Mass gainers, protein shakes, weight gainers, or hypercaloric shakes have become popular in recent years. These nutritional supplements are made from supplements with a high protein load, although not only this.
The intake of this type of beverage has been aimed at gaining weight or muscle mass. It is very popular with bodybuilders, athletes or weightlifters, as a supplement to gain muscle mass, weight, or body measurements.
In addition to use in the sports world, many nutritionists recommend it as a dietary supplement for certain nutritional disorders.
Patients with low body weight, states of mild, moderate, and advanced malnutrition, enteral nutrition or other diseases related to nutrition.
What is a mass gainer?
A mass gainer is a nutritional supplement that is usually taken in liquid form in a shake. Mass gainers are lyophilized compounds that have mass gainers, they are soluble in water and easily diluted.
Part of their great popularity is that they are prepared very simply, as they do not require blenders or other electrical equipment.
The composition of this type of shake has animal and vegetable proteins, synthesized and processed to have a rapid metabolism in the body. Therefore, its results can be appreciated much more quickly than a high protein diet.
This rapid metabolization of the supplement allows it to be transformed into body mass, through the increase in the density of the muscle fiber. This, supported with a specific type of exercise, allows an increase in muscle mass.
Mass gainer vs Whey protein
It is very common to confuse mass gainers with another type of supplement based on whey protein, commercially called whey protein.
These whey proteins are products made from a high composition of easily absorbed proteins. Although they are used as nutritional supplements, their chemical and food composition are very different.
The main difference lies in the nutritional base. In mass gainers, the primary base is a high-carbohydrate compound.
Mass gainers come in composition from 50% to 90% carbohydrate content and only 50% to 10% protein.
A whey protein shake has a totally inverse composition, with a higher percentage of protein over carbohydrates
Therefore, the metabolization of a mass gainer is much faster than a whey protein, since the molecular chains have greater combustion in the body.
Opinions on when to take Mass Gainers
There are different approaches to recommending starting a diet that includes a mass gainer as a dietary supplement.
A mass gainer is recommended from the sports point of view for those athletes who need an increase in their weight and muscle mass, before a competition.
It is widely used by bodybuilders as an adjunct in the process of generating muscle mass and energy support to the sports discipline.
During the execution of an average session of weight lifting, isometric exercises, and other types of anaerobic activities. The energy expenditure of these athletes is much higher than the average, so they need to complete their energy stores.
If a body does not have a sufficient reserve of energy, represented in proteins, carbohydrates, and carbohydrates, it can enter ketosis.
This is one of the biggest fears of bodybuilders, as it results in the body starting to consume muscle tissue. The consumption of fiber and intramuscular fat as an organic energy source produces mass reduction.
These athletes strive to achieve muscle hypertrophy that requires an over-intake of protein, thus avoiding the process of self-consumption of muscle mass at all costs.
Mass gainer by prescription
There is a use of mass gainer as a medical therapeutic measure. Diets that include the consumption of mass gainers are prescribed for patients with malnutrition due to different causes.
Patients who have undergone bariatric surgeries are subjected for a period of time to liquid and/or semi-solid diets. For this type of diet, mass gainers with concentrations higher than 70/20% protein are the ideal supplement.
On the other hand, hospitalized patients with loss of motor functions or consciousness are subjected to enteral feeding. In these cases, a mass gainer is a valuable medical ally.
What is the best mass gainer?
In today’s market, there is a lot of mass gainer of different brands, compositions, flavors, and textures.
The lyophilized presentation is the most common, as it is the simplest form of preparation for the consumer and the best conservation.
