In a world where women are more concerned about losing weight and toning down for the summer days, it’s not common to look for effective and efficient ways to gain weight. Weight gainers with Whey and other proteins grew in popularity with bodybuilders and generally men who wanted to get more mass. There’s nothing wrong with women wanting to get stronger, especially if they’re actively training some sport. However, narrowing down the best products that are both safe and comfortable takes a lot of time and research.
This article aims to approach weight gainers to women and teach them how to use them properly, without posing any kind of risks. In the first section of the article, you’ll find a comprehensive guide on things you need to pay attention to before purchasing the best weight gainer for women.
Women have always been hesitant about using weight gainers to build more mass, stamina, strength, and endurance. However, for women in bodybuilding, as well as other sports that may require high protein intake, weight gainers are some of the most effective assets to gain weight and pack yourself up.
Best Weight Gainers For Women: Quick Summary
Best Overall: Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder – If you’re looking for a protein and carb powerhouse that will help you build mass, muscles, and definitions, look no further. It comes in different tastes and doesn’t feel hard on your tummy.
Runner Up: Dymatize Super Mass Gainer – If you’re a professional athlete who is looking to take their weight gain to the next level and increase the calorie intake, this is one of the best options for you.
Best Budget: Real Gains Weight Gainer – For those restricted on budget, Real Gains weight gainer can yield as great a result as some pricier options, although it’ll take more time and dedication.
There’s a lot of concern arising from using weight gainers, especially if you’re a woman. However, the calorie intake between men and women on regular basis doesn’t differentiate too much. That said, it’s safe to use weight gainers, as it’s nothing more than a mix of carbohydrates and proteins necessary to trigger your body to pump some mass.
Nevertheless, with proper use, proper natural calorie intake (through meals), and workout habits, you’ll be able to gain weight effortlessly using the best weight gainers for women.
9 Things To Consider Before Buying Weight Gainer
Some stereotypes have it that women shouldn’t buy weight gainers, as they’re used to gain weight and they’re mainly used by bodybuilders and rather extreme athletes. The truth is that anyone who wants to get stronger and more massive can use weight gainers, that includes women.
According to a study weight gain supplements are a great source of healthy weight gain and help with producing lean muscle mass.
Still, before you embark on this journey, here are some things that will help you purchase the right weight gainer, and that it will be more comfortable to use.
1. Pick Your Type
As you may know, there are a few different types or forms that the weight gainers come in. The most prominent forms include:
- Powder
- Capsules
- Softgels
The type you choose depends on several factors, like whether you want to make a milkshake or something else. Softgels are less prominent on the market but some people still use them. It comes down to you on what you’ll use, but people mostly choose powder because it also comes with an additional tastes like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry.
2. Key Ingredients
Weight gainers are designed so that they mainly consist of proteins and carbohydrates. Protein is the key element in the weight gainer formula, and below we’ll explain to you what each of the key elements means:
Protein: You’ll mostly find Whey Isolate or Whey Hydrolysate as they are the two most prominent proteins found in the world of bodybuilding. They help get more mass in the muscle, while also contributing to their shaping and definition. The two proteins are quite similar, although they have different digestion processes. If you’re looking for a lower dose of protein, you could also go for the whey concentrate option. Studies show that proteins are essential ingredients to clean muscle mass gain.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are like food for our body to release more energy. In real-time, you’ll find carbohydrates in flour products and pastries, cookies, sweets, and others. They are also what helps us gain weight. When choosing the right protein to carbohydrates ratio, you should always go for 3:1 carbohydrates as opposed to protein.
Enzymes: Enzymes are important because they prevent poor digestion that can lead to diarrhea or congestion. Instead, they make it faster without the side effects like bloating and potential acid reflux.
Creatine: All good quality weight gainers for women should come with creatine. However, it’s not the top important element in the formula, at least if you’re aiming for budget-friendly options. It’s produced inside our body and the proteins help absorb it.
Maltodextrin: Maltodextrin is a vegetable starch in the form of a powder that helps with flavor, while also postponing the expiration date of the products. Additionally, it’s an energizing nutrient that helps athletes have more productive workouts.
Fibers: Fibers inside weight gainers are important because they help get rid of unwanted toxins. Fibers are a great weapon against the toxic nutrients, according to a study.
3. Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins may not be important to you if you already have multivitamin options on your shelf or eat highly nutritional meals. However, if you don’t, you could get more vitamin value from the options stacked in the weight gainer formula.
Some of the good vitamin options include vitamin A, vitamin B complex (Vitamins B6 + B12), Vitamin C to improve the overall body immunity, and Vitamin D, which helps energize the immune response.
When it comes to minerals, it’d be great if the weight gainer mix would include Zinc or Magnesium, as they are quite important for the digestive system and muscles. Magnesium particularly helps muscles relax and heal after an intensive workout that could leave your muscles weak and sore.
4. How Much Sugar There Is
To obscure the sour or bitter taste, the powder may usually include some sugary side-flavor like chocolate, vanilla, or fruit like strawberry. Some side flavors may even include chocolate chip cookies to completely obscure the taste of protein.
However, even though sugar helps gain weight, it must be contained only in the carbohydrates of the mix. Otherwise, some options may have too much sugar to handle and lead to imbalances in the organism.
According to the American Heart Association, women have lower maximal sugar intake per day. For women, it’s recommended to take no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar. That equals 100 calories or 25 grams. It’s quite hard to keep up with those measurements. If you drink one 12-ounce soda can you’ve already exceeded the amount of sugar to take?
In weight gainers, it’s normal to exceed the recommended sugar intake, but you should still strive to not exceed it by too much. If your weight gainer is sweeter than it should be, that’s alright, you just shouldn’t overdo it with other sugary food throughout the day.
5. Weight Gainers Don’t Replace Real Food
Even if the weight gainers in milkshakes and smoothies help energize you and make you less hungry, that by no means should result in you avoiding eating. Weight gainer scoops can often give you more than 1,000 calories so that means you can take smaller meals throughout the day.
Still, that doesn’t mean you should completely resolve to take powdered shakes throughout the day and expect there won’t be consequences. Weight gainer abuse could come with various side effects that we’ll discuss below.
6. Does It Have Probiotics?
One of the earlier discussed side effects of weight gainers is that it can cause bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea, acid reflux, and sometimes even nausea and vomiting. That’s why you should consider taking weight gainers that come with probiotics.
Probiotics are a special type of bacteria found in protein-rich foods like dairy. They feed and regulate the gut flora by pushing out the bad bacteria and toxins that harm your stomach. Understandably so, weight gainers may cost more than the average weight gainers, but they’re definitely worth it if you have digestion problems but still want to pump your mass up.
7. Vegan Or Not?
Getting weight gainers that are vegetarian and vegan-friendly is often difficult because the protein is often sourced from animal origin. However, the technology and development of the sports industry allowed many companies to produce vegan-friendly weight gainers, that also works for women.
Make sure to check the label of each product to ensure that the ingredients are vegan, so you don’t make mistakes and notice something that is obscured when the product has already arrived.
8. Caffeine
Did you know that some weight gainers could contain caffeine? Caffeine is a legal energizing drug that helps people feel more awake, alert, and focused. That also makes it a good choice for working out, except when it doesn’t. Caffeine can make you feel dehydrated if you’re actively working out, so make sure to use your caffeine-rich weight gainer responsibly.
9. Know The Risks
Weight gainers are generally considered safe for adult men and women. Still, there are some risks associated with using them.
- When abused, Creatin could cause liver damage.
- You should avoid taking weight gainers in excess amounts if you already suffer from low blood pressure. The emphasis of these products is producing less fat, which naturally lowers blood pressure.
- It can cause bloating, diarrhea or congestion, nausea, and acid reflux.
- It can cause recurrent headaches and migraine
- Even though weight gainers can help people with moderately higher blood pressure, they shouldn’t take it in excess amounts.
- It can cause dysfunction of the kidneys.
8 Best Weight and Mass Gainer Supplements For Women 2022: Detailed Reviews
We went into thorough details to help you pick the right weight gainer for building more mass in your muscles. But, which one is the best? We’ll take a look at the best weight gainers for women below.
Best Overall: Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Chocolate, Strawberries, Vanilla
- Calories per serving: 1,250 calories
When it comes to the best overall weight gainer, it is the Optimum Nutrition mass weight gainer. It’s suitable for both men and women, thanks to its optimized mixture and because it feels light for the stomach. It isn’t the best option for vegan due to the milk and eggs in it. Also, if you’re allergic to dairy, eggs, and soy, you should avoid this option, but other than that, it tastes amazing, it’s comfortable and not heavy on the stomach.
Its count includes 1,250 calories per serving, which may be a little too much for women who are just beginning their journey of gaining weight. Nevertheless, it can be put in a blender and mixed with your favorite milkshake. It’s available in multiple tastes like chocolate, strawberries, and vanilla. There’s a stronger Optimum Nutrition powder, which has more flavors. Still, we rather recommend this lighter one to women.
It consists of 50g of pure protein and 250g of carbs, which is the perfect ratio for seasoned athlete ladies who are looking for healthy ways to efficiently gain weight.
When it comes to other ingredients, it has a myriad of vitamins, totaling 25 vitamins and minerals. The whole bunch includes Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E. Additionally, there’s Creatine, Calcium Caseinate, and Zinc.
Editor’s Notes: As mentioned earlier, even though this is a lighter option than the main Optimum Nutrition weight gainer, it may have too many calories for beginners who want to start anew. That said, if you do opt for this weight gain, take half the portion.
Runner Up: Dymatize Super Mass Gainer
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Cookies & Cream, Gourmet Vanilla, Rich Chocolate
- Calories per serving: 1,310 calories
This is another option that is ideal for experienced, veteran ladies who’ve already worked on their muscle mass and prepared for bodybuilding and other athletic competitions. Additionally, if the first option we reviewed wasn’t strong enough for you, you can go to this one, as it has 1310 calories.
In simpler terms, those 1310 calories make for 245g of carbohydrates and 52 grams of pure protein. It is a combination of fast, medium, and slow-digesting proteins. With such balance, you’ll hardly ever feel bloated or sick. However, your muscles will gain the mass they need, while also feeling strong and full of stamina in the process.
If you’re concerned about potential problems with muscle healing and resting, don’t be. There are 17 vitamins and minerals that will support your muscles even through the most intensive workouts and help them recover fast in case of damage.
Editor’s notes: Similarly to the first option we reviewed, these weight gainers may be too strong for women who are just starting on their weight gain journey. Nevertheless, taking ½ or 1/3 of the portion is quite helpful while getting used to the weight gainer composition.
Best Budget: Real Gains Weight Gainer
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Vanilla Ice Cream
- Calories per serving: 600 calories
Real Gains is a budget-friendly formula, but don’t let that fool you, it’s extremely effective and powerful for gaining muscle mass, stamina, strength, and everything that makes one woman strong. It’ll help you gain weight in a swift, yet healthy way.
It uses healthy fats and contains 52g of pure protein in one serving. Besides that, it has whey, micellar casein, more complex carbs, and a set of healthy fats, which may not be everyone’s choice, but they’ll inevitably help in gaining weight.
When scooping the powder, it’s good to know that you can mix it in a shaker or blender. However, it’s so smooth and lightweight, that you won’t face any trouble mixing it with a spoon. It’ll blend in the rest of the milkshake you’re getting and most importantly, it won’t make you run out of money as it’s more inexpensive compared to other weight gainers for women.
It’s, however, meant to be used with a thorough diet and routine, so it’s not recommended to use it if you’re not an avid visitor of the gyms. Additionally, you shouldn’t avoid eating nutritional meals while using this product.
Editor’s notes: We also don’t like the fact that there’s only one flavor available. If you’re not a fan of vanilla, this option may not work the best for you.
Best Vegan Weight Gainer For Women: Naked Vegan Mass
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Flavorless, chocolate, vanilla
- Calories per serving: 1230 calories
Healthy nutrition exists through various lifestyles, and one of the most prominent ones includes vegan lifestyles. Women who are vegans have a difficult time finding the right weight gainer that will suit all their needs, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Available in three options – flavorless, chocolate, and vanilla Naked Vegan Mass will help you gain a sufficient amount of weight and build muscles and stamina. The vegan proteins and vitamins are derived from pea protein and organic rice protein. Organic maltodextrin is made out of organic tapioca that is gluten-free, so this option is a health bomb.
It uses complex carbohydrates, which is rare to see in vegan weight gainers for women. Tapioca is one of the best clean sources of complex carbohydrates, and that’s why the vast majority of weight gainers for women should use them. The clean protein is free of lactose but uses the rice protein and the amino acids that your body needs to thrive.
If you want to gain weight in a fast and healthy way, but this mix in your shaker and make delicious shakes that will boost your energy and strength, but also pump up your mass.
Editor’s notes: Avoid flavorless option if you want to gain weight in a way that won’t leave a bitter aftertaste. Many women don’t know how bad taste it can be for them until they try it out.
Best Low-Sugar Weight Gainer: IRONVEGAN Gainer Chocolate Protein Powder
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Natural chocolate
- Calories per serving: 700 calories
As we mentioned earlier in the article, sugar should only be contained in the carbohydrate formulas inside the blend. Some weight gainers don’t always follow that rule, so low-sugar weight gainers are often hard to find. Luckily for you, this vegan gainer has only 1 gram of sugar, despite the fact it uses chocolate as its only flavor.
It comes with 42g plant-based protein, meaning that this is a 100% vegan formula with no GMO additions to it. It also includes 12g of fibers with a 2.85:1 ratio in carbohydrates as opposed to protein, nearly ideal!
It is also tested for banned substances, in the third-party regulatory institute to ensure safety and health standards. The results are seen after only a couple of weeks with regular exercising and a nutrient-rich diet.
Editor’s notes: Pure black chocolate is not everyone’s cup of tea, so you may find the taste to be too strong to your liking.
Best Weight Gainer With Probiotics: MRM, Gainer
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Vanilla
- Calories per serving: 350 calories
Probiotics make a great part of our gut flora and digestive tract. Not everyone can handle complex carbohydrates and proteins well. That’s why there are specially designed weight gainers with probiotic nutrition that will help clear out the toxins and make your gut flora thrive. That’s the MRM gainer that comes with a vanilla taste.
The package contains 25 grams of pure protein and 9.9 grams of BCAA+G. It’s free of all unnecessary hormones and antibiotics that could bring instability to your body. The addition of MICROBAC enhances the probiotic activity in your gut flora and works on raising your immunity.
The whey protein is sourced from USA-based farms, while the entire blend is completely free of gluten and tested for safety and health at third-party facilities.
Editor’s notes: It only comes in vanilla taste, some would appreciate having other tastes like strawberry or chocolate. Also, it only has 350 calories. It’s beginner-friendly, but for veteran ladies, take two servings.
Best Flavored Weight Gainer For Women: Rivalus Clean Gainer
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate-chip cookies, Chocolate peanut butter, Cinamon toast cereal, S’mores
- Calories per serving: 560 calories
Rivalus Clean Gainer is one of the best optimized and well-balanced weight gainers, which is why we reviewed it and recommended it to women too. The 560 calories are an ideal blend for both women who’ve just begun their weight gaining journey, but also those experienced women who can combine different serving sizes for better results.
The blend consists of 30g of dairy protein blend and 90g complex carbohydrates with only 8 grams of sugar, which is perfect as sugar is sourced from carbs. In addition to that, you can find fats from avocado and sunflower seeds.
They also mix with ease with either a blender or even a spoon, given how lightweight the blend is. The product is tested for safety and approved safe to use in sports.
Editor’s notes: They may occasionally cause bloating and burping. Furthermore, they lack creatin and some other vitamins that make exercising easier.
Best Beginner-friendly Weight Gainer For Women: Designer Protein Aria
- Type: Powder
- Flavors: Vanilla
- Calories per serving: 90 calories
Many women don’t have sufficient knowledge on protein, fats, carbs, and other elements important for building muscle mass and definition. That’s why it’s good for them to start low. This package consists of 15g of naturally sourced protein that will improve your muscle mass, strength, and stamina.
It also contains the essential amino acids that are good for your digestive tract, immune system, and heart health. It doesn’t contain any GMO elements, but it uses soy protein isolate. There’s no added sugar.
Editor’s notes: Some women may find this option to be too low-calorie, to the point it’s rather used for weight loss. You can add more scoops to make the serving larger if you feel like you’re up to it.
Weight Gainers For Women: Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking to get into weight gaining and bodybuilding, check out this FAQ section with useful questions and even more useful answers.
Are Weight Gainers Safe For Women?
Most weight gainers are as safe for women as they’re safe for men. Men normally require more calories than women, although thanks to the powdered design of these weight gainers, you can easily choose how many scoops you want to add to customize your portions.
Which Protein Is The Best For Women’s Weight Gain?
One of the most essential proteins used in weight gaining and muscle building is whey. If you’re a vegan, one of the popular whey alternatives is Pea protein. Other protein sources include egg whites, hemp protein, and brown rice protein.
How Long Before Weight Gainers Show Results?
That all depends on how you were built. Some women may experience results as soon as 2 weeks with a proper exercising routine and ingredient-rich diet. For some women, it can take well above two months to exhibit visible results. That said, it’s different for everyone, and besides the weight gainer you use and your calorie intake, it also depends on your health and needs.
Also Read: 10 Best Mass Gainers Supplements 2022: Ultimate Guide
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