Protein or gainer on the course. What is better gainer or protein? Basic conditions for muscle growth

Sports nutrition has long been a common component of the training process. But different parts of it require different additives. And the questions of what is better: protein or gainer and how one supplement differs from another are asked by every athlete who discovers the world of sports nutrition.

In this article we will tell you the difference between a gainer and a protein, and what to choose for gaining muscle mass and what for losing weight.

What is a gainer and when is it needed?

“Gainer” translates from English roughly as “accelerating growth.” This type of sports nutrition is consumed to increase muscle mass by increasing the caloric content of the diet. It is difficult to create a menu in such a way that you get a large number of calories that do not come from fat and unhealthy “empty” carbohydrates.

In conditions of intense strength training, pure protein is not enough to gain muscle mass; all incoming protein is converted into energy. For full muscle growth, you need a stronger weapon - you need carbohydrates. Then the body restores strength by breaking them down, and the protein part of the cocktail goes to build new muscles. This is relevant in the period immediately after training, during the “carbohydrate-protein window”.

Most gainers contain simple (or fast) carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. This means that they are absorbed as soon as they enter the stomach and are digested. Sugar levels rise and the amount of insulin in the blood increases sharply. This way, not only muscle mass can increase, but also fat deposits.

Therefore, such gainers are suitable only for professional athletes during the period of mass gain. Or people with an accelerated metabolism and an “ectomorph” type constitution - a thin physique, a small percentage of adipose tissue, a tendency to slowly gain weight.

Recently, gainers based on “slow” carbohydrates have begun to appear. For example, Prime Kraft's Mass Gainer contains pure isomaltulose and whey protein. The carbohydrate component (also known as isomaltulose) is absorbed slowly, does not cause sudden insulin spikes and reduces the load on the thyroid gland. Weight gain occurs mainly due to an increase in muscle, not fat.

Thus, this gainer is suitable for those who gain weight in a gentle manner. You can drink it at any other time of the day, not necessarily after a workout. Read more about the types of gainers and their differences in one of our previous articles: Which gainer is better - simple or complex carbohydrates.

What is protein

But in short: what is protein needed for and how does protein differ from gainer, and what is better for gaining weight?

Protein is usually used during the period of “drying” and getting rid of excess fat tissue, and as an addition to the regular diet for gaining weight. There are several types of protein depending on the rate of breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract - fast, medium and slow. The first includes whey protein, the second - soy and egg, and the last - casein.

Perhaps the most popular type of protein is whey. Whey protein cocktails are drunk before training or immediately after. They are quickly broken down in the body and prevent muscle breakdown. Thus, the body burns its own fat reserves while following a low-carb diet and loses weight. With a balanced diet and optimal consumption of carbohydrates from food, protein serves as an additional source of protein used to build muscles.

What protein is best to drink to gain weight? It is better to start with fast proteins and gradually introduce slow ones, observing changes in forms. In order not to bother with taking different types of protein, you can take complexes of several types of protein with different periods of release of useful substances. For example, MULTI PROTEIN from Prime Kraft contains several types of protein, and therefore works hard on your muscles at any time of the day. Suitable for use immediately after physical activity or at other times of the day.

Gainer and protein: the difference

So, as we see, the difference between gainer and protein is only in carbohydrates.

Gainer is the same protein (usually whey), but supplemented with carbohydrates necessary for muscle recovery. That is, you can eat as much protein as you want, but your muscles will not grow a millimeter, because after each workout they are waiting for energy reserves to be replenished. And the body gets it - specifically glycogen - from carbohydrates. The intake of glycogen starts the process of muscle growth and only then does the consumed protein come into play.

But don’t rush to throw away protein and run to the store for a gainer if your goal is to gain weight.

What is better for gaining weight: gainer or protein?

The fact is that it is much easier to get the right amount of carbohydrates from food for muscle growth than protein. Therefore, if you are not a professional athlete, and do not spend most of your life in the gym, your physique is not particularly thin, your nutrition is balanced and timely - and at the same time you do not set a goal to gain fat - opt for protein.

To gain weight, you should get enough carbohydrates from regular foods. If your workouts are very intense and frequent, with heavy loads, if you are an ectomorph, or simply regularly skip meals and proper nutrition is not your thing, then choose a gainer.

But remember, a fast carbohydrate gainer helps build not only muscle, but also fat.

Therefore, for everyone who wants to gain muscle mass without fat, and does not know what to choose - a gainer or a protein, we recommend a complex (slow) carbohydrate gainer mixed or alternated with whey protein.

Or take only protein, and try to get the required amount of carbohydrates from food. Good luck!

Each athlete makes an individual decision about which sports nutrition is best for him to achieve his goals. You can often find long debates about what is more effective: protein or gainer. At the same time, many see only one difference between these supplements - the presence of carbohydrates in the gainer and their absence in protein. While in fact the main characteristics should be considered in more detail.

The effect of protein and gainer on the body

Translated, “protein” means protein; its content in this sports supplement is usually 70-90%. Protein is obtained from milk, whey, eggs, and soy. Vegetable soy protein is considered to be of low quality, but it is a good solution for vegetarians. In addition, there may be individual intolerance to lactose, and casein is not well absorbed by everyone.

Proteins differ in the speed of absorption, complete or incomplete composition of amino acids and cost. There is also a complex protein on sale, which includes several varieties at once, however, not all manufacturers indicate the exact ratio of ingredients; along with the advantages of different types, you will also get their disadvantages.

Slow proteins take a long time to digest, so they are suitable for drying. Fast ones are more effective in building muscle. Protein also stabilizes nitrogen balance and strengthens the immune system. Contraindications to taking protein are kidney diseases, for example, renal failure.

People who lead an active lifestyle find it convenient to take protein bars with them. They are sold in different flavors, grains, L-carnitine, fruits and nuts, and you don’t have to mix anything in a shaker in front of others. As for protein that enters the body with food, it is found in dairy products, eggs, fish, and meat.

In a gainer, proteins are combined with carbohydrates, and the proportions can be different. For example, one serving of Serious Mass gainer contains 251 g of energy carbohydrates and 50 g of protein, and one serving of Muscle Juice 2544 contains 162 g of carbohydrates and 55 g of protein complex. The protein base of the supplements is also different. In Multicomponent Gainer it consists of 60% whey protein concentrate and 40% micellar casein.

The body uses protein as a building material for muscles, carbohydrates are needed to restore energy. In other words, if your goal is to increase muscle mass, you need both protein and carbohydrates. Muscles will not grow until glycogen is replenished. Taking a gainer will improve performance and increase strength gains.

The athlete's body's need for carbohydrates is 3-4 times higher than for proteins. However, it is easier to get enough carbohydrates (as opposed to protein) from food. Trainers recommend choosing a gainer for those with a thin physique, or for athletes who are likely to skip meals without being able to eat regularly. A carbohydrate-protein mixture is also useful for people who combine training with hardware and martial arts. Manufacturers also include other useful ingredients in gainers: creatine, vitamins, minerals.

1. Both supplements help build muscle mass and improve performance.
2. An attempt to compare possible harm and side effects will also fail, since both the gainer and good quality protein are made from natural food raw materials.
3. You can harm your body if you purchase a counterfeit product or take sports nutrition not according to the instructions, unjustifiably increasing the dosage. Unless protein is not recommended for people suffering from serious kidney or liver diseases, and those with individual protein intolerance.
4. Both gainer and protein are well absorbed by the body, without creating additional stress on the digestive system.
5. Both supplements are drunk dissolved in water, juice or skim milk.

Which is better: protein or gainer?

How to understand, gainer and protein: which is better? Athletes who have a thin, ectomorphic physique are recommended to take a gainer. A gainer is a sports piece of meat with a side dish of carbohydrates. Try to choose a supplement that contains high quality protein, which may be in isolate form. A large amount of carbohydrates will enhance the positive effect and increase the overall weight of the athlete. You don’t have to drink a gainer if the athlete gets the required amount of carbohydrates from food.

At the same time, for endomorphs and athletes prone to gaining excess weight, a carbohydrate mixture with a high glycemic index can only do harm and bring unnecessary pounds of fat. In turn, protein consumption does not affect the formation of subcutaneous fat and has a positive effect on protein metabolism. Slow protein is drunk for drying, and fast protein is drunk to strengthen muscles. You need to start with a fast one, and then gradually move to a slow one.

When choosing a gainer or protein to gain muscle mass, it is important to consider the type of energy exchange. A specialist - a professional instructor or a doctor - will help you determine it. You can understand the first results after taking it after a month of regular training.

Among the types of protein, three are especially popular:

How to take protein and gainer

Caseins can be drunk at night so that the muscles receive amino acids. Mixtures of whey and casein protein are also suitable for drying and post-workout recovery. Multicomponent proteins are also needed for rapid muscle gain. In this case, the chemical composition of the portion will be richer.

If you still find it difficult to choose a gainer or protein to gain muscle mass, try taking both supplements at the same time in this way: combining a low-protein gainer and protein in equal proportions. Professional athletes can also give other advice on what to take to gain weight: protein or mass gainer.

Many people believe that you can start gaining weight with a gainer, and then switch to protein. Again, protein will be more relevant for women, since they store more fat. For men, it is closer to using a gainer that increases muscle tone.

If you choose the right one, gainer and protein will become reliable helpers on the path to results. The difference between these additives also lies in the time of application. To gain muscle mass, gainer mixed with milk, juice (not from citrus fruits) or water (room temperature) is drunk before training, about an hour and a half. For these purposes, they usually take 1.5 g of powder per 1 kg of athlete’s weight. And a protein shake - both before and after physical activity, so that the muscles not only develop, but also recover. Berries or fruits are added to the drink to taste. A scoop of protein contains approximately 30 g of powder.

Summarizing the above, we can say that both proteins and carbohydrates are important for gaining muscle mass. Protein alone will not ensure full muscle growth, but carbohydrates alone will not be enough.

There are cases when it seems that sports nutrition is taken correctly, but no serious muscle growth is observed. Don’t rush to change the proportions of protein and carbohydrates, first check other possible reasons. You may not be eating enough calories, not exercising regularly, not increasing your load, or, conversely, overtraining.

Do not forget that both protein and gainer cannot replace fully normal food. Monitor the dosage so as not to cause side effects - skin rashes or gastrointestinal upset. An increase in the concentration of carbohydrates in the body can cause problems with insulin secretion. To eliminate unpleasant side effects, try stopping the supplement for a few days or reducing your daily dosage.

The result of training in the gym largely depends on the ratio of muscle gain and loss of excess fat. To achieve the desired effect, many people use nutritional supplements containing carbohydrates and proteins in concentrated form. Protein and gainer are considered the most popular in this category. But here's what to choose...

The result of training in the gym largely depends on the ratio of muscle gain and loss of excess fat. To achieve the desired effect, many people use nutritional supplements containing carbohydrates and proteins in concentrated form. and are considered the most popular in this category. But many people simply don’t know what to choose in a particular case.

There is no point in saying that one drug is better than another. After all, each supplement has a unique composition and helps the athlete achieve high results. To choose the right sports nutrition for yourself, you need to understand what is the difference between them?

Main differences

Gainer is a combination and high calorie content. This dietary supplement helps you quickly gain the necessary muscle mass and restore the energy spent during exercise. It should be remembered that carbohydrates predominate in the composition of the drug, in some cases they can account for up to 90%, which also needs to be taken into account when choosing sports nutrition. Gainer is suitable for those people who are unable to eat the required amount of food to get calories for weight gain.

The benefits of a high-calorie dietary supplement are:

• Providing energy;
• Restoration of glycogen reserves;
• Increased performance;
• Restoration of muscle tissue and the body as a whole;
• Increase in strength indicators.

The protein is made on the basis of protein, the content of which in the mixture reaches 96%. The percentage of protein will depend on the amount of extraneous additives, which include creatine, carbohydrates, etc. With the help of protein, you can gain muscle mass and lose weight, so many athletes can take it. It is in great demand in bodybuilding, because to build the required muscle volume you simply cannot do without protein.

This mixture has the following advantages:

• Stabilization of nitrogen balance in the body;
• Providing essential amino acids;
• Maximum absorption by the body;
• Strengthening the immune system.

Correct technique is the key to effective results

To figure out whether to take a gainer or a protein, you need to analyze your daily diet. An ectomorph who eats 3 times a day, dreaming of gaining the necessary muscle mass, may lack both proteins and carbohydrates. In this case, you need to take both nutritional supplements, since the body needs both at the same time.

It happens that a thin person eats 5 times, following all the rules and including the required amount of protein in his diet, but still the desired effect is not visible. Then you need to think about calorie content, because it turns out that a person spends more calories than he receives. And in this case, a gainer will come to the rescue, since there is already enough protein in the body.

If a person has a dense physique that quickly gains weight, then it is better to give preference to protein. Although an endomorph who eats about 5 times a day can get enough protein and carbohydrates from regular daily food. The main thing is to create the right diet for yourself.

Gainer or Protein for girls

When a representative of the fair sex dreams of gaining muscle mass, you should pay attention not only to the diet, but also to her individual characteristics of the body. A thin woman who eats well and is not gaining weight can take a gainer that can increase her daily caloric intake. But before you start taking it, you need to make sure that your regular food provides the optimal amount of protein. If this indicator is low, then you should include protein in your diet. For those girls who find it easy to gain overall weight, it is best to take protein (casein or whey), but not gainer.

When composing an individual mixture, it is better to seek advice from a doctor and a professional instructor. And also, do not forget that neither a gainer nor a protein can replace a person’s proper nutrition.

Here you need to take into account that mass differs from mass. You definitely need to think about the quality of this very mass. When choosing one or the other, you should always remember that with a gainer you can gain not only muscle, but also fat. Your training while taking the gainer should be very intense. Of course, the risk for those who are thin and have trouble gaining weight is less than for those who tend to be overweight. If you take only protein (even with enough carbohydrates), there is a chance that you will not gain the desired volumes. Dilemma? Therefore, the question of protein or gainer is very one-sided and exaggerated. There are 4 factors for muscle fiber hypertrophy:

1. Sufficient amount of amino acids (presence of protein).
2. The presence of free creatine in the muscle.
3. Hormones (increasing your own testosterone levels can only be achieved through high-intensity training and stress for the body).
4. Competent training.

Astafiev Daniil - leading specialist in sports nutrition online store

Success from regular exercise in the gym or fitness is measured by the loss of excess fat and the formation of a sculpted and beautiful figure. To achieve a similar result, you cannot do without the use of sports nutrition. The debate about which is better - protein or gainer - has not faded away for many decades. Each person has the right to choose which sports supplements to take to achieve an ideal body.

What is protein?

A protein shake is a pure protein product. It may consist of the following components:

There are two types of protein - slow and fast. The former are absorbed by the body at a slow pace. There is a slight increase in muscle mass, while the functioning of the muscle growth mechanism is prolonged. Slow proteins are the best option for the drying process. The second type, on the contrary, is rapidly absorbed, allows you to build muscle fibers as much as possible, but the effect of such a protein ends very quickly. Experts recommend starting to gain weight with fast proteins, gradually moving to slow ones.

Benefits of Protein Shakes

• High degree of digestibility.
• Stabilizes nitrogen balance.
• Increases the natural protective functions of the body.
• Saturates the body with essential amino acids.

Moreover, protein is the fundamental building material for gaining muscle mass.

What is a gainer?

If protein is just a protein in its composition, then a gainer is a more complex product that can provide nutrition to muscles and compensate for energy costs immediately after or during exercise in the gym.

The gainer consists of a protein-carbohydrate mixture. The percentage is as follows: protein content no more than 20%, carbohydrate content no more than 80%.

The goal of a gainer is to restore strength and energy after working out in the gym and stimulate muscle growth. Today, manufacturers are constantly experimenting, and gainers with protein percentages from 10% to 40% and carbohydrates from 50% to 80% have begun to appear on the sports nutrition market. In addition to the composition, another difference between a gainer and a protein is its constant digestibility.

Benefits of gainers

• Restores glycogen reserves.
• Restores spent energy resources.
• Increases endurance and performance.
• Restores the general condition of the body and muscle mass over a long period of time, even during sleep.

Before choosing a gainer, you need to consider the quality of your diet and the amount of food you eat. Only those people who train in the gym systematically and intensively (more than 2 hours a day) need a large amount of carbohydrates, namely a gainer. Otherwise, the gainer can be easily replaced with high-carbohydrate foods. Moreover, a protein-carbohydrate cocktail is not recommended for people who are naturally predisposed to excess weight.

Protein or gainer: what to choose?

In order to ensure full growth of muscle mass to the same extent, the human body needs proteins and carbohydrates. Unrecovered muscles between workouts in the gym will not increase with the help of carbohydrates. In this regard, it is better to combine protein and gainer, or to gain muscle mass, give preference to a gainer with a high protein content (at least 35%).

Unfortunately, similar compositions are found on sale only rarely, and the discrepancy in price is quite significant. Therefore, the ideal option is to mix gainer and protein yourself or, better yet, seek advice from a professional instructor. The specialist will give you a hint in what ratio you need to create personal protein-carbohydrate mixtures. In most cases, these proportions are 1:2 or 1:3.

1. Before training - a gainer.
2. Protein - either immediately after completing classes, or half an hour later.
3. If you are underweight, start taking gainers, gradually moving to a mixture of combined mixtures.
4. If the situation is the opposite and there is excess weight, then the intake begins immediately with protein, excluding the gainer.

Gainers should be consumed not only on training days, but also preferably on rest days before meals.

If it is impossible to decide for sure which protein or gainer is better, it is advisable to understand how these two products are similar:

• The mechanism of each supplement is to build muscle mass and increase endurance.
• Good and easy absorption of both products without additional stress on the gastrointestinal tract.
• High-quality sports supplements are made from natural raw materials, where the harmfulness and side effects are kept to a minimum.
• They drink both protein and gainer, dissolving them in liquid: water, juice or milk.

When choosing what to drink - protein or gainer, it is important to pay attention to the fact that such sports supplements cannot replace a good diet.

What results can you expect?

Fiction about sports nutrition abounds. However, you should not expect miracles from taking powders. So, protein, gainer, or better, a combined regimen is a purely individual situation. But the maximum result from drinking cocktails per month is no more than 2 or 3 kilograms. It is not recommended to increase the permissible dosage, since unspent energy will be deposited in the wrong places.