Protein or gainer - which is better for gaining mass?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2011-06-08

In this article, I will try to help you decide between protein and gainer. I will provide the most optimal products and their combinations, in my opinion.

So, what is protein? Protein, translated from English, means protein. Thus, protein is a sports nutrition where the main component is protein. Typically, this makes up 70% to 90% of the total composition.

Gainer (energy drink) is a carbohydrate-protein mixture, where carbohydrates predominate. The ratios can vary widely from 10% / 80% (protein / carbohydrates) to 45% / 45%. On average, in a gainer, the sum of proteins and carbohydrates constitutes 85% - 90%.

It is well known that to gain mass, protein is necessary. It is the building material for muscles. However, for energy recovery in muscles, carbohydrates are needed. Without proper recovery, there won't be muscle growth. In other words, while the muscles after the workout replenish their energy stores (glycogen), they will not grow. Even if you have more than enough protein in your diet.

Thus, for muscle mass growth, both proteins and carbohydrates are equally necessary. If you buy protein, there is a risk that there may not be enough carbohydrates. Conversely, if you consume almost only carbohydrates, there may not be enough protein.

On the one hand, the need for carbohydrates for people in general, and for athletes in particular, is 3 to 4 times higher than that for proteins. On the other hand, it is easier to obtain a sufficient amount of carbohydrates from regular food than from proteins.

Based on the above, I recommend purchasing gainers with a protein and carbohydrate content close to 35% / 55%, favoring carbohydrates, for better muscle mass gain.

For example:

• Mass Gainer by Dobromil Fit 38% protein and 51% carbohydrates
• Nutrabolics: IsoGainer 33% protein and 49% carbohydrates
• MHP: Up Your Mass 35% protein and 45% carbohydrates
• Universal Nutrition: Real Gains 33.5% protein and 56% carbohydrates

As you can see, gainers with a high protein content are not that common; they are quite expensive but more effective than gainers with only 10% - 20% protein.

You can also buy high-protein protein and high-carbohydrate gainer and mix them to achieve the desired protein and carbohydrate ratio. This can save you some money since gainers with low protein content can be up to twice as cheap. And gainers with a high protein content are almost the same price as proteins.

For example:

• Whey Protein by Dobromil Fit 74% protein and 6% carbohydrates +
  Hyper Mass 5000 by BioTech 26% protein and 65% carbohydrates


• Maxler: Golden Whey 75% protein and 12% carbohydrates +
  Maxler Real Mass 20% protein and 65% carbohydrates


• Egg Protein by Dobromil Fit 77% protein and 3% carbohydrates +
  Mutant: Mass 20% protein and 70% carbohydrates


• Maxler Whey Protein 73% protein and 15% carbohydrates +
  VPlab: Mass Builder 20% protein and 73% carbohydrates

For instance, let's take the first pair. If you mix them in a 1:1 ratio, you will get a mixture with 51% protein and 35% carbohydrates. You can mix them in a 1:2 ratio as well. In that case, it will be cheaper and you'll get 40% protein and 45% carbohydrates. That is approximately what we need. The cost (as of March 2016) for such a mixture will be about 800 rubles per kg. How much do high-protein gainers cost? Much more.

Conclusions

1. The reasons for slow muscle mass gain may lie not only in a lack of proteins but also in a lack of carbohydrates. Consuming only protein or only carbohydrates makes it difficult to build muscle mass. Therefore, it is necessary to combine proteins and gainers, or choose gainers with a high protein content.

2. The average cost of protein or high-protein gainer is 1500 - 2000 rubles per kg. A low-protein gainer costs 700 - 1000 rubles per kg. Mixing protein with a low-protein gainer gives a mixture with an approximate protein and carbohydrate content of 45/45 at a price of 1000 - 1300 rubles per kg. Thus, you save about 500 rubles per kg.