First, a quick reminder to distinguish bulking from gaining muscle. Bulking consists of increasing your muscle mass and your body weight.
The motivations for bulking can be: a more muscular appearance, a change of weight class for athletes in weight-category sports (judo, boxing, weightlifting…) or even a improvement in strength.
To do this, you need to implement an appropriate training program and increase your daily calorie intake to develop muscle mass and increase your body weight.
The problem with bulking is that it is often tied to fat gain and a more ‘bulky’ appearance. You then try to get lean and naturally start a cutting phase.
Muscle gain has the sole purpose of increasing your muscle mass. Unlike bulking, the goal is to gain ‘lean’ muscle, without increasing your body fat.
Weight gain is therefore slower, but the resulting physique is more athletic. This muscle gain can be achieved for a visual goal or an increase in sports performance (explosiveness, strength, speed, endurance…).
My take on gainers
A beneficial source of protein and carbohydrates
A gainer is a blend of several ingredients: one or more sources of powdered protein, simple and/or complex carbohydrates (cereals, sugars…).
Read also | How to choose the best whey?
They may also contain vitamins, minerals and active ingredients such as creatine, taurine… The primary purpose of a gainer is to increase your body weight and this supplement proves particularly effective for that.
The gainer also helps promote good recovery because proteins and carbohydrates are the two essential elements for muscle and energy recovery.
Notable drawbacks
The gainer is an ultra-processed food product. It’s a huge blend of ingredients that are themselves ultra-processed and each brand offers its own formula. Indeed, you won’t find two identical gainer formulas on the market, so how do you choose the right one?
Results also vary greatly from person to person. If taking the gainer is done outside of an appropriate diet and training program, then you will simply increase your body fat percentage.
From an aesthetic, performance, and health standpoint, the results can be completely contrary to your goals.
Formulas from simple… to the worst cocktails
After analyzing numerous gainer products, I found that the market offered simple and rational formulas composed of proteins, instant oats, flavoring, and emulsifiers.
But it turns out that many formulas are, to say the least, outrageous:
- 4 or 5 different protein sources
- As many sources of sugars and carbohydrates
- Dozens of vitamins and minerals in very large amounts
- Useless active ingredients whose benefits are unrelated to muscle mass gain: iodine, chlorine, zinc, taurine…
- Long lists of additives, preservatives, colorings, synthetic flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, texturizers…
As you might have guessed, before taking a gainer you should carefully analyze the product and ask yourself whether the ingredients it contains are useful or not.
My advice: choose the gainer with the shortest ingredient list, balance your diet and greatly increase your training volume so you don’t increase your body fat.
Listen to our podcast | Who9s Afraid of Ultra-Processed Foods?
How to properly consume your gainer
Since each brand offers its own recipe, usage recommendations also vary widely. From vague advice like “use the gainer when you need it” to “1 to 3 shakes per day whenever you need extra calories”.
Gainer is generally consumed as a snack before and/or after training. Ideally, and to properly absorb the nutrients provided, I recommend using it between meals.
Gainer or whey
The difference between a gainer and whey
Whey consists only of whey proteins. As I mentioned in my article on how to use whey to lose weight, its quality can vary, but its purpose is recovery and the development of muscle mass.
You can therefore easily turn your whey into a gainer by adding, for example, instant oats.
In summary:
| Whey | Gainer |
| Whey proteins | Various proteins, carbohydrates |
Make your own healthy gainer from whey
Here is my simple healthy gainer recipe for 1 shake (320 calories) to mix in 400ml of water. You need three ingredients:
- 30g of native whey isolate, lactose-free, made from French milk, neutral flavor
- 50g of instant oats
- 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder
Mix the dry ingredients in a large sealed airtight container. If you want to prepare gainer for several shakes in advance, multiply the quantities.
Advantages: your gainer will be effective, balanced, economical, less processed and free of unnecessary ingredients.
Also read | The opinion of a dietitian and fitness coach on whey and muscle gain
My advice as a dietitian and fitness coach
Gainer, yes — but healthy
Le gainer est une très bonne solution pour augmenter votre masse musculaire. Il est évidemment à consommer dans le cadre d’une alimentation et d’un entraînement adaptés pour obtenir les meilleurs résultats.
Opt for simple gainer formulas or even the recipe I suggest above, you’ll reduce mistakes as well as fat gain and the risk of intolerances.
Because the longer a food product’s list of ingredients is, the more the risks of intolerances increase.
If you are ready to gain muscle and fat
Before taking a gainer, carefully analyze your body type. If your physique is rather lean, then the gainer will make you gain muscle and body fat.
If, on the other hand, your diet makes you gain weight fairly quickly and you easily store small indulgences, then know that a gainer will mainly make you gain body fat.
Be cautious before you start taking a gainer and begin by properly balancing your overall diet.
In line with your training program
Of course, consuming gainer without training is not recommended. Your body will convert the calories into body fat only, and you won’t be cold in winter!
If your training program is well suited, a well-balanced gainer can then give you a boost in recovery and muscle development.
It can therefore be entirely legitimate to use it during periods of intensive training or during specific physical preparation.
The training volume must be substantial, more than 12 hours of training per week, to justify the significant daily calorie increase associated with the gainer.
