Author: Jacek Szymanowski (M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology, Sports Nutritionist)
A ton of teen lifters struggle to put on size. Whether they have fast metabolisms or just aren’t used to eating so much, weight gainer supplements can be a great way to help get some extra calories. While we don’t recommend relying on them for your bulk, when used in moderation, they can be a great tool for helping you gain weight.
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In a hurry?
In a hurry and can’t keep reading? How about you check out the MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs.
In this list, we’ll be covering the best weight gainers for teens available. Our top pick is MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs, but check out our full list to decide which supplement is right for you!
Top 5 Best Weight Gainers for Teens Reviewed
- MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs — Top-Pick
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer — Best with Micros
- ALLMAX QuickMass — Best Moderate-Carb Option
- Naked Chocolate Mass — Best High-Carb Option
- Athlete's Gainer by Iron Vegan — Best Vegan Option
1. MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs — Top-Pick
- Suitable for Vegans: No
- Flavors: Chocolate Glaze Donut, Sweet Vanilla
- Calories: 730-750
- Carbs per Serving: 106-110g
- Protein per Serving: 51-53g
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~2:1
- Number of Servings: 15
- Serving Size: 187-194g
- Price Per Serving: ~$5.33
- Company Founded: 2012
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafthor Bjornsson, Paul Sklar, Sean Harris
Starting our list of the best weight gainers for teenagers is Mass Gainer by Transparent Labs for its excellent macro breakdown and top-tier formula. Let’s take a closer look.
This Mass Gainer has 730-750 calories per serving making a single serving ideal for getting you into a moderate caloric surplus. These calories are broken down between 53g of protein, 106-110g of carbs, and 14g of fat.
One downside here is that Transparent Labs’ product doesn’t have a great micro breakdown. It has a decent amount of calcium and potassium, but there’s little else in terms of vitamins and minerals.
Photo by @transparentlab
A big reason Transparent Labs ranked so high on our list is its ingredient quality. The protein is sourced from grass-fed dairy, which is healthier than regular milk. The carbs come from organic maltodextrin. It’s also formulated with no additional artificial ingredients.
Also, this is the only supplement on our list to contain an additional 3g of creatine monohydrate. While this is an effective dose to get the benefits of creatine, we recommend taking the supplement on its own as well so you’re not relying on a full serving of mass gainer to get it.
It’s worth noting that Transparent Labs has a fairly limited flavor variety with only 2 basic options. Also, this is around the average price for our list at ~$5.33 per serving.
Pros:
Made with high-quality, all-natural ingredients
Great calorie and macro content
Contains creatine
Cons:
Limited micro breakdown
Limited flavor variety
2. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer — Best with Micros
- Flavors: Double Chocolate, Vanilla Custard
- Calories: 650
- Carbs per Serving: 82g
- Protein per Serving: 60g
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~1.33:1
- Number of Servings: 14
- Serving Size: 165g
- Price per Serving: ~$5.76
- Company Founded: 1986
- Recommended by Athletes: Taylor Fritz, Justin “Jets” Jefferson, Morgan Willett
The next weight gainer for teens on our list is Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Pro Gainer, mainly for its excellent micro breakdown when compared to Transparent Labs as well as its excellent protein content.
For calories, you’ll be getting 650 in each serving which makes this the lowest-calorie option on our list. This is broken down between 60g of protein, 82g of carbs, and 9g of fat. Because this is relatively low-calorie while still being a high-protein option, it also has the lowest carb-to-protein ratio on our list.
Photo by @optimumnutrition.my
As mentioned, where this supplement truly shines is its micronutrient breakdown. It includes solid amounts of multiple vitamins and minerals including Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin B12. This makes Optimum a more complete meal replacement drink when compared to the top spot on our list.
It’s worth noting that its ingredient breakdown is slightly less high-quality than Transparent Labs. The whey isn’t grass-fed, the maltodextrin isn’t organic, and it does include some artificial ingredients like sucralose. There also aren’t any additional active ingredients.
Optimum’s Pro Gainer offers a similarly limited flavor breakdown to Transparent Labs with only 2 flavors to choose from. It is also slightly more expensive, costing about $5.76 per serving.
Pros:
Excellent micro breakdown
Lowest calorie option for those after a moderate gainer
Low protein-to-carb ratio will be ideal for those who struggle to get enough protein in
Cons:
Made with lower-quality ingredients than Transparent Labs
Low calories may not be ideal for those with high daily calorie needs
3. ALLMAX QuickMass — Best Moderate-Carb Option
- Suitable for Vegans: No
- Flavors: Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry Banana, Vanilla
- Calories: 1010
- Carbs per Serving: 172g
- Protein per Serving: 64g
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~3:1
- Number of Servings: ~10
- Serving Size: 265g
- Price Per Serving: ~$5.99
- Company Founded: 2001
- Recommended by Athletes: Gezary Matuda, Marcus Perry, Johnnie Otis Jackson
Taking the third spot on our list of weight gain shakes for teenagers, the first supplement we’ll be covering with over 1000 calories per serving is ALLMAX QuickMass. Let’s see how it stacks up compared to the top 2 spots on our list.
As mentioned, this is a very high-calorie gainer with 1010 calories per serving. This is broken up between 64g of protein, 172g of carbohydrate, and 8g of fat. This makes it the highest protein option on our list, while still having a somewhat moderate carb count.
Like Optimum’s Pro Gainer, QuickMass also delivers an excellent micro breakdown. You can expect high content of a wide variety of different micros from Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Iron.
Photo by @highriverfitness
Similar to Optimum’s mass gainer, this is made with several artificial ingredients, and its carbs and protein don’t come from organic sources. While the previous 2 options on our list have excellent micro breakdowns, for ingredient quality, Transparent Labs will still be your best option.
If you’re after flavor variety, this is your best option so far. QuickMass comes in 5 different flavors including some unique options like Cookies & Cream or Strawberry Banana. It’s worth noting that this is the most expensive product on our list, although not by much at ~$5.99 per serving.
Pros:
Great micro breakdown
Excellent flavor variety
Highest protein option on our list
Cons:
Made with artificial sweetener
Somewhat low-quality ingredients compared to Transparent Labs
4. Naked Chocolate Mass — Best High-Carb Option
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes (depending on flavor)
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Unflavored
- Calories: 1360
- Carbs per Serving: 251g
- Protein per Serving: 50g
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~5:1
- Number of Servings: 11
- Serving Size: 333g
- Price Per Serving: ~$5.09
- Company Founded: 2014
- Recommended by Athletes: Kenzie Mariano, Daniel Victor
Photo by @the_carfather21
Pros:
Highest calorie option on our list
Made from very high-quality ingredients
High carb count makes it ideal for maximizing calories
Cons:
Relatively low protein count
Limited micro breakdown
5. Athlete's Gainer by Iron Vegan — Best Vegan Option
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla
- Calories: 720
- Carbs per Serving: 120g
- Protein per Serving: 42g
- Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~3:1
- Number of Servings: ~24
- Serving Size: 190g
- Price per Serving: ~$3.54
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: Ro Nwosu, Caroline Ji, Courtlyn F
Closing off our list is our choice for the best vegan weight gainer for teenage athletes, Athlete’s Gainer from Iron Vegan. While Naked does offer a high-quality vegan gainer, Iron Vegan’s supplement is ideal if you’re looking for a more moderate-calorie vegan supplement.
Each serving has 720 calories per serving, making it one of the lower-calorie options on our list. It has 42g of protein, 120g of carbs, and 8g of fats. This balanced macro breakdown makes it great for taking on its own to maximize calories, or to split up into smaller servings when necessary.
Photo by @vegan_diesel
Like Naked and Transparent Labs’ gainers, Iron Vegan’s product has a fairly limited micro profile, despite having a solid amount of Iron in each serving.
The protein here is sourced from a variety of different vegetable sources including pea, brown rice, spirulina, and more. While some of these ingredients are labeled organic, others are not if this is important to you.
This product has a similarly limited flavor variety to most of the other supplements on our list only coming in chocolate and vanilla. However, this is the cheapest product on our list by far, only costing ~$3.54 per serving.
Pros:
Cheapest option on our list
Only completely vegan option on our list
Balanced macro breakdown
Cons:
Limited flavor options
Limited micro breakdown
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Is it Safe for Teenagers to Use Gainer?
While you may have some concerns about the safety of weight gain supplements for teenage athletes, as long as they’re being used in moderation there shouldn’t be any danger.
Issues with gainer supplements arise when they’re used in excess. Because these supplements often contain over 1000 calories per serving, they can promote rapid weight gain, and potentially lead to obesity.
As long as you’re only using these supplements to reach a moderate caloric surplus of 250-500 calories a day, there shouldn’t be any issues. While we’ll cover this in more depth below, we recommend only using gainers when necessary to reach your calorie totals, and not using them as a replacement for real food, or to take in significantly more calories than you need.
As a teenage lifter, it’s important to build a healthy relationship with whole foods, especially when bulking. This is why we recommend only using mass gainers as a small part of a more balanced diet.
How to Choose the Best Weight Gainer for Teens?
1. Choose With Certification From a Recognized Third-party
A good way to gauge whether or not a gainer is high-quality is to look for a third-party certification. All the products on our list have the same high-quality seal of approval from Informed Choice, which guarantees they’re manufactured to internationally recognized standards.
Another good certification to look out for is GMP, which stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. This indicates the product is being made in a high-quality facility with proper processes.
2. Consider The Calorie Content Per Serving
By making sure the calorie count fits your needs, you can get the most out of a mass gainer. If you know you struggle to get anywhere close to a surplus every day, a higher-calorie mass gainer will be ideal for getting in 1000+ extra calories per day.
However, if you want a gainer for an occasional convenient boost of 200-300 calories, then a lower-calorie shake will be just fine. In this case, a more basic protein powder may suit your needs just as well too!
3. Consider The Ratio of Carbohydrates To Protein
Similar to the point above, the ratio of carbs to protein that’s right for you is largely dependent on your goals. If you struggle to get enough protein but don’t need too many extra calories, choose a gainer with a low carb-to-protein ratio. But, if you get enough protein but struggle to maximize calorie intake, a higher carb-to-protein ratio will suit you better.
How To Use Weight Gainer For Teens?
As mentioned above, teenagers shouldn’t be using weight gainers to put themselves in an excessive caloric surplus. Instead, use it to help you reach a moderate surplus of 250-500 calories a day.
To figure out what this will look like, determine your maintenance calories using an online calorie calculator and simply add 250-500 calories to this depending on how fast you want to put on weight. Anything above 500 calories a day will likely lead to increased fat gain. Also, be sure you’re eating enough protein – 0.5-0.8g per pound of body weight a day should be adequate.
Once you’ve determined how many calories you should be eating a day, only use weight gainer to help you hit this number. Ideally, your diet will consist largely of whole foods, with weight gainers just being a convenient tool to help you hit your targets.
You should also be monitoring your weight consistently to make sure you’re gaining weight at an appropriate rate. Also, be sure you’re consistently practicing resistance training to put on muscle, otherwise, a caloric surplus will only lead to fat gain.
Using weight gainers in this manner is the best way to gain weight at a rate that works for you. Using a mass gainer without tracking your calories can easily lead to you being in an excessive caloric surplus that will cause unnecessarily high weight gain. On the other hand, without tracking calories you may also not eat enough calories even with mass gainer and not put on any extra weight.
FAQ
Should I Bulk As a 16-year-old?
It depends largely on your current body fat percentage and your goals. If you have a body fat percentage over ~20%, then you’ll likely be better served by a moderate cut before trying to bulk. However, if you’re a skinny teenager with a body fat percentage of ~10-15%, as long as you’re training properly, then a bulk will help you put on a solid amount of muscle and seriously boost your strength.
Is Mass Gainer Bad For Under 18?
Mass gainers aren’t necessarily bad for teenagers if they’re being used responsibly. If you’re using them as a small part of your diet to help you reach a moderate surplus, there shouldn’t be any issues. However, if you’re depending on them to get calories in, or using them to put yourself in an excessive surplus, then they are likely bad for you in our opinion.
Conclusion
While you may have some concerns about using mass gainers as a teen, if you’re using them responsibly, they can be an effective tool for meeting your fitness goals. Try to find a gainer that matches up with your needs, and only use it when necessary to reach your calorie goals for the day.
Our top pick is MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs, but all the products on our list have their advantages as well!
Are you a teenager looking to bulk up with a mass gainer? Any tips for other teenagers in a similar situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
References:
- Grass-fed cows produce healthier milk // University Of Minnesota Extension: https://extension.umn.edu/pasture-based-dairy/grass-fed-cows-produce-healthier-milk
- Health Effects // Harvard T. H. Chan: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/health-effects/
- Cleaner products. Cleaner conscience. // Informed Choice: https://choice.wetestyoutrust.com/
- Facts About the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) // US Food&Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/pharmaceutical-quality-resources/facts-about-current-good-manufacturing-practices-cgmp
- PROTEIN INTAKE FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE MAINTENANCE // ACSM: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf
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This article was written by our qualified author and proofread by an expert with proven experience. When writing the article we've used our expertise and data from authoritative, scientific, and evidence-based sources. The list of references is provided at the end of the article.
Our team of authors and experts includes professional athletes (Olympians, winners of European and World titles), PhDs in Sports Science, certified coaches, sports nutritionists, CSCSs, physiotherapists, and others. Read more about the team here, and more about how we test here.
This article was written by our qualified author and proofread by an expert with proven experience. When writing the article we've used our expertise and data from authoritative, scientific, and evidence-based sources. The list of references is provided at the end of the article.
Our team of authors and experts includes professional athletes (Olympians, winners of European and World titles), PhDs in Sports Science, certified coaches, sports nutritionists, CSCSs, physiotherapists, and others. Read more about the team here, and more about how we test here.