Your eXpert Guide to
Weight Gainers

Weight gain formulas were originally used in hospitals by patients experiencing substantial weight loss. The bodybuilding industry adapted weight gainers to support muscle growth and mass building. Traditional formulas crammed 2000-3000kcal per serving with huge amounts of sugar and fat. Thankfully things have changed. Modern weight gainers are high in quality protein and carbohydrates and low in sugar and fat.

Weight gainers are powders that you mix with milk or water in a blender or shaker to make a shake. They provide a high calorie meal, high in protein and carbohydrates and low in fat to support faster mass building. Weight gainers are designed for the genetically challenged individual who finds it difficult to gain weight or put on muscle. This can be for different reasons:

• Muscle makeup
• Physical frame
• Fast metabolism

It is difficult to match weight gainers nutritional profile to whole food. Most protein food sources, especially meat, supplies a source of saturated fat.

To gain weight you need to eat every 2-3 hours. To prepare, cook and consume 5-6 nutritious meals frequently is challenging at best. Weight gainers provide the perfect solution. They are a quick, convenient, cost-effective way to get the best nutrition.

Advanced weight gainers contain added ingredients to further accelerate growth and recovery. These ingredients include L-glutamine, creatine and medium chain triglycerides (MCT's).

Figure 1: Average amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, energy and price per serving for weight gainers

To gain lean muscle mass you must combine weight training with a balanced diet. Weight training leads to new muscular growth and an optimal diet will allow you to grow faster. To gain mass your diet must contain enough calories and high quality protein to assist muscle repair and growth. Without these components you won't grow. Weight gainers cover the nutritional bases to support your size and strength training.

To gain weight, increase your calorie intake by 20%, typically this means around an extra 500-700kcal per day depending on your starting weight. Weight gainers make this simple and achievable. By following these principles you should expect to gain 0.25kg-0.5kg a week when starting out. Your weight gain will slow down to 0.5kg-1kg gains every 3-5 weeks over time¹.

Using weight gainers will aid with:

• Muscle growth
• Increased muscle size
• Fast recovery
• Gains in weight

To gain mass your diet must contain enough calories and high quality protein to assist muscle repair and growth

Weight gainers provide a quick, easy to prepare, nutritious way to support mass building. They will also improve recovery times and help to increase size and strength by supplying the best nutrients to your body.

If you want to gain weight you need to get serious about the food, and quality of it, that you consume. You need to combine heavy resistance training with plenty of calories, carbohydrates, proteins and other vital nutrients for muscle growth.

Protein

Protein repairs the muscles after exercise to improve recovery. The high amount of protein found in weight gainers provides an anabolic environment for muscle growth and strength gains. To gain weight you should aim for around 1.8g-2.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. For example an 80kg man should aim for 144g-160g of protein daily.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are just as important as protein when it comes to gaining mass. Carbohydrates provide the fuel for lifting weights. If you don't have enough you won't maintain high intensity training and protein will be burned as energy. The result, no muscle gains and possibly muscle wastage. Increasing your carbohydrate intake will increase stores that encourage your body to maximise protein use and build muscle.

Carbohydrates also raise insulin levels in the blood. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, driving protein and carbohydrates into the muscle cells, encouraging muscle repair and growth.

Anabolic ingredients

If you want to get more from your weight gainer, there are products that contain added ingredients to stimulate muscle growth and recovery. (See box 1 for a list of commonly added anabolic ingredients)

To gain weight, increase your calorie intake by 20%, typically this means around an extra 500-700kcal per day

Weight gainers come in powder form that mix in a blender or shaker with water or milk to make a shake. Use milk to add additional calories to your shake, otherwise just use water. Weight gainers should be used with whole food meals to ensure you receive a completely balanced nutritional diet.

How much?

The number of servings you use daily is dependant on your whole food diet, your goals, training and whether you are a 'hard gainer'. We recommend no more than 2-3 servings a day in between whole food meals.

When?

Weight gainers can be used as a meal replacement or a post workout recovery shake. Weight gainers are ideal to replace 1-2 meals in your 5-6 meal a day plan. If you are using weight gainers to replace a meal you may want to consider using half servings. Weight gainers for post workout recovery should be drunk within the hour after a workout. This maximizes absorption and uptake of the nutrients.

Weight gainers vary in calorie content from 250kcal to 1250kcal per serving. So when making your product choice it is important to know how many extra calories you are trying to add. Adding more calories than you actually need for mass building can lead to an increase in body fat.

More advanced weight gainers contain other added anabolic ingredients to further stimulant muscle growth. These can include creatine monohydrate, glutamine, additional amino acids, lactoferrin, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and medium chain triglycerides (MCT).

Weight gainers are safe and effective. Those with lactose or dairy product intolerance or allergies should look for a soy based and/or lactose free weight gainer.

I am worried about the high content of carbs in some of the weight gainers?

Many people are worried about the high carbohydrate content in weight gain formulas as many of the older weight gainers were full of unrefined simple sugars. However, most of the formulas today use a maltodextrin carbohydrate, which elevates blood sugar at a slower rate⁴. If you are still concerned, try a low carbohydrate weight gain formula.

How should I use weight gainers and still keep my body-fat down?

If you are trying to keep your body fat down it may be easier to split your serving size in half and consume it over the course of the day. Remember, to keep your fat level down you need to provide enough protein and calories for recovery and muscle growth whilst making sure excess calories are not stored as body fat. A combination of dietary intake of just above basal metabolic rate and increased protein intake and resistance exercise will aid in this goal.

Additional benefits of weight gainers?

With the addition of fortified weight gainers you can now experience the performance and body enhancing benefits of creatine, MCT's and increased vitamins and minerals.