As an Ectomorph, I know how frustrating and demotivating it can get when you put so much effort into your training or diet but barely see any results when it comes to building muscles. This is pretty common among people that have an Ectomorph body type. Because of your fast metabolism and natural low body fat percentage, building muscles and gaining weight will be a challenging journey. That’s why the majority of beginner Ectomorphs tend to lean towards adding supplements to their nutrition plans. Is this beneficial? In other words, should Ectomorphs take Mass Gainers?
Although taking any sort of supplements isn’t necessary for Ectomorphs, Mass Gainers could significantly increase your muscle gain potential due to the high amount of proteins, carbs, and calories that they contain.
In this article, we’ll talk about the usage of Mass Gainers, its advantages as well as its disadvantages. This way, you can choose whether or not you can start implementing it into your diet.
Mass Gainer? What’s That?
Before getting into its advantages and disadvantages, you first need to know what a Mass Gainer is. It’s a common supplement that contains multiple levels of protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, amino acids, and other essential nutrients that your body needs. Although all of these can be found in a naturally rich diet, Mass Gainers provide a sort of shortcut and efficiency when it comes to fueling your body. And compared to Whey Protein, they have less protein in them, but more carbs and fat. These high levels of carbs are essential for Ectomorphs in order to have a calorie surplus which is the most important factor in building muscles and gaining weight. There are multiple variations of Mass Gainers in the market, here are the ones I recommend for Ectomorphs:
- Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder
- Dymatize Super Mass Gainer Protein Powder
- Mass Gainer Protein Powder | MuscleTech Mass-Tech Extreme 2000
- Mass Gainer Protein Powder | MuscleTech Mass-Tech Mass Gainer
How To Use A Mass Gainer As An Ectomorph?
Mass Gainers could be taken after your workouts, during breakfast to kickstart your day, between your meals, or before you sleep. Blend it with water or milk according to your preference. A single serving of a Mass Gainer provides your body on average between 400 to 1500 calories or more (Although it highly depends on which Mass Gainer you’re taking). It can also contain between 20 to 60 grams of protein and 150 to 300 grams of carbs which makes it the perfect supplement for Ectomorphs. They are the ones that can hardly gain any weight and who constantly need to fuel their bodies with calories and nutrients. So besides their daily food intake following a good Ectomorph diet, opting for Mass Gainers is extremely efficient when it comes to building your muscles.
Advantages Of Mass Gainers For Ectomorphs
They Are Rich In Carbohydrates
As I mentioned earlier, Mass Gainers contain a high amount of carbs which are considered the primary source of energy. They also help in fueling your brain, reducing bloating, making you happier, sleeping better, and improving muscle mass. So carbs are essential for those who work out on a regular basis such as Ectomorphs, and that need constant amounts of energy. Therefore, Mass Gainers are an excellent addition when it comes to fueling your body with the required energy.
They Help In Muscle Growth
The most important factor that comes with all Mass Gainers, is that they can boost both muscle growth and recovery. They are rich in nutrients that help structure and heal muscle tissues after those intense workouts which is something that Ectomorphs highly need due to their rapid metabolism.
They Help In Having a Calorie Surplus
If you’ve read some of my past articles, then you know how much I emphasize how important it is to have a calorie surplus as an Ectomorph. This means that if your body needs 3000 calories per day, then you have to give it between 3500 to 4000 calories in order to gain weight and develop muscles. In some cases, it may be difficult to reach those calories milestones with a normal diet, especially for Ectomorphs with a low appetite. The best solution to fulfill your necessary calorific requirements is to use supplements such as Mass Gainers.
They Are a Great Source For Minerals And Vitamins
Mass Gainers also provide your body with a decent amount of minerals and vitamins which are important to staying healthy. These essential nutrients can boost your immune system, support normal growth and development, and help your cells do their ordinary jobs.
Disadvantages Of Mass Gainers For Ectomorphs
They Contain Too Much Sugar
One of the most negative aspects of Mass Gainers is their high sugar levels. The majority of companies benefit more from adding sugar to their supplements. It’s a way for them to assure the weight gain properties and to add a sweet flavor to their product. It’s true that sugar contains a high amount of calories and carbs which is beneficial for Ectomorphs but an excess of it can lead to serious problems such as unhealthy weight gain.
They Could Lead To Bloating
Consuming too much Mass Gainers can sometimes lead to bloating. That’s because your body isn’t familiar with consuming those many calories and sugar at one go. So it can interfere with your body’s normal absorption of nutrients which can cause diarrhea or even constipation.
They Aren’t That Tasty
Unfortunately, most Mass Gainers aren’t that tasty at all. In fact, most people avoid these supplements just because they can’t stand their taste and especially that aftertaste that can stay in your mouth for hours.
They Can Cause Insomnia
Mass Gainers also contain decent amounts of caffeine. Yes, it can be beneficial for Ectomorph, especially as a pre-workout stimulant, but consuming too much of it could lead to insomnia. As a result, you won’t be getting enough sleep nor rest which could lead to muscle loss.
Ultimately, Mass Gainers can be a really good addition for Ectomorphs that are looking to gain weight. But as you can see, there are also some disadvantages to using them. By knowing all their pros and cons, you’ll know if you want to implement them into your nutrition plan. And consuming these Mass Gainers is useless if you don’t follow a good Ectomorph workout plan (Or a home one).