In specialized magazines, advertisements for various gainers are often found. Find out if there is a need to use gainers and when to do it. Surely few athletes know that the United States is the leader in the production and export of sports supplements. The main share of exported products is made up of carbohydrate-protein mixtures, which are widespread in our country. But in America itself, this product has not become so popular, since much less importance is given to gaining mass in the West.
Manufacturers of mixtures conduct a very competent advertising campaign, but this cannot make the necessary product out of any product. Today we will find out whether a gainer is needed, and when to buy it, in case of such a need. First, in order to understand this issue, you should know the features of physiology. Secondly, it requires the ability to distinguish a really high-quality product from a useless one.
When a gainer is required
Now we will look at a couple of cases where a gainer can actually be a useful product.
Gainer in the absence of result
This is the most common reason that leads athletes to the sports nutrition store. This can be due to the lack of carbohydrates in your diet. After all, it is from this nutrient that the gainer basically consists. Almost 70% of its composition is carbohydrates. The rest are protein and amino acid compounds and other substances. Thanks to this, the drink becomes high-calorie, which can help with a lack of mass.
It should be remembered, however, that the calorie content of a nutritional program means healthy and nutrient-rich foods. The daily dose of calories can be replenished with several cans of mayonnaise, but in this case, the body will lose a large amount of nutrients. You should know that in order to gain muscle mass, the calorie content of the diet should be increased. It is possible that your dietary program contains insufficient amounts of carbohydrates, and possibly protein compounds. In a proper diet, carbohydrates should be in the amount of 60 to 70%, protein compounds from 30 to 40%, and the rest of the order of 10-20 percent should be fats.
If you have a problem with weight gain, then you can try using a weight gainer. It is desirable that it contains protein compounds and carbohydrates in a ratio of 30:70 or 40:60. However, it is almost always easier to increase the calorie content of your nutritional program and the need for a gainer will immediately disappear.
Using a gainer with a busy schedule of the day
Everyone knows that when gaining weight and during the drying period, you should eat often. In other words, during the off-season break, the athlete should eat at least 5 to 6 times during the day. To relieve the stomach, it is recommended to consume small portions eight times a day. The figure, of course, looks impressive. On average, a person eats 3 or 4 times a day, but here it takes 8. With the modern lifestyle of a large number of people, this is not easy to do.
One of the main benefits of sports supplements is the speed at which they are prepared. It will take you a couple of minutes to prepare cocktails and the same amount for its use. If one lunch break is officially established at work, and most often it happens, then at this time you can safely eat, and then use a gainer every couple of hours. As you can see, using carbohydrate-protein shakes can make life a lot easier for athletes.
Useful tips when taking a gainer
Above, we have discussed two main reasons when a gainer may actually be needed. These are the moments when the use of a gainer is justified. It is also important to consider the following points when taking a gainer:
- Do not make dietary supplements at the core of your nutritional program. Particular attention should be paid to the nutritional program and the training process.
- If without a gainer you cannot fulfill your daily “plan” for calories, then purchase those cocktails that contain at least 30 percent of protein compounds. If this figure is less, then there is a high probability, instead of muscle mass, to gain subcutaneous fat. Now you can find a lot of fakes, which contain a lot of sugar. It is clear that there will be no benefit from such gainers.
- You can often find recommendations to consume 360 grams of the mixture. This figure is greatly overestimated, and the body is not able to process such an amount of nutrients at one time. It's good if you can absorb half of the nutrients. The optimal portion of the gainer can be considered from 90 to 150 grams.
- Today, in our country, the importance of gainers is very overestimated. It should be reiterated that this product should only be used if your daily schedule is overwhelmed with worries and there is not enough time for a full meal. You can also allow its use in case of insufficient calorie intake, which, however, it is advisable to correct with natural products.
- Do not overestimate the value of sports supplements and listen to the advertisements. All sports nutrition is intended to complement the diet, not become its basis. You should come to grips with your nutritional program, and after about a year of training, you can already look towards sports nutritional supplements. In the initial phase of bodybuilding, they are completely unnecessary.
For beginner athletes who want to quickly progress in gaining mass, it is better to pay attention to the correctness of their diet. Use only natural products for nutrition. Calculate the number of calories you need and choose the right foods for this number. In the event that none of the reasons we have considered today suits you, then there is no point in using gainers. The situation is somewhat different with professional athletes. All beginners can only recommend using natural products and not using a gainer unless absolutely necessary. That's all I would like to say on the topic - do you need a gainer, and when to buy it.
Learn more about the gainer in this video:
