1. What are weight gainers and what sources provide them?
Weight gainers are basically meal replacements with higher calorie amounts. However, along with higher calories, in order to gain muscle size, your protein and carbs must be of high quality and the fat content must be low. It is also wise to choose a protein that provides essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
Weight gainers are essentially derived from the same sources as all other proteins, which is soy, milk, and egg. However, most of your weight gainers will primarily be derived from milk.
Check out one of our best weight gaining products, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass.
2. What can taking a weight gainer do for YOU and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Weight gainers play a huge role for those hard-gainers out there. You know who I'm talking about. The guys eating themselves (and sometimes their parents) out of house and home. Hitting the buffet table and watching the owner cringe in fear as he sees fore-closure looming in the distance. Walking into the grocery store and looking at it like it's his own personal playground of eating delights.
Yet quite often it's these same guys who show up the at the gym day in and day out...Looking the same! Where is the thickness in their quads and back they are trying to get? Where is the bulging biceps, triceps and forearms they are striving so hard to bring out? Where, for the love of the lifting Gods, is the thick, massive Arnold-like chest they are busting their ass so hard to build?
Perhaps all these poor gym saps are missing is the extra calories only a high quality weight-gaining protein can give to them. Maybe all that is separating them from all the gains in the world from the none that they are seeing is 1,000-1,500 calories.
Sounds like a ton, huh? Not really! Did you know that the average serving from one weight gainer provides with you solid, whopping 600 or so calories? Two servings a day and all of a sudden you are getting stronger, thicker, and bigger, all because you realized you needed to simply supplement your diet with two to three servings of a weight gainer each day.
3. Who would benefit from taking a weight gainer and how much should be taken? Are there any side effects or symptoms of deficiency?
Any bodybuilder, strength athlete, or even casual lifter that is struggling to put on weight and finds themselves behind in their training would benefit. However, weight gainers should not replace your normal eating, but actually compliment it.
What you should do take them as snacks throughout the day and (or) WITH meals. Remember, you are trying to pack on the weight, so missing meals and replacing them with your weight-gaining shake will negate the point of taking the shake!
Weight gainers come in a variety of great flavors. So no matter what your preference might be, you can always find something to suit your taste buds. As with any other supplement, you should take what is recommended by the dietary guidelines on the product that you are taking. Most weight gainers will have a chart telling you how much to take compared to what you weight.
There have been no reported side effects or deficiencies related to taking weight-gaining protein. If you do have any questions or concerns related to any protein or supplements you are taking, it is always advised to speak to your doctor or physician.
Published with permission, original ©
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.