Comparison Mutant Mass 6.8 kg vs BSN True Mass 1200 4.5 kg

The type is determined primarily by the ratio of the main nutrients — proteins (protein) and carbohydrates — in the composition of the gainer.

Each variety of these substances affects the body in its own way: protein (protein) serves as a “building material” for muscle tissue, carbohydrates play the role of “fuel”, provide the excess calories necessary for gaining mass. Accordingly, the optimal type of gainer depends primarily on the characteristics of metabolism. So, people with predominant adipose tissue are better off using high-protein compounds, and lean athletes with a fast metabolism need more carbohydrates (also note that if you are overweight, it is generally not recommended to use gainers). In addition, it is worth remembering that the athlete's diet may include other special products, except for gainers — for example, the same proteins.

— Protein-carbohydrate. High protein gainers: The ratio of protein to carbohydrates is at least 1:2, and in some brands it can approach 1:1. Designed primarily for athletes with a dense physique, with a high amount of fat in the body.

— Carbohydrate-protein. Gainers containing mostly carbohydrates and relatively few protein supplements. The amount of protein in such formulations, in relation to carbohydrates, is a maximum of 1:2, and in some brands it is 1:5 or even more. Designed for people of average to thin build, it is likel...y that an additional source of protein will be required for effective mass gain.

— Carbohydrate. Gainers with a pure carbohydrate composition, containing no proteins at all. The intake of such a product must be combined with the use of a sufficient amount of protein.

The amount of carbohydrates per one standard serving of a gainer (see "Serving").

Carbohydrates are the "universal fuel" for the body, they provide most of the calories received when taking a gainer. Actually, the gainer is most often used primarily as a source of carbohydrates (to the point that pure carbohydrate products are produced that do not contain proteins and fats). Accordingly, this parameter is key for any gainer.

The amount of protein per one standard serving of a gainer (see "Serving").

Proteins (protein) are indispensable for muscle growth — in fact, muscle tissue is formed from them. In addition, the use of certain proteins helps reduce appetite and prevents overeating. For more information about the role of this substance, see "Protein". Here we note that the supply of proteins, although important, is not the main task of the gainer (more precisely, it is not as important as the supply of carbohydrates). In addition, many “pure protein” supplements are available as sports nutrition, and even when taking a protein-carbohydrate gainer (see “Type”), additional protein nutrition may be required.

The amount of fat per standard serving of a gainer (see "Serving").

Fats are one of the main components of human nutrition, but they are not needed to gain muscle mass (more precisely, they do not play a key role in this process). Accordingly, in gainers, fats are present more as a by-product of production than as the main component. However, fat data is necessary for those who are trying to follow the diet exactly.

Energy value of one standard serving of a gainer (see below).

Effective sports nutrition involves, among other things, counting the number of calories consumed. Thus, nutritional supplements, including gainers, must indicate the calorie content. The actual portion may not match the standard one, however, in this case, the nutritional value can be simply recalculated according to the simplest proportion.

The number of standard servings contained in the package.

This parameter is calculated by the simplest arithmetic operation: the total weight of the product is divided by the size of one serving. For example, a weight of 1200 g and a serving size of 120 g gives 1200/120 = 10 servings.

Note that in fact the optimal size of one serving is often less than the standard; for more on this, see Portia.

The regular weight of one serving of a gainer, in other words, the amount of the product that the manufacturer recommends taking at a time.

It should be noted that this parameter is rather ambiguous. And it's not just that the optimal dose will also depend on the personal characteristics of the athlete, his training regimen and nutrition. The fact is that manufacturers often indicate a rather large recommended serving — more than 200 g or even 300 g. However, among many sports nutrition experts there is an opinion that such recommendations are, to put it mildly, not a very honest commercial ploy aimed at ensuring that the product ended faster and the athletes bought it more often. Proponents of this opinion argue that when taken in such “shock doses”, the gainer simply will not be fully absorbed, and a large part of the expensive product will “merge into the toilet”, passing through the body unchanged. The optimal dose, from this point of view, is considered to be less than 100 – 150 g — it is it that is guaranteed to be absorbed by the body and have the desired effect; and if there are too few calories or nutrients in such a portion, this can be compensated by other foods.

The total weight of the product supplied in this packaging option (excluding packaging).

The meaning of this parameter is generally obvious, but we highlight a few nuances associated with it. So, the same gainer can be produced in several weight options, which gives the buyer additional options to choose from. At the same time, a larger package in terms of a kilogram is usually cheaper, and a smaller one will be convenient if large volumes are not needed — for example, when the product is taken “for testing” or at the end of a training course and enhanced nutrition.

Also note that some manufacturers tie weight not to kilograms, but to pounds (454 g). Because of this, there are packages on the market that are not quite the usual weight — for example, 0.908 kg (2 pounds) or 4.54 kg (10 pounds).

The country in which the gainer was released. This parameter is often given a lot of attention: it is believed that the products of developed countries, like the USA or Germany, are of better quality than those coming from less wealthy countries. However, such an approach is dubious at best, but rather frankly erroneous. On the one hand, the term “country of production” often means the “homeland” of the brand or the location of the headquarters, and production facilities can be located in a completely different state (often this is not a very developed country with cheap labor). On the other hand, modern technologies make it possible to deploy full-fledged production almost anywhere in the world. Thirdly, any manufacturer that cares about its reputation strictly monitors the quality of products, regardless of where it is produced. In light of all this, the overall quality of the product depends more on a specific brand than on geography, and it makes sense to pay attention to the country of production mainly in cases where you fundamentally want (or do not want to) support a manufacturer of a certain “nationality”.