Supplementing with the best mass gainers can be a great way to build lean muscle mass and bulk up. Especially if you are struggling to add serious mass, or to eat enough calories in your diet to place your body in an anabolic (muscle building) state.
The truth is, getting enough calories, proteins and carbohydrates from your diet can be tough.
But in order to bulk up and encourage muscle growth, you need to place your body into a caloric surplus, while feeding your body with the right amounts of protein and carbs every day.
On top of this, you need to train hard, sleep well, and adopt a consistent approach.
The best mass gainers help to ensure that you consume enough daily calories in your diet, by increasings the grams of protein and carbs you’re eating every day.
Our in-house team of nutrition experts have compared and reviewed all of the best mass gainers on the market.
We’ll talk you through each of these top 10 mass gainers, as well as our detailed mass gainer buying guide, which walks you through everything you need to know about mass gainers, as well as our top tips on controlling calorie intake and accelerating muscle gain.
Top 10 Best Mass Gainers
- Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
- Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer
- Legion Atlas Mass Gainer
- Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer
- Less Naked Mass
- Muscle Tech Mass-Tech
- Jym Mass Gainer
- MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer
- MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass
- BSN True Mass
Top 10 Best Mass Gainers
Here at BigBlueTest we compare and review all of the best mass gainers online, so that you can quickly and easily find the best mass gainer for you.
Each mass gainer has been tested by our team of in-house fitness and nutrition experts, analyzing calories per serving, macronutrient content (grams of protein, grams of carbs), creatine levels, and overall health benefits.
1. Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
Top of our list of the best mass gainers is Transparent Labs Mass Gainer.
Transparent Labs Mass Gainer is an effective muscle gain supplement that can be used as a dietary supplement, or as an outright meal replacement.
Transparent Labs Mass Gainer contains 740 calories per serving, made up of 53 grams of protein, 109 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of fats.
This muscle building formula is dense in calories and uses a 1:2 ratio of protein to carbs, helping to create effective macronutrient balance in your daily diet. It contains zero artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors, and is non-GMO and gluten free.
If you’re looking for a clean mass gainer that will provide you with a dense shot of high-quality calories, in a well-balanced macronutrient formula then Transparent Labs Mass Gainer is a great option.
Key Benefits
- Contains 740 calories per serving, 53g of protein, 109g of carbs, 12g of fat
- Can be taken as a calorie intake supplement, or as a meal replacement
- Comes in four great flavours, non-GMO, and gluten-free
Dosage
- Take 2x scoops per day to add 1480 calories to your diet, as well as 106 grams of protein
- Take with water, milk or milkshakes for additional nutritional benefit
Price
- $$
2. Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer
Next on our list of the best mass gainers is Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer.
Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer is another top muscle building supplement that will help you add the larger doses of macronutrients and calories to your daily diet.
Unlike Transparent Labs, Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer uses a protein to carbs ratio of 60:85, focusing on a larger amount of protein than carbs per serving. It is also packed full of 22 multivitamins and minerals that help replenish muscles post-workout.
Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer contains 650 calories per serving, 60g of protein, 85g of carbs, and 8g of fat. In addition, this mass gainer also contains 22 multivitamins which help play an important role in fuelling the body during high-intensity workouts, and in post-workout recovery.
Available in chocolate or vanilla flavor, Optimum Nutrition Serious Pro Gainer is undoubtedly one of the cleanest sources of healthy protein and carbs on the market.
Key Benefits
- Contains 650 calories per serving, 60g of protein, 85g of carbs, and 8g of fat
- Contains 22 multivitamins and minerals that support healthy muscle building and post-workout recovery
- Great for athletes looking to add protein, without surplus calorie intake
- Comes in two great flavors, and has been rated 5-star thousands of times on Amazon
Dosage
- Take 2x scoops per day to add 1300 calories to your diet, as well as 120 grams of protein
- Take with water of milk for additional nutritional benefit
Price
- $$$
3. Legion Atlas Mass Gainer
If you are looking for a lower calorie mass gainer, that is also a great meal replacement option, then Legion Atlas could be for you.
Legion Atlas Meal Replacement contains 370 calories per serving, 38g of protein, 51g of carbs, and 6g of fats. It is also packed full of 26 micronutrients, enzymes, and probiotics which help the body digest nutrients more efficiently.
Legion Atlas is a 100% natural mass gainer supplement that contains high-quality whey and casein protein, and food-based carbs and fats.
In fact, Legion Atlas contains 19 grams of whey protein, and 19 grams of micellar casein protein per serving, and the carb content is made up of a potato-starch and oat flour carbohydrate blend.
This ensures that the quality of protein and carbs added to your daily intake is derived from high-quality sources.
Legion Atlas also contains a flaxseed and coconut oil blend, as well as 21 other vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.
Key Benefits
- Contains 370 calories per serving, 38g of protein, 51g of carbs, and 6g of fats
- Contains 26 micronutrients, enzymes, and probiotics
- Perfect meal replacement or mass gainer supplement made from 100% natural sources
Dosage
- 2x scoops with water or your favourite drink
Price
- $$
4. Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer
Next on our list of the best mass gainers is Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer.
Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer is a hard-hitting mass gainer supplement that contains 600 calories per serving, 52g of protein, 87g of carbohydrates, and 5g of fat.
Real Gains uses high-quality ingredients, including whey protein, micellar casein protein, and complex carbs. On top of this, Real Gains contains 200g of essential and non-essential amino acids, alongside glutamine, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer also contains inulin, a special dietary fiber which aids in the body in digesting macronutrients. The dietary fats contained in Real Gains are also derived from flaxseeds and coconut oil.
Universal Real Gains Weight Gainer can be taken as a meal replacement or mass gainer supplement and fuels the body for muscle growth.
Key Benefits
- Contains 600 calories per serving, 52g of protein, 87g of carbohydrates, and 5g of fat
- 200g of essential and non-essential amino acids, including BCAAs
- Contains inulin for macronutrient absorption support
Dosage
- Mix 3.5 scoops with water, milk or your favourite drink
Price
- $$
5. Less Naked Mass
Less Naked Mass is next on our best mass gainers list, and is a heavy hitting bulking supplement that is designed to help you gain weight.
Less Naked Mass contains 1,360 calories per serving, 50g of protein, 251g of carbs, and 15g of fats. In addition, Less Naked Mass has a rich amino acid profile (including BCAAs), and also contains vitamins and minerals to support healthy macronutrient absorption.
In order to deliver this huge calorie and carb hit in each serving, Less Naked Mass uses five main ingredients; organic maltodextrin, whey protein, casein protein, coconut sugar, and cacao powder.
Unlike other mass gainers that use corn or wheat based maltodextrin, Less Naked Mass uses maltodextrin derived from organic tapioca, which is naturally gluten-free.
If you are looking for a mass gainer that will help you gain weight, and deliver a huge hit of carbs (1:5 protein to carb ratio), then Less Naked Mass is a great option.
Key Benefits
- Contains 1,360 calories per serving, 50g of protein, 251g of carbs, and 15g of fats
- Contains maltodextrin derived from organic tapioca (gluten-free) as opposed to corn or wheat based maltodextrin
- Rich amino acid profile (containing BCAAs), as well as multivitamins and minerals
Dosage
- Mix 4x scoops with water or your favourite drink
Price
- $$
6. Muscle Tech Mass-Tech
Next on our list of the best mass gainers is Muscle Tech Mass-Tech.
Muscle Tech Mass-Tech is a powerhouse mass gainer, that contains 1,000 calories per serving. If you are someone who is really struggling to get yourself into calorie surplus, then Muscle Tech Mass-Tech could be for you.
Alongside 1,000 calories per serving, Muscle Tech Mass-Tech contains 80g of protein, 156g of carbs (roughly 1:2 protein to carb ratio), 10g of creatine, and a whopping 17g of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids).
This makes Muscle Tech Mass-Tech one of the punchiest in our list of best mass gainers when it comes to calorie, carb and protein content. The introduction of creatine and BCAAs also gives you the fuel to power workouts, and the nutritional balance to aid post-workout recovery.
Muscle Tech Mass-Tech is scientifically backed, and only uses 100% natural ingredients. It is also non-GMO, and comes in some excellent flavor combinations.
Key Benefits
- Contains 100 calories per serving, 80g of protein, 156g of carbs, 10g of creatine, 17g of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids)
- One of the highest calorie, and macronutrient quantities on our best mass gainer list
- Contains 17g of BCAAs, as well as 10g of creatine – providing you with everything you need to fuel your workouts and recovery faster
Dosage
- 2x scoops per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon
Price
- $$
7. Jym Mass Gainer
If you are looking for a mass gainer that is high in protein, without a high ratio of carbs and calories, then Jym Mass Gainer is an excellent option.
Jym Mass Gainer contains just 280 calories per serving, while packing a powerful punch of 30g of protein, 30g of carbs, and 5g of fats. It can be used as an on-the-go supplement to bolster your diet, or as a stand-alone meal replacement.
Jym Mass Gainer only uses the highest-quality protein sources, including 50% casein protein, 40% whey protein, and 10% egg protein. This provides the optimum blend of proteins for fast absorption and slow/medium-release protein, helping to sustain muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.
In addition, Jym Mass Gainer uses a combination of low-glycemic and high-glycemic carbs (3:1 ratio) to deliver a fast hit of energy pre-workout, with a sustained energy release post-workout. These carbs are sourced from pea starch, isomaltulose, and oat fiber, as opposed to high-glycemic carb-sources like maltodextrin.
Jym Mass Gainer is an excellent mass gainer that delivers the perfect blend of macros for anyone who wants to add high-quality protein, carb and fat sources to their diet – all without taking on too many additional calories.
Key Benefits
- Contains 280 calories per serving, 30g of protein, 30g of carbs, 5g of fats
- High quality mass gainer that includes optimal blends of fast/medium and slow release proteins, as well as 3:1 blend of low-glycemic to high-glycemic carbs
- Available in three great flavors, can be used as a meal replacement or standalone supplement
Dosage
- 1x scoop per day or additional scoops can be added to bolster carb intake
Price
- $$
8. MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer
Next on our list of the best mass gainers is MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer.
Unlike JYM’s mass gainer which limits calories and carbs, with a 1:1 ratio, MusclePharm Combat XL contains a 1:5 blend and is packed full of 1,270 calories per serving.
If you are struggling to onboard calories or want to bulk up fast, MusclePharm is a great option that will allow you to accelerate your calorie intake substantially.
MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer contains 1,270 calories per serving, 50g of protein, 252g of carbs, as well as 7g of fat from MCTs, flaxseeds, and chai seeds.
If you are looking for a mass gainer supplement that will help you bulk up fast, moving your body into calorie surplus then MusclePharm Combat XL is a brilliant option.
MusclePharm Combat XL Mass Gainer is gluten-free, and contains 4 protein sources, a mix of complex carbs, as well as fast-absorbing fats for fuel.
Key Benefits
- Contains 1,270 calories per serving, 50g of protein, 252g of carbs, as well as 7g of fat
- High calorie and carb intake suitable for hard-gainers and anyone looking to substantially increase calorie intake
- Gluten-free, non-GMO, and only uses highest-quality ingredients
Dosage
- 1-2x scoop with water or milk
Price
- $$
9. MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass
If you are looking for a grass-fed beef protein mass gainer, then MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass leads the pack.
MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass contains 710 calories per serving, including 50g of protein (hydrolyzed beef protein), 125g of carbs, and 2.5g of fats. It also contains BCAAs, creatine, and chromium.
Carnivor Mass is an anabolic supplement that will get your metabolism firing, while firing up your muscle building capability. The use of hydrolyzed beef protein helps to spike amino acid levels, while supporting rapid absorption during and post-workouts.
The introduction of BCAAs and creatine also help to fuel workouts, while aiding post-workout recovery.
MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass is sugar-free, lactose-free and extremely low in fats compared to other mass gainers on our top 10 list.
Key Benefits
- Contains 710 calories per serving, including 50g of protein (hydrolyzed beef protein), 125g of carbs, and 2.5g of fats
- Also contains BCAAs and creatine
- Sugar-free, lactose-free and low in fat
Dosage
- 1x scoop early in the morning or post-workout
Price
- $$
10. BSN True Mass
The final mass gainer on our list of top mass gainers is BSN True Mass.
BSN True Mass contains 702 calories per serving, 44g of protein, 86g of carbs, and 17g of fat. It is the optimum mass gainer for those looking for a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein, and also contains a healthy mix of fats and amino acids that fuel workouts and aid muscle recovery.
BSN True Mass can be used as a post-workout recovery shake, or as a standalone meal replacement and helps to fuel muscle growth, support lean muscle, and increase calorie intake.
If you are an athlete who needs an above-average level of calories, with a balanced macro profile, then BNS True Mass fits the bill.
BSN True Mass only uses the highest-quality ingredients, and creates a highly efficient metabolic environment for fat burning and healthy weight gain.
Key Benefits
- Contains 702 calories per serving, 44g of protein, 86g of carbs, and 17g of fat
- Helps you gain weight, develop muscle size, strength, and recovery
- 2:1 carb to protein ratio with healthy all-round macro blend
Dosage
- 1x scoop early in the morning or post-workout
Price
- $$
Mass Gainer Supplement Buying Guide
Now that we have completed our guide to the best mass gainers, let’s turn our attention to our mass gainer buying guide.
Here we walk you through how mass gainers work, how to use mass gainers to build muscle, and why the best mass gainers only include high-quality ingredients, and any potential side effects to be aware of.
If you are looking to build muscle, develop lean mass, and gain weight, then mass gainers are one of the best fitness supplement you can take to achieve your goals.
Let’s dive in.
What Are Mass Gainers?
Mass gainers are dietary supplements that contain a high dosage mix of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that support your body in gaining weight.
The fact is, if you want to start building lean muscle mass, then you need to design your diet, bodybuilding regime and lifestyle to support you in reaching your goals.
That means alongside plenty of sleep and hard workouts, you need to eat a calorie surplus every day, and you need to onboard enough proteins, carbs and fats to fuel your body to grow and recover.
Mass gainer supplements help with this exact process.
How Do Mass Gainers Work?
Mass gainers are packed full of healthy calories in the form of complex carbs, proteins, and fats. While each mass gainer contains a different blend of macronutrients, each is designed to help feed the body with a large dose of healthy and balanced calories.
- Protein – most leading mass gainers contain a blend of whey protein concentrate, casein protein, and egg protein. By blending these three protein sources, you provide the body with fast-digesting proteins which act to encourage protein synthesis during workouts, as well as medium and slow-digesting proteins for sustained protein synthesis throughout the day
- Carbohydrates – like protein, there are different forms of complex carbohydrates which are packed into the best mass gainers. The best mass gainers contains a blend of high-glycemic and low-glycemic carbs. During workouts, you need a small supply of high-glycemic carbs to energize your workout, while post-workout, low-glycemic carbs are better equipped to stimulate recovery and high testosterone levels
- Fats – while many associate fat as unhealthy, it is actually a vital macronutrient that can help fuel the metabolism and encourage lean muscle mass. The best mass gainers contain a healthy blend of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats from sources like flaxseeds, coconut oil, and MCT (medium-chain triglycerides). On top of this, certain mass gainers include conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has shown to reduce body fat
In addition to macronutrients, many mass gainers also contains creatine monohydrate, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and multivitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- Creatine – creatine monohydrate is an organic molecule formed from amino acids in the body. Creatine plays an important role in producing ATP which is the main energy source for muscle cells during high-intensity workouts. On top of this, creatine helps to build muscle, boost athletic performance, and help with post-workout muscle recovery
- BCAAs – these amino acids are non-essential, meaning they must be consumed via supplements and food. BCAAs play a number of vital roles in the body and are important in regulating protein synthesis, and metabolic rate
Supplementing with mass gainers is a great way to maintain a healthy and balanced macro profile, while onboarding enough calories to encourage muscle growth and weight gain.
While many believe that simply ‘eating more’, will achieve the same results. If you take on a high amount of empty calories every day, you encourage unhealthy weight gain, leading to an increase in body fat percentage.
Mass Gainer Benefits
There are some fantastic benefits of taking mass gainers, especially if you are finding it difficult to onboard the correct volume of calories and macronutrients to support your training goals.
Here is a breakdown of some of the top mass gainer benefits.
Build Lean Muscle
Building lean muscle is a really tough thing to do. That is because the body is geared to constantly balance muscle synthesis (the creation of new muscle), with muscle breakdown. This balance between anabolic and catabolic states is one of the main reasons that people struggle to gain muscle mass, even when they train hard in the gym.
The best mass gainers help to move the body into calorie surplus (and an anabolic state) by supporting a healthy and balanced diet with even more macro-rich calories.
This means that by simply taking a mass gainer supplement, containing carbohydrates, protein powder and fats you can hit your daily calorie intake goals. In turn, feeding your muscles with everything they need to grow.
Weight Management
The best mass gainers can also be used as a way to maintain weight in a healthy way. If you are an athlete who regularly carries out sustained high-intensity or endurance exercise, then it’s likely you need to eat a lot more calories.
Competitive sports like swimming, skiing, weightlifting, rugby, wrestling, and power lifting require you to eat 5,000-12,000 calories per day just to maintain weight.
The best mass gainers give you the tools to be able to onboard this amount of calories in a healthy way.
Post-Workout Recovery
After you workout, your glycogen levels are depleted, and your muscles are crying out for protein in order to rebuild.
The best mass gainers contain all of the macronutrients your body requires to help maximize post-workout recovery. That means a mix of low-glycemic carbohydrates, medium/slow-digesting proteins, and healthy fats.
Weight Gain
Some people are born with extremely fast metabolisms that make it very difficult for them to build muscle and gain weight.
The best mass gainers can help by supplying the body with easy-to-consumer macronutrients in high-calorie doses. This ensures that the body moves into healthy calorie surplus and starts to build muscle, even while metabolic rate remains high.
Mass Gainer Side Effects
The best mass gainers are widely recognized as healthy nutritional supplements that can support a balanced diet. As such, you should not experience any unwanted side effects when taking mass gainer supplements.
With that said, it’s important to always monitor your calorie intake to ensure that your mass gainer supplement is supporting your training goals.
To put it simply, if you consume too many extra calories, without using those calories from healthy weight gain, you will develop body fat.
As a rule of thumb, the body needs 1.4-2g of protein per lb of body weight to build muscle, alongside 4g of carbs per lb of bodyweight. And as a whole, the body requires 20 calories per lb of bodyweight to gain health body weight.
That means if you weight 180lbs, then you require 3,600 calories per day, made up of 360g of protein, and 720g of carbohydrates.
If you consume too many calories, or do not match calorie intake with the require training, then there is a risk you will add fat instead of lean muscle.
Best Mass Gainer Top Tips
Now that we have covered some of the main facts on mass gainers, take a look at our top tips which explain how to get the most out of your mass gainer supplement.
- Caloric surplus – in order to add healthy lean muscle mass, you need to move your body into caloric surplus. This means consuming 20 calories per lb of body weight every day. Make sure that you gain a thorough understanding of how you currently consume calories before taking a mass gainer. Understand how much protein, carbs and fats you are getting from your diet, in order to understand what you need to supplement with to meet your required caloric surplus
- Onboard protein and carbs – ensure that you are getting enough protein and complex carbohydrates in your diet. That means consuming 1.4-2g of protein per lb of bodyweight, as well as 4g of carbs per lb of bodyweight
- Add training volume over time – unless you add sustained training volume in the form of weight, sets or reps, then you will not continue to build muscle. The best bodybuilders constantly stretch their PBs by lifting more weight for longer, this helps to constant force the body to exist in an anabolic state to build muscle
- Prioritize sleep – one of the most overlooked muscle building aspects is sleep. When you sleep your body has time to heal and repair. Make sure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, and that you cut out unwanted calories from your diet (in the form of alcohol and sugary snacks)
- Buy the mass gainer that is right for you – whenever you compare and review the best mass gainers it is clear to see that they contain very different macronutrient blends. If you need to onboard a lot of extra calories to hit your muscle building targets then pick a mass gainer high in calories and complex carbohydrates. On the other hand, if you only need a small amount of calories but want to take on more protein, pick a lower calorie mass gainer of protein powder
Best Mass Gainer Bottom Line
We have now completed our ultimate guide to the best mass gainers on the market.
Our list of the best mass gainers shows you all of the top supplements for gaining weight and building muscle fast, so that you can pick the mass gainer supplement that best meets your training goals and needs.
Still not sure which mass gainer to choose? Check out our buying guide to find out everything you need to know before you buy. That includes how mass gainers work, what extra calories, and macros you need to consume to build muscle, and how each macronutrient helps support healthy weight gain.
If you’d like to learn more about the best health supplements online, check out BigBlueTest for all of the latest health and supplement reviews.
