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Do you sweat it out regularly at the gym and devour just as hefty meal portions, but still don’t seem to put on the lean muscle mass you were aiming for?
Well, eating more need not necessarily equate to eating right. Dietary supplements such as weight gainers are a boon in such a scenario. The term weight gainer, also referred to as a mass gainer, is pretty self-explanatory.
However, things get complicated when you have to pick the right one based on your goals, lifestyle, and metabolism.
The market is absolutely flooded with a plethora of mass gainers promising all sorts of benefits, but do they apply the same to all, and are they equally effective on everyone trying to put on weight? Not quite. That is because what your body requires may intrinsically differ from what someone else needs.
The three primary factors on the basis of which mass gainers are typically judged are the calorie content, protein levels and quality, and the carb percentage. Carbs are of course highly valued because they contribute massively towards bulking up. The calorie content determines how fast you begin to show results, and the protein helps your body recover faster.
However, when picking the right weight gainer for you, a key factor you are likely to slip past is the sugar content in these formulas. The amount of sugar in your weight gainer is actually crucial to how your body reacts to taking these supplements.
Steer Clear Of White Poison: Why Should You Go for a Weight Gainer without Sugar?
Sugar is probably one of the worst things we consciously ingest which wracks havoc within the body. From affecting your nervous system, heart, muscle force, and tissue elasticity, to being a legitimate carcinogen, sugar pretty much lives up to its name as ‘white poison’.
Sugar depletes your body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol by messing with the blood protein functionality. Additionally, too much sugar can cause your insulin and serotonin levels to spike.
You end up feeling drowsy and irritable, and the increase in insulin levels tricks your body to store excess fat. Consequently, when you are exercising heavily, you will not only have your stamina deplete but also have all your efforts to gain mass go to waste as the body keeps converting it to fat instead.
If sugar is so bad for you and your weight-gain journey, it begs the question: why do so many mass gainers contain sugar in the first place? Well, the powdered formulas of mass gainer supplements are pretty unappetizing to taste when raw, and sugar kind of masks this.
Recommended: Speaking of taste, here are some of the best tasting mass gainers.
Sugar crashes are very real, and can ruin your entire routine- you get a sudden burst of energy for a few minutes, but when you get off the high you are more sluggish than ever. So that is pretty counterproductive if it is the energy that you were aiming for.
While the market is not exactly filled with options for 100% sugar free weight gainer, there are some notable ones without artificial sweeteners, or at least low on sugar content.
If you have found yourself hard-pressed to find a mass gainer without sugar, this list to try that I have compiled below will come in extremely handy. Based on their individual specs, you can make an informed commitment to the best mass gainer of your choice.
Before you find the right sugar free weight gainer for yourself, here’s a quick article on how to use a mass gainer for best results.
The Right Weight Gainer without Artificial Sweeteners for You
Here is my list of some of the most viable sugar free weight gainers in the market right now:
This extremely transparent brand of gainer powders is perhaps one of the most reputed and trusted amongst customers. GMO-free, soy-free, gluten-free, with no artificial sweeteners, and only 5 grams of sugar per recommended serving, it is a great favorite amongst health and fitness enthusiasts.
The Naked Mass Natural Weight Gainer is perhaps one of the most ‘simple’ formulations when it comes to a weight gainer (no artificial sweetener).
It has only three hero ingredients- naked casein, naked whey, organic maltodextrin-and they make a power trio to help you bulk up. While the brand never claims this to be a mass gainer without sugar, its extremely low proportion does win this gainer points.
Being a weight gainer without artificial sweeteners is just the cherry on the cake. The organic maltodextrin is a naturally-derived sweetener that works wonders to balance out the taste of the mix, and also provides the necessary carbs.
An additional perk of this gainer powder is the mix of casein and naked whey- while the formal allows a sustained supply of protein, the latter is an immediate protein to help you make a quick recovery.
This mass gainer is something that not only helps you build lean mass, but would also come in handy if you are a hardgainer who wants to build their physique. The Ultimate Nutrition ISO Mass Extreme Gainer Powder strikes the perfect balance between fat and muscle mass contribution, something that most brands fall short of since it is much easier to trigger the generation of fat.
Though each serving has only 570 calories, it is power-packed with 60 grams of protein per serving. This mass gainer has a mere 8 grams of sugar per recommended serving, and it is rich in vitamins that help aid muscle recovery such as Vitamin A, C, D, and E.
It also contains riboflavin and thiamin. In a recommended serving, the amount of leucine, valine, and isoleucine, the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), is 3 grams.
The Ultimate Nutrition ISO Mass Extreme Gainer is a consumer-favorite mass gainer without artificial sweeteners due to the healthy yet enticing flavors of the shake- such as strawberry milkshake, cookie and cream, iced coffee, etc.
This gainer powder is excellent for lean muscle gains due and is suitable for a large demographic being vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, free of animal cruelty, and with a very low amount of sugar in it. It also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or flavors.
Each 100 gram serving offers a calorific value of 367 calories and 2.5 grams of sugar. Bulk Powders Vegan Mass Gainer contains gluten-free oats which offer 43.6 grams of carbs.
This mass gainer has a uniquely healthy and high-fiber blend of brown rice protein, pumpkin seed protein, pea protein isolate, quinoa flour, and flaxseed powder, which come together to offer 31 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat.
The Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex High-Protein Gainer is a unique low sugar mass gainer in the market that aims to provide sufficient nutrients to help overall holistic body growth. Each serving of this supplement is of 650 calories and with only 6 grams of sugar.
This weight gainer contains maltodextrin which is a natural sweetener and also provides 85 grams of complex carbohydrates. It contains casein, whey, egg, and a few other protein sources which together offer a total of 60 grams of protein.
Medium Chain Triglycerides, or MCTs, are an interesting form of man-made fat that actually helps your body burn fat and minimize lactate build-up from your strenuous sessions at the gym. Another key perk of MCT is that helps improve brain functioning by acting as an energy source for the brain. Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex High-Protein Gainer also lists MCT amongst its constituents.
MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend has a moderate calorie count and protein count and is very low on sugar, which makes it the perfect protein shake to consume after a workout.
With a calorific value of 388 calories per 100 gram serving, this mass gainer is low on carbs (50 grams per standard serving), and has only 31 grams of protein, 6.2 grams of fat, and 2.6 grams of sugar.
These features make MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend the perfect entry-level mass gainer without artificial sweeteners.
It is almost a transition supplement between a protein powder and a full-blown mass gainer. Given its extremely low sugar content and lack of artificial sweeteners, you can definitely add in a bit of milk, nut milk, peanut butter in the protein shake to make it a more appetizing experience.
An advanced mass gainer, Mass-tech is targeted at athletes who need to bulk up. It is the perfect solution for those who need to be in a calorific surplus but cannot eat a lot due to their lifestyle. Mass-Tech packs in a hefty 132 grams of carbohydrates and 63 grams of protein in the gainer mix. Given its otherwise intense formula, it has a relatively low sugar content (9 grams per serving) and total fat (7grams per serving, of which 4 grams is saturated fat).
This balance between low sugars and fat, and extremely high carbs, allows you to build lean muscles and quality muscle mass.
Some other key ingredients of the formula of this mass gainer include the branched-chain amino acids L-Glutamine (10.4 grams), L-Leucine (6.5 grams), L-Isoleucine (4.1 grams), and L-Valine. It also contains 10 grams of Creatine Monohydrate which is considered one of the most effective bulking-aids in supplements. It will build your endurance and help you put on muscle mass easier.
The casein in the gainer mix allows a sustained supply of protein for enhanced stamina, which is essential for athletes. One drawback of this product is that despite the ‘vanilla’ taste, it might come off as thick and quite unappetizing to some.
Recommended: Checkout some other mass gainer related articles I have covered:
Serious Mass Review – Click here
Mass Gainer vs Whey Protein – Click here
Mutant Mass Review – Click here
BSN True Mass Review – Click here
Concluding Thoughts: Low Sugar Weight Gainers
While truly ‘sugar free’ weight gainers may be extremely difficult or impossible to come by unless you DIY it, you will have to settle for a weight gainer without artificial sweeteners to cut down on your sugar consumption while on your mass-gain journey.
A mass gainer nutritional supplement is an indispensable factor to the muscle-building journey, because there is only so far you can get through intense workouts and dietary changes if you have an extremely fast metabolism or are an athlete in need of bulk up. Loading up on food is not going to do you any favors as it will mess up your lifestyle and health, if you only consume junk and sodas.
Consuming indiscriminately large portions of food can actually mess with your digestive system and make you lethargic, as the food we typically consider ‘fattening’ is really unhealthy. Besides, you don’t want to get ‘fat’, you want to build muscle- and your body can easily lapse into the former if ingesting the wrong kind of food.
Should You Take A Low Sugar Mass Gainer?
This is why it is really important to rely on a weight gainer to provide you with the calorific surplus. Just make sure you steer clear of ingredients that can do more harm than good- such as sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Weight gainers can be a great breakfast supplement, or can be consumed for a boost in energy at least an hour before your workout. However, it is best consumed after a work out to help your muscles recover as well as build.
In the list above, I have extensively researched the supplements to present you with the most reputed, healthiest, and safest mass gainers that will help you advance in your weight gain and muscle-building journey. Make sure you are always super conscious of what you are ingesting.
Never compromise on quality formulas in today’s market that is overflowing with supplements that could end up doing you more harm than good. Always prefer a trusted brand and transparent ingredient list over fancy claims and click-bait social media marketing.
The gainers in the list suit a wide range of requirements and dietary or lifestyle restrictions, and upon weighing the pros and cons, you will definitely find the perfect low sugar mass gainer to suit your individual requirements.
You Might Like:
- Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Gainer Review and Results
- Will Mass Gainer Make You Fat?
- Is Mass Gainer Good For Bulking?
- Can I Take Whey Protein and Weight Gainer Together?
- Huel vs Mass Gainer: Can It Help Build Muscle?
Dipanjana’s tryst with fitness and nutrition started way back in high school when she developed an interest in reading about workout routines and diets. A postgraduate student of Literature, Dipanjana has studied Nutrition alongside- both as part of her University curriculum as well as online certificate courses. When she is not working out, Dipanjana can usually be found writing blogs and screenplays or napping amidst a sea of pillows.
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Naked Mass literally says on the back 1 serving (4 scoops) has 58 grams of sugar 35 of which are ADDED sugar so I don’t know how you came up with “only 5 grams of sugar per recommended serving”
Hey Sargon,
Thanks for pointing that out. However, it seems like the sugar content changes as per flavors. Check the “About this item” part for the Unflavored one here: https://www.amazon.com/NAKED-MASS-Artificial-Ingredients-Calories/dp/B00UIAEOO0?th=1