Gainer (from the English gain - gain, supplement) is a dietary supplement for sports nutrition. It contains mainly carbohydrates (simple or complex, on which the price of the product largely depends) and protein (usually whey protein concentrate, but there are also multi-component protein gainers). Gainer appeared as a sports nutrition for power athletes in 1991. The first gainer was released by Weider Nutrition (Joe Vader's company) under the name Giant Mega Mass (mega mass of a giant). Gainer is primarily necessary for people who have firmly decided to gain muscle weight by doing strength training because carbohydrates are the best fuel for physical exertion in the gym, and protein is an indispensable building material for muscle growth and muscle mass gain (myofibrillary hypertrophy is an increase in muscle fiber).
The composition of gainers may include vitamins, minerals, creatine. Carbohydrates (dextrose or maltodextrin, a fast carbohydrate consisting of glucose molecules, is often used) are indispensable in providing the body with the forces necessary for intense physical exertion. In this case, carbohydrates, providing energy to the athlete, allow you to train longer and more efficiently. The quality of any gainer is determined by the carbohydrate matrix — it should include not only fast, but also slow carbohydrates. The sources of fast carbohydrates in the gainer are:
Composition
Dextrose (grape sugar)
Starch Potato
Rice syrup
Maltodextrin (a close relative of starch)
Vitagro (patented formula of fast carbohydrates produced from corn)
The sources of slow carbohydrates in the gainer are:
Isomaltose (sugar cane processing product)
Dimamylopectin (wax corn processing product)
Action
Gainers are active for several hours. They very quickly restore the energy reserves of the cells of the human body. During the period when there is no physical activity, it makes sense to take gainers only in case of difficulties in building muscle mass. Also, gainers can add to their diet those people who do not have a well-established diet when doing sports. But when gaining muscle mass, it is recommended to follow a special diet with 5-6 meals a day (including protein-carbohydrate cocktails). Athletes who tend to gain weight quickly (endomorphs), gainer should be taken carefully, since in addition to muscle mass, problems with fat deposits may arise. The gainer is recommended for ectomorphs to use. An ectomorph may not adhere as strictly to the rules of nutrition as people with other types of physique, since its metabolism is not prone to liposynthesis.
Reception
In bodybuilding, the most appropriate time to take a gainer is immediately after training. At this moment, the so-called protein-carbohydrate window opens, which the gainer can fully close. This will allow the athlete to quickly regain strength, regenerate muscle tissue, suppress catabolic processes and replenish depleted energy reserves.
Also, the gainer can be taken before training: the body will receive an energy substrate - carbohydrates, which will allow you to train more intensively and for a longer time, and a high concentration of amino acids will suppress catabolism from the very beginning of training. However, there is a significant drawback in this — during the training there will be no fat loss, and the probability of its increase will increase. Taking a large number of carbohydrates in a short period of time can provoke a spasm of the pancreas, as well as contribute to the occurrence / exacerbation of pancreatitis. Gainers are categorically contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus, at least until a doctor's consultation!
It is recommended to take the gainer at other times, two, three and even four times a day. There is a reasonable reason for this if you want to increase your weight as quickly as possible and are not at all inclined to fullness, otherwise there is a risk of gaining weight mainly due to fat. It is much more reasonable to take a gainer once, the remaining 2-3 doses should fall on protein.
The gainer consists of natural food components, so that it can be consumed by both men and women of any age. It is not recommended to use a gainer for people who do not tolerate lactose, primarily because of the milk powder included in the composition. Possible consequences: diarrhea and digestive disorders (characteristic especially for those who suffer from enzymatic insufficiency due to various diseases of the pancreas). Quite often, soy protein is included in the composition of the gainer, since it is the cheapest and at the same time contains a high amount of protein.
The problem is that soy protein has a "defective" amino acid profile, so the bioavailability of such a protein is very low. In addition, soy itself contains phytoestrogens (substances of plant origin similar in their effect on the female sex hormone). Phytoestrogens suppress the production of testosterone and inhibit the process of gaining muscle mass. The absence of soy protein is a sign of a quality gainer.
