Mass gainers are a category of dietary supplements that are high in calories with varying ratios of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) and sometimes contain vitamins, minerals, and added ingredients for athletic performance. They are commonly used to gain weight (for those who may be under their ideal body weight) or gain muscle mass (for those who are working out heavily and want to bulk up).
As a dietitian with a decade of experience in the supplement industry, I chose the best mass gainer protein products based on the following criteria:
- Nutritional Profile: Contains at least 40g of protein and ideally over 700 calories
- Popularity: Sales and customer reviews.
- Flavor & Mixability: It must taste good with minimal clumping. Having multiple flavor options is plus.
- Additional Features: Bonus points for banned substance testing and added ingredients for performance.
Do Mass Gainers Work?
When combined with a resistance training program, YES – mass gainers do work. The better question is: HOW do they work?
Bulking up sounds easy, but it can be quite difficult. An increase in muscle mass, or muscular hypertrophy, requires repeatedly challenging the muscles through strength training, causing strain and damage to the muscle fibers. The body responds by repairing the muscle damage and adapts by growing in size and strength. To make this happen, the body needs extra fuel in the form of calories. In fact, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), says “the primary component to optimize training and performance through nutrition is to ensure the athlete is consuming enough calories to offset energy expenditure”.
Folks who work out a few times per week can usually get enough calories through a normal diet. However, athletes involved in moderate to high-intensity training (2-3 hours per day, 5-6 times per week…or more) can burn 600-1200 calories PER HOUR during exercise. Therefore, daily calorie needs can range from 40-70 calories per kilogram of body weight [1]. For a 200-pound person, that’s 3600-6300 calories (while the average person only needs about 2000)!
When it comes to protein, the ISSN recommends 1.4-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily for exercising individuals trying to build muscle mass [2]. That same 200-pound person should consume 127-181 grams of protein per day. To put that into perspective, you’d have to eat 21-30 eggs per day to hit that protein number.
Now I wouldn’t recommend this, but you get the point – consuming adequate calories with the right macronutrient breakdown can be difficult, impractical…and expensive (hello, eggs). That’s where protein powders, protein bars, and protein mass gainers can help. They’re convenient, require little to no preparation, and can be cheaper than some regular meals.
READ MORE: Best Protein Powders of 2025
Customer Favorite
Nutritional Profile:
Calories: 1,340 | Protein: 50g | Carbs: 277-279g
Additional Features:
11g BCAAs, 10g Glutamine and Glutamic acid, 1g Creatine, Banned Substance Tested, Gluten Free
As GNC’s #1 best-selling gainer, Pro Performance® Bulk 1340 is the clear winner as the customer favorite. It’s an all-around, great-tasting, high-quality gainer providing 1,340 calories and 50 grams of protein from whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, and egg albumen.
It has 11g of BCAAs for muscle recovery and growth, 10g of glutamine, one of the most abundant amino acids found in muscles, and an energizing ATP complex with creatine, choline, inositol, and PABA (as Para-Amino Benzoic Acid). Bulk 1340 is also banned substance tested so athletes can trust what they’re putting in their body.
Best Gainer for Beginners
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 700 | Protein: 50g | Carbs: 115-117g
Additional Features: It’s a no-frills formula and is the most affordable gainer on the list, Banned Substance Tested
Pro Performance® Weight Gainer provides 50g of high-quality protein from fast, medium, and slow-releasing protein sources (whey, soy, and casein) with naturally occurring BCAAs to help reduce muscle breakdown during exercise. It has added medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are quickly absorbed by the body for energy, and a dual carbohydrate system to preserve and replenish energy stores. With just six servings, I liked the small size to make it easy to transport.
For beginners who want to try a gainer, but don’t want to pay a ton of money, Pro Performance Weight Gainer is the best calorie value for your buck.
Best Proven Gainer
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 800 | Protein: 50g | Carbs: 127-130g
Additional Features: Clinically shown to improve strength and put on pounds with 40% less work▪. Enhanced with 2.5g BetaPower® Betaine, 2.5g Creatine, and MyoTOR®, an ingredient clinically proven to get you stronger, faster◆. Banned Substance Tested, Gluten Free.
AMP Mass XXX is truly in a league of its own. The formula is absolutely stacked with 800 calories, 50g protein, 1g of amino acids, 2.5g creatine monohydrate, 2.5g BetaPower® Betaine, and 650mg MyoTOR®. MyoTOR® is a blend of two botanicals that have been clinically proven to improve bench press by 30 lbs and leg extension by 22 lbs, with strength benefits seen as early as 2 weeks•◆.
Have you ever heard of a mass gainer that’s been clinically proven for strength? Probably not. That’s what sets AMP Mass XXX apart from hundreds of gainers you’ll find online. In a clinical study, subjects completed 3 sets of resistance training daily and consumed the macro blend in Mass XXX while another group performed 5 sets of training and did not take a supplement. After 8 weeks, subjects taking Mass XXX showed equal gains in body weight, fat-free mass, maximal strength, and muscle endurance – while doing 40% fewer sets! To learn more about the science, read this blog article.
One of the things I loved about it was…the scoop. It sits perfectly in the neck of the bottle so you don’t have to get your fingers all dirty digging inside the powder!
Best Gainer with Creatine
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 1,250 | Protein: 50g | Carbs: 252-254g
Additional Features: 3g Creatine Monohydrate, 500mg L-Glutamine, Vitamins and Minerals, Banned Substance Tested
Optimum Nutrition has been in the sports nutrition game for over 30 years. It’s a go-to brand when it comes to protein, so it’s no surprise that Serious Mass was the winner for “Best Gainer with Creatine”. For new users, the packaging suggests starting with half a serving daily for the first week and then gradually increasing to a full serving. It is sweetened with sucralose, so that’s a watch out for folks who prefer a natural sweetener.
Most Innovative Gainer
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 810 | Protein: 50g | Carbs: 130g
Additional Features: High-Tech, Powered by a technology for optimized absorption, Improves tendon strength and joint stability for whole body support, Enhanced with 5g Creatine Monohydrate, 3g myHMB®, 5g Tendoforte® Collagen, and a slew of vitamins & minerals.
It’s time that protein evolved with Beyond Raw® Dynamic Gainer, the first-ever combination of technology-enhanced protein with performance support and a meticulously crafted blend of calories, carbs, and fats. It includes a type of protein that’s technologically enhanced through cold plasma ionization, called ioWHEY Protein®, which increases bioavailability for optimized absorption.
It’s loaded with other ingredients to support the strain put on the body during heavy lifting sessions, including 5g of Tendoforte® bioactive collagen peptides, which have been clinically shown to improve tendon strength and joint stability. It also combines 5g of creatine monohydrate, 3g of myHMB®, and Velositol® (amylopectin chromium complex) to support unprecedented muscle mass and enhanced muscle protein synthesis.
Best Vegan Gainer
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 280 | Protein: 40g | Carbs: 20g
Additional Features: Plant-based pea protein, antioxidant berries, digestive enzymes, no artificial sweeteners, free from gluten, dairy, and soy.
A vegan gainer is pretty hard to come by. Blessed Gainz is unique from the other gainers on the list because it is 100% sourced from non-animal derived ingredients (hello vegans!). With only 280 calories, it’s on the “lighter” side of calorie content for a gainer (compared to others that start at 700 calories). What makes it stand out is what’s NOT in it. Blessed Gainz is free from gluten, soy, dairy, artificial flavors, artificial food dyes and colors, and artificial sweeteners.
Highest Protein Mass Gainer
Nutritional Profile: Calories: 1,070 | Protein: 53g | Carbs: 195-195g
Additional Features: Formulated and Tested by Chris Bumstead (6x Mr. Olympia), No Amino Spiking, Low Glycemic Carbs from Carb10®
Raw Nutrition BUM Mass Gainer is formulated and tested by none other than 6-time Mr. Olympia winner, Chris Bumstead. When it comes to putting on major muscle mass, he’s the one to trust. It wins the highest protein category with a whopping 53g of protein per serving. I like that it’s not spiked with aminos (so you know you’re getting the full, pure dose of protein).
With so many gainers to choose from, we hope this list helps narrow it down for you! For more nutrition and exercise tips, visit the GNC Learning Center for articles and recipes to help you on your fitness journey.
References
- Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, Smith-Ryan A, Kleiner SM, Jäger R, Collins R, Cooke M, Davis JN, Galvan E, Greenwood M, Lowery LM, Wildman R, Antonio J, Kreider RB. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Aug 1;15(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y. PMID: 30068354; PMCID: PMC6090881. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations (nih.gov)
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, Purpura M, Ziegenfuss TN, Ferrando AA, Arent SM, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, Arciero PJ, Ormsbee MJ, Taylor LW, Wilborn CD, Kalman DS, Kreider RB, Willoughby DS, Hoffman JR, Krzykowski JL, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 20;14:20. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8. PMID: 28642676; PMCID: PMC5477153. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise (nih.gov)
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