Or maybe you’re simply fed up of being the “skinny friend”. Whatever your reasons for building mass, a gainer shake could be your key to a tank of a body.
Before you bulk, you need to know what you’re fuelling your body with so that you can make the most of it. A gainer shake is distinctly different to your average protein shake, so understanding how they work and the best time to guzzle is going to mean better gains.
What is a Gainer Shake?
To build mass, you have to consume a calorie surplus — that’s eating more calories than you burn in a day. A gainer shake can make all the difference if your usual diet isn’t helping you to pack on the pounds.
They also contain the nutrients you need to make the most of your workout routine. Packed with protein and carbohydrate, they aid muscle protein synthesis, replace glycogen stores for energy and provide plenty of calories that will have burned.1-2
The ingredients in different gainer shakes can vary significantly, usually in the type of carbohydrate and protein that they contain. You want to aim for a shake that’s going to give you a quick initial energy boost (without insulin or blood sugar levels skyrocketing) as well as a sustained supply as the day goes on.
When Should You Take It?
There’s no hard and fast rules for when you should enjoy a gainer shake, but there are some times of the day where you might reap more of the benefits.
You can start your day off with a shake to power up your mornings, as it makes a substantial and satisfying breakfast option.
Equally, taking it post-workout will help with your recovery in terms of replacing used up energy stores and ensuring you’ve packed in the protein to build the muscle.
Find the Right Gainer for You
We’ve compiled a list of our three most popular gaining products, so that you can find the right one for you. Whether you’re looking for the leanest way to gain, or working to a budget, there’s a delicious option out there for you. Choosing a well-balanced shake that supports your gains is the key to your success.
THE Gainer
Want to get stacked, but stay lean? Until recently, bulking season has meant piling on pounds of fat alongside the muscle. Not anymore. We’ve developed a brand new, cutting edge gainer shake that delivers only the cleanest calories so that you can build serious muscle and forget about fat.
THE Gainer contains a combination of both slow- and fast-digesting carbohydrates from only the best quality sources and a premium protein blend of slow- and fast-digesting proteins. The ratio of 2:1 carbohydrate to protein means that the body can efficiently use the protein and make energy for gigantic gains.3
We’ve broken down the ingredients, so that you can see why this is the only shake you need this bulking season.
Carb10
This is as clean as calories come — an incredibly advanced carb complex that provides only healthy, low-glycaemic carbohydrate. Its low osmolality means fast gastric emptying which means it passes quickly into the large intestine. You’ll also avoid a nasty spike and crash in blood sugar and insulin, as it supplies you with a slow and sustained release of energy.4
Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin
This carbohydrate also passes through the stomach quickly to be absorbed by the intestines and sent to your muscles quicker. This is your fast acting carbohydrate to provide you with that initial energy, however its unique properties mean there isn’t a blood sugar or insulin crash.
Cyclic dextrin is different to other carbohydrates in that it’s gradually absorbed into the bloodstream, so that blood sugar levels remain constant. So, you’ll have more energy to train harder and for longer without getting tired and hungry.5
Protein Blend
We’ve combined Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Phospholipid Protein Concentrate, Micellar Casein and Hydrolysed Whey for the ultimate, long-lasting protein pump. Much like the combinations of carbohydrates, the premium protein blend provides quality calories so that you can make gains without the guilt of a bad diet.
The blend of fast- and slow-digesting proteins means that protein building will begin before you’ve walked out of the gym door and continue for a long time afterwards.
A Premium Blend to Keep It Lean
The ideal blend of protein, carbohydrate and fat can make all the difference to body composition.6 Plenty of bulking powders are packed with empty calories from high GI carbs, excessive amounts of sugar and bad fats which mean a dirty bulk that’s detrimental to your physique.
That’s why all the calories in THE Gainer – which is over 750kcal - come from high-quality ingredients, to deliver clean and healthy muscle gains and prevent unwanted fat mass.
Extreme Gainer Blend
Struggle to make up mass, despite a gruelling training regime? Extreme Gainer Blend could be the answer to your deadlifting dreams. With 35g of a protein blend and a substantial 61g of carbohydrate, you can be sure that this shake will make you meet your macros and smash through the calorie count.
This gainer also packs in the creatine and l-glutamine, so that you can make the most of your training and build up the muscle mass afterwards. The vitamin blend with help to reduce your fatigue, meaning that you can power through a busy day and still smash a workout.
Coming in 4 essential flavours, Chocolate Smooth, Chocolate Mint, Strawberry Cream and Vanilla, this is sure to become a favourite for bulking season.
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrate comes from modified maize starch which passes quickly through the stomach and into the intestine, so that it can be absorbed by the muscles and replace glycogen stores – it also doesn’t spike insulin levels as much as other carbohydrates. Another bonus of this carbohydrate is that it can be used as an uptake agent for other key nutrients, such as the creatine and l-glutamine.
Weight Gainer Blend
Looking to rack up the calories without burning a hole in your wallet? Then the Weight Gainer Blend is the supplement for you. This gainer formulation contains over 30g of fast and slow digesting protein and 50g of a blend of carbohydrates in each serving to supercharge your bulking season.
You can choose from three classically delicious flavours – Chocolate Smooth, Vanilla or Strawberry are the tastes to shake up your snack time. You can also get creative with an unflavoured blend and add your own delicious flavours from fruit, or you could try adding Flavdrops.
The protein to get those muscles pumping comes from a blend of whey protein concentrate and milk protein concentrate, while the carbohydrate is a combination of oat flour and maltodextrin for that initial energy release as well as a prolonged source to prevent that post-gym crash.
Take Home Message
If you’re looking to build some substantial bulk, then a gainer shake could make a big difference. It can be hard to reach a calorie surplus when you live a busy life filled with tough workouts. So, each of our gainer shakes are a convenient and nutritious way to crank up the calorie count, ramp up recovery and make amazing gains.
Try these bulking recipes:
3 Budget-Friendly Bulking Shakes
Making those gains doesn’t have to break the bank.
3 Healthy High-Protein Mass Gainer Shake Recipes
Gainer shakes to fuel your day the right way.
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
1 Rasmussen, B. B., Tipton, K. D., Miller, S. L., Wolf, S. E., & Wolfe, R. R. (2000). An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise. Journal of applied physiology, 88(2), 386-392.
2 Morifuji, M., Kanda, A., Koga, J., Kawanaka, K., & Higuchi, M. (2010). Post-exercise carbohydrate plus whey protein hydrolysates supplementation increases skeletal muscle glycogen level in rats. Amino acids, 38(4), 1109-1115.
3 Samadi, A., Gaeini, A. A., Kordi, M. R., Rahimi, M., Rahnama, N., & Bambaeichi, E. (2012). Effect of various ratios of carbohydrate-protein supplementation on resistance exercise-induced muscle damage. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 52(2), 151-157.
4 Compound Solutions Inc. Carb10™.
5 Glico. Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin.
6 Miller, W. C., Lindeman, A. K., Wallace, J., & Niederpruem, M. (1990). Diet composition, energy intake, and exercise in relation to body fat in men and women. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 52(3), 426-430.
Evangeline has taken part in competitive sports since a young age. As a qualified RYA Dinghy Instructor, she understands the importance of proper nutrition for fuelling extreme and endurance sports, especially due to her experience in Team GBR Squads and captaining and coaching her University first team.
In her spare time, Evangeline loves running – especially marathons. On the weekends, you’ll find her taking on water sports or hiking up a hill. Her favourite evenings are spent taking on a HIIT session or squats in the gym before digging into some spicy food and a ton of vegetables – yum!
Find out more about Evie's experience here.
