Typically, someone who uses a weight gainer is doing so to gain muscle mass instead of fat mass. Very underweight individuals who need to gain fat or athletes who need to bulk up quickly may not worry if some fat is gained in the process of adding more muscle, but most of the time, fat gain should be kept to a minimum. Therefore, the best weight gainer is one that includes healthy ingredients, such as protein and multivitamins, that will use the extra calories to build muscle rather than to add more fat to the body. When choosing a weight gainer, also look for ingredients that will help you accomplish your goals, such as increase energy, and a reputable brand or source.
The best weight gainer product most likely will contain some form of protein supplement, such as whey protein. Whey protein is one of the most commonly used ingredients because it is believed to be reliable, healthy, and beneficial to muscle growth. Sometimes, weight gainers also include all or many of the vitamins often found in a daily mulitvitamin, optimized for maximum muscle building. Most weight gainer supplements have added ingredients that may provide extra energy for workouts and increased recovery for after the workout, such as creatine and L-glutamine.
While it may seem like the best weight gainer would contain all of this and more, some experienced fitness enthusiasts find they have the best results with simple whey protein powder, and recommend trying out products before buying into what might be largely hype surrounding the ingredients. The exception to this rule may be supplements that contain multivitamins. The body needs the right amount of vitamins to function optimally, and many individuals do not get enough vitamins through diet alone.
Choosing the best weight gainer can be hard to do the first time, and may require some experimentation with several products that include different ingredients or vary the amounts of each of the ingredients. Since everyone has a different diet and exercise routine, and everyone's body reacts differently to foods, exercise, and supplements, it is difficult to predict which weight gainer would work the best for a specific person. It may help to determine what issues you would like help with and then purchase a supplement that can assist you in that area. For example, if you often lack the energy to get a good workout, try searching for weight gain supplements that increase energy safely.
It is important to find a reputable source from which to buy your weight gain supplements. Some brands may be diluted and have a lower concentration of ingredients or have other disadvantages that would make them less effective than others. Beware of products that sound too good to be true. Investigate each of the ingredients of the supplement you are interested in to make sure you will be getting the effects you want.