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The Best Mass Gainers for Packing on Muscle
Up your calorie intake with our guide on the best mass gainers, with expert advice from a sports nutritionist
Widely considered the most efficient way of packing on muscle mass quickly, if you’re embarking on a bulk – or ‘Operation Get Chonky’, as athlete and adventurer Ross Edgley puts it – you’re essentially going to need to consume more calories than your body requires each day – ie. a calorie surplus.
And while upping your daily calorie intake might sound like fun, in reality, squeezing additional high-calorie meals into your daily diet can be time consuming – not to mention potentially unhealthy over extended periods.
Mass Gainers
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That’s where the best mass gainers come in handy. Essentially high-calorie protein shakes, mass (or weight) gainers – when used to support a balanced and healthy diet – are a super convenient supplement for quickly and efficiently getting your bulk on, while also giving you greater control over how much protein, carbs and fat you're consuming.
To help you find the very best mass gainers for your training, we enlisted the help of a sports performance nutritionist to find out all the essential information you need when shopping. In line with his advice, we list list a handful of our top recommended mass gainers for packing on muscle in 2024.
What Is a Mass Gainer?
As Yiannis Fleming, a sports performance coach and qualified nutritionist, puts it: ‘A mass gainer is essentially a higher-calorie protein powder, with a little added carbs and fats to bolster the caloric content.’
Mass gainers, like high-calorie protein powders, are therefore best suited to those struggling to consume enough calories to put on muscle, or for anyone that's bulking and looking to supplement their regular diet with additional carbs and fats.
‘This type of protein powder makes it easier to consume calories on a consistent basis in comparison to having to consume those calories from whole foods,’ Fleming adds.
‘Mass gainers aren’t supposed to replace a balanced diet, but rather complement this and allow you to consume the calories you need on those busy, unplanned days when you need to rely on convenience.’
More supplement reviews: Best Protein Powders | Best Whey Protein Powder | Best Vegan Protein Powder | Best Protein Bars | Best Pre-workout
Luke Chamberlain is the ecommerce editor for Men’s Health UK where he compiles expert-led buying guides and in-depth product reviews across gym wear, fitness tech, supplements, and grooming. Responsible for testing everything from the latest gym headphones to the best manscaping tools, Luke also enlists the help of leading health and wellness experts to help readers make informed choices when shopping online – whether it's to debunk the latest viral hair growth trend or to get the lowdown on a new type of recovery tech. He also covers major sales events for Men’s Health, such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, scouting and verifying hundreds of discounts in order to recommend only the most genuine deals on offer. A magazine journalism graduate from the University of Sheffield in 2018, Luke has also worked as assistant editor for Outdoor Swimmer magazine and as an ecommerce writer for The Recommended. When he’s not testing the latest health and fitness products, he’s busy plotting routes for his next trail run or gravel ride out of London. Follow Luke on Instagram at @lukeochamb
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
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