For Mass Gainer we mean a high-calorie formula in powder form designed to enrich the nutrition of athletes by supplying them with "clean" calories (without toxins, cholesterol and other substances with no nutritional value) by engaging the digestive phase to a minimum. Their nutritional properties they are especially suited to the needs of hardgainers, namely individuals with a slender physical structure and fast basal metabolic rate which hardly manage to increase your muscle tone e body weight.
The best mass gainers sold online by Muscle Nutrition differ in 4 important requirements:
- optimal ratio between carbohydrates and proteins (70-80% of carbohydrates and 20-30% of proteins for classic weight gainers, or 60% and 40% or even 50 and 50% for Lean Gainers);
- limited presence of unnecessary filling ingredients;
- extreme digestibility;
- delicious taste.
What is a Mass Gainer?
This is a high calorie powder blend, enriched in vitamins and minerals, useful for providing macro and micronutrients where there are deficiencies or requests for increased needs by the body.
The use of this type of supplement is designed for fawanting to gain body weight during periods of "bulking", to support the maintenance or growth of individuals with fast metabolism (the former hardgainers), as well as whenever the need for replace a solid meal with a digestible liquid supplement and bioavailable, which can be absorbed easily and quickly.
These features make it useful both for performance sporting purposes and in the health sector. In the first case, Besides enjoy a good smoothie nutrient-rich chocolate (or other favorite flavor) between main meals or at breakfast, we could make further use of it exploiting its "pro-anabolic" properties which will be very useful in the phase immediately following the workout, that is the post workout. As for the state of health and well-being, we must remember that these and other meal replacements or protein powder products, were initially designed with the intent of feeding individuals suffering from important and serious diseases, who experience cachexia (extreme loss of muscle mass).
What is a mass gainer made of?
Weight gainers usually contain a protein blend consisting of fast, medium and slow sources (see whey protein, egg white and casein), blends of high and low glycemic index carbohydrates such as dextrose and maltodextrin, as well as vitamins and minerals. They can also be enriched in Omega 3 and Omega 6 healthy fats, natural digestive enzymes and other amino acids functional to the growth or maintenance of muscle mass; we refer to: creatine, essential amino acids, adaptogenic plant extracts, glutamine e l-arginine.
What are mass gainers for?
The function of these high-calorie and protein formulas is to combat the reduction of glycogen, the loss of muscle mass and the formation of new body fat deposits, induced by catabolic compounds such as cortisol, the stress hormone. The secretion of these hormones is our body's response to the stress it is subjected to and occurs because it is necessary to satisfy the energy demands that arise at that moment.
There are essentially five benefits to using gainers:
- they are an easy way to get the amount of calories we need to achieve the desired mass;
- most of these high calorie contains ingredients that stimulate greater muscle stimulation;
- there are various types of gainers: some more suitable for the post-workout period, others that can replace complete meals, others that serve as a complement to meals;
- the various gainers available on Muscle Nutrition have different caloric intakes, generally between 400 and 900 calories per smoothie;
- contain glutamine, very useful to recover quickly and to strengthen the immune system.
In summary
Gainers are used by body builders and strength athletes, amateurs and professionals, such as a supplement aimed at optimizing the recovery and / or increase of muscle mass.
They are specific supplements for post-workout use or in place of a meal and should not be exchanged with energy supplements based on maltodextrin or and / or branched bcaa (to be used before and during performance), with tonics / stimulants ( to be ingested first), or with plastic-reconstructive models (to be consumed after the session).
With the practice of intense exercise and the expenditure of energy supplies (especially carbohydrates and amino acids), the release of catabolic hormones such as glucagon, catecholamines and, in some cases, cortisol occurs. These mediators are aimed at increasing the levels of energy substrates, therefore the glycaemia (from glycogen and for neoglucogenesis) and the levels of fatty acids (free and in triglycerides in lipoproteins).
On the other hand, if these hormones are considered very valuable for endurance athletes, since they guarantee the availability of energy, for bodybuilders and strength athletes they represent an obstacle to building muscle mass (catabolic effect on muscle tissue).
In summary, mass gainers aim to stop the catabolic effect induced by intense exercise as quickly as possible.
To do this, it is necessary to take muscle catabolism and stimulate the anabolic flow.
