Does Mass Gainer Make You Fat? (How To Avoid Fat Gain)

Mass gainer can make you fat as it’s high in calories and not very filling. As a result, you’re more likely to exceed your daily calorie intake when you take mass gainer, which can make you gain weight.

In this article, we explain why mass gainer can make some people fat, how to use mass gainer without getting fat, and more.

Reasons Why Mass Gainer Can Make You Fat

Mass Gainer Is Calorie Rich

Scientifically, the only way you can gain weight is if you’re in a calorie surplus.

This means that over the course of the day, you consume more calories than you burn.

Well, many mass gainers out there contain a whopping 1000 calories per serving.

So if you take mass gainer without reducing the amount of food you eat, then you’re much more likely to be in a calorie surplus.

While some of those calories will help you gain muscle (assuming you weight train), any leftover calories will be stored as fat.

(If you’re wondering why, this is an evolutionary trait. Food used to be scarce back in the day, so storing any unneeded calories as fat was critical to the survival of the human race.)

Mass Gainer Is Full Of Carbs

The majority of mass gainer supplements out there are loaded with carbohydrates.

This is because they’re your muscles preferred fuel source, and they help replenish your glycogen stores.

But if you’re someone who gains fat easily, carbs can be your worst enemy.

The first reason is that eating a high amount of carbs spikes your insulin levels.

But insulin is a storage hormone, so when your insulin levels are high, your body is unlikely to used stored body fat as energy.

Also, insulin is what instructs your body to store any excess energy as fat.

So not only does it make you store more fat, but it stops your body from burning it.

The second reason is that carbs spike your blood sugar levels.

But high blood sugar levels are toxic, so insulin instructs your cells to take in the sugar.

This causes a crash in your blood sugar levels, which is what makes you feel hangry.

(Hangry is that feeling when you’re hungry and angry at the same time for those wondering.)

And when you’re hangry, you’re much more likely to gorge on any food you can get your hands on.

As a result, you’ll be in a bigger calorie surplus which can lead to fat gain.

Mass Gainer Isn’t Very Filling

What do the below foods have in common:

• Oreos
• Doritos
• Cheetos
• Pop Tarts
• French Fries

Well, if you said they’re all junk food, you’d be right.

But the other thing they have in common is that they’re all high in calories, but not very filling.

For example, a 15oz bag of Doritos contains 2100 calories.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I could eat a full bag in 30 minutes.

(And still have room for more!)

Well, like these foods, mass gainer contains a ton of calories but doesn’t make you as full as a solid meal.

As a result, you’re much more likely to overeat, which can lead to you gaining fat.

How To Use Mass Gainer Without Getting Fat

Work Hard In The Gym

As covered earlier, the only way you can gain weight (including fat) is by being in a calorie surplus.

Now, there are 2 parts to the equation of being in a calorie surplus:

1. Calories consumed
2. Calories burned

By working harder in the gym, you’ll burn more calories which will reduce your calorie surplus, and reduce the chance of you getting fat.

Use Mass Gainer As A Meal Replacement

The other way you can reduce your calorie surplus is by reducing your calorie intake.

So if you’re worried about getting fat from taking mass gainer, you can use mass gainer instead of one of your meals.

(Most people take mass gainer on top of their meals, so by taking it in place of one of your meals, you’ll have a lower calorie intake which will help stop you from getting fat.)

Take Your Mass Gainer After The Gym

After a workout, your muscles’ glycogen stores are low.

So by taking mass gainer after the gym, the carbs in the mass gainer is more likely to be converted to glycogen, rather than stored as fat.

What Should You Do If You’ve Got Fat From Mass Gainer?

So you’ve been taking mass gainer, but have ended up gaining fat.

That sucks!

But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world.

The first thing you should do is stop taking the mass gainer and exercise more until you lose that fat.

Then, once you’re back at your ideal weight, you can follow the steps in the ‘How To Use Mass Gainer Without Getting Fat’ section of the article.

This will help you get all the benefits of mass gainer, without putting on unwanted flab.

Conclusion

In summary:

• Weight gainer supplements can make you fat due to their high calorie content.
• When using a mass gainer, you should exercise regularly so that the calories are used for muscle gain – not fat gain.

That’s all for this article, but does mass gainer contain steroids? Or can protein powder stunt growth?

Hope this helped!

Sources

Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar