Q. What exactly weight gainers do?

A. Weight gainers are supplements, usually in powdered form, that add on to your muscle mass and help you gain weight in a healthy way. They contain protein, carbohydrates and fats in a balanced ratio. Proteins increase your muscle mass, carbs provide you energy and fats provide essential fatty acids in moderate amount.

Q. Do weight gainers make me fat?

A. Weight gainers are high on calories. That is why working out properly and consuming a healthy diet along with weight gainers is of utmost importance to balance out your calorie intake, otherwise weight gainers will just put on muscle mass and fats, and make you plump.

Q. Who should use a weight gainer?

A. Weight gainer is a supplement that is required if you are not getting enough calories from your food. So first you need to watch out your calories and then go for a weight gainer if you think that you need one. Anyone who is interested in gaining strong muscle mass and weight can consume a weight gainer. However, weight gainer alone cannot do wonders. Exercising and consuming balanced meals is equally important to prevent addition of excess weight in the form of unhealthy fats.

Q. What should I look for in a weight gainer?

A. Weight gainers contain proteins, carbs and fats in an appropriate ratio. You should look out for the amount of saturated fats in weight gainers. It should be minimum as these fats are not healthy.

Protein should be in the form of whey preferably as it gives quick results by getting absorbed fast into the muscle tissues. Some weight gainers also contain casein as the protein source, which is equally good. However, casein is a slow-digesting protein that works in a sustained manner to provide its benefits. Casein protein is consumed preferably at night to provide long, sustained benefit to the body while sleeping.

Some weight gainers are packed with simple sugars to increase the calorie amount. Such weight gainers should be avoided. A good weight gainer contains more of complex carbohydrates and less of simple sugars.

Also, check out the cholesterol content when buying a weight gainer. Generally, 100 g cholesterol per serving is considered as the limit for anything and above that is on the high side. So watch out the cholesterol content.

Q. What is the appropriate time to consume a weight gainer?

A. A weight gainer can be consumed at any time you want as per what you want to achieve using this supplement. You can consume it in the morning, in breakfast, before/after workouts, before going to bed, etc. There is really no right time for that. You have to consume it according to your targets.

Q. How often should I consume a weight gainer serving in a day?

A. This depends on your bodybuilding goal and whether you are a beginner, or on intermediate or advanced levels. All weight gainers from different brands mention their recommended dosage on their containers. The dosage also depends upon the calories you are consuming through food. One to three servings a day can do well depending on your food intake and your workout goals.

MuscleBlaze Weight Gainer with Added Digezyme, 500 g (1.1 lb), Chocolate