Not only novice athletes, but also experienced athletes are not always aware of the difference between the types of sports nutrition. Many people cannot even explain for what purpose protein or gainer is taken. The fact is that both supplements are designed to make up for the lack of nutrients that are not supplied with food. However, these products work in different ways.
It is necessary to choose sports nutrition based on the needs of your body. If the goal of exercising in the gym is weight loss, and a person is naturally inclined to be overweight, it is recommended to take protein mixtures with a high protein content. If it is impossible to build muscle mass due to accelerated metabolism and natural thinness, it is wiser to take gainers, which contain a lot of carbohydrates (including fast ones).
Read more about the differences between a gainer and a protein in the article.
Differences between a gainer and protein
The main difference between the two products is the different composition. Protein supplements are practically pure protein products with little carbohydrates and fats. The main purpose of protein intake is to "add" the required amount of pure proteins without overstating the calorie intake. This is convenient when the daily requirement for protein becomes such that it is already difficult to get it from regular food (you need to eat too often or too large portions). For busy people, the supplement will be useful when there is no time or opportunity to provide a low-calorie meal.
With a strong lack of calories, they resort to gainers. A gainer is a protein complex with a high content of carbohydrates, as well as fats, vitamins and minerals. These supplements are needed to quickly gain muscle mass for people with an accelerated metabolism and problems with muscle growth. In this case, gainers can be taken throughout the day, based on the daily calorie content of each diet.
For everyone else, it is recommended to take these supplements immediately after exercise to replenish lost energy. This is the only viable option - otherwise they will not be consumed properly, but converted into body fat.
Naturally overweight or obese people can only harm themselves by taking a gainer. Carbohydrates not processed in time will begin to be quickly deposited in adipose tissues - the results of such a reception will be far from perfect. Trainers in such cases are advised to take protein, which maintains the balance of amino acids in muscles and promotes their growth.
An important fact: both supplements sometimes contain creatine. This amino acid helps to strengthen the immune system and stimulates metabolic processes in the muscles. Also, proteins in proteins and gainers differ in the rate of absorption. For example, it is known that protein from chicken eggs is absorbed faster than beef. But this does not mean that one "feeding" the body with the necessary amino acids obtained from a particular type of protein is better than another. Easily digestible proteins are broken down faster and enter the bloodstream.
Which is better - protein or gainer?
Muscles need energy to rebuild their structure after a grueling workout. In addition, the body has a need for protein - this is the foundation and building material for creating a relief body.
Deciding which supplement should be present in the diet is not easy. A coach or doctor will help to do this by comparing the athlete's physical activity with his diet.
For convenience, we will consider three types of athletes' physique:
- A young, skinny student looking to get Arnold's muscles done in no time. His main diet is a cheese sandwich for breakfast, soup in the dining room for lunch, and dumplings or mashed potatoes with sausage for dinner. After obvious improvements to his menu (full meals from fish, meat, vegetables and cereals), it turns out that he still does not gain weight. Such a person is ideally suited to take a gainer 2-3 times a day.
- Sedentary office clerk, married with two children and a Lexus boss. He spends most of the day sitting in a chair and driving his Hyundai. Over the past 5 years, a "belly" has appeared, and the pants began to rub between the legs too often. The main diet of this type is coffee breaks with a donut, beer and chips in the company of friends in the evening, and a plate of fries and steak for dinner. He should take a closer look at pure protein, which will replace coffee breaks, snacks and beer with friends.
- A busy businessman, smart and always running somewhere. He starts in the morning by jogging in the park, and in the evening he goes to CrossFit or spends several "rounds in the ring." His diet is healthy, but only for breakfast and dinner, and in the middle of the day, a maximum of a cup of espresso. A complex of both supplements is suitable for such a person. The first snack in the form of protein, a gainer after training, and possibly a mixture of them in the middle of the day.
Thus, the choice between protein and gainer is highly individual and depends on many criteria:
- From the way of eating. If the daily food is scarce in protein and carbohydrates, special supplements are indispensable.
- From the construction of the human body:
- Ectomorphs, people prone to thinness, can take gainers without fear.
- Endomorphs prone to obesity should not overuse carbohydrates for fear of gaining extra pounds.
- Mesomorphs, people with close to ideal body proportions, are better off mixing supplements to obtain approximately the same ratio of proteins to carbohydrates. This will help them play sports while maintaining body contours and muscle definition.
A direct contraindication for taking gainers will be moderate activity in the gym in order to lose weight. As a rule, such people have a natural tendency to be overweight and do not need additional carbohydrates, getting enough of them from food. Training in this case should be accompanied by the intake of protein supplements.
Protein or gainer: what to choose for a beginner
A beginner athlete is easily lost in the variety of sports nutrition presented on the shelves. The choice is based on the type of person's figure.
If athletes find it difficult to gain muscle mass, and metabolic processes are too fast, a gainer with a high carbohydrate content is needed. With it, muscles will be able to effectively recover from training and grow. However, if the workouts are not intense, and carbohydrates are not completely processed into energy, they will be transformed into subcutaneous fat, and extra pounds will appear.
If a beginner is overweight, then he can do without additives altogether. The main thing is to form a healthy and balanced diet.
If a novice athlete is not obese, and due to his busyness does not have time to eat normally during the day, he should add protein to the diet. This is necessary in order to get your protein intake.
Can you drink gainer and protein at the same time?
It is allowed to consume supplements at the same time only if certain rules are followed:
- protein is taken in the morning, after waking up and before physical activity in the hall;
- the gainer is taken immediately after sports to replenish the expended energy;
- long intervals between meals are filled with one of the supplements;
- slow protein is a good way to end your day.
When combining protein with a gainer, keep equal proportions. In this case, training will become as effective as possible, and the muscles will receive the necessary building materials for growth and additional energy.
Protein and gainer are absolutely compatible and well absorbed by the body. In addition, the athlete saves a lot when mixing the formulations on his own.
There are no miracles
Some trainers and athletes cultivate the myth that with the intake of a gainer or protein, weight gain is 5-7 kg per month or more. This is not true. By itself, any sports nutrition does not give results - it is just a building material for muscles.
The only function of sports nutrition is the "addition" of substances necessary for the body, such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which the athlete has not been able to receive during the day in sufficient quantity for himself.
