GAIN SPORT

Nobody would question the basic rule that increasing the intake of calories increases one's body weight. A weight gainer is a product designed to add extra calories to one's daily diet. It is especially recommended for those who find it hard to put on weight (so-called “hard gainers”) and/or as a food replacement for those who look for a quick, balanced meal, convenient to prepare. Another principle most of us would agree on is that those who desire to gain some mass, want to add lean muscle, not body fat. Most companies suggest or even promise that you will achieve great gains of as much as 10-15 kg, competing with each other as to the amount of calories, proteins and carbohydrates, claiming that the principle “the more, the better” is universally effective. However, it is simply ridiculous to offer more than 1500 calories, 50 grams of protein and over 250 g of carbohydrates per serving. Having consumed such a dose, one would have to confront the “superbowl” and use extra amounts of toilet paper. The amount of protein directly responsible for muscle growth is small in comparison to the rest of the ingredients (usually 10-15%) and even those ingredients are often not of the purest quality. They may also be “spiked” using creatine, glutamine and the like. There are companies that list the total amount of protein in a package, 1000 g for instance. However, if a 7000-g package is considered, the amount of protein per 100 g is only 14 g. Not to mention the fact that, in order to save money, you buy a big bag and soon enough you find out that the number of servings is only 10 or so. Beside the artificial enhancements, most mass-produced gainers offer carbohydrates based on simple sugars, such as dextrose or fructose, and/or cheap fillers, such as maltodextrin, with very few complex carbohydrates, just the right amount to be able to mention them on the label, turning the product into a sugar bomb. After consuming a product like that, you will indeed put on some weight, but as a result, you might need to spend twice as much time in the gym to remove the unwanted fat.