Two of the oldest and most popular dietary supplements are weight gainer and protein powder. Depending on your goals, both can be beneficial. Weight gainer and protein supplements both offer the convenience of easy consumption, quick preparation and are usually in powder form. Similarly, weight gainer and protein powder include a sizable serving of protein.
Both products, however, are very dissimilar and it is important to know the differences before supplementing with either.
Please consult your doctor before taking dietary supplements or making dietary changes.
Nutritional Purpose
Weight gainers are used to meet caloric requirements while protein powders are used to meet protein requirements.
Weight gain formulas, according to Bodybuilding.com, are most useful for "hardgainers" who have trouble gaining weight or muscle and need extra calories. Hardgainers typically have very fast metabolisms and require extensive amounts of calories to add weight. Most hardgainers can not gain weight consuming solid food alone. A hardgainer or someone trying to gain weight (muscle and fat) could consume a weight gain formula to add extra calories and extra pounds.
Protein supplements are used to meet protein requirements and are generally not consumed for their caloric content. Just as it is impractical to consume hundreds of extra calories from solid food, it is nonpractical to consume hundreds of grams of protein as well. Bodybuilding.com states that protein powders can be useful regardless of what your fitness goals are.
Nutrition Facts
Weight gainers are very calorie dense formulas while protein supplements are often very low in calories.
Bodybuilding.com refers to weight gainer as a "high calorie protein shake." A chart at Gain-Weight-Muscle-Fast.com compares one serving of Serious Mass (a popular weight gainer formula) to Slim-Fast (a popular weight loss diet drink). Serious Mass has 1,250 calories while Slim-Fast has 220 calories per single serving. An abundance of calories from fat, carbohydrates and protein is typical of a weight gain formula.
Protein formulas are lower in calories and often contain little or no fat and carbohydrates. A chart at BetterBodz.com compares protein formulas from some of the top companies. Most of the protein supplements have about 100 to 200 calories per serving, a drastic difference from the 1000-calorie weight gainer formulas.
Fitness Uses
Weight gainer is typically used by those trying to "bulk up." True to their name, the highly packed formulas are meant to be used to "gain weight" without much regard to how much is fat or muscle. This is why weight gainer is not ideal for those trying to lose fat or maintain a lean physique. Gain-Weight-Muscle-Fast.com considers weight gainers to be "high calorie meals."
Protein powder supplements are more versatile and can be useful to gain weight, lose weight or maintain weight. These supplements are often most useful to those trying to concurrently gain lean mass and lose unwanted body fat. The Whey Protein Institute lists weight management, increased physical performance and improved cardiovascular health as benefits of protein supplementation.
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