Everything you need to know: Mass Gainers
“Dude, you are way too skinny! You need a Mass Gainer to grow”. If you are a guy who is trying to put on some muscle mass, but unable to achieve your desired goals, then you must have got this advice from your coach or some other gym dude. But, before you take their advice, just ask yourself, “Do I really need a Mass Gainer?” The answer to this may vary from person to person and there is nothing wrong in buying a Mass Gainer if you are working really hard and consuming the right amount of macros but unable to reach your goals (which is very unlikely!).
What are Mass Gainers?
Mass Gainers are nothing but “high-calorie protein drinks” in disguise. A typical Mass Gainer is a blend of Protein (usually Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Egg Albumen, Soy Protein, Sweet Dairy Whey and Plant Protein), Maltodextrin (starch compound), Dextrose (glucose), Creatine Monohydrate and Anabolic Substances (in some Mass Gainers).
The manufacturing and marketing companies claim that their recommended usage will help you achieve the desired muscle mass, weight and strength. The logic behind their claim is the simple principle of “Calorie In vs. Calorie Out”. If your calorie intake is more than your utilisation, you tend to gain weight and vice-versa.
Is their claim right? Will you be able to achieve your goals with Mass Gainer? Let’s find out on today’s Everything you need to know: Mass Gainer!
1. The Mass Gainer and Weight Gainer are two different things!
If you go to a supplement retailer, he would tell you that the mass gainer and weight gainer are the same things, but the truth tells a different story. If you buy gainers on a regular basis, then you must have noticed that the weight gainer is cheaper than the mass gainer. The reason is the amount of carbohydrate involved in the weight gainer is higher than the mass gainer. As protein is expensive as compared to carbohydrate, the company charges you a little extra for it.
An average Mass Gainer has a ratio of 1:3 for protein and carbohydrate respectively, whereas this ratio can go up to 1:5 for a weight gainer. Not only this, but the type of carbohydrate used in both the products are also different. The weight gainer usually involves a higher amount of simple carbohydrate (like sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, etc.) that helps you to put on weight very fast. A good mass gainer (quality-wise) will have a higher amount of complex carbohydrate (like oatmeal), which will help you with ‘quality-gain’.
This is something you must keep in mind while considering a gainer. Choose Wisely!
2. You don’t need Sugar to grow!
I have always maintained the fact that sugar can be potentially harmful to us in the long run. Though the amount of sugar in the mass gainer is lower than the weight gainer, but still it very much high. On an average, a mass gainer has around 15 grams of sugar per serving. If you take two servings of the gainer per day, then it would be 30 grams of sugar! As per the guidelines of The Wealth Health Organisation (WHO), an adult of a normal body mass index (BMI) can have around 25 grams of sugar per day.
The so-called fitness experts might argue that a person needs some sugar to put on weight, but I beg to differ. Surely, sugar can give you an edge and make you “look” buffed-up within few months, but it’s over and long-term use could lead to the issue like Diabetes (Type-2). You will only feel good when you see yourself in the mirror or weigh yourself before working out, but the reality is that you are not putting on muscles, but fat and this must not be your goal.
3. Creatine is safe, but still be cautious!
Many studies have proven that creatine is potentially safe for human consumption if consumed in moderation and under proper guidance. There are also studies that have shown that overconsumption of creatine can be lead to kidney damage. The mass gainers contain around 1-3 grams of creatine per serving, which is lower than the recommended daily dosage of 5 grams. But, still, there are certain measures that must be taken in order to avoid any organ damage.
The use of creatine must be avoided with medications like ibuprofen, tobramycin, cyclosporine or any other painkillers. The use of these medications could lead to problems like liver and kidney damage. Therefore, try and avoid mass gainer while you are on medication and drink at least 4-5 litres of water, every day!
4. Check out the Protein type and content
Though, mass gainers are called as “high-calorie protein drink”, but there are slight differences between the two. The amount of protein is very much lower (about 1/3rd of total serving) in the mass gainer and a “blend” of proteins is used as protein source. For those who don’t know, a blend is a mixture of 2 or more different types of protein. A serving of mass gainer can have around 60 grams of protein and 180 grams of carbs. The amount of protein is good enough if consumed post workout but the type varies from brand to brand.
One company uses Whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate and Egg Albumin as the primary sources of protein in their mass gainer, while another one uses Whey Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein and Plant Protein in their product. The first combination seems fine as all the proteins used have good PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acids Score), while the latter one might not be that great. This is something you must check while shopping.
5. Your Mass Gainer might contain Anabolic Substances!
If you are someone who is using a cheap, local-made mass gainer then this is for you. The cheap mass gainers claim to make you look more “muscular” within a month or so! If you are in India, you can get these types of gainers for as low as 750 INR (11 US$) for 3 kgs! They are nothing but a mixture of glucose, cocoa powder and anabolic substances. They will only create an illusion that you are looking muscular, but the reality is you are only gaining fat and also messing up with your liver, kidney and heart.
There are gyms all over the country that sell these fake supplements. Many people (especially school and college students) buy these supplements from their trainers and gym owners because they trust them. It is my request to all the gym owners, please stop selling these kinds of fake supplements. You are not making the youth unhealthy, but also messing up with their life just for few hundred bucks. Stop selling Fake!
Do you really need Mass Gainer?
Let’s address the question, “Do you really need Mass gainers to grow?” In my opinion, you don't need them, especially if you are from India. Our Indian diet is full of carbohydrate and fats, then why do you think you need the mass gainer? It is very easy to gain weight; you just need to understand the science behind it.
For example, there is a 60 kg person who is trying to gain muscle mass. His current fat % is 15. Then his lean weight would be 51 kgs (60-15%). Convert this lean weight to pounds by multiplying it with 2.2 (51 x 2.2= 112.2 lbs). Now, simply multiply it by 20 and you will get your daily calorie requirement (112.2 x 20= 2,244 calories). Just consume more than your daily requirement to gain weight. A 200-300 calorie surplus will be great for the first few weeks of gaining.
Please note that this is just a standard calculation and there are many other factors that contribute to your success like your workout regime, cardio session (if any), calories burned per day, etc. I do not guarantee that you will be able to put on weight by this. For best results, you must consult a Nutritionist for a custom-made diet plan.
I hope you liked the article. If you have any suggestions or doubts please feel free to reach out to me by clicking- Yash Gupta.
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Power House Nutrition (India) deals in all Indian & International Supplements. It was founded in the year 2016 with an aim to provide only genuine and quality supplements to the people of Dehradun, Uttarakhand (India). If you live in Dehradun and wanted to buy supplements, you can reach out to them directly- Power House Nutrition (India).