Mass gainers are a popular supplement that people turn to when they’ve hit a plateau in their weight gain. They are powders that you simply mix with water or milk and they’re packed with tons of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
As a result, they are high in calories. Which is exactly what some people (especially skinny guys) are after. But do mass gainers really work to make you gain muscle mass, AKA quality weight?
People Who Should Use Mass Gainers
People struggling to gain weight are the only ones who should be looking to use mass gainers. If you’re already eating a lot of food everyday, and still not seeing the weight on the scales increase, it can feel like an impossible task to add more meals.
Force feeding yourself isn’t a pleasant experience…
This is where mass gainers can be a great aid. They often contain around 500 calories, and you can increase them to around 700 if you used something like whole milk! 500-700 calories in liquid form probably sounds like a dream come true for some people.
Drinking those extra calories is a lot easier than eating them. It also prevents you from turning to unhealthy foods that contain easy calories. Choose the best mass gainer from this list.
Real Food Is Key
Do mass gainers work? While the high caloric content of mass gainers can help you gain weight, they will only work if the rest of your diet is intact.
For gaining weight, this means being in a caloric surplus of at least 250-500 calories above your maintenance. Those having a hard time gaining weight may need to be in a surplus of 1,000 calories!
If your maintenance is 2500, for example, a hard-gainer may need to eat 3500 calories daily. Eating 3000 calories from solid food, and then adding a mass gainer shake on top, would put them at 3500 calories in a convenient way.
However, if you were to eat at maintenance calories everyday, and add a mass gainer shake in hopes it’ll work to put weight on, it may still not be enough.
They don’t contain any special ingredients – just a lot of carbohydrates, fats, and protein.
Do Weight Gainers Really Work?
Losing or gaining weight comes down to your overall caloric intake. Depending on the caloric content in the mass gainer supplement you choose, it may or may not be enough to put you over the edge.
It’s also worthy to keep in mind that if you’re gaining quality weight from muscle mass, it will take time. If you’re gaining more than 2 lbs a week, it’s likely that a lot of it is fat and that you may need to lower your calories a little. Find out more here: what does mass gainer do to your body?
An easy sign to spot quality muscle weight is if you’re steadily gaining strength but minimal fat.
In conclusion, mass gainer supplements can work. But only if you’re getting a large portion of your calories from solid foods. These supplements are simply a convenience tool to help you reach your calorie quota for the day.