Gainer or Homemade Gainer: What's the Difference
A gainer is a high-calorie mix of carbohydrates and proteins for those who find it hard to gain weight on ordinary food. A ready-made product can be bought at a sports nutrition store, or a similar shake can be made at home from oatmeal, milk, banana and nut butter. Our editorial team looked into how these two options differ in composition, absorption and practical properties.
What a gainer is and why it is needed
A gainer (from the English "gain") is a food mix, the main share of which is carbohydrates, supplemented with protein and sometimes fats, vitamins and creatine. Its purpose is to help obtain the surplus of calories needed for gaining mass, for people with a small appetite or very high energy expenditure.
For muscle growth a training stimulus, a sufficient amount of protein and, as a rule, a moderate energy surplus are needed. The review by Iraki and colleagues (2019), devoted to nutrition during the mass-gaining period, emphasises that too large a surplus of calories increases mainly fat rather than muscle mass.
A homemade gainer is the same principle, implemented from ordinary products: a source of complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, rice flakes), a liquid (milk, kefir), fruit, nuts or nut butter and, if desired, protein powder.
So, the difference between the two options lies not in the idea itself but in the ingredients, their processing and how precisely the composition can be controlled.
Composition: carbohydrates, proteins, fats
A typical store-bought gainer is based on maltodextrin - a starch-hydrolysis product with a high glycaemic index. Dextrose, sugar or, in more expensive products, slower carbohydrates such as oat flour or modified starch are added to it. The protein part is usually represented by whey concentrate, sometimes with casein or soy.
The ratio of carbohydrates to protein in store-bought gainers varies widely - from "classic" mixes, where there are several times more carbohydrates than protein, to "protein-carbohydrate" ones with almost equal shares.
In a homemade gainer, carbohydrates come mainly from whole foods: oatmeal, banana, honey. Fats come from milk, nuts or nut butter. Protein comes from milk, cottage cheese or added protein.
| Homemade gainer ingredient | Approx., kcal | Protein, g | Carbohydrates, g | Fats, g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk 3.2%, 250 ml | ~150 | ~8 | ~12 | ~8 |
| Oat flakes, 50 g | ~190 | ~6 | ~30 | ~3 |
| Medium banana | ~105 | ~1 | ~27 | ~0 |
| Peanut butter, 1 tbsp | ~95 | ~4 | ~3 | ~8 |
| Total | ~540 | ~19 | ~72 | ~19 |
The values in the table are approximate, calculated from typical reference data on nutritional value, and depend on the brand of the products. If you add a serving of whey protein, the protein content rises to about 40 g, and the calorie count to 650 kcal.
Absorption, satiety and digestion
Maltodextrin is quickly broken down into glucose, so a store-bought gainer produces a sharp rise in blood sugar and puts little load on the stomach. This is an advantage for those who find it hard to "cram" a large volume of food into themselves.
A homemade gainer contains fibre from oatmeal and fruit, as well as fats that slow the emptying of the stomach. It is absorbed more slowly, gives a more even glycaemic profile, but also satiates more strongly - which for a person with a poor appetite may be a downside.
From the standpoint of digestion, store-bought gainers sometimes cause bloating or diarrhoea, especially when a large serving is taken at once. The reasons are the large amount of fast carbohydrates, the lactose in whey concentrate and sweeteners.
A homemade gainer can also cause discomfort in people with lactose intolerance or those sensitive to fibre, but its composition is easy to change: replace the milk with lactose-free or plant-based, reduce the amount of oatmeal.
Micronutrients and "extra" ingredients
Some store-bought gainers are fortified with vitamins and minerals, sometimes with creatine or individual amino acids. However, the amount of these additives is often small, and their presence raises the price.
A homemade gainer naturally contains potassium from the banana, magnesium and fibre from the oatmeal, calcium from the milk, vitamin E and unsaturated fats from the nuts. This is a more nutritious "package", although without precise standardisation.
In the composition of store-bought products you can encounter flavourings, thickeners, sweeteners and colourings. They are safe in permitted amounts, but some people prefer to avoid them.
It is also worth remembering the risk of incorrect labelling: the IOC consensus on food supplements (Maughan et al., 2018) reminds us that the content of declared components in supplements does not always match the label, and some products may be contaminated.
- Store-bought:standardised composition, fast carbohydrates, possible additives and flavourings.
- Homemade:whole foods, fibre, natural micronutrients, composition depends on the recipe.
Quality control and convenience
The store-bought gainer wins on convenience: pour the powder into a shaker, add water - and in a minute a high-calorie drink is ready. It is easy to take with you to the gym or to work, and the composition is the same from serving to serving.
The homemade option requires a blender, ingredients and a few minutes of time. The finished shake is better drunk at once or stored in the refrigerator for a short time, because dairy products and fruit spoil quickly.
On the other hand, a homemade gainer gives full control over what you drink: the amount of sugar, the type of fats, the source of protein. For people with allergies or dietary restrictions this is a substantial advantage.
As for calorie content - both options can be made either moderate or very high-calorie. In a store-bought product this is determined by the serving size, in a homemade one by the recipe.
Editorial conclusions
A store-bought gainer is a standardised mix with fast carbohydrates and protein, convenient and predictable, but often with a large proportion of maltodextrin and sugar.
A homemade gainer consists of whole foods, contains fibre and micronutrients, gives full control over the composition, but requires time and is less convenient on the go.
Both options work only in combination with training and a reasonable calorie surplus.
We also recommend our articles on calculating calories for mass gain, on maltodextrin and other carbohydrates in sports nutrition and on protein shake recipes.
References
- Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition recommendations for bulking. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(7):154.
- Slater GJ, Dieter BP, Marsh DJ, et al. Is an energy surplus required to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy associated with resistance training? Front Nutr. 2019;6:131.
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine joint position statement: nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543–568.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
- Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:38.
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.
Andriy Melnyk
A strength-sports coach and author of programs for beginner and intermediate levels. Writes about training planning.
