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The heart is your most important muscle – what does mass gainer do to your heart, when you’re trying to build muscle mass and get bigger?
That’s our main question for today as we ask, ‘can mass gainers cause heart problems?’ – and look at the research. Let’s get into it, and summarise everything you need to know…
Can Mass Gainer Cause Heart Problems?
Mass gainers won’t cause heart problems by themselves, but may be part of a diet that causes heart problems. Because of the very high calorie and carb count, it’s easy to overeat with them, which can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and all the heart problems that come with it.
However, you need to remember this isn’t the mass gainer – but how it’s used.
Many athletes and bodybuilders use mass gainers with absolutely no health problems. In fact, as part of a well-balanced diet and exercise routine, the added protein and muscle growth are very healthy.
They stabilise the joints, prevent frailty in aging, and stabilise metabolism over the years. This makes adding muscle a good health decision, but you need to handle your mass gainers properly.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy While Bulking Up With Mass Gainers
You stay healthy while bulking up by taking it slowly, focusing on lean muscle gains, and maintaining good diet and cardiovascular exercise habits.
Slow muscle growth and weight gain reduces fat gains, which can make for a much better overall experience. It reduces stress on the heart, comparatively, and the smaller calorie surplus means less insulin resistance (1) and other metabolic adaptations to over-eating.
Focus on lean muscle gains – weight gain quality – and not just the number on the scale. Slower bulks may feel frustrating but they reduce the risk of fat gain and health problems. They also allow your heart and cardiovascular system to adapt to the demands of exercise at a new bodyweight.
Your weight gain diet should also focus on nutrients and good overall intake. Keep vitamin and mineral intake high, maintain good hydration, and take health seriously.
Vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fats, magnesium, potassium, and others all contribute to heart health.
Finally, don’t give up on cardiovascular exercise just because you’re bulking. 10 minutes of cardio at the end of a workout, at least, will maintain heart health and endothelial function – key to healthy weight gain.
It won’t kill your gains, either, as you’re probably only burning around 30-50 calories.
Final Thoughts
Mass gainers won’t cause heart problems – but they can contribute indirectly if you use them incorrectly. As with anything else, how you use them is important.
Don’t let the added calories push you into unhealthy weight gain just because you’re getting bigger and stronger. Take your time and the quality of results will be better.
Equally, don’t get caught up with bulking and forget that you need to keep your body healthy. Cardiovascular health is the foundation for recovery and growth, and you shouldn’t abandon it just to gain more weight.
Finally, don’t use a super mass gainer if it doesn’t provide the nutrients you need. Vitamins and minerals come from real foods, most of the time, and you need to make sure you’re getting enough whole foods for your daily calorie allowance, or you will start to compromise heart health.
If you’re responsible with mass gainers – especially lean mass gainers – you can improve your health while you get bigger and build muscle mass. Don’t miss out on the health benefits by ignoring the important stuff, and your heart will be fine.
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Rohan Arora is a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist and has been actively involved in sports and fitness for over 8 years. He now leads the team of fitness specialists and personal trainers who help people around the world with personalized workout and nutrition plans, along with providing the right information on sports supplements.
