by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
Are you looking to gain weight fast in a healthy and sustainable way? If so, you’re not alone! Gaining weight can be just as difficult as losing weight for some people, and the healthiest way to gain weight is usually through diet and regular exercise. But some weight gain supplements can help you reach your weight gain goals faster and more effectively.
In this article, we are going to have a little fun and look at what dieticians consider the three best weight gain supplements. Will we agree or disagree? But I’m going to provide you with a little spoiler alert, their choices are pretty basic in the grand scheme of things — but let’s hear them out.
Moreover, you can look at what makes these weight gain supplements effective and the best way to use them in your everyday life.
So, without further ado, if you’re ready to pack on some extra pounds in a healthy way, let’s dive right in and hear what dieticians consider the top three weight gain supplements and how they can help you reach your ideal weight goals.
Top 3 Weight Gain Supplements
Below are the three best weight gain supplements according to dieticians.
1. Creatine
If you are a bodybuilder, an athlete, or a fitness enthusiast, you might know a little something about creatine. Ok, perhaps a lot since it’s something everyone should be using. Create is one of the most popular supplements known for increasing strength, enhancing performance, speeding up recovery time, and helping reach bodyweight goals faster by maximizing overall muscle growth.
Aside from these benefits, creatine also helps increase lean muscle mass by boosting performance. Studies show that when you consume creatine supplements, the concentration of creatine in muscles increases. This helps to improve performance and support muscle growth. But creatine has low calories and should be combined with other weight gain supplements and an increase in calories to help get in enough calories per day to support an increase in weight.
With so many incredible benefits, it’s no wonder why people are turning to creatine for their fitness journey. So, if you’re an experienced athlete looking to gain an edge or a beginner looking to start building muscle and looking to take your performance to the next level, creatine is undoubtedly worth considering.
2. Protein Powder
Are you shocked at this one? I’m not. It’s nothing new that protein powder has been a staple as one of the best weight gain supplements out there. If you are someone who is unable to meet their daily protein intake needs and looking to increase their protein intake, look no further than protein powder.
You can consume a standalone protein shake as one of your weight gain supplements, but if you want to kick things up a notch, you can make your own weight gainer by adding in some frozen fruit, natural peanut butter, and other ingredients to increase the calorie count (you can even toss your creatine that was mentioned above in your shake and mix it all in a blender).
But research also shows that utilizing a high-protein diet can aid weight loss as it makes people feel full for longer due to the nature of protein and the thermic effect of protein compared to the other macronutrients. This is why if you are taking a protein supplement as one of your weight gain supplements, you need to track your nutrition using something like MyFitnessPal and make sure to maintain your caloric surplus in order to put on size and weight.
The recommended daily protein intake for active adults to build muscle mass is 0.6-0.9 grams per pound of body weight. Or, if you want to make things easier on yourself, just strive for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you’re 200 pounds, aim for 200 grams of protein daily. In doing so, it helps support muscle growth.
3. Pre-Workouts
Surprise… surprise! Who doesn’t love a good pre-workout? Whether you prefer one that contains high stimulants or no stims at all, everyone seems to go crazy over pre-workouts these days. If you are looking to boost athletic performance and also gain weight, pre-workouts are a great option; therefore, it’s no surprise that dieticians put it on their list of weight gain supplements.
Resistance training is an important component of gaining weight, and pre-workout supplements can help you train at a higher intensity and work out longer and harder, which can indirectly lead to weight gain and contribute to an increase in muscle growth.
As per the studies, the most important ingredients in pre-workout supplements are caffeine, creatine (which we already mentioned above as one of our top weight gain supplements), nitrates, beta-alanine, and citrulline malate — all of which help boost performance.
Can Weight Gain Supplements Alone Help Increase Your Weight?
Let’s get it straight — weight gain supplements alone cannot help you gain weight.
Of course, they can be effective as some of them provide calories and nutrients in a concentrated form. But you need to remember that you should use it as a supplement to your diet and not as a replacement for a balanced and a nutrient-rich diet.
As per Laura Asbury, a registered dietician and strength conditioning coach, “Weight gain supplements should not be the first point of attack when looking to gain weight. Your calorie and nutrient intake should be in line to gain weight in a healthy and sustainable way.”
What’s the Bottom Line?
So, are you on a weight gain journey or looking to increase muscle mass? If so, then these three weight gain supplements are a perfect way to do so. With the help of these supplements, you can quickly and effectively gain the desired weight while still staying healthy and fit.
Whether you are just a beginner or a professional bodybuilder, these weight gain supplements can help you reach your fitness goals.
