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Mass gainer is one of the most popular supplements for skinny people who want to gain weight.
But can mass gainer help you lose weight?
Here’s why mass gainer is bad for weight loss:
While it’s still possible to lose weight when taking mass gainer, it’s far from ideal. This is because mass gainer is high in calories and not very filling, so you’re more likely to consume more calories than you burn when taking mass gainer.
4 Reasons Why Mass Gainer Is Bad For Weight Loss
Mass Gainer Is High In Calories
If you consume more calories than you burn over the course of a day, you will gain weight.
That is a scientific fact.
Well, most mass gainers on the market contain at least 1000 calories per serving.
So by taking mass gainer without reducing the amount of food you eat, you’re much more likely to consume more calories than burn.
And as a result, gain weight.
So the high amount of calories in mass gainer makes it a poor supplement for weight loss.
Mass Gainer Increases Water Weight
Creatine is added to many mass gainers as it’s been proven to help increase muscle mass.
Interestingly, Creatine also increases water retention which results in more weight gain.
Mass Gainer Is High In Carbs
Most mass gainers are filled with carbohydrates.
For example, MuscleTech Mass Tech Extreme 2000 contains a whopping 384g of carbs per serving!
But if you’re wanting to lose weight, carbs can be your worst enemy.
One reason is that consuming carbs spikes your insulin levels. Insulin is a storage hormone, so when your insulin levels are high, your body conserves its fat stores for energy.
Also, insulin instructs your body to store any excess energy as fat. So in the Mass Tech Extreme 2000 example, if your body doesn’t need all 384g of carbs (which it probably won’t), then some of it will be stored as fat.
Another reason is that carbs spike your blood sugar levels. This is toxic to your body, so insulin tells your cells to take in the sugar. As a result, your blood sugar levels crash.
This sudden drop in blood sugar can make you feel hungry, which can result in you eating more food.
(Surely I don’t have to explain why eating more food is bad for weight loss, right?)
Mass Gainer Isn’t Very Filling
What do the below foods have in common:
- Cheetos
- Doritos
- French Fries
- Pop Tarts
- Oreos
The obvious answer is that they’re all junk food.
But the other thing is that they’re all high in calories, but not very filling.
Similarly, mass gainer is calorie dense but doesn’t fill you up as eating solid food. As a result, you’re much more likely to overeat which can result in weight gain.
Should You Take Mass Gainer For Weight Loss?
If you’re wanting to lose weight, then mass gainer may be the worst supplement you can take.
It’s specifically designed to help skinny people gain weight, so taking it for weight loss is a bad idea.
That said, it is possible to lose weight if you take mass gainer, as long as you burn more calories than you consume over the course of the day. So you can either exercise more, or eat less food.
Which Mass Gainer Has The Lowest Calories?
According to the manufacturers, Muscle Milk Gainer only has 650 calories per serving.
To put this into perspective, most mass gainers on the market have at least 1000 calories per serving, so this contains 35% less calories than your typical mass gainer.
Check price and read more reviews of Muscle Milk Gainer on Amazon.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16424144
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7733028
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10352397
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.