There's a wide variety of protein powders on the market, and although "classic" whey protein is the most popular, mass gainers also have their fans. Although these products both provide essential amino acids, they are not equal when it comes to supplementation.
Depending on your objectives, you may opt for whey or a weight gainer. If you're having trouble deciding, we'd like to give you a few pointers. If the term is really unclear to you, start by finding out what whey is.
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Why consume protein powder?
Before making your choice between whey and a gainer, it's important to understand why it's so important to consume more protein in sport. These macronutrients are essential for effective muscle building.
Schematically, after physical effort, muscles adapt to better respond to this type of stimulation. This is the principle of training. Depending on the type of effort, the body adapts the trained muscle fibers, creating larger (hypertrophy), more resistant...
This reconstruction requires a certain amount of protein, which can be supplied in part by dietary supplements such as whey if the "normal" diet is not sufficient to meet these needs. Proteins, or more precisely the amino acids of which they are composed, will be used to synthesize new muscle tissue.
In these conditions, whey is just as useful for endurance athletes as it is for bodybuilding enthusiasts , when properly integrated into physical preparation. However, the objectives of these two major consumer groups differ. An endurance athlete will simply be looking to improve muscle recovery on a one-off basis, after a heavy training session or competition. On the other hand, a body-builder is generally looking to maximize mass gain and hypertrophy.
A runner, cyclist or team sportsman will need around 20/25 g of protein after each training session to maximize recovery and optimize training results.
For bodybuilding, aim for an overall daily protein intake of around 1.6-2 g/kg. We take a closer look at the various reasons to consume whey in our article on why take whey and what to consume to promote recovery.
Whey, whey isolate, mass gainer: what are the differences?
Whey is a protein powder of natural origin, derived from milk filtration. Whey protein is purified and dried. Whey isolate is the result of a more advanced filtration process, enabling a higher protein content to be achieved, and lactose and lipids to be removed. More efficient processes have even been used to obtain whey hydrolysate with over 95% protein.
The latter variant has been partially hydrolyzed to facilitate digestion. Hydrolyzed whey has no particular nutritional value compared to conventional whey, which is low in lactose and lipids. In fact, in addition to the uselessness of having a powder with over 90% protein, hydrolyzed whey goes through a number of industrial processes which can impair its quality, and is necessarily accompanied by additives to mask the very powerful taste of the proteins.
As their name suggests, weight gainers are designed to help consumers gain weight and therefore mass. To achieve this, these products don't just provide protein. They are a mixture of proteins (most often whey) and carbohydrates and/or fats. In fact, whey does not in itself make you put on weight; it's the overall calorie intake that impacts your weight gain or loss.
Mass gainers deliver large quantities of carbohydrates and/or lipids, generally accounting for over 50% of their net weight. From one brand to another, these dietary supplements also contain little protein, around 20-40%. See also: which dietary supplements to take to build muscle.
We haven't dealt here with casein, which is sometimes found in sports nutrition plans. If you're interested, find out how to choose between whey and casein.
Musculation: "simple" whey or weight gainer?
The choice will depend on individual goals and metabolism. For bodybuilding enthusiasts, whey is generally recommended. This protein-rich product is ideal for supplying the body with the amino acids it needs.
That said, we must be careful to ensure that this supplementation is part of a balanced and varied diet, and not to exceed 2 g/kg/d of protein. There's no point in exceeding this dose, as it won't bring faster or greater results.
Nevertheless, whey is not always the best alternative for mass gain. Some individuals, because of their metabolism, have difficulty gaining weight. In these circumstances, a weight gainer will be far more advantageous. With their higher calorie content, weight gainers enable you to put on mass more effectively. For ectomorphs, or people who eat small quantities, it is therefore worthwhile consuming gainers. For full details, see our article on protein powder for ectomorphs.
In the end, gainers are relatively expensive in relation to their composition, despite their lower protein concentration. In many cases, producers give no indication of the carbohydrate origin. Like wheys, these products are often loaded with additives and potentially contaminated with doping substances.
If you want to save money and consume top-quality gainer, it's perfectly possible to prepare it yourself. These preparations are within everyone's reach, and numerous recipes are available on the Internet. Essentially, whey is mixed with a carbohydrate source. Homemade products are therefore much healthier than industrial gainers. You control all the substances you consume, which is essential for an athlete.
For a simple, healthy quality gainer, you can, for example, mix your additive-free whey with raw, pre-cooked organic oat powder.
Endurance sports: whey or weight gainer?
Endurance sports enthusiasts are not looking for muscle hypertrophy or mass gain. They are looking to optimize muscle recovery, in particular to avoid injury, get back into shape quickly and train again as soon as possible. To achieve this, they need to consume 20-25 g of protein post-training.
As explained above, whey is the ideal supplement to meet this need.
As you'd expect, gainers are of no interest to endurance athletes. Because of their rather unusual composition, gainers deliver less protein, and above all lots of carbohydrates and calories for mass gain.
Whatever the case, we always prefer whey produced in France with few additives and no sweeteners.
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