Gaining weight: weight gain supplements or diet? How to decide
Gaining weight boils down to a simple principle: eating more than you burn, whilst ensuring you get enough protein and following a training programme that gets progressively harder. A weight-gainer is simply a tool to help you follow this principle.
First, work out your calorie surplus
A surplus of 300 to 500 kcal per day above your energy expenditure is sufficient for clean weight gain. Any more than that will significantly increase your body fat percentage without accelerating muscle gain. Aim for 0.25 to 0.5 per cent of your body weight per week — that’s 200 to 400 g for an 80 kg person.
When a weight gainer becomes useful
A weight gainer is simply drinkable calories: protein + carbohydrates, sometimes with some fat. It’s only useful in one scenario — when you’re unable to eat enough. Lack of appetite, hectic days, a fast metabolism: drinking 600 kcal is easier than chewing them.
If you’re already achieving your calorie surplus through your diet, a weight gainer will add nothing more than excess calories — and often excess sugar.
Read the label
- Carbohydrate-to-protein ratio: around 2:1 or 3:1 for controlled weight gain. Ratios of 5:1 are mostly sugar.
- Type of carbohydrates: oats or blends with a moderate glycaemic index are easier to digest than maltodextrin on its own.
- Actual portion size: some stated serving sizes are 150 g. Adjust the values to reflect what you actually consume.
The homemade alternative
A mixture of rolled oats, milk, peanut butter, a banana and a serving of whey easily provides 700 kcal at a lower cost, with a better nutritional profile.
This information is provided for guidance only and is not a substitute for the advice of a healthcare professional. If you have a medical condition, are undergoing treatment, are pregnant or breastfeeding, seek advice from your doctor before taking any supplements.
