Are you looking for the best mass gainers on the market?
You might be buying mass gainer for the first time or considering other options to what you’re taking now. Either way, this guide provides a full list of the best mass gainer supplements that you can buy today.
Mass gainer, despite often getting a bad reputation, is one of the most popular dietary supplements on the market.
It’s not just a workout supplement for bodybuilders and gym regulars, but an effective dietary supplement for those who find it hard to gain weight.
There is a lot to consider when buying mass gainer but it doesn’t have to be tricky.
This guide will break it all down for you, point you in the direction of the best mass gainers you can buy today, before finishing up with a few useful FAQs about mass gainer.
So, with all of that said and out of the way, let’s get into it.
Firstly, what is mass gainer exactly? If you know what mass gainer is, go ahead and skip this part. But if you are new to mass gainer supplements, keep on reading to find out everything you need to know before you buy.
Put simply, mass gainer is a dietary supplement in powder form that is used to support weight gain and muscle growth.
Bodybuilders use it to “bulk”, but it can also be used by “hard gainers” or anyone who finds it hard to gain weight due to their metabolism.
The main ingredients of main gainer supplements are protein and carbohydrates with a high amount of calories. So, taking mass gainer promotes muscle growth and fat gain simultaneously.
In a typical mass gainer serving (one heaped powder scoop), you can expect to get, in general, up to 50 grams of protein and around 250 grams of carbs with a total calorie intake of between 1000 and 1500 calories.
Mass gainer comes in a range of flavors, sometimes with added ingredients (additional amino acids, BCAAs, vitamins, and minerals), with options that are vegan-friendly and gluten-free.
It is widely available from fitness stores, supplement stores, and online sellers.
What are the pros of taking mass gainer?
The obvious advantage of taking mass gainer is that it is an effective method for putting on mass (weight) quickly.
The high calorie, protein, and carbohydrate content promotes weight gain across the board, ideal for bodybuilders and anyone who struggles with weight gain.
Another advantage is that it is convenient and easy to take. As a powder supplement, you simply mix it with water and/or milk, and then drink it.
It is also affordable for most people and generally safe to take in its recommended amount.
Due to its ingredients, mass gainer can even support muscle recovery and repair, boost general energy levels, and improve workout performance.
What are the disadvantages of taking mass gainer?
The clear disadvantage of mass gainer is that it supports muscle and fat growth simultaneously. That said, this is not a problem if that is your goal.
But if you are looking to build muscle mass while keeping your carb/calorie intake low, you will be better off looking elsewhere.
Another disadvantage is that it can pose the risk of side effects.
Although generally considered not serious or harmful, the side effects of mass gainer may include bloating, digestive problems, loss of appetite, flatulence, and stomach cramps.
More serious side effects are kidney damage and liver damage.
But, like any supplement or medication, mass gainer should be taken sensibly in its recommended amount.
This promotes safe usage and reduces the risk of any possible side effects.
Now, for the main part: the best mass gainer supplements that you can buy online today.
For your convenience, we have gone ahead and rounded up 10 of the best mass gainers on the market.
Our list includes a range of mass gainers to cater to any dietary preference or goal, taking into account ingredients, manufacturer, total servings, and price.
So, no matter your budget or preference, you’re going to find a mass gainer that will catch your eye and serve your needs from our complete mass gainer list below.
Optimum Nutrition is no small name in the supplements industry.
In fact, Optimum Nutrition is the go-to sports supplement chain for everyone from casual gym-goers to high-level athletes, delivering real value at an affordable price.
In other words, you can’t go wrong with Optimum Nutrition. And Serious Mass, their official mass gainer supplement, is no exception here.
In a 12-pound bag, you’re getting 1250 solid calories with 50 grams of protein and 252 grams of carbohydrates.
This equates to 16 servings in total (which is a good amount) if used as recommended.
On top of the basics, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass packs in over 25 vitamins, 500 milligrams of glutamine, and 3 grams of creatine, which all support muscle repair and performance.
Pros
Cons
Dymatize Super Mass Gainer comes in a 6-pound tub offering 1310 calories, 52 grams of protein, and 245 grams of carbs per serving.
In total, you’re getting 8 servings, but that includes close to 11 grams of BCAAs, which might be a selling point for you if you want to combine your mass gainer and branched-chain amino acids in one convenient scoop.
Of course, due to the size, Dymatize Super Mass Gainer is also cheaper. This makes it ideal if you simply want to try mass gainer for the first time.
We like Dymatize as a supplement manufacturer, so you can expect good quality from their mass gainer.
You also get a mouth-watering selection of three flavors that include Cookies & Cream, Gourmet Vanilla, and Rich Chocolate.
Pros
Cons
BSN True-Mass Mass Gainer 1200 comes in a 10-pound bag providing 15 servings in total. And with each scooped serving, you receive 50 grams of protein, 215 grams of carbs, and 1288 calories.
This is a mass gainer that keeps it simple, offering the main mass gainer ingredients at a more affordable price.
So, if you like to keep your BCAA and creatine supplements separate, this is a great option to consider.
As for flavors, BSN keeps it simple here as well, offering Chocolate Milkshake, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry Milkshake, and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Pros
Cons
NAKED Mass is another mass gainer that sticks to the basics, which is by no means a bad thing.
For those of you who like it simple, this 8-pound mass gainer has five ingredients only — Organic Maltodextrin, Naked Whey, Naked Casein, Organic Coconut Sugar, and Raw Organic Cacao Powder — providing 1360 calories, 215 grams of complex carbs, and 50 grams of protein.
On top of that, NAKED Mass mass gainer has 11.6 grams of BCAAs. It’s also gluten-free and soy-free with no artificial ingredients.
The casein content is an added bonus here, as it provides a slow release of protein that is absorbed over a longer period.
Overall, this is the mass gainer for you if you have specific dietary requirements or just want to keep ingredients to a minimum.
Pros
Cons
Henry Cavill uses and endorses MuscleTech supplements, so this is a no-brainer mass gainer if you want to look like Superman.
That’s a joke but, in all seriousness, MuscleTech is well-known for manufacturing industry-leading supplements that deliver premium quality.
Like all MuscleTech supplements, MuscleTech Mass Tech Extreme 2000 comes in a showy tub that might put off newcomers.
There’s always a lot of information displayed on MuscleTech packaging, but the ingredients and benefits are not that complicated.
Mass Tech Extreme offers 7 pounds of mass gainer with one serving providing 2000 calories, 60 grams of protein, and 457 grams of carbs, in addition to vitamins A-K, biotin, calcium, 10 grams of creatine, and 8.3 grams of leucine.
That’s a lot, but it’s all there to improve physical performance and boost recovery. As a result, this mass gainer is a bit more expensive than other mass gainers for a 7-pound tub.
Pros
Cons
Like MuscleTech, MusclePharm is another leading supplements manufacturer that’s used by pro athletes and bodybuilders.
This 12-pound mass gainer offers over 16 servings, each providing 1270 calories, 50 grams of protein, and 252 grams of carbs.
On the whole, MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer is a pure mass gainer with not as much else added, except for calcium, iron, sodium, and potassium.
MusclePharm supplements are more costly, though, so be prepared to pay extra for the quality.
Pros
Cons
We mentioned Optimum Nutrition earlier, but Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer is a different kind of mass gainer that has an increased protein content with reduced carbohydrates and calories.
Think of Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer as the whey isolate of mass gainers. It’s ideal if you want to bulk up, but with more focus on muscle mass as opposed to body fat.
Due to this, it’s also more expensive and not for consumers with a tight budget.
Pros
Cons
Mutant Mass makes high-quality supplements so this list wouldn’t be complete without their mass gainer, which tops the rest in size at 15 pounds (5-pound bags are also available).
What we like about Mutant Mass supplements are the gourmet flavors and their muscle mass is no exception, offering Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Banana, Triple Chocolate, and Vanilla Ice Cream.
As for the contents, each serving provides 1100 calories, 56 grams of protein (from a whey isolate and casein blend), and 192 grams of carbs.
The whey isolate and casein blend is also a selling point, giving you clean protein paired with the slow-releasing benefits of casein.
Pros
Cons
MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass is a “clean” mass gainer that is ideal for you if you want to keep your fat and sugar intake to a minimum.
In fact, MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass has zero fat and zero sugar, so it’s perfect for guilt-free bulking.
From one serving, you get 50 grams of protein, 720 calories, and 125 grams of carbs. So, like Optimum Nutrition’s Pro Gainer, this is a mass gainer that focuses on muscle gain over fat gain.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Carnivor Mass comes in different sizes and flavors, including 6-pound or 10-pound bags of Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies, Strawberry, or Vanilla Caramel.
Pros
Cons
Last but not least, Cytosport Muscle Milk Gainer is a gluten-free, low-sugar mass gainer that also provides low carb and calorie content.
It’s also relatively low in protein, but this isn’t a bad thing if you are new to mass gainer and just want to give it a trial run.
Overall, Muscle Milk Gainer is a 5-pound tub, giving you 14 servings in total, with each serving containing 650 calories, 109 grams of carbs, and 32 grams of protein.
What sets this mass gainer apart, though, is the fact it only has 6 grams of sugar per serving.
That makes Muscle Milk Gainer the mass gainer with the lowest amount of sugar on this list, which is a big deal if you prefer to avoid sugar as much as possible.
Pros
Cons
Before buying any mass gainer supplement, the most important thing to check is the ingredients.
Always check the protein, carbohydrate, and calorie content, as these are the key ingredients of any mass gainer.
In general, mass gainers will provide around 50 grams of protein, around 250 grams of carbs, and between 1000 and 1500 calories (per serving).
If desired, it’s also worth checking if the mass gainer includes BCAAs/other amino acids, creatine, and vitamins and minerals.
Like whey protein and casein, mass gainer powder comes in a range of flavors that you mix with water and/or milk before drinking.
This is important as mass gainers contain multiple servings, so it’s worth making sure that you will enjoy the flavor.
Mass gainer flavors can include chocolate, banana, vanilla, cookies and cream, strawberry milkshake, chocolate peanut butter, and more, although this will depend on the manufacturer.
Unflavored mass gainer is also available if you prefer to blend with other ingredients.
Whey protein is used to increase dietary protein intake and therefore promote muscle growth. Mass gainer, on the other hand, promotes weight gain overall with a high concentration of protein, carbohydrates, and calories.
Which is better will depend on your goals. If you just want to put on more muscle, whey protein is the better supplement.
If you want to get bigger overall or “bulk”, mass gainer will help you to gain weight by increasing your general calorie, carb, and protein intake.
A common misconception about mass gainer is that it is “dirty bulking”. But taking mass gainer and dirty bulking are not the same thing.
Mass gainer promotes weight gain (fat gain and muscle gain) through a high intake of carbs, calories, and protein in supplement form.
Dirty bulking, on the other hand, refers to eating any kind of food – including fast food, junk food, and refined foods – for fast weight gain results. This method is not healthy, hence the term “dirty bulking”.
Mass gainer is not harmful in any way unless taken excessively.
To make sure you do not experience any side effects when taking mass gainer, always supplement it in its recommended amount as per the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Possible side effects of taking mass gainer, however, may include bloating, flatulence, digestive problems, and diarrhea.
It’s also important to remember that mass gainer should be used for supplementation only and never as a meal spa0fd-20nt.
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