The best mass gainers: 10 protein-packed picks

USN has been one of the top fitness supplement contenders for decades now, and its ultimate mass gainer is quite possibly the best the fitness market has to offer.

Each serving of chocolate mass gainer contains over 60g of protein, over 200g of carbs and 5.5g of creatine - giving you all the essential proteins and energy you need after a back-breaking gym session.

When it comes to flavour, you really cannot beat chocolate - it's simple, delicious, and makes for an excellent post-workout treat - and USN's chocolate mass gainer hits the mark when it comes to taste - but for the perfect consistency, you'll need a particularly large blender.

For each drink, you'll need six scoops of mass gainer alongside 900ml of water - making it one troublesome powder to thoroughly mix together, so maybe prep your drink before you head to the gym.

Optimum Nutrition is a mainstay on fitness supplements roundups simply because its supplements are second to none, and few mass gainers can truly compete with Optimum Nutrition's Serious Mass Gainer - one of the most nutrient-heavy mass gainers on the market with little-to-no fat or added sugar.

Refuel and develop muscle mass quicker than ever before by introducing Optimum Nutrition's Serious Mass into your diet - 50g of protein, over 250g of carbohydrates, and a whopping 1,263 calories with an extremely low-fat content to deliver some truly epic mass cultivation. What's more, unlike most mass gainers, Optimum Nutrition's mass gainer is packed with over 24 different vitamins - making it one of the healthiest mass gainer choices out there.

Alongside the terrific nutritional goodness of Optimum Nutritition's Mass Gainer is the wonderful variety of flavours available - cookies and cream being the star here. This post-workout delight boosts morale almost as much as muscle gain - an important and often overlooked factor of breaking into the world of fitness.

Our only gripe with Optimum Nutrition's otherwise fantastic mass gainer is the rather meagre amount of servings for the price. A 2.7kg tub of ON's mass gainer contains a total of eight servings - which is particularly low compared to its competition.

USN's Muscle Fuel mass gainer is, while not as intensely carb-packed as our other alternative, still remarkably high in protein and other essential vitamins and macronutrients - making it fantastic for muscle building throughout the day.

Delicious flavour while retaining a low-fat content, USN's Muscle Catalyst comes in a good variety of flavours (all of which are available now), each of which is bursting with protein - so don't miss out on your ultimate fitness goals this year.

As with many mass gainers, due to the sheer amount of scoops per serving, even a 4kg tub doesn't last long at all - this one, in particular, lasts nearly a month if taken every day, which isn't amazing, but in hindsight is a foot above the competition

Myprotein Clear Weight Gainer offers a refreshing, juice-like alternative to traditional shakes, designed for effective muscle mass gain with high-quality protein and carbs without the heavy feel. This potent formula is low sugar and low fat, we only wish there were more flavours and more servings.

The Bulk Protein Company's 5kg Serious Gainz is a powerful mass gainer blend designed to support muscle growth and recovery with high protein, complex carbs, and minimal sugar for serious athletes. It's an epic value option, and it's available in so many flavours. We only recommend you have a blender handy because Serious Gainz does not mix well by hand.

For vegan gym-goers, there are a gradually expanding array of fantastic supplements to help you build a fantastic physique, but not many can truly compete with ProteinWorks' Mass Gainer Extreme.

From the flavour and consistency to the staggering 50g of protein, 740 calories (which is basically unheard of in a vegan mass gainer) and a good amount of carbohydrates - give you a top-tier muscle mass builder.

As you can expect, the rather expensive 2kg bag doesn't really go far - with about ten servings inside, it's pretty awful for the price.

However, if the price is no object, and you're looking to reach the ultimate muscular physique - there are few options that can really compete.

When it comes to supplying yourself with the best high-quality nutrition, you can't put a price on quality - Reflex Nutrition's Vanilla Ice Cream mass gainer is derived from grass-fed cows, using four different types of protein to help your gym journey reach even greater heights.

With a blend of fantastic vitamins and minerals, among some particularly hard-to-come-by probiotics such as LactoSpore, which boosts digestion - Reflex Nutrition has truly nailed this amazing mass gainer, from its flavour to its intensely high protein content - you really cannot go wrong.

Natural ingredients, sustainable, and utterly potent - Bulk's Vegan Mass gainer is the perfect alternative for non-vegetarians - and is far and beyond one of the best high-protein vegan supplements on the market.

From a selection of great, naturally derived flavours such as Strawberry, Banana Caramel, and our favourite - Chocolate Peanut; Bulk has successfully delivered deliciousness, high protein and price.

Of course, there are some cutbacks when it comes to Bulk's vegan alternative - some users have complained about some graininess in the mass gainer, which is an unfortunate trade-off when trying to pack in as much protein as possible.

What's more, you simply cannot pack as much protein into a vegan mass gainer as its whey alternative (not quite yet, anyway) - so you'll probably get through your 2.5kg bag in no time.

When it comes to working out and building muscles, the gym is practically the least of your expenses. Among protein powders, creatine, BCAAs, carbohydrates and eating fresh, healthy foods - your monthly dietary costs become astronomical.

Enter, Warrior's Mass Gainer - an affordable method of getting all the protein you could ever need, with greater calories and even greater protein at a reasonable price.

We'll be the first to admit that Warrior's Mass Gainer certainly isn't cheap, but for the number of servings you get, alongside the sheer amount of protein, carbs and nutrients per serving - it really does give a variety of supplements a run for their money.

If you have far too many supplements to drink, why not eat some of them? Suplex's Heavyweight Mass Gainer flapjack bars contain an impressive 30g of protein and with over 500 calories - it's one of the most effective alternatives to standard mass gainers and protein shakes available anywhere.

Suplex mass gainer combines huge, delicious flavours with a huge amount of protein to create what is an all-around fantastic, filling snack that's perfect for vegetarians and vegans alike.