Guide To Muscle Gain Powders
Muscle gain powders, sometimes referred to as protein powders, are supplements typically mixed with water to add extra calories and, crucially, protein to gym goers' diet. Read on for a comprehensive guide to muscle gain powders and how they can boost your exercise regimen, whether you're a beginner or an experienced trainer.
What Are Muscle Gain Powders And Who Are They For
Muscle gain powders are simply a supplement that helps anyone to increase the amount of calories in their diet, and more specifically, increase their protein intake. This plays an essential role in supporting muscle growth when you exercise - meaning that muscle gain powders are an excellent choice for UK gym goers.
There are some key differences between muscle gain supplements and mass gainer protein shakes, so let's take a look at which is most suitable for different purposes as the next step in our guide to muscle gain drinks.
Muscle gain mixable powders, available at gymsupplements.com, are mostly comprised of protein. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair [1]. This is extremely important for gym goers, especially serious athletes and people concentrating on lifting weights. These sorts of drinks are ideal as a supplement - that is to say, if you already eat a good, plentiful and balanced diet, but need to add in extra protein.
Mass gainer protein supplements also contain high amounts of protein, but are much higher in calories, since they also contain significant amounts of carbohydrates. As a result, they can help users gain both muscle and weight, which is ideal for people who struggle to eat enough.
This also makes mass gainer protein supplements ideal for people who are looking to gain both muscle and weight and people in bulking phases. They also make a great solution for busy athletes who find themselves short on time to cook extra meals.
Types Of Muscle Gain Supplements For Bulking And Strength at GymSupplements.com
There are a few different types of different supplements aimed at gaining muscle. Read through this next section of our guide to muscle gain powders to find out the key differences.
Whey and protein blend powders are ideal for athletes who wish to add extra protein to their diet, but don't want to gain fat. The high protein content supports lean muscle gain without any carbohydrates to add on the pounds. Typically, gym goers would take one scoop daily - approximately 25 - 35g powder, made up of approximately 25g protein, a small 1 to 5g of carbs and less than 3g of fat, adding up to about 100 - 130 calories.
Next up, high carb mass gainers are ideal for athletes wishing to add muscle and weight in bulk to their physique. These contain protein plus carbs. In terms of how to use how to use mass gainer products, athletes would usually consume 2-4 scoops per day - around 100-300g powder, which would include 30 to 60g of protein, 60 to 150g of carbohydrates and 5 to 15g of fat, resulting in anywhere between 400 and 1,200 calories.
There's also a further category - weight gainer shakes, which combine protein, carbs and fats. Being less carbohydrate heavy, they're ideal for steady weight gain and less carbohydrates. 1-3 scoops daily is optimal. Typical macros here would be 25-50g protein, combined with 40 to 100g carbs and 10 to 25g of fat, giving a total of 500 to 900 calories.
Muscle Gain Supplements From Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Applied Nutrition And Per4m
In reviewing this guide to muscle gain powders, it's really important that gym goers select a trusted brand of muscle gain powder, such as Optimum Nutrition or BSN. They fit the muscle gain space perfectly, comprising a high protein content, low carbs and therefore low calories. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Isolate, for example, contains a very high quality whey isolate which is perfect for the growth of lean muscle and supporting athletes with recovery after exercise. This brand is trusted worldwide.
Optimum Nutrition and BSN, alongside Per4m brands available at gymsupplements.com, offer a range of flavours too, including chocolate and berry. This great taste, alongside trusted ingredients, has earned them a well-deserved, solid reputation in the UK as a leading choice.
How Muscle Gain Supplements Work With Your Diet And Training
Building muscle requires two main things: a calorie surplus, and progressive resistance training. Let's check out how to use mass gainer products to support this.
A calorie surplus simply means eating slightly more calories than the body burns, so it has extra energy to grow.
Progressive resistance training refers to gradually increasing the weights or the difficulty of exercises so that muscles are forced to adapt and get bigger.
When we lift weights, small muscle damage occurs, and with enough protein and calories, the body repairs that damage by building stronger muscle tissue. Muscle gaining powders assist by providing a quick, convenient source of protein, avoiding the need to eat vast quantities of protein.
In the case of mass gainers, extra calories are provided, too, if it's not possible to consume enough calories from food alone.
How To Use Mass Gainer Protein Without Gaining Excess Fat
It's important to know how to use bulking protein powders appropriately in order to avoid gaining excess fat. Essentially, aim for a small calorie surplus of about 200 to 300 calories above your maintenance level. Anyone can estimate their maintenance level by tracking their normal calorie intake and body weight for a couple of weeks.
Start weight gainer shakes with half a serving rather than a full one, increasing gradually if weight isn't rising by 0.25 to 0.5 kg per week or so. Weigh yourself weekly, measure your waist, and monitor your gym performance, too: if strength is improving and weight's being gained slowly with minimal waist increase, you're likely gaining muscle. Conversely, if weight jumps quickly and your waist grows fast, reduce calorie intake slightly.
When To Take Muscle Gain Supplements For Best Results
Timing can help when it comes to taking muscle gain drinks. Ideally, have a shake after a workout to give your muscles a quick dose of protein for recovery. Athletes can also use a shake between meals if it's a struggle to eat enough daily calories.
Consider a protein shake before bed, especially a slower-digesting one, to support overnight muscle repair.
On heavy training days, it's possible to combine shakes with normal meals. Eating breakfast and lunch as normal, for example, then adding a post-workout shake plus an extra shake in the evening if needed consistently meets protein and calorie targets without feeling excessively full from food.
Comparing Mass Gainer Protein And Standard Protein Powders
The principal difference between mass gainer supplements and standard protein powders is the overall calorie content and, more specifically, the protein, carb and fat content.
Mass gainers typically contain between 400 and a huge 1,200 calories per serving, with a moderate 30 to 60g protein, high carbs and 5-20g fat. They cost more per serving and support gaining a big calorie surplus to gain weight, ideal for those who wish to bulk up fast or struggle to eat enough.
Whey or mixed protein powders usually have lower calories (100-150g per serving) with higher protein of 20 to 30g, 1-5g carbs and low fat content. They cost less per serving and are ideal for lean muscle growth, recovery, and hitting daily protein goals without extra calories, making them perfect for those focused on muscle quality while controlling calories.
Common Muscle Gain Powder Mistakes To Avoid
It's important to avoid some of the common mistakes with muscle gain and bulking protein powders.
Avoid relying on shakes instead of real food; they should be an addition to regular meals. Likewise, don't ignore your total daily calories or skip heavy resistance training, since this could result in weight gain but not muscle gain.
Always choose a trusted, athlete approved brand rather than a cheap powder full of sugar or fillers.
It's worthwhile tracking your overall calorie and protein intake alongside following a progressive weightlifting program. Shakes should support muscle growth instead of creating fat [2]
Practical Muscle Gain Powder Recipes And Mixes
There are some easy and effective ways to turn mass gainer products, or whey, into higher calorie and more balanced shakes, by combining the powder with healthy food items easily found in the supermarket.
For example, you can mix muscle gain powder with milk - semi-skimmed or whole milk, ideally, to increase both the protein and the calories.
It's also possible to blend in some oats, or a nut butter, adding in healthy fats and further calories and enriching the flavour, too.
Of course, it's easy to combine muscle gain powder with fruits, either fresh or frozen, to make a high protein smoothie with additional vitamins.
Blending the supplements with natural Greek yoghurt is another excellent way to gain more protein, making a thicker and more filling drink with the benefit of the probiotics found in the yoghurt.
For all of the above suggestions, you don't need much more than a simple hand blender or smoothie maker to create a delicious, protein rich shake.
Muscle Gain Powders FAQs
Do I Really Need a Mass Gainer Shake to Build Muscle, or is Whey Protein Enough?
Whether you need a mass gainer shake depends on your targets. A whey protein supplement is enough for many people who consume sufficient calories from food and are looking to gain lean muscle. Mass gainer products are useful for people who struggle to consume enough calories from meals, or if you're aiming for bulk weight gain or training extremely hard.
How Many Calories and Grams of Protein should a Muscle Gain Powder Provide Per Serving?
Typically, a muscle gain powder should provide between 20-30g of protein per serving, and 100-150calories per serving. Regular muscle gain supplements assist gym goers in creating lean muscle, rather than weight, so the aim here is to boost the protein intake without consuming excessive carbohydrates and the resulting calories.
When is the Best Time of Day to Drink Weight Gainer Shakes for Bulking?
The best time of day to drink weight gainer shakes for bulking is ideally 30 to 60 minutes after a training session, providing your muscles with that much needed protein boost to help in their recovery and growth.
For those who can't consume sufficient calories from food, a shake between meals can greatly boost your protein and calorie intake. Likewise, consuming a shake shortly before heading to bed, particularly a slow digesting product, supports the body in accessing nutrients while you sleep.
Can I use Muscle Gain Drinks if I'm Worried about Putting on too much Body Fat?
It is absolutely fine to continue using these sorts of mixable drinks whilst maintaining your body fat levels. Just be mindful of your intake, and use whey protein products rather than mass gainer supplements. It's helpful to stick to smaller servings at least in the first instance.
Track your daily calories, and continue with your resistance training programme, to ensure the additional calories consumed are being burned off rather than stored in the body.
