The 6 Best Weight Gain Supplements, According to Dietitians

Whether you're trying to gain muscle mass or struggle to maintain a healthy weight, the most important factor in gaining weight is increasing your calorie intake.

However, consuming enough calories from food alone can sometimes be difficult, especially if you don't have much of an appetite.

Supplement powders provide an affordable way to increase your calorie intake and support weight gain.

This article takes a closer look at the types of supplements that can be helpful for weight gain, as well as our top picks to buy.

Can Supplements Help You Gain Weight?
Supplements can be effective for weight gain because they provide a concentrated source of calories and nutrients. However, they should only be used to supplement your diet—not to replace whole, nutrient-dense foods.

Supplements for weight gain
Several types of supplements—protein powders, mass gainers, creatine, and pre-workouts—can help you gain weight if used in conjunction with a balanced diet.

In general, protein powders and mass gainers are your best bet if you're simply looking to increase your calorie intake.

On the other hand, if you're hoping to gain muscle mass through strength training, creatine powders and pre-workouts are worth considering.

Protein powders

Protein plays an important role in building and maintaining muscle mass. However, protein intake without excess calories and a suitable resistance training program will not result in building lean muscle mass.

In fact, studies show that high-protein diets can help with weight loss because protein helps people feel full.

Weight and mass gainers
Who it's best for: Those who can't maintain a calorie surplus with food alone

In general, mass gainers are higher in calories, fat, and carbohydrates than traditional protein powders, although some may contain only carbohydrates.

Creatine
Who it's best for: People looking to build muscle and improve athletic performance

When you take creatine supplements, the concentration of creatine in your muscles increases. This can lead to performance benefits and muscle gain over time. However, most creatine supplements are low in calories and must be combined with other ingredients to provide enough calories to support weight gain.

Creatine monohydrate is known as the most effective form of creatine and is the most common type used in creatine supplements

Preworkout
Who it's best for: People looking to improve athletic performance while gaining weight

Pre-workout supplements can allow you to exercise longer and at a higher intensity, which can indirectly lead to weight gain by contributing to increased muscle mass.

The most common ingredients in pre-workout supplements are caffeine, beta-alanine, nitrates, creatine, and citrulline malate, all of which can help improve exercise performance.