Difference between Protein Supplement and Mass Gainer

The world of fitness is brimming with fitness regimes, advices, gear, exercises, supplements and what not! For those, to whom fitness is more of a lifestyle than a choice, additional supplements, can prove to be a beneficial choice as they can help a person in building up a body or achieving fitness goals, in a more dedicated and religious manner.

While supplements have gained a majestic amount of royalty about them, most people are thoroughly unaware of their exact use, purpose and composition, which is why, they often end up using the wrong products, at the wrong time and in the wrong quantity. Read on to learn more about the exact meaning of protein supplements and mass gainers and which one should you be opting for!

What is a Protein supplement?

The most obvious and common way in which protein supplements manifest themselves in the markets shelves these days as whey protein powders. The process of obtaining whey protein kicks off with milk processing or it could also be cheese manufacturing in certain cases. As these processes culminates, whey protein is obtained as a by product to the process. What science tells us about whey protein is that it is a very pure form of protein, in fact, the purest. Benefits to the human body from whey protein are easy digestion and quick release to the blood stream.

Nutrient composition of such protein supplements usually includes only a few grams of carbohydrates and fats. When you reach out to a protein supplement on the shelf of a fitness shop, you will come across various variants of such protein supplements which vary from isolates, concentrates and blends. They are differentiated on the basis of protein content in them.

Protein supplements are the ideal way to get a fit dietary supplement, not just for athletes but also for regular gym goers. Muscles can be fuelled and stamina can be increased manifold with regular intake of protein supplements. These supplements also work on satiating food pangs.

What is a Mass gainer?

Now, mass gainers are not just filled with a heavy dose of proteins but also with a huge amount of carbs and fats that basically increase the calorie count taken by the body. In fact, the carbohydrates content of mass gainers is almost double the content of protein.

The major purpose of mass gainers is to increase weight and muscles. People with a high metabolism rate have difficulty gaining weight or building new muscle tissue. Since increase in weight or muscle gain requires increase in your calorie intake, mass gainers can come to your rescue. Mass gainers provide with some good quality nutrients with calories and not just empty calories. So if you have difficulty increasing your calorie intake for bulking up, mass gainers is what you should go for. Having achieved the desired calorie intake through these mass gainers, one can drastically build up weight composition of the body.

So, now let’s take a look at the major differences between the two so that you can decide which one to consume for your fitness goals.

Mass gainers and protein supplements: The difference

How you wish to treat your body or what exactly are your fitness goals, play a major and the central role in deciding which of the either you should choose with your fitness activity and goals.

Bodybuilding goals: If building the body and increasing endurance is your goal, then your body needs more protein content, instead of fat content. Mass gainers are simply bound to increase storage of fat in the body. Choose a protein supplement instead, which will fuel your muscles with a high dose of protein, practically best for your fitness goals.

Lean physique goals: If your target is to get an athletic body or a lean body state, you should definitely stay away from any form of carbs and fat content, which simply means that you should avoid any form of mass gainers. Protein supplements are best suited for your goals and long term fitness target.

Sports goals: Sports enthusiast tend to be very reserved and cautious about their weight as it can directly hamper their performance on the field. Once again, mass gainers are just not the right choice for these people as they are only going to end up forming more fat content in the body with its consumption.

Weight gain goals: Many body builders struggle hard in the initial days of their weight training as their muscles simply do not gain any weight. Mass gainers prove to be very efficient in this case as they help in adding weight quickly. However, they should always be consumed in limited quantity.

Here is the difference in content between a typical whey protein and mass gainer.

The lowdown: what should you choose?

It is difficult to understand and really zero down on either mass gainers or protein supplements, as both offer a different variety of benefits. Overall, it has been seen and noted by several fitness enthusiasts that protein supplements do a good job at handling overall health of the body in any case. It is quite obvious that the body is meant to benefit from an added dose of protein in the system but not quite from added carbohydrates and fats, unless you have a fitness goal to achieve.

Mass gainers are typically suggested for people who indulge in weight training practices and more specifically in case they find it difficult to achieve the desired mass gain in muscles. All those calories, post a workout, add a strong dose of glycogen, which replaces the calories lost during workout. However, consuming mass gainers for a long period can prove to be detrimental to the body as it will only end up adding all those extra layers of fat, which can be very hard to get rid of, later on. Hence, before you choose a mass gainer it helps to have a look at the fat content figures and consult a certified trainer who can suggest a product that suits your requirement.

Working out and exercising is surely a must for all people up to a certain age. Our body is trained to absorb amino acids, after a hefty workout, which basically makes up the building blocks of proteins. Ultimately, consumption of protein powders targets and works on improving muscle growth.

Bottom Line

Both, mass gainers and protein supplements, work aptly at delivering amino acids to those worked out muscles and can be consumed easily with any form of liquid. So basically, depending on your body goals and fitness goals, you can choose either of mass gainers or protein supplements to boost up your fitness regime easily.