12 best weight gainers

Some athletes are confident that only protein contributes to the collection of the "right" weight. Others take instead of pure protein or in addition to it carbohydrate-protein mixtures. Geynera fill energy deficiency and help the body better absorb proteins. In addition, in addition to carbohydrates and proteins, they may contain vitamin-mineral mixtures, amino acid complexes, creatine and other useful functional components. Together, all this accelerates recovery periods and provides the necessary energy for training.

Below is an overview. top best gainers rating for weight gain. In drawing up the opinion of users and experts sites Bodybuilding.com (BB.com), Sportswiki.ru and Yandex Market, as well as information of online stores and, of course, our own experience.

Vahno! More detailed information on the cost of gainers in various weight and price ranges can be found in the product information in the text of the article.

How to gain muscle mass?

A fast and efficient mass set is the dream of many gym visitors, there are only talks about it. In order to build muscle mass, it is necessary to work in three directions in good faith:

• training with free weights;
• observance of a high-calorie diet;
• quality sleep for effective recovery.

Naturally, there are nuances:

• if the exercises are performed without observing the correct technique and the progression of weights, repetitions in the approach and the number of approaches themselves, the muscles will not grow;
• if you train to exhaustion, but at the same time unbalanced and eat little, your muscles will not grow;
• If you perform both of the first points, but at the same time “forgetting” to rest and get enough sleep, the muscles will not grow, because they grow exactly during rest and sleep.

Therefore, it is very important to comply with all three points.

What is better for gaining weight - gainers or proteins?

In order to answer this question, another question should be asked - how do the muscles actually grow?

The synthesis of new muscle cells (mass set) requires nutrients, in particular, amino acids and glucose. Their sources are respectively proteins and carbohydrates. Simply put, a plate of buckwheat with meat. And if we draw an analogy with the construction, amino acids (proteins) are “building material”, “bricks” for new muscle cells, and glucose (carbohydrates) are “workers” who are building new muscles from these “bricks”. There will be no “building material”, the muscles will not grow, there will be no “workers”, the muscles will not grow. Therefore, it is so important to supply the body with both proteins and carbohydrates. And gainers are just protein-carbohydrate mixtures, unlike pure protein, which is a “supplier” of only “building materials”. But there are also nuances in the choice between these two products.

Who is suitable for a gainer, and for whom - a protein?

In this issue a very important role is played by the body type of the athlete. For those who are very fast gaining weight, and / or have a high percentage of subcutaneous fat, gainers are even contraindicated, since they can provoke further weight gain due to their high caloric content.

therefore protein is a good choice for those who have a slow metabolism and for whom excessive consumption of carbohydrates (including gainers) is fraught with an increase in the percentage of subcutaneous fat. Therefore, for such people, carbohydrates are recommended to take from food alone, consuming cereals, whole-grain bread, vegetables, and other sources of complex and slowly digestible carbohydrates.

In general, protein supplements should be considered only as an additional source of protein in the diet, regardless of body type or gender (for girls, protein is also possible). Protein shakes are ideal for those who can not (do not want, do not have time) to secure a daily intake of protein in the required quantities.

Gainers are the best choice for those who have a thin physique and a fast metabolism, which is why there are problems with weight gain, both muscular and fat. For such athletes, first of all, gainers were developed that will help to maintain a high-calorie diet.

The composition of the gainers

Insofar as Gainer is a carbohydrate-protein mixturethen these nutrients are the main ones, which, in turn, can consist of both one component and be complex.

This means that the protein matrix can only be represented by a whey protein concentrate, or it can be complex and include, in addition to whey, casein, egg albumin and other protein sources.

In turn, the carbohydrate component can be represented only by maltodextrin, and can be complex and include also cereals (oats, barley, corn), as well as amylopectin, various starches, fiber.

Complex gainers interesting variety of sources of nutrients, but monosyllabic gainers on the basis of simple sugars are absorbed as quickly as possible, which is their main advantage.

In addition to the main ingredients, creator, amino acid and vitamin-mineral complexes, and digestive enzymes can be part of a geyner.

An important characteristic is carbohydrate to protein ratio. There are high-protein, high-carbohydrate and gainers with an optimal ratio of basic nutrients.

Energy and nutritional value of gainers

Very often, manufacturers indicate the energy value of the entire recommended single serving. It can be very large and make up, for example, 300 g. Accordingly, the energy value will look very impressive and inspiring in comparison with other gainers, and make up, for example, 1200 kcal. This is a lot, and not everyone can learn such a portion at a time. Therefore, to evaluate the real energy value of the mixture, you need to find on the label information about the caloric content of 100 g of product.The analysis showed that on average, the calorific value of gainers from different manufacturers in terms of 100 g is about the same, and an average of 400 kcal, which may be more than enough for one cocktail. If there is no such data, the label can be easily calculated: you need to multiply the number of kcal of the whole portion by 100 g, and then divide by the number of grams of the whole portion. For example, 1200 kcal * 100 g / 300 g = 400 kcal.

The nutritional value - is the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats in one portion of a gainer in grams. Again, it is better to find information about the nutritional value of 100 g of the product. The best indicator would be 20 g of protein and 80 g of carbohydrates for such an amount of a gainer.

When should you drink a gainer?

Since gainers (from the English. Gain - increase, increase) - a carbohydrate-protein mixture, designed for quick replenishment of energy reserves and weight gain, then they should be drunk just before and / or after trainingwhen the body needs nutrients the most. Therefore, timely feeding is equal to the effective recovery, and hence the mass set.

Thus, if there is no time (opportunity, desire) to eat a full-fledged dinner after an evening workout, then you can drink a portion of a gainer, thereby providing the body with amino acids and glucose. Either drink such a cocktail before a workout, if there was no time (opportunity, desire) to eat a full meal, again giving the body glucose to have the strength to work in the gym, and amino acids, which also go to the synthesis of hormones, enzymes and new ones muscle cells. If the organism is not “fed”, then it will take the resources for training from its reserves: glucose from glycogen, and amino acids from muscles, destroying them, and athletes just try to avoid it.

In any case, remember that gainers are biologically active additives to the basic diet, and therefore can not replace a full and balanced diet. Natural food is always preferable.

How much does a geyner need for one cocktail and what should it be mixed with?

Different manufacturers indicate different quantities: some write that they need to take 300 g of the mixture, while others indicate that 100 g will suffice. Who is right? In this issue should be guided by individual needs. If the diet is sufficiently balanced and there is no particular lack of nutrients, including carbohydrates, then 100 g of a gainer drunk after a workout may suffice. If it turned out that the only meal on the day of training was breakfast eaten while running, then you can take all 300 g of the mixture, but then divide them at least into 2 doses. Because how to absorb about 1200 kcal (300 g of a geyner) at a time, as already noted, not everyone can. Therefore, a one-time portion is a very individual question.

It is also important to consider what constitutes a specific gainer and the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates. This will also affect how much you will need to take the mixture for the preparation of one cocktail. In general, these points should be taken into account:

• weight of athlete (the smaller and more complex it is, the more you can use a gainer);
• diet (the more unbalanced it is, the more it can be taken from a gainer, but in an amicable way one should adjust the main nutrition);
• the composition of the gainer (what carbohydrates are included in it: simple, complex, or their complex; what is included in the protein matrix);
• ratio in protein gainer to carbohydrates (For those who are not gaining weight well, it is better to choose high-carb gainers, and vice versa - for athletes with a slow metabolism, high-protein gainers on complex carbohydrates are preferable).

Most often, manufacturers recommend mixing a geyner with water or milk, as it tastes better. In addition, a cocktail with milk will be more nutritious.

By volume: the cocktail will be thicker, if you take 300-400 ml of water or milk, and vice versa, if you want a more liquid cocktail, you should take about 500 ml of "solvent" or even more.