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Arguments against gainers are that they are exceptionally refined products that contain processed carbohydrates and proteins, synthetic minerals and vitamins, and far to less fiber. The price of gainers compared to their nutrient content is rather high.
Since I excersice myself and am intrested in nutrition, I asked myself if there where any alternatives. The alternative should have the same nutritional value as a gainer, content fibers, taste better, be easy to prepare and cheaper than all gainers.
The first thaught was cereals, but cereals have low proteincontent and need therefore to be enriched with soyaflakes, but since soyaflakes are expensive and hard to find I exclude that alternative.
Next thought was porridge, because you can blend them with soyaflour, which is more available and less expensive than soyaflakes.
However a porridge alone will not contain all the nutrients a gainer has, in particular it lacks vitamin A, E and C. As I
understood, the porridges must be added some very well chosen complements. I succeded and after a lot of work these receipts
came trough.
Energyyielding nutrients
Energy 2115 kJ
Energy 505 kcal
Protein 26,8g (21,5 E%)
BCAA´s 4961mg (18,5 % of the proteincontent)
ILE+LEU+VAL 1,00 + 1,64 + 1,24
Glutamic acid 5585 mg (20,8 % of the proteincontent)
Fat 13,9g (25 E%)
SAFA 2,5g (4,5 E%)
MSFA 3,8g (6,9 E%)
PUFA 6,6g (11,8 E%)
Omega-3 0,37g (0,66 E%)
Cholesterol 4mg
Carbohydrate 68,5g (53,5 E%)
Dietary fibre 11,9g (5,6g/MJ)
Vitamins
Retinol equivalents 294µg (139%) | Minerals & trace elements
Potassium 1139mg (146%) |
About 20% of a corresponding gainer´s price per MJ, on the Swedish market.
Explaining
1kJ=0,239 kcal, 1MJ=239 kcal
BCAA = Branched Chain Amino Acids, Which are:
ISO = Isoleucine, LEU = Leucine, VAL = Valine.
Glutamic acid = an amino acid, which the body use to make the aminoacid glutamine from.
SAFA = SAturated Fatty Acids.
MSFA = Mono unSaturated Fatty Acids.
PUFA = Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids.
Omega-3 = A family of PUFA.
In brackets after Energy yielding nutrients, E% = Energypercent and g/MJ = gram per Mega Joule.
In brackets after vitamins and mineral & trace elements, percent of the Swedish nutritional density recomendents.
(SNR-97) For Iron, I have chosen the value for men. As you can see there is a lack in the content of vitamin D and selenium,
why you should consume fish on a weekly basis.
The porridge in powderform
For easier comparement I have converted the porridge´s nutritional values to powder form.
Per 100g powder
Energy 1626 kJ
Energy 389 kcal
Protein 20,6g
Fat 10,7g
Carbohydrate 52,7g
Dietary fibre 9,2g
Comments
The porridge contains more fat than the average gainer, but also more protein. This porridge has a fat content of 25 E% which is suitable for heavy weight training. When it comes to protein, you should know, that a bodybuilder weighing 175 pound, have an energy need of at least 15,2 MJ, which with the porridge`s protein E% content, will give 192g protein, about 1,1g per pound.
This material is from the Swedish compendium ¨16st Kraftgrötar-gröt istället för gainers¨, currently not available in English.
If you have any questions about this information, please mail me.
Thanks for watching and good luck with your training.