Gainer vs Homemade Gainer: What to Choose and for Whom

People who find it hard to gain weight often face a choice: buy a tub of gainer or mix a shake themselves. The right answer depends on lifestyle, appetite, budget and how the body reacts to large servings of carbohydrates. Our editorial team has put together a practical guide for those who want to gain mass without excess fat.

Do you need a gainer at all

A gainer is not an obligatory element of gaining mass. It is only a way to add calories when eating enough ordinary food is difficult. If you can increase your portions, add a snack or more calorie-dense products to your diet, a gainer may not even be needed.

Our editorial team takes the recommendation on the size of the surplus from review works: Iraki and colleagues (2019) advise a small energy surplus at which weight grows gradually - by about 0.25-0.5% of body weight per week in trained people. A larger surplus speeds up weight gain mainly at the expense of fat.

The review by Slater and colleagues (2019) also emphasises that an energy surplus promotes hypertrophy, but its optimal size is individual and depends on training status and initial body composition.

So, before choosing a type of gainer, it is worth calculating how many calories you are short and assessing whether it is realistic to cover this difference with ordinary food.

1. Weigh yourself for 2-3 weeks and record the average weight.
2. If your weight does not grow - add 200-300 kcal per day.
3. If you cannot add it through food - consider a gainer.

Who a store-bought gainer suits

For people with very high energy expenditure and a poor appetite. Liquid calories from maltodextrin satiate little, so they are easier to "drink down" than to eat another bowl of porridge.

For busy people who have no time or conditions to prepare a shake: powder with water can be mixed in a shaker anywhere, including in the gym or the office.

For athletes with a large training volume who need to replenish glycogen stores quickly. The ACSM position (Thomas et al., 2016) recommends a significant amount of carbohydrates during intense loads, and the fast carbohydrates of a gainer help to reach these figures.

For people who need to know precisely the composition of each serving - for example, when carefully counting calories and macronutrients.

Who a homemade gainer suits

For those prone to gaining fat easily. Slow carbohydrates, fibre and protein from dairy products give a more even glycaemic profile, and the recipe is easy to adjust by reducing the amount of fast sugars.

For people with dietary restrictions: lactose intolerance, allergies, vegetarian eating. At home you can replace the milk with a plant-based drink and the peanut butter with almond butter.

For those on a budget. Oatmeal, milk and bananas are usually more affordable than a specialised product per calorie, although the exact benefit depends on prices in a particular market.

For people who do not want to consume sweeteners, flavourings and other auxiliary ingredients that are often found in store-bought gainers.

How to compose a homemade gainer for yourself

The basic principle is to combine a liquid base, a source of complex carbohydrates, a source of protein, a little healthy fat and fruit for taste. Then the calorie content is adjusted by the amount of ingredients.

To reduce the volume of the drink at the same calorie content, use dense ingredients: nut butter, oat flour instead of flakes, powdered milk. To make the shake "lighter" for the stomach - add less fibre and more liquid.

Aim the protein part at 20-40 g per serving. For people who train, the ISSN position (Jäger et al., 2017) recommends 1.4-2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, so the gainer should fit within this overall requirement.

The shake is better drunk between meals or after a workout, rather than instead of lunch. That way it complements the diet rather than displacing proper food.

Typical mistakes when gaining mass

The first mistake is an excessive serving. Large servings of store-bought gainer with hundreds of grams of fast carbohydrates can cause digestive problems and rapid fat gain. It is better to start with half the recommended serving and assess the reaction.

The second is a gainer without training. Without a strength load a surplus of calories will go mainly into fat, regardless of whether the gainer is homemade or store-bought.

The third is ignoring the overall diet. A gainer does not compensate for missed meals, a lack of vegetables and poor food quality in general.

The fourth is a lack of monitoring of the result. Weighing, measuring the waist and a photo once every few weeks help to understand whether it is muscle mass that is growing, and to adjust the calorie content in time.

• Start with a small serving.
• Combine the gainer with strength training.
• Track your weight and waist circumference.
• Do not replace proper food with a gainer.

Editorial conclusions

A store-bought gainer suits people with a poor appetite, high energy expenditure and a lack of time - provided the servings are moderate.

A homemade gainer is better for those prone to gaining fat, who have dietary restrictions or want to control the composition and budget completely.

In any case, the success of gaining mass is determined by training, a moderate calorie surplus and a sufficient amount of protein, not by the type of shake.

We also recommend our articles on how to calculate calorie content for mass gain, on protein shakes for ectomorphs and on carbohydrates for recovery after workouts.

References

1. Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition recommendations for bulking. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(7):154.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011;29(Suppl 1):S17–S27.
6. 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.