What and when you're supposed to eat as a muscle builder is very much debated among experts, but what they all agree upon is that your body needs protein and fast carbs straight after tough exercise. Your muscle tissue needs the protein and the glycogen department needs the carbs, preferably within an hour. So what to eat? Well, you can either run home after work out and prepare something rich in protein, maybe tuna salad or a salmon dish. Or you can do it the easy way and use a gainer (note that you still need to eat 1-2 hours after exercise anyway).

There's a ton of stuff on the market for this and I believe 3/4 of it is shit. No literally, it's expensive fructose. What you want to focus on is to find something that includes high-quality protein, e.g. whey or casein. I've been using Star Nutrition's Gainer Pro for a few months, which is a popular, high-quality gainer among muscle builders. It contains 67 % carbs (maltodextrose) and 24 % protein (whey), plus tons of acids and vitamins that'd bore you out to list here. The "Super" version is more expensive, but includes faster carbs and creatine.

Like most gainers it comes in different flavors. So far I've tried chocolate, which is not bad; it tastes like a bland milkshake. You mix it with water, but obviously (although inconveniently) it tastes better with milk. I've had good results with this gainer: It quickly heals and refuels your body after a hard and long work out, and you can feel the effects. If you're a heavyweight, you probably want to increase the dose from 150 ml to 200 ml, but it should be enough. Some people want to avoid maltodextrose (glucose), but I haven't had any problems with this, and don't think you should worry, since it's basically fruit in powder form.

And that's the point. This is food in powder form. Young guys who drink this stuff as milkshake miss the point: it's not supposed to replace your ordinary food intake. You cannot and should not do that. You'll need your daily diet anyway. Gainers and protein shakes just make things easier. In other words, if you want to succeed at the gym, you need to become a decent cook. Since it's inconvenient and virtually impossible for most people post-work out to quickly prepare food including all the vitamins, protein and carbs you find in a gainer, I can actually recommend Star Nutrition's Gainer Pro, which not only has a decent taste, but is also effective in avoiding the break down of muscle tissue after an hour of pain and sweat.