Mass gainers are marketed for guys like me. A few years back, my co-workers had a month-long, in-office weight loss competition. I was 5-foot-11 and weighed 140 pounds at the start of the competition, so we all decided I would compete by trying to gain weight. After a month of massive (but balanced) eating and solid workouts, my final official competition weight was 141. For some of us, gaining weight just isn’t that easy. Mass gainers may have their place in the quest for the body you want. If you’re looking to pack on some pounds, you’ve probably thought about using a mass gainer supplement. If you’ve already run the hard-gainer race and built the body you want, the right mass gainer can help you maintain it. Above all, you need to continually protect the health that keeps your body running. Here’s how to figure out if and where a mass gainer fits into your life.

What Are Mass Gainers?

Mass gainers fall under the FDA category of dietary supplements. The term “dietary” implies they directly relate to nutrition (not your workout), while “supplement” suggests they work alongside (not as replacements for) your meals. Conventional, or whole, foods provide the greatest nutrition to help your body recover from a workout. However, if your weight goals require more nutrition than you have time to prepare or eat, a mass gainer may be worth considering.

Types of Mass Gainers

Mass gainers, weight gainers, and muscle gainers can contribute to a built body. The three terms don’t have official definitions, but there appears to be an outline of how they are marketed:
  • The term “mass gainer” is most often applied to protein powders, although they sometimes include protein products with some fats and carbs
  • A “weight gainer” offers substantially more calories and macronutrients (such as fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, and fiber) than mass and muscle gainers
  • The term “muscle gainer” generally applies to protein products that include a hearty amount of other macronutrients but not enough to be regarded as a “weight gainer.”
Products advertised as mass gainers, muscle gainers, or weight gainers can have varying ingredients. The pros and cons of using mass gainers can vary by product. Dietary supplements need to meet health, safety, and marketing standards before sale, but they do not have an FDA approval process to go through before they hit the shelves. Since these “gainer” terms are flexible, be sure to look at the ingredients to see exactly what you will be gaining.

Should You Switch Mass Gainers?

Once you have reached your weight goals, do you still need mass gainers to supplement your diet? If your whole food nutrition doesn’t give you what you need, mass gainers can still be useful. For example, suppose you burn 3,000 calories a day between your job, home life, and workout routine. If your daily nutrition comes from 2,000 calories of whole foods and 1,000 calories of weight gainer, you’ll maintain your weight. Consider your age when deciding whether to continue using protein supplements and weight gainers. With age, the body can’t digest and absorb protein so easily, so protein powders may not be so helpful. Although sarcopenia is a common cause for concern among older people, there are nutritional supplements created with older people in mind that may have better health results than a typical weight gainer. Genetic or developed health problems may limit which mass gainers would be healthy. Depending on what other supplements you might be taking, existing medical problems, or food allergies, weight gainers can have a negative effect on your health. No matter what your age or health condition might be, building muscle is an involved process. Despite advertising claims or the picture on the product label, don’t fall into thinking your future body is in a jar on a health food store shelf. Mass gainers support the math of bodybuilding, helping you take in more calories than you burn; whether you find the body you want or not is completely in your control. Build the temple, protect the temple, and keep it functioning as well as you want it to look.  
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