Professional sports, and amateur ones, are hard to imagine without special nutrition and supplements that help build muscle mass in a short time. The gainer is gaining more and more popularity among athletes . What is it and what is it used for? Authoritative sports publications declare publicly that this is an innovative product that does no harm. But some experts warn that this composition is a solid chemistry, and they do not recommend using it. So who is right?
We understand the composition
Gainer - what is it? In the literal translation from English, this word means "recruit, acquire, build up." This supplement is a protein-carbohydrate mixture, the carbohydrate index in which is significantly higher than protein:
- 50-75% - carbohydrates that have a different glycemic index (several varieties at once). This factor allows the human body to get the maximum amount of energy and form a supply of glycogen in the muscles.
- 50-15% are proteins. Special proteins contained in the gainer provide the body with the optimal amount of amino acids. This fact allows athletes to recover faster after hard training.
Experts argue that better absorption of protein can be achieved only by consuming it in combination with carbohydrates. This information has significantly increased the popularity of this product among athletes.
Special additives
If you choose a gainer, be sure to pay attention to the presence of the following components in its composition:
- Glutamine. A special amino acid that can stimulate the synthesis of hormones: testosterone, growth hormone (growth hormone). This is a real “brick” that helps build muscle. In addition, the content of this compound in the blood helps the athlete recover, increases the effect of supercompensation.
- Taurine is a specific compound that actively affects many processes of energy metabolism in the body and directly in muscle tissue. The substance is capable of enhancing the effects of creatine and many other compounds. This component is very popular: it is added to various sports nutrition systems and drinks.
- Creatine. It is this acid that is called indispensable for enhancing stamina and developing strength.
Some manufacturers add many more vitamins and minerals to the nutrient mixture, but the above components are real leaders among them.
Note that gainers practically do not contain fat, so the gain in muscle mass occurs due to pure energy, and not fat deposits. Also, special enzymes are often included in the composition - they stimulate the absorption of all other components.
How do they work
Geiner - what is it and how does it affect the body? As you know, proper nutrition is a very important factor when playing sports, especially bodybuilding, where they actively increase body weight. The nutritional composition was designed primarily to adjust the daily diet of athletes who can withstand heavy loads. What is a gainer for?
- To replenish the amino acid and carbohydrate balance just before training. Such an event is designed to maximize the effect of strength exercises, which helps to build muscle faster.
- The second stage is to replenish the deficit of carbohydrates and proteins after the end of the load. It is during this period that the body urgently needs additional stimulation and energy - this allows you to gain mass faster, ensuring the growth of muscle cells.
- The product helps to increase the total calorie intake.
- Acts as one of the important components of the sports regime.
As some experts note, our body cannot absorb and get all the necessary proteins and carbohydrates from food, so we recommend taking a gainer.
Who needs this food?
Gainer - what is it and who is useful for it? It suits people of thin physique or ectomorphs. With the help of such additives, they can quickly gain muscle mass in a fairly short time. However, such products are not suitable for athletes who are overweight - carbohydrates will be actively deposited in adipose tissue. Supplements are suitable not only for bodybuilders. They are also recommended for use by football players, athletes, boxers and other athletes. Such a widespread use of the gainer is due to the fact that before starting a workout, it provides the body with compounds that increase human stamina and have an antispasmodic effect.
There is an alternative
If you don’t have the opportunity to purchase expensive sports nutrition, you can easily prepare home weight gainers. The main thing is to remember which components should be contained in them. We make cocktails using the following healthy foods:
- Protein contains milk, cottage cheese, milk powder, eggs, and other products.
- Carbohydrates are rich in bananas, jam, jam, natural honey.
- Basis for a cocktail: sour juice, milk, yogurt.
To get a healthy drink that will restore strength and help build muscle, you need to mix and grind all the ingredients. Bring the composition to the consistency of yogurt and drink on health. This option is suitable for people who are wary of ready-made gainers, for fear of harming their health.
Note that professional athletes still prefer factory analogs of sports nutrition products. One of the most popular formulations is Mass Gainer. Reviews of athletes, especially bodybuilders, confirm that the product is perfectly absorbed by the body and helps to build muscle mass in the shortest possible time. True, such a pleasure is not cheap.
Dear beginner athletes, remember: in order to achieve a positive result from the use of various gainers, it is necessary to observe the recommended regimen and adequate dosage. Moreover, it will be absolutely useless to you if you do not load your body with intense training.