Modern athletes achieve incredible athletic results thanks to the ability to obtain the purest nutrients from sports nutrition mixtures.
Just recently, it seemed unrealistic for an ectomorph to rise to the heights of Olympus of bodybuilding in a short time, but today there are supplements that help, without any problems or excess fat, to get an incredible pumping effect - to gain muscle mass and not experience fatigue, but a surge of vigor and strength. These supplements are mass gainers.
The first high-carbohydrate powders consisted of milk powder and sugar, and even with a lack of calories, this combination was extremely negative for the figure. But modern mixtures contain special carbohydrates and the purest, high-quality proteins .
To get the maximum effect from high-carbohydrate mixtures, it is important not only to use them correctly, but also to be able to direct them - to know in what and how to dilute the gainer, what dishes to use for this. A properly targeted gainer is the key to the best absorption and effectiveness of the supplement.
How to prepare gainer
To prepare a high-carbohydrate cocktail, you should prepare a blender (mixer) or a shaker purchased at a sports market. A shaker is the most convenient option for mixing the additive, but if you don’t have one, you can stir the mixture in a deep container using a mixer or a regular fork.
As for what and how to use gainer, there are practically no restrictions. You can either dilute the gainer with milk or water, or use juices, compotes or kefir .
How to dilute gainer with water
- first, pour the mixture into a dry container
- then it is filled with liquid.
- Next, either using a mixer or a shaker glass, shake lightly up and down until a homogeneous mass is formed inside the container.
You cannot pour boiling water over the mixture - it will significantly spoil the biological value of the additive by denaturing the protein.
Raw water is not always of high quality in its composition, so it is better to first boil it and cool it to room temperature . Drinking it cold is also not recommended - the cocktail will be less digestible.
To prevent the mixture from turning out bland, you can add a little syrup and berries to taste.
You can mix the gainer with milk in the same way as with water . The milk does not require additional boiling; most likely, you are already using pasteurized milk from the package. The advantage of diluting with milk or kefir is a significant increase in the nutritional value of the product, since these products have additional protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and, of course, calcium.
The advantage of a gainer is that you don’t have to be afraid to significantly exceed the calorie content of your diet by adding delicious ingredients, because this is precisely the main goal of an athlete. But with what and how to dilute the gainer, what components can be added to enhance the taste of the supplement?
When to take
To drink a gainer correctly, like any other type of sports nutrition, time and dosage are important.
When is the best time to drink a gainer:
- You can use the gainer at night. At night, digestion processes slow down, but at the same time the processes of cellular construction and restoration are in full swing. Tissues are gradually restored, including muscle tissue, which is beneficial when gaining weight. A large amount of proteins and carbohydrates can nourish the muscle components with energy, promote the regeneration of torn areas of myocytes (muscle tissue cells) and ligaments after increased loads. Therefore, a good way to recover faster after training is to drink a gainer before bed.
- Using almost the same principle, you can drink a gainer without training. During breaks between classes, intensive restoration of muscle and connective tissue occurs with a gradual increase in volume. After each workout, muscle cells increase in width in the middle area, which is the direct reason for the visual increase in muscle volume. However, this process requires a large amount of energy, so it is advisable to constantly take a gainer before or after training.
- It is advisable to take a gainer for breakfast on the day you plan to exercise in the gym. Thus, by the time of increased physical activity, the cocktail of proteins and carbohydrates will already be broken down, and after training it will immediately go to recovery after exercise. However, if you consume the cocktail too early, substances may be deposited in the fat layer or broken down into amino acids.
Nutrition for athletes is a complex process that requires money and time to prepare. Eating only proteins will not satisfy you, and eating the wrong foods will negate the results of your workouts.
Before training
A pre-workout gainer is used to prepare the human muscular system for increased loads. High-molecular organic substances included in the carbohydrate-protein cocktail nourish the organs and provide the muscles with enough energy to withstand the full course of physical activity during training in the gym. It is advisable to take a gainer before training by increasing the possible number of approaches to performing exercises.
It is recommended to start drinking gainer at least 30 minutes before the start of your workout. Don't take it too early. If taken more than an hour in advance, a carbohydrate-protein shake loses its effectiveness. Thus, by the time work begins, gradual absorption of the substance in the large and small intestines will begin. This will provide the body with enough energy to withstand the workout. However, we must remember that the time for assimilation of various types of organic substances is different for each person. Therefore, it is worth choosing a gainer intake schedule individually based on the feeling of heaviness in the stomach during training.
A pre-workout gainer is a good way to provide the body with enough energy and building material to increase muscle mass.
After training
Post-workout gainer is used as a nutrient that helps muscle regeneration. A gainer at night after a workout will help you recover and feel a little better the next morning and the soreness will not cause inconvenience.
The gainer, which athletes take no more than an hour after training, provides the body with carbohydrates and proteins. The latter are necessary for the construction of renewed muscle fibers. Carbohydrates are needed to carry out metabolic processes and build muscles by expending excess calories.
1.5 hours after active physical activity, it is necessary to nourish the muscles especially efficiently. If you leave them without additional nutrition, after heavy training, the structure of muscle tissue will gradually deplete.
On non-training days
During weight gain, it is allowed to drink gainer without training. You can drink a gainer between meals. It is advisable to use it twice a day. However, athletes should not consume the carbohydrate-protein shake as a regular meal. The cocktail contains few essential amino acids, macroelements and microelements necessary for the functioning of the body. Therefore, you need to constantly eat regular food, regularly supplementing with a product to gain muscle mass.
Answers to popular questions:
— Can gainer be diluted in water?
Yes, you can. The most commonly used liquid for diluting high-carbohydrate mixtures is water.
— What kind of water should I dilute the gainer in?
The additive should be diluted in boiled or distilled water at room temperature.
— How to mix gainer without a shaker?
You can use a mixer or blender for stirring. You can also beat the additive using a regular fork. It is not advisable to use a spoon, as it will be very difficult to stir the mixture until it reaches a homogeneous consistency.
— How to stir gainer without lumps?
To ensure that the mixture is mixed without lumps, it is recommended to initially pour the additive into a shaker or other container, and then fill it with liquid. If the drink is made in a shaker, you need to shake the glass up and down with smooth movements until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
— How much to dilute the gainer?
Manufacturers usually recommend a dilution ratio of 1 scoop per glass of liquid. More detailed cooking instructions can be found on the product packaging.
How to take gainer
Most often, beginners wonder how many grams of gainer to drink per day and when. It is best to consume the shake immediately after training. In the first half hour after exercise, the “protein-carbohydrate window” opens - a period of time when the body is in dire need of rapid saturation with nutrients. Taking a protein-carbohydrate mixture after training protects muscles from catabolism and restores strength.
To grow muscle mass, you need 4-5 grams of carbohydrates per 1 kg of weight per day. To find out how many carbohydrates are contained in one serving of gainer, just look at the product packaging. Typically, one serving is approximately 40 grams of protein and 100 grams of carbohydrates. However, the proportions in mixtures from different manufacturers may vary. The main thing is not to forget that you already get the lion's share of carbohydrates during meals.
For people who are prone to obesity, it is enough to take a gainer once a day or even replace it with protein. But athletes who are prone to thinness are recommended to use the supplement at least 2 times a day. For example, before and after training.
Athletes with a fast metabolism can take it at night to make the gainer more effective. On rest days, it is recommended to limit yourself to one meal of the protein-carbohydrate mixture or abandon it altogether.
Video
Many beginners and professional bodybuilders use such a sports supplement as a gainer. They know well whether the gainer can be diluted with water, in milk, mixed with juice and other liquids. The taste and consistency of cocktails play an important role, because... they must be drunk daily. Accordingly, we will try to figure out whether it is better to drink gainer with milk or water, or maybe with something else?
Is it possible to mix gainer with juice?
Let's figure out whether gainer can be mixed with fruit or vegetable juice? Of course, you can mix the sports supplement with whatever you want, and the juice will give it a unique taste that few will like. Much depends on the taste of the purchased sports nutrition. If you mix it with any chocolate or vanilla sports drink juice, the cocktail will not be the most delicious.
Is it possible to dilute a gainer with juice when it has a strawberry or banana flavor? The cocktail will turn out much better, but it is important to avoid citrus juices, because... they will create excessive stress on the stomach and increase the acidity of gastric juice.
Is it possible to dilute gainer in milk?
The vast majority of bodybuilders add gainer to full-fat milk. This option is most common among athletes who want to gain weight. Certain manufacturers of protein-carbohydrate supplements indicate its nutritional value on the packaging, taking into account that the consumer will dilute it in milk.
Can gainer be mixed with milk? The answer is always yes. Milk gives the supplement its best taste, especially if it has a chocolate or vanilla flavor. The milk makes the gainer not too sweet, and it does not turn out as tasteless as with water.
The second reason is related to the protein content of milk and carbohydrates in the form of lactose, which increase the nutritional value of the food supplement.
As for the fat content of milk, the calorie content depends on it. Many people mix the gainer in fat milk, but you choose the option that suits your goals. This will not affect the beneficial properties of the sports supplement.
Bodybuilders are wondering if it is possible to replace gainer with powdered milk? The dry mixture will never be a complete replacement, but it will bring minimal benefit.
Gainer composition
The most common type of gainer contains carbohydrates and proteins in a ratio of 3:1, but there may be other options: 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1.
The higher the amount of protein in a gainer and the lower the amount of carbohydrates, the closer it is in its properties to protein. When using such a gainer, the risk of “swimming with fat” is much lower than in the classic versions of the mixture.
Also, for the absorption of the product, the gainer contains digestive enzymes and a small amount of unsaturated fats.
Can the gainer be diluted with water?
If you are wondering whether the gainer can be mixed with water, then you can safely do so, but keep in mind that the taste of the drink will not be as rich as with milk. You will not consume extra calories, which is sometimes important (depending on the purpose of using the gainer).
Select sports nutrition manufacturers add flavorings and sugar to their products, which makes the supplement too cloying when mixed with milk. Water dilutes the sweet taste, making the finished drink more enjoyable.
Every athlete should know whether it is possible to pour boiling water over a gainer. This cannot be done, because... the protein contained in the additive will certainly coagulate and ruin everything. It is better to dilute the gainer in warm or cold water.
In what proportions is the gainer diluted?
To prepare one serving, usually use from 150 to 350 grams of dry gainer (will be indicated on the package). For this amount of gainer you need to take 300-600 milliliters of liquid, respectively.
Next, a suitable base is selected depending on taste preferences. So, the gainer can be diluted with milk , diluted with plain water, or even juice. If you choose milk, you should only pay attention to the fat content of the product used. It is important that the resulting cocktail is easy for the body to absorb. To obtain a less concentrated drink, you can use more liquid.
What is the gainer?
It should be noted that it is best to dilute the gainer in a shaker or blender (mixer). The whole point is that the cocktail should be in the form of a homogeneous mass and not have lumps of dry powder. In addition, a properly prepared drink is also better absorbed and tastes much nicer. It is not recommended to stir the liquid and gainer with a spoon, since it is almost impossible to obtain uniformity of such a mixture.
But do not forget that many manufacturers indicate the recommended proportions for use on the packaging of their products, and also print the necessary information on preparing cocktails. Therefore, the question “how to properly dilute a gainer” simply will not arise if such instructions are still present. Follow it, and your goal of gaining muscle mass will become much closer.
Can it be combined with other supplements?
The gainer combines well with amino acids, creatine, protein and vitamin-mineral complexes. The most common combination is creatine and BCAA.
Creatine
First of all, creatine is produced in our body from protein amino acids. A person gets the other part of creatine from food. The problem is that even foods high in creatine contain too little for the human body. Even for people with low levels of physical activity, this amount may not be enough.
The value of creatine is that it accelerates energy metabolism in muscle cells. The standard dosage per day is approximately 5 grams. You need to consume a serving at one time, so the most convenient way to combine gainer with creatine is to mix them in one cocktail. It is better to drink this cocktail immediately after training.
BCAAs
BCAA is a complex of amino acids that are not synthesized by the human body. These elements increase endurance and are simply irreplaceable in building muscle tissue. In addition, amino acids slightly increase the amount of testosterone and have a positive effect on blood sugar.
It is also recommended to take BCAA amino acids after training, 15-20 minutes after consuming the gainer.
