Often, newcomers who come to the gym do not understand many things that they must definitely adhere to when doing bodybuilding. Firstly, regular and hard training is not the full path to success. In addition to classes, it is necessary to adhere to a strict diet ("on weight" and "on drying") and observe the daily regimen. Secondly, to build up to the level of professional bodybuilders such as Phil Heath, Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman, it is impossible to use anabolic steroids. Each person has his own natural maximum, but he is far from the results that the athletes show us on Mr. Olympia. However, we were a little distracted. In this article we will tell you about sports nutrition, and more specifically, about gainers: how to choose them, which company is preferable to buy, the gainers rating for mass gain , etc. Well, go ahead.
What is a gainer?
Gainer is a food supplement that contains 50-70 grams of carbohydrates, 20-40 grams of protein and 5-10 grams of fat. Those who know will understand that this ratio of nutrients is perfect for athletes during mass gain, when it is necessary to build muscle mass. For drying, of course, a cocktail from a gainer will not work. In most cases, the basis of the gainer is maltodextrin, which consists of glucose molecules. We’ll clarify that weight gainers, like any other sports nutrition, do not belong to anabolic steroids (or “pharmaceuticals” in the common people), but are a regular food supplement. Finally, we say that the gainer is perfect for ecto- and mesomorphs, which have low and moderate levels of subcutaneous fat, respectively, because when you use this cocktail, you gain not only muscle, but also fat mass. For endomorphs, it will be preferable to consume protein shakes having 80-90 grams of protein and only 5-10 grams of carbohydrates. Next, we give a rating of weight gainers recognized by athletes as the best. We will also indicate the average price in Russia and the best analogues, if any.
Gainer rating
Now we will tell you about the best gainers for fast mass gain , which in one way or another have received high praise from the experts and the athletes themselves. So, gainers: rating of the TOP best in 2013-14. Go.
- The first line of our rating is occupied by the gainer from the company BSN - True-Mass. This is a very high quality gainer, consisting of a mix of whey and egg white, as well as, of course, carbohydrates. In addition, a vitamin-mineral complex is included in the gainer.
- Silver is occupied by UpHourMass from MHP, which contains healthy fats, a well-thought-out protein mix that lasts more than 12 hours, and the ubiquitous carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index. Truly a strong gainer.
- And here is another product that closes the top three in the TOP, where we consider the rating of gainers. Here is the Serious Mass from the American company Optimum Nutrition, which contains a first-class protein composition, as well as creatine and a number of vitamins and minerals.
On the fourth line we have Monster Mass from CytoSport, created by
innovative technologies. Its main feature is that its composition copies the properties of one of the main natural anabolics - breast milk of a nursing mother. In addition, the composition of this gainer boasts a combination of several types of protein (both fast and slow), as well as the presence of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
- Finally, the last on our list to complete the TOP-rating of 2013 gainers is FORMASS from DY. It contains the TEMPRO protein matrix, developed by using cold temperatures. Plus, 6 high-quality types of carbohydrates with low GI were added to the gainer. All this allows you to quickly recover your body, and also leads to lean mass growth.
Here is such a rating of gainers, which we compiled on the basis of their properties and reviews of athletes. We think that you will find the right one for yourself.
Prices
Depending on the volume, quality and brand, the prices for a gainer fluctuate quite a lot. So, we present the prices for the above TOP-5, based on the average prices in Russia:
- 2.6 kg of True-Mass gainer will cost you 1,500-1700 rubles, a container of 4.6 kg will cost 1800-2000 rubles.
- 900 g of UpYourMass will cost you 800-900 rubles, 2.3 kg - 1500-1600 rubles.
- 2.7 kg Serious Mass costs about 1300-1400 rubles, and a container for 5.5 kg - 1900-2000 rubles.
- The price of a 2.7 kg can of Monster Mass is 2400 rubles.
- Finally, the cost of 2.3 kg of FORMASS gainer is 2300-2500 rubles.
These are the prices for the best gainers, the rating of which was given above. Of course, when buying a gainer, you can choose all kinds of tastes, among which chocolate, banana, vanilla, raspberry and caramel are especially popular. Next, we will talk about the proper use of a gainer.
How to take a gainer
The best time to take a gainer will be the first 5-15 minutes after an active workout. It was at this time that a person opens the so-called protein-carbohydrate window, which is more than closed by a gainer. This allows you to accelerate the recovery processes in your body, suppressing muscle catabolism. If you did not eat before training (meaning 1.5-2 hours), then you can take before training, in order to provide the body with the necessary energy. However, this method of administration has its drawback: in this case, you will not burn fat during training (unless you are a pronounced ectomorph). As for the dosage, each gainer has its own, which will necessarily be indicated by the manufacturer. As a rule, it is 90-120 grams. It is recommended to take it 1-2 times a day, and it is preferable to give the remaining methods to protein, in order to maximally balance your diet and increase muscle growth. The best weight gainers, whose rating has been held by the above products for several years, of course, will show maximum results. However, remember: this is just an additive, and therefore for a week or even a month 10 kg of pure muscle mass will not increase in any way. We go further.
Weaknesses and disadvantages of a gainer
Many beginners are wondering: "What harm is from a gainer"? The answer is simple - no. Of course, if you follow the measures for use. The gainer is created from natural products that we meet in everyday life. Very rarely, individual intolerance to the product is found, which can lead to digestive upset, which is especially common after pancreatic disease. For an athlete, the maximum minus can be considered a significant increase in subcutaneous fat. Remember that impotence, heart and liver diseases - all these are myths that arise on the Internet from the lips of "great scientists."
Combination with other sports nutrition
The best combination would be gainer + creatine, because the latter is better absorbed with the carbohydrates and proteins that make up the gainer. You can mix everything in one shaker, using it after a workout. Of course, due to the high content of carbohydrates, it is forbidden to use gainers during drying.
Weight gainer
For people with financial difficulties, there is always a fallback - gaining a gainer by weight. You can buy 5 kg of such a gainer for 900-1000 rubles. At the same time, 50-70 grams of carbohydrates and 10-20 grams of protein are associated with 100 g, which is a good result. However, there are also disadvantages: the presence of vitamins is reduced to a maximum, and the amount of fat is a little high (up to 25 grams). Of course, that the gainers, the ranking of the top of which we cited above, can only show the maximum effect from branded companies, but a weighted product will have good results.
Conclusion
Now the production of sports nutrition has reached tremendous heights, and therefore there is always something to choose from. If back in the 70-80s of the last century they didn’t even hear about sports food, now its base is represented by a wide range of goods, where the gainer regularly takes pride of place in the diet of athletes. In the article we talked about many aspects of the gainer, and also gave a rating of the best gainers of 2013-14. We think you liked the article.