What are the side effects of weight gain supplements? Weight gain is as difficult as weight loss. People spend hours in the gym, and a consume heavy diet to gain weight. One of the quickest ways to gain weight is the consumption of weight gain supplements. Bodyweight gainers are quite famous and influential in gaining weight and building muscles. People consume weight gain powders regularly to tackle low body mass or BMI.
While many people are working to lose weight, others struggle to gain weight. If you’d like to increase your strength, build a more muscular physique, or return to a healthy weight after losing too much, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to go about it. Weight gain pills and supplements may be effective in some cases, but are not risk-free. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods and proper training to support your goals.
But have you ever given a thought to the side effects of using weight gain powders? Considering it, the easiest way to gain people often do not give a second thought before consuming weight gain powders. But the reality is you must consult a physician before adding weight gain powders to your diet. You must also be very careful about the dosage according to your body type. You should never over-consume these supplements. You must have complete knowledge about the pros and cons of using weight gain powders before consuming them daily.
Weight gainer supplements are not for everyone and they are not really the magical solution for your underweight problem as the manufacturers of these supplements would like you to believe. Taking weight gainer supplements often result in gaining fat in your body instead of muscle mass. These weight gainer supplements contain carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The amounts are different from product to product. Some of these supplements also contain branched-chain amino acids (BCCAs), creatine, and other minerals. Many of these substances are not good for all and they may trigger allergic reactions and other side effects if they are taken inappropriately. In this article, we are going to explore the weight gainer side effects.
Here are the side effects of weight gain supplements that you might not be knowing:
What Is A Weight Gain Powder?
Most weight gainers, or mass gainers, are powders that you mix with water or any other favourite beverage. These powders contain varying amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, individual amino acids and other supplements such as creatine. These powders work because they are relatively high in calories, making it easier to boost caloric intake significantly. Some weight gain supplements come in tablets or capsules forms, but they do not deliver sufficient calories, so they are not useful for adding pounds.
Health risks and effectiveness of weight gain powder are one of the most researched topics by nutrition experts. According to health experts, inappropriate weight gain powder consumption causes muscle cramps and other adverse side effects. Inadequate consumption can lead to kidney damage, liver problems, heart problems, dehydration and diarrhoea. Weight gain powder is extensively rich in vitamin C and iron content, which are the reasons for diarrhoea and stomach problems. To avoid unnecessary health ailments, one must use weight gain powder only after consulting a physician.
Prescription Medication for Weight Gain
Prescription weight gain pills include anabolic steroids. Your provider might consider steroid medication if you have experienced significant weight loss and are underweight as the result of an illness, such as cancer or muscular dystrophy.2
Athletes and bodybuilders may use prescribed drugs illegally to build muscle and enhance athletic performance. Inappropriate use of anabolic steroids comes with multiple health risks—some of which are serious. It’s vital that you only take these drugs under the care of a physician.
Potential Side Effects
Anabolic steroids have many possible side effects.3 Some of the most common reported side effects (organized in order of their impact on organ systems) include:
- Delusions
- Extreme irritability
- Impaired judgment
- Enlarged heart
- Kidney problems or failure
- Liver damage
- Increased facial hair
- Mood disorders
- Mood swings
- Breast development (in males)
- Shrinking testicles
- Stopped menstrual cycle
- Enlarged clitoris
- Prostate cancer
- Stunted growth (in children and teens)
Read These Side Effects of Weight Gain Supplements Before Taking Them
Many OTC weight gain pills appear to be nothing but glorified, expensive multi-vitamins. It’s important to watch out for blended products that contain potentially harmful ingredients.
Caffeine and guarana may be added to supplements as a way to give workouts a boost.7 While these additives are generally safe in moderate amounts, there is no way to know how much you’re getting in an unregulated OTC product. It’s possible to become dependent on stimulants with regular use and feel fatigued without them. If you have an underlying heart condition or difficulty sleeping, stimulants can be dangerous to your health.
Echinacea is also included in some weight gain products. Although research is not definitive, echinacea is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial for the immune system. There is no good evidence in humans that echinacea helps with weight gain.8
Another common weight gain supplement is creatine. Creatine causes muscles to hold extra water. Anyone with Parkinson’s disease, bipolar disorder, or kidney disease should not take creatine.
Unhealthy Weight Gain
Adding weight-gain supplements to your diet does not result in healthy weight gain. If you are looking for a healthier option, you must add high-calorie healthy foods to your meal. Weight gain powders if consumed in extra quantity, can result in deposition of fat. Unhealthy fats can deposit inside your body which can disturb your healthy lifestyle. Your exercise routine should match with the supplements you are taking otherwise it can also contribute to deposition of fat.
Excessively Sugary
Many of the mass gainers contain more sugar than clients foresee. Despite the fact that they’re high in protein calories and exceptionally accommodating for the individuals who are seeking put on weight for preparing or for wellbeing reasons, many additionally contain a lot of sugar with a specific end goal to make the powders taste great. This can prompt a lot of medical problems identified with ingesting extensive amounts of sugars and the individuals who have uncommon dietary confinements should screen their admission.
Dehydration
When working out you know hydrating yourself is one of the key elements for a healthy workout. However, you should start adding more fluids when you begin taking supplements to bulk up. When you want to bulk up quickly, you should increase fluid intake because it helps in muscle function and growth.
If you lack fluids, you will feel immediate fatigue than usual, weakness and dizziness. It can be unsafe especially while working out and handling gym equipment. So, pump up more H2O in your system – switch your 500ml tumbler bottles to 1L ones!
Increased Insulin Resistance
Insulin is an important hormone produced in the liver to aid in the digestion process of the food we eat. When we take carbohydrates or proteins our livers release insulin to help digest food. Carbs induce more insulin in comparison to proteins. Excessive intake of carbs, especially sugar causes chronic insulin resistance in our body, which increases the risk of heart diseases, obesity, and diabetes. Most of the weight gain supplements contain a load of carbs which may make your body more insulin resistant.
Heart Disease
Weight can can promote heart complications, and eventually heart disease. This is including, but not limited to, chest pain, congestive heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
High Blood Pressure
You are two times more likely to have high blood pressure, even if you are just slightly overweight.
These include shortness of breath, weakness, chest pain, fatigue, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, discolored urine or a yellow tinge to the skin. Some products, such as Serious Mass, contain maltodextrin, an additive with a high glycemic index.Weight can can promote heart complications, and eventually heart disease. This is including, but not limited to, chest pain, congestive heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
According to health experts, inappropriate consumption of weight gain powder causes muscle cramps and other adverse side effects. Inadequate consumption can lead to kidney damage, liver problems.Side Effects of Rapid Weight Gain High Blood Pressure. Although this condition is not always accompanied by symptoms, some can include dizziness, Sleep Apnea. This condition causes pauses in your breathing during sleep—sometimes for minutes at.
Kidney Problems
Kidney ailments are predominantly associated with intake of weight gain powder. However, weight gain powder is an indirect cause of kidney stones that make body hormones susceptible to it.
our kidneys can also get affected by the use of weight gain powders. The kidneys play an important role inside your body as they help in flushing out all the toxins from your body. The food you eat also affects your kidney health. In many cases, weight gain powders have been indirectly linked to kidney stones.
Liver Problems
Liver problems have been reported after inappropriate intake of weight gain powder. The health supplement proves fatal when consumed with alcohol.
Your diet leaves a strong impact on your liver health. If you are consuming weight gain supplements in an inappropriate proportion then you are at a higher risk of developing liver problems. To avoid liver issues you must switch to healthy foods high in calories which will result in healthy weight gain.
Stomach Related Issues
Your gut health also decides the impact of weight gain supplements. Sometimes the supplement remains in the stomach and is left insoluble. This can result in nausea and diarrhea. You may also experience other symptoms of poor gut health.
An unfriendly impact to mass gainers. A few sorts of proteins make clients feel bloated, or to encounter stomach spasms. On the off chance that this happens, one arrangement might be to change the sort of protein you are utilizing from a creature based protein to a plant-based protein
Undesirable Fat Pick Up
Because these gainers are intended to expand your caloric admission to help with exercises and sound muscle increase, a few people don’t understand that they have to couple the consumption with strict exercises. At the point when a lot of a mass gainer is taken without the counter exercise, that client can end up putting on more weight because of fat instead of muscle
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is an indication of a complication in the digestive tract. Sometimes, eating too much or having too much of something can definitely affect the way your stomach responds towards it.
Being lactose intolerant in the first place contributes to having diarrhea when you have increased intake in mass gainer supplements. Some supplements get their additional whey protein from cow’s milk. This can be extremely intolerable when you’ve had your whey protein pre-workout. The best way to avoid or overcome diarrhea is having your protein shake an hour or two prior your workout. Also, drink plenty of water and have additional fiber in your diet to regulate these unwanted occurrences.
Increased Diabetes Risk
Being at risk for diabetes is one of the most concerning weight gainer side effects. The main reason is various kinds of sugar generally used in weight gain supplements. Before taking any weight gainer supplement, you must check out the nutrition facts of the product and the percentage of calories coming from sugar. Be aware of many pseudo names of sugar like maltodextrin. In a study conducted by scientists at the University of Reading, it was found that the amount of sugar intake was directly correlated with fat storage, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Increased Risk of Stroke
Atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries which leads to the formation of an arterial blood clot, is an important pre-condition of most strokes. Atherosclerosis is accelerated through high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a lack of exercise, all of which are directly related to obesity. This correlation has made obesity a second risk factor for strokes.
May Experience Allergic Reaction
Some people may also experience allergic reactions due to the use of weight gain powders. The allergy may vary from person to person. Some may experience hives while others can suffer from a stomach infection. In such a situation it is best to consult a doctor to understand better.
Before taking any kind of weight gain supplement you must consult a certified trainer to avoid any kind of consequences. Never choose a weight gain supplement by yourself. A trainer will give you the best supplement according to your body type.
Increased Sugar Intake
Increased sugar intake doesn’t directly affect all those who take mass gainers. However, this is one unnoticeable mass gainer supplements side effects. Upon purchasing or before purchasing mass gainers, you should be more careful and more aware of what it consists.
Weight gain supplements are high in protein by default. However, some branding companies deliberately overlook how much sugar is present for every serving. Protein powders do not taste like avocado or mango shake when blended so adding sugar is unavoidable. So next time you load on whey proteins, check the sugar dosage in particular. You want to bulk up – not have gradual sugar craving.
Calcium Loss
Protein is the main factor in creating muscle. So when protein powders came out in the market, all those who want to look better with muscle chose to bulk up quickly. One thing a person who wants to bulk up forgets to consider is having enough bone mass to support the additional muscle mass that is about to put on.
Another overlooked side effect is calcium loss. Calcium is crucial in bone composition. The normal sources of protein in our diets are red and white meat. When you have those you also ingest phosphorus which helps in retaining the calcium in your body. So when your primary source of protein is mainly mass gainer supplements, there is a tendency that you will just pee your calcium away. Always maintain a balanced diet when bulking up.
Creatinine Levels
Creatine is a supplement often taken by fitness lovers and bodybuilders to enhance exercise performance and build muscle. Creatine is removed from the body by the dialysis process of the kidneys. In several studies, it was found that creatine intake of over the recommended level can impair the normal kidney function. Although creatine intake is considered safe, recent discoveries have raised questions about the effect of creatine intake on the kidneys. Most of the weight gainer supplements available on the market contain creatine to boost the muscle building process. People suffering from kidney stones or other chronic kidney diseases must take utmost precaution before taking any such supplements.
Gall Bladder Disease
Gall bladder disease is three times more likely in obese patients.
Arthritis
Musculoskeletal disorders, like osteoarthritis, are more prevalent among obese people, and obesity is a strong predictor for symptoms, specifically in the knees. Your risk for arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders increases with every two pounds gained.
Pregnancy Complications
Expectant mothers and babies can suffer complications both before and after pregnancy due to obesity. High blood pressure can increase in moms, while there is an increased risk for birth defects like spina bifida in babies.
Social and Psychological Issues
Aside from the health issues, the emotional well-being of obese people also suffers. Obesity can create major self esteem issues, and obese people can become depressed, and even suicidal.
While the effects of weight gain on your health are great, there is hope. Even losing just a small amount of weight can significantly reduce your chances for developing heart disease or a stroke. Also, reducing your weight by just 10 percent can improve your heart health, blood pressure and cholesterol. Small steps to losing weight can make large differences in the long run.
These are just some of the mass gainer supplements side effects that are commonly known and oftentimes, commonly overlooked. Are there any other side effects that you know about? Hit the reply button and let us know in the comments section below! For better options, check these mass gainer ingredients you should look for!
