How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement
How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement: You may want to consider the following factors when shopping for a weight gain supplement:
Weight and Health goals: If you want to boost your performance during workouts, a pre-workout or creatine supplement may be the best choice. However, if you want to increase your total calorie intake,
a high calorie protein powder or mass gainer is a better option.
Calorie needs: if you’re having trouble increasing calorie intake through food, opt for a higher calorie supplement such as mass gainer or certain protein powders.
Asbury said, For a weight gain supplement to be of benefit,
How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement: I try to find one that is 300 or more calories with at least 20 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Current diet: Supplement vary greatly in calorie, fat, carb, and protein composition. The best product for you will depend on nutrient gaps in your diet.
Some products also provide additional micronutrients and fiber, which can be helpful if you cannot meet your needs for these substances through diet alone.
Dietary preferences: Many weight gain supplements contain common allergens or may not appropriate for people who follow a vegan diet. Make sure to select a product that fits your dietary needs and preferences.
Best Weight Gain Supplement
Active ingredients: Consider the active ingredients in the supplement an how they may contribute to your goals. For example, if you need to improve you performance during a workout and have optimized your nutrition,
ingredients, like caffeine, creatine, and beta-alanine may be helpful.
Additives: Supplements often have addtives, such as artificial sweeteners and colors, preservatives, or thickeners, that some people may prefer to avoid.
Read supplement labels carefully to choose a product that best fits your needs and preferences.
Added sugar: Keep in mind that some protein powders and mass gainers may contribute excess amount of added sugar and should be avoided,
especially if you already consume other source of added sugar throughout the day.
Third-party-testing: To ensure that the contents match the label, it is best select a supplement that has been third-party tested by a reputable organization, such as NSF International or Informed Sport.
Likely ineffective supplements
Supplement that increase your calorie or protein intake could help you gain muscle when combined with an appropriate exercise program, typically weight training.
Other supplement that improve your exercise performance can provide a larger stimulus that your body must adapt to. This could lead to more muscle or weight gain over time.
However, some supplements have little evidence to suggest that they can increase they can weight or muscle gain on their own.
BCAAs
BCCAs are critical for music growth.
Nearly all protein source contain them, and any time you eat a complete protein source, you’re consuming BCAAs.
Research does not support the benefits of BCAA supplements for muscle gain.
Additionally, BCAA supplements are very low in calories and will not contribute much to the calorie surplus required for weight gain.
Despite their popularity, these supplements are not necessary for muscle gain if you’re consuming enough protein, and they’re not beneficial for increasing your total calorie intake.
Testosterone boosters
The hormone testosterone plays an important role in the anabolic processes of your body, which are responsible for muscle growth.
Testosterone boosters are a broad category of supplements that claim to increase levels of this hormone while enhancing muscle growth.
How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement: Ingredients commonly found in these supplements include tribulus terrestris, fenugreek, D-aspartic acid, ashwagandha, and DHEA.
Research shows mixed results on the effect these ingredients have on testosterone levels. A small number of studies have shown possible benefits of some ingredients in these products, but more evidence is needed.
How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement: Some of these supplements could be more effective in people with testosterone. But regardless, testosterone boosters do not typically live up to their marketing calims.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
CLA is a type of fatty acid found in animal products, specifically dairy and meats.
CLA supplements may affect body composition by contributing to a reduction in body fat and an increase in lean muscle mass. However, the research is inconclusive and shows mixed results.
Many studies suggest that CLA may be effective for weight loss.
Other tips for gaining weight
Total calorie intake from food is the most important component of weight gain. But if you’re interested in increasing muscle mass, you’ll also need to regularly engage in resistance exercise.
How to Choose the Best Weight Gain Supplement: Here are two tips from Asburry for increasing your calorie intake from foods:
Add healthy fats: Healthy fats have 9 calories per gram, compared to protein and carbohydrates that are 4 calories per gram.
Increasing these foods will take up less room in the stomach and allow for more calories to be taken in at one time.
Nut butters, chia sedds, avocado, an whole milk are some foods that contain healthy fats.
Focus on meal timing: Eating a meal or snack every 2-3 hours and not skipping meals will be necessary in gaining weight in a healthy way.
When to consult your doctor
Weight gain goals related to increasing muscle mass for aesthetic or performance reasons are unlikely to require medical intervention.
However, it’s always best to consult a doctor or another trusted healthcare professional before starting a new supplement regimen.
When you’ve lost weight as a result of illness or experienced unexplained weight loss,
you should discuss it with your doctor to identify the underlying cause and the next steps foe weight gain.
Additionally, if you have a history of disordered eating, consider working with a health professional, such as a registered dietitian.
They will be able to help you identify the be the best way to reach your weight goals,
while ensuring that you’re getting the nutrients you need for a healthy diet.
