You’ve been eating every 2-3 hours to consume more food. You’re eating higher-calorie foods like fattier cuts of meat, but you still can’t budge the scale. So, you’re considering mass gainer to get more food in. But do mass gainers work for skinny guys?
Mass gainer works for skinny guys because it allows for easy-to-drink calories, which are difficult to consume when you’re constantly full from eating more food than you’re used to.
It’s the simple calories in vs. calories out equation putting you in a caloric surplus to gain weight. But why are mass gainers so effective for skinny guys, and when should you take them?
Table of Contents
Does Mass Gainer Work For Skinny Guys?
Mass gainers work for skinny guys as they allow you to consume excess calories easily. Think about when you are stuffed full from a meal. Just looking at steak and potatoes on your plate is enough to make you feel nauseous.
But sipping on a high-calorie chocolate-flavored mass gainer is stomachable while you food coma on the couch. A study found consuming a high-calorie mass gainer (356 g carbohydrates and 106 g protein) on top of a regular diet led to an approximate 3 kg in body weight after 8 weeks of strength training [1].
Conversely, the control group who took no mass gainer saw a non-significant 1 kg increase in body weight. Most of this weight gain was fat-free mass with increases in upper and lower body strength.
Therefore, mass gainer works if you’re a skinny guy trying to gain muscle!
Should You Take Mass Gainer If You’re Skinny?
Supplements are not necessary to build muscle and gain weight. However, they are helpful additions to your diet if you can’t stomach the sheer volume of food. For example, if you need to eat 3000 calories daily to gain weight, you may struggle to eat more than 2500 calories due to a busy schedule or constantly feeling full.
Drinking your calories makes it easy to consume extra calories as you can typically drink shakes even when you feel full.
When Should You Take Mass Gainer?
Contrary to popular belief, you can take mass gainer any time of the day. It can be used as a breakfast on the go or a meal replacement at lunch between busy meetings. However, because of the large serving sizes, some mass gainers can leave you feeling overly full for hours.
Therefore, having it during the day isn’t a good idea as you won’t be able to get your whole food meals in. If you want, you can also use mass gainer as a post-workout shake or pre-bedtime snack.
Mass Gainer vs. Whey Protein For Skinny Guys
If you’re a skinny guy struggling to gain weight and choosing between mass gainer and whey protein, mass gainer becomes the better choice. However, if you don’t have a problem adding size through your regular diet, stick with whey protein.
The only reason to choose a mass gainer is for easy-to-drink calories. Also, you can make your own mass gainer smoothies using whey protein if you’re resourceful.
Which Mass Gainer Is Best For Skinny Guys
My #1 mass gainer is the Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer. It’s why I’ve listed it as the best weight gain supplement for skinny guys. It contains just under 500 calories per serving, so you don’t massively overshoot your daily caloric targets.
Further, you get 40 g of protein and 55 g of carbohydrates from whole food sources, which is a bonus to reduce indigestion problems. Tack on the additional digestive enzymes, and you have a winning mass-gaining formula.
You can read a more in-depth overview in my Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer review.
Summary
Mass gainer works for skinny guys based on the simple construct “calories in vs. calories out.” If you can consume more calories than you burn, you’re in a caloric surplus and, therefore, adding body weight.
References
1. Rozenek, R., Ward, P., Long, S., & Garhammer, J. (2002). Effects of high-calorie supplements on body composition and muscular strength following resistance training. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 42(3), 340-347.