When to take Mass Gainer for Perfect Results?

Nutrition and Diet by Anand Vatsya on add comment 67572 views

If you’re in a hurry to lose weight and want to gain the muscles quicker; mass gainer is probably not the right supplement for you. Protein and Creatine are the best supplements when it comes to rebuilding muscles and giving you a boost during workouts.

Supplementation from mass gainers is different from protein and creatine supplements in a way that it will put you at a calorific surplus and your body fat will get stored in your body, albeit correctly and not only in your butts and thighs.

When to take Mass Gainer

You’ve been hitting the gym regularly and taking your protein shakes diligently, but still you don’t notice any growth. It seems that even though you’re working hard, the results have been simply betraying you. Well, there can be a couple of reasons behind this,

The first possibility is that your diet might not be sufficing the required calorie intake of your body. There can be plenty of reasons for this such as a weak appetite or a busy lifestyle.
Another possible reason is that your diets are not providing you with enough carbs. The reason is if your body doesn’t get enough carbs or fats from your diets, it’ll start using protein as energy, which is not recommended.

Although either of the above stated things could be your reason, you don’t have to hassle too much to rectify it. The reason being the availability of mass gainers.

When to take mass gainer completely depends upon the type of the supplement you’re using and what time would be feasible for you. There are a set of these which are tailored in a slightly different way to be more effective at different times.

They come in different calorific levels, so in order to choose the apt one, you need to understand the number of calories your body needs, and then go for the appropriate gainer. Not paying heed to this, might result in the accumulation of unwanted and unregulated fat, which you were supposedly trying to limit.

Similar Article: What Is A Mass Gainer & What Are Its Benefits

Best Time to take Mass Gainer

There’s no best time to take mass gainer as such, but citing the majority, for ingesting of mass gainer before and after workout, go for the one which is rich in carbohydrate content but not so or very little in terms of the fat content. The fast acting carb content in these drinks helps in driving the insulin cycle, in turn pushing the amino acids to the muscles and thereby helping with muscle building and recovery.

Similarly, there are others that are to be taken either as meal replacements (not entirely preferred) or as an addition to the meals, to boost the calorie levels.

Also, there are no issues in taking mass gainers on off days because it can still help you meet your day’s nutritional goals. The only thing that needs to be kept in mind here is that because you’ll be on the lower side of your bodily activity for that day, you’ll have to adjust your day’s caloric target.

A word of advice for the ones who wish to take mass gainer without working out: mass gainers are for weight management issues but since their main purpose surrounds muscle building and not accumulation of direct weight, for the ones not working out, it should only be taken, if and when prescribed by a doctor.

Related Article: How to use Mass Gainer for Best Results

How many times a day to take Mass Gainer

The amount of your daily intake of the supplement will again rest on the nutritional value of the specific product you’ve opted for and your nutritional targets. Before starting with the supplementing, have a look at its calorie and macronutrient values and then tailor your daily intake accordingly.

Ideally, 1-2 scoops are considered good enough because any more might leave the shake somewhat thick, which then might become unpleasant to gulp it down.

Same goes with the number of shakes that will be required in a day. Try tracking everything you eat and drink in a day and then decide upon the number of shakes that you’ll require to suffice your needs.

Is Mass Gainer better than Whey Protein?

Although both mass gainer and whey protein supplements are considered handy for muscle recovery as well as for muscle growth courtesy of their protein content, they have quite noticeable differences. Some of these differences are,

The protein content in the case of mass gainers is much lower than that of whey proteins.
Mass gainers contains larger amount of fats and carbohydrates to boost your overall calorie intake, when compared to whey proteins.
Mass gainer should be the go-to thing for the ones who face difficulty in gaining weight even after intense workout sessions and want to build a significant amount of muscle mass. For those who wants normal and controlled gains, whey protein is their solace.

It’s worth mentioning that mass gainers play approximately only half the role in your weight gain ventures. And so, you’ll still need to couple your supplementation with a good diet and aptly tailored exercise regime for not just a healthy but a constant weight gain as well.

The author Anand Vatsya

An engineer turned writer, I count reading, human psychology and maintaining a proper fitness regime as my areas of interest, apart from writing of course. Exercising not just helps me in staying fit but it also facilitates the regulation of my mental prowess, and makes me feel absolutely stunning about myself. Because I believe that until you feel good about yourself, both mentally and physically, you cannot pursue anything. And luckily for me, my fitness regime alone suffices both of my needs.