Transparent Labs VEGAN Mass Gainer Review (30-Day Results)

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With full transparency, I’m not Vegan.  But I still wanted to put Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer to the test because I know some of our followers prefer plant-based protein options.  

So whether you’re vegan, simply prefer plant-based protein because of dietary restrictions, or seek a product with a more “natural” appeal, then this review of Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer will help you decide whether it’s a good fit.     

With Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer, I found a product that delivers ample amounts of easily digestible protein, fast-acting carbohydrates (great for after workouts), and performance-boosting ingredients like creatine in all the proper dosages.

I’m not saying that everyone will find this mass gainer to be easily digested and taste as good as I felt it did, but compared to many others that I have had in the past, including ones made with whey, this mass gainer has passed my tests.

Key Takeaways

Honest Review Guarantee from FeastGood: Our testing team purchases each product 100% independently and uses the product for several weeks up to several months before writing a review. Learn more about our review process here.

• At $0.71 per 100 calories, Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer is on the higher end of the cost-per-serving range for mass gainer supplements. After analyzing 40+ mass gainer products, the average cost per serving was around $0.53.

• That said, Transparent Labs is third-party tested, contains minimal filler ingredients, and uses clinical doses for creatine, carbohydrates, and protein, which helps justify the cost per serving.

• I would purchase this mass gainer (not the vegan one) because I prefer whey protein over pea protein. If you are vegan, then 100% go with this product. I can 100% justify the price as well because it mixed great with water, tasted good, and did not leave me with any gastrointestinal issues afterward. 

Overview of Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer

Transparent Labs is known for creating third-party-tested supplements free of artificial sweeteners and colorings. 

This means that you are getting supplements that have been tested for quality from outside sources. 

Unlike some of their competitors, TL Vegan Mass Gainer ensures that you are getting only the best ingredients like easily digestible pea protein isolate, maltodextrin (fast and very easily digestible carbs), and creatine WITHOUT artificial sweeteners, coloring/dyes, and GMOs.

TL Vegan Mass Gainer delivers 730 calories, 52 grams of protein, 115g of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of fat per serving (2 scoops). 

Additionally, it delivers 3g of creatine monohydrate and 3g of soluble prebiotic fiber (more on the benefits of these later). 

My Results & Experience

I decided to integrate this into my diet to help nudge my calorie intake up so that I had a surplus of around 500 calories per day. I would usually take 1-2 scoops (½-1 full serving) of this after a workout session. 

My initial thoughts on this product were that I really appreciate the clean list of ingredients, the well-thought-out balance of carbs to protein, and the addition of creatine. This made my post-workout nutrition easy to nail down to ensure I was properly refueling after all training sessions.

I trained five times a week, sometimes six, as I figured if I was going to be eating a lot of calories and supplementing with a mass gainer, I better put in as much work in the gym as possible. 

Over the course of eight weeks, I found that my performance in the gym kept going up. I was hitting heavier 5, 8, and 10-rep maxes for many of my lifts (bench press, squat, rows, pull-ups). 

My weight on the scale went up around 3 lbs after 30 days, which was right where I was hoping to be as a more advanced lifter (I was aiming for around 1/2lb per week). 

This slow and steady pace ensured I was not gaining too much body fat in the process (however, I noticed a little fat gain, but that is part of the mass building process).   

I did my body composition test pre and post and it said I gained 2 lbs  of muscle mass, which seems about right given I am well trained (I’ve been lifting weights for 15 years).

Ingredients

Pea Protein Isolate

Being a vegan product, this mass gainer could not include whey protein (derived from cow milk). 

Instead, Transparent Labs included pea protein isolate, which has been shown to produce comparable anabolic properties (muscle growth).

As someone who usually consumes whey protein, it was also reassuring to know that research found no difference between whey protein and pea protein isolate, meaning that both were good protein sources to fuel muscle growth and recovery following intense exercise.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate source used for quick energy and is gluten-free as it is mainly derived from corn (in the USA). Some other sources will have it derived from wheat; however, even then, the gluten is removed when making it.

Fast-acting carb sources before, during, and after workouts are ideal because they allow you to recover and refuel quicker to maintain higher levels of intensity and work during a training session (all resulting in more work put in and more growth).

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine has been shown to increase strength, power output, and performance. 

According to this study in the Journal of Nutrition and Health, creatine users saw a 7.1% increase in upper body muscle mass after eight weeks compared with only a 2.1% increase in non-creatine users over the same time period. 

Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer has included 3g of creatine monohydrate per serving of the mass gainer, which is on track with the recommended dosages for lifters looking to increase strength, power, and muscle growth (3-5g per day).

Note: Creatine must be taken daily if you want the best results.  So, if you don’t plan on taking this mass gainer daily with a full serving size, you’ll need to supplement with additional creatine on your off days.  

Stevia and Cocoa Powder

Transparent Labs has included stevia and cocoa powder as the main ingredients to offer sweetness and flavor to their mass gainer in place of sugar (like most mass gainers). 

I prefer this not because I fear sugar but because I don’t want or need additional calories and carbs here (since this already delivers high amounts of maltodextrin, which is great for post-workout). 

If it had sugar, this would not be a massive deal-breaker for as long as the macros still made sense.

Highlights: What I Liked

Clean, Simple Ingredients

When I take a supplement like a mass gainer, I try to privatize clean ingredients. Many companies will just cram a bunch of fillers (sugars, salts, oils) in there to get more calories for a dollar. While this results in more calories, it doesn’t necessarily mean better nutrition.

When bulking, I want to ensure I am eating slightly more than my body needs to maintain its weight (calorie surplus) to nudge my body weight and muscle mass to increase slowly to minimize excess fat gain. 

By ensuring I consume quality, high-calorie nutrition sources, I know that my efforts in the gym and kitchen will result in the most muscle growth without having to shed too much fat down the road during the cut.

Adequate Dosage for Caloric Surplus

The most important factor for gaining weight is being in a caloric surplus. Most people will want to aim for 300-700 calories more per day (in addition to their regular diet). TL delivers 700 calories, 50g of protein, and over 100 grams of muscle-building carbohydrates.

While other mass gainers deliver 1200-1500 calories per serving (or more), it can be tough to maintain proper amounts of carbs and protein and omit unnecessary sugars and fats with these super high-calorie supplements. Not to mention, ideally, you would use a mass gainer to supplement your normal diet, which comprises whole foods.

This is why I prefer mass gainers like Transparent Labs, which have a more moderate calorie content and attention to the ratio between carbs and protein.  

Fast Digesting Carbs

Maltodextrin is the primary source of carbohydrates in TL Vegan mass gainer, which is ideal for post-workout nutrition (and can be taken even an hour or two before a workout). 

By including a fast digesting carbohydrate post-workout, I can replenish my muscle glen (energy stores) to help me prepare for the next session while improving muscle protein synthesis (creating more muscle growth).

Mixability with Liquid

I usually mixed this with water in my shaker bottle and shook it for 20-30 seconds. It mixed well, did not clump, and had a smooth, velvety texture. It was even more velvety when I mixed it with milk and integrated it into the liquid.

This is a big one for me because clumpy protein and mass-gaining powders are one of my biggest pet peeves (honestly, because so many brands have figured out how not to have it clump up, yet many brands still clump together)!

Whether mixing it with water or milk, shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds, and you will be all set.

Drawbacks: What I Didn’t Like

There was really only one notable drawback.  

Kept Me Full Longer Than I Expected

Despite the main carbs being maltodextrin (a fast-digesting carb source), the mass gainer left me feeling fuller longer than I expected (and desired). 

This may have been due to the protein coming from pea protein isolate (rather than a very easily and fast-digesting whey protein).

The reason why this is a drawback is that eating in a caloric surplus is hard to do as it is (as least for me), so feeling full from your protein shake can leave you slightly uncomfortable at your next mealtime.  

Key Criteria: How Does It Stack Up?

Nutrition Label Transparency

Our rating: 5/5

It is no shocker that Transparent Labs made a Mass Gainer with nothing to hide. The label is crystal clear and doesn’t hide behind proprietary blends or ingredients that do not have performance-enhancing backing.

As someone who has taken his fair share of supplements over the past twenty years, I find peace knowing exactly what is in my shaker bottle.

Quality Ingredients

Our rating: 5/5

If you were to look at the ingredients list on other mass gainers, you would most likely see words that are hard to pronounce or that you don’t even know what they are. That’s a big red flag… but not with Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer.

The ingredient list is short, the source of the ingredients is easy to determine, and there are no mysterious “proprietary blends” to decipher. Clean, simple, and effective ingredients are one of the main reasons why I like this Mass Gainer.

Protein Percent of Calories

Our rating: 5/5

Protein accounts for nearly 30% of the total calories in this mass gainer (52 grams of protein per serving). 

Carbs account for the other 65% of total calories (and fats are the last 5%). This balance of higher carbs and moderate to high protein ensures you are delivering enough protein per serving and enough carbs to replenish and keep muscle glycogen stores full.

Carb-to-Protein Ratio

Our rating: 4/5

Initially, I hesitated to give this a 4 out of 5 because it was a little light on carbohydrates if used after a weight training session. Ideally, I would like to see a 3:1 ratio, with Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer delivering 2.5:1.

Research suggests that a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio is the ideal ratio to optimize muscle glycogen recovery post workouts. If you plan on using this after a workout, try mixing it with milk to bump up the carbs (or have more carbs with it to boost the total carb intake to 150g).

If you are looking to use this throughout the day, then the ratio is pretty spot on. It delivers ample protein, carbohydrates, and fat to get your nutrients without being too filling.

Taste

Our rating: 4/5

Let’s be honest: Most vegan powders taste pretty gritty. That said, this one tasted great, like chocolate.

It wasn’t too chalky, had good sweetness, and the chocolate really came through. 

I found it very palatable when mixed with water, but it was delectable when mixed with milk (or, dare I say, chocolate milk).

Mixability

Our rating: 5/5

I mixed this in a shaker bottle with water, and it mixed great. I didn’t even need a shaker ball.

Mixability is hard to come by, especially when you have a lot of powder in a shaker, as things can clump up quickly. 

Mixability is a non-issue with this mass gainer! It left me actually in awe at how well it mixed and how smooth and velvety the texture was (when mixed with water, nonetheless)!

Satiety

Our rating: 3/5

While the goal of a mass gainer is to allow you to ingest more calories, I found this one to be pretty filling (which isn’t exactly what I want if I already am struggling to eat enough calories).

That said, this can be subjective.

Ultimately, I wasn’t overly full and could eat again a few hours later. If you have trouble eating enough calories (which most people reaching for mass gainers do), just give yourself 30-60 minutes to digest before you start anything vigorous.

Cost

Our rating: 2.5/5

Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer costs $0.71 per 100 calories, which is above the average for pre-workouts, around $0.53 per serving (approximately more expensive than two-thirds of the similar products on the market). 

This cost is justified, however, by the commitment to using clean, simple ingredients, all of which are third-party tested. The specific amounts of each ingredient are also portioned out properly to meet the specific needs of most lifters.

Who is Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer For?

Transparent Labs Lean Mass Gainer is a great option for: 

• People who prioritize knowing exactly what ingredients are in their mass gainers

• Anyone looking for additional clean calories to boost muscle growth and weight gain

• Vegan and Vegetarian lifers looking to consume high-calorie, well-balanced mass mass-gaining products

• You are looking for a well-balanced meal replacement shake (you can use 1-1.5 scoops instead of the normal 2 scoops per serving) during maintenance phases.

Who Should NOT Take Transparent Labs, Vegan Mass Gainers?

You should pass on Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer if:

• You are not vegan and have no issues with whey protein. (I recommend the regular Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, which has whey protein rather than the pea protein isolate.)

• You consume enough protein, carbs, and calories to fuel weight gain and muscle growth.

Customer Reviews

Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer is sold on their website (not on Amazon) and has 11 reviews. The average rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars, and over 90% of the reviews are 5 stars.

The only negative review (1 star) claimed that the product never arrived and that shipping was very bad. Of course, this is not great; however, no other reviews have claimed this, and the company seems to be large enough to handle shipping errors.

Another review (they gave the product 3 out of 5 stars) said it tasted a bit “off.” This course is subjective, and given that I personally think all vegan powders taste off compared to whey, that could be a true statement (but just part of the course).

Now, onto the 5-star reviews, which were over 90% of all reviews! Almost all the reviews stated that they had no bloating and felt great after drinking it, as the pea protein isolate didn’t aggravate the gut as much as whey (if you have issues with whey, this could be a great option). They also stated that they loved the flavor and texture of the product, as it was smooth, mixed well, and tasted like a chocolate donut (the exact flavor it was going for) without being artificial.

There are no reviews on Amazon for this product because it is not sold on Amazon. However, other Transparent Labs products have received 4-4.5 out of 5 stars (over 500+ reviews) on many of their other products (whey protein, creatine, pre-workouts). This suggests that, as a whole, Transparent Labs makes products their customers love.

Where To Buy

You can purchase Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer on their website. Some of their other products are also available on Amazon (protein powders). 

You can also purchase Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer at Vitamin Shoppes and other retailers (search this locator to find a store near you).

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Transparent Lab’s Shipping Policy?

According to their shipping policy on their website, Transparent Labs claims that orders placed Sunday through Thursday are shipped on the following business day that the order was received. All orders placed Friday through Saturday will ship on the following Monday.

Standard Shipping is the default shipping method (5-7 business days for Domestic orders and 14-21 working days for International orders). 

What Is Transparent Lab’s Return Policy?

According to their website, Transparent Labs offers a full refund or store credit for the item’s value within 30 days of delivery if you are not satisfied with your product.

You can notify customer support at support@transparentlabs.com that you want a refund or store credit for your item.

Is Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer Gluten Free?

Yes, this product is 100% gluten-free.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Personally, I found no slide effects from the Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer. Some people may experience fullness or bloating if they are not used to eating as many calories or if they drink a lot of the shake at once (this is really just because you are full).

I personally had no issues with digestion and felt great using the product. As with any supplement, slowly integrate it into your diet and monitor your feelings.

How To Contact Transparent Labs?

You can contact Transparent Labs by email at support@transparentlabs.com or by phone at 1-866-324-9557. They also have a virtual chat line on their website.

Other Transparent Lab Products We’ve Reviewed

• Transparent Labs Grass Fed Whey Protein Review
• Transparent Labs Bulk Pre Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Lean Pre Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Stim-Free Pre Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Pump Review

References

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Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Creatine supplementation elicits greater muscle hypertrophy in upper than lower limbs and trunk in resistance-trained men. Nutrition and Health. 2017;23(4):223-229. doi:10.1177/0260106017737013

Ivy JL, Goforth HW Jr, Damon BM, McCauley TR, Parsons EC, Price TB. Early postexercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2002 Oct;93(4):1337-44. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00394.2002. PMID: 12235033.