muscles will use muscle glycogen and thus protect muscle mass during training. It will also find its application in endurance athletes to improve recovery and support their performance.

What should a quality gainer contain?

Just as it is important to read the ingredients in supermarket foods, we need to be careful with dietary supplements. We can't lump all carbohydrate drinks into the same bag. Some manufacturers really take care with the quality form of the product. The manufacturers that really pride themselves on quality favour 80% carbohydrates in their carbohydrate supplements, with a predominance of complex ones.

In the composition, we most often find maltodextrin for the gradual release of glucose units, thanks to which there is an even distribution of energy throughout the workout. A quality gainer should not contain more than 5% lactose due to possible stomach problems and possible intolerance. The second, irreplaceable unit is protein. These are found there up to 30% in a quality form such aswhey protein.

The third, integral part, is fats. Fats are in amounts up to 5% , especially in good quality essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. In some brands, we can also see added vitamins, minerals, fiber or creatine.

On the other hand, we also have to watch out for a few ingredients that a quality saccharide really should not contain. These are:

• E 107 bile 2G - aggravates asthma and causes allergies
• E 240 formaldehyde - carcinogenic
• E 121 lemon red - cancer-causing
• E 225 potassium sulphite
• E 924a potassium bromate - toxic

What effects can we expect from a gainer?

Let's not just think of a gainer as the fastest way to increase your body weight. With the right training plan, the right diet, it can just perfectly complement the whole puzzle of the ideal fitness plan for your momentary goal - building muscle mass. There is a general fear among many people that after a gainer you only gain weight and all the gained pounds go to fat.

This really doesn't have to be the case. Whether we gain fat or muscle is influenced not only by the intensity of the strength training, but mainly by the overall energy balance for the day that we have. Hence! ... if we are concerned about gaining muscle mass, we should have a calorie budget set in surplus so that we have something to gain, which a right gainer can help us to do.

But nothing should be overdone, and we shouldn't take in hundreds of kilocalories more. The surplus should be only slightly more than our maintenance, so that we can regulate our weight gain properly. Among other things, the drink increases the volume of muscle tissue, improves recovery, protects muscles from damage, promotes muscle growth.

Gainer vs. protein

When choosing dietary supplements, we often encounter the question: protein or gainer? Protein supplements are primarily designed to promote recovery and muscle growth, while gainers provide not only protein, but also a high carbohydrate and calorie content, which is suitable for those who have difficulty increasing their daily caloric intake. Gainer vs. protein - so who wins? The difference, then, lies mainly in the composition and purpose - while protein offers a solution for optimizing muscle growth and recovery, gainers are the ideal choice if the goal is to gain weight quickly and provide the necessary energy. Whether you are deciding between a gainer or a protein the right choice depends on your individual goals, dietary needs and training regime.

What can you take away from this?

Gainer is definitely not the alpha omega of dietary supplements, which should occupy one of the first places in your pantry. However, it's fine if you're trying to build muscle mass and you're occasionally unable to eat your higher daily energy intake in a rational solid food diet or how many times you don't have time to prepare a meal. We should remember that Gainer is only a dietary supplement that can replace a snack for example, but our daily intake should be mainly from quality foods - let's not put it first in our diet!

The best gainer for gaining weight is the ideal choice for those who want to gain muscle mass effectively. Unlike protein, which is mainly for recovery, a gainer for gaining weight also contains carbohydrates for energy replenishment and higher calorie intake. If you are hesitating between a protein or a gainer, choose a gainer when you need to gain weight quickly. The best gainers have quality formulations with complex carbohydrates and protein. So the question of gainer or protein depends on your goals. Now you know what a gainer is good for and now it's up to you to choose the best one!

Available resources: https://healthtrends.com/mass-gainer/ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-mass-gainer