Pack your bulk with our guide to the best mass gainers

<p><strong>Read more: <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a45000603/best-foods-to-gain-weight/” target=”_blank”>10 Best Foods to Gain Weight & How to Eat to Gain Muscle Mass</a></strong></p><h2 class=”body-h2″>What Is a Mass Gainer?</h2><p class=”body-text”>As <a href=”https://www.mrsport.org/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Yiannis Fleming</a>, a sports performance coach and qualified nutritionist, puts it: ‘A mass gainer is essentially a higher-calorie protein powder, with a little added carbs and fats to bolster the caloric content.’</p><p class=”body-text”>Mass gainers, like high-calorie protein powders, are therefore best suited to those struggling to consume enough calories to put on muscle, or for anyone that’s bulking and looking to supplement their regular diet with additional carbs and fats.</p><p class=”body-text”>‘This type of protein powder makes it easier to consume calories on a consistent basis in comparison to having to consume those calories from whole foods,’ Fleming adds.</p><p class=”body-text”>‘Mass gainers aren’t supposed to replace a balanced diet, but rather complement this and allow you to consume the calories you need on those busy, unplanned days when you need to rely on convenience.’</p><p><strong>Read more: <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a750047/the-best-way-to-bulk-up/” target=”_blank”>The Scientifically-backed Way to Build Bulk Fast</a></strong></p><h2 class=”body-h2″>What Mass Gainers Are Most effective?</h2><p>Most decent mass gainers contain 30-50g of protein, which is all you should need. ‘As they contain added cabs and fats, it’s important to note that one downside is that mass gainers are not very filling. Which is great if you struggle to consume enough calories daily and have high energy demands, but people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they need.'</p><p>Fleming adds that in order to use mass gainers effectively, to ‘keep in mind that if you’re attempting to “bulk” in order to gain muscle quickly, you may also store fat, especially if a mass gainer contains much more calories than you need. In this instance, it would therefore be better to focus on including more satiating whole foods.'</p><p><strong>Read more: <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a43304334/bodybuilder-4000-calorie-bulking-diet/” target=”_blank”>A Bodybuilder Shares His 4000 Calorie Bulking Diet Where No Food is Off Limits</a></strong></p><h2 class=”body-h2″>Are Mass Gainers Healthy?</h2><p>Mass gainers are ‘essentially just powdered food’, so when used correctly, yes, they are healthy. However, as Fleming explains, ‘context is important’.</p><p>‘Someone who is consistently under-eating and struggling to manage their bodyweight would likely find health benefits from including a mass gainer as it contains additional calories (energy) for them,’ he says. ‘Remember that being chronically underweight or underfed is unhealthy, too.</p><p>‘Whereas, someone with a higher body fat percentage who is already overeating would likely make their health markers worse if they were to consume high-calorie mass gainer shakes, since they would be eliciting further fat storage.’</p><p><strong></strong><strong>Read more: <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a35244649/high-calorie-healthy-weight-gain-foods/” target=”_blank”>7 Healthy High-Calorie Foods & Snacks for Weight Gain</a></strong></p><h2 class=”body-h2″>Are Mass Gainers Safe?</h2><p>Mass Gainers don’t contain any dangerous ingredients, so there’s nothing to worry about there. That being said, as with any typical diet, ‘you should be careful to not consume too much added sugar for metabolic health or saturated fat for heart health, which is often in moderate doses in mass gainers’, says Fleming.</p><p>’However, so long as your macros and calories are in order, you shouldn’t need to worry about gaining the wrong kind of gains from this powdered food. If calories are controlled, this is equivocal.'</p><p><strong><strong><a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/g43617423/best-protein-powders/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink”>Best Protein Powders</a> |</strong> <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a756812/mh-tried-tested-whey-protein” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a756812/mh-tried-tested-whey-protein” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Best Whey Protein Powder”>Best Whey Protein Powder</a> | <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/g43363892/best-vegan-protein-powders/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/g43363892/best-vegan-protein-powders/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Best Vegan Protein Powder”>Best Vegan Protein Powder</a> | <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/g34643127/best-protein-bars/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/g34643127/best-protein-bars/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Best Protein Bars”>Best Protein Bars</a> | <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a26075019/pre-workout-complete-guide/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a26075019/pre-workout-complete-guide/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Best Pre-workout”>Best Pre-workout</a></strong> </p>”/>