Proper nutrition is a tool in the hands of every athlete, with which one can both gain muscle mass and lose weight.
The journey towards one’s goal must begin with a clear understanding of how our body functions, specifically why muscles do not grow or why we gain weight despite financial investments in personal trainers, gym memberships, and expensive sports nutrition.
Main thoughts:
Prolonged consumption of excess calories inevitably leads to an increase in fat mass
Nutritionists recommend gradually increasing caloric intake until muscle mass begins to grow
The decision about the specifics of an individual diet for each athlete should be made based on their energy expenditures, as well as the goals they pursue regarding their body: maintaining weight at the achieved level, gaining muscle mass, or losing weight.
Maintaining weight is a balance between the energy consumed from food and the energy expenditure for sustaining the body’s vital functions. Hence, a simple rule: to maintain the achieved weight, athletes only need to ensure that the energy intake equals the energy expenditure. This is a kind of law of conservation of energy in bodybuilding.
Energy comes to us exclusively through the mouth: food and drinks consumed throughout the day. There are no other pathways.
Expenditures are a bit more complex. There are many:
- maintenance of metabolism at rest: besides muscle fibers, we have millions of other cells inside us performing different functions, and each of them requires its own portion of fuel to perform its role; even muscle fibers at rest consume energy;
- processing of food;
- physical activity (everything related to muscle work: movements, static holds, maintaining posture);
- generation of heat.
Important
The values of each component of expenses are individual and should be taken into account when developing a personalized nutrition program.
For example, ectomorph athletes have a very high level of energy expenditure to support the body’s internal metabolism, and that is why they find it difficult to gain muscle mass: nutrients literally do not reach the muscles, and in order to gain muscle mass, they need to eat a lot.
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Why muscles do not grow or The most important secret to gaining muscle mass
Muscle growth is only possible when the total caloric intake is GREATER than the body’s energy expenditure to maintain vital functions.
Energy expenditure to maintain physical activity changes at different stages of the training cycle, including during forced breaks due to illness or vacation. Our diet also changes, thanks to our mothers, grandmothers, and caring wives, who try to bring variety.
Therefore, everyone who wants to achieve results in building their body must be able to plan their diet, clearly understand how many calories are needed each day. Most bodybuilding professionals are excellent “mathematicians” and have a habit of weighing and recording everything that ends up on their table.
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During intense training periods, our body’s need for food (=energy) increases, and when the intensity decreases, the need for energy intake also decreases. It’s that simple.
Compared to the average person, the energy needs of athletes are significantly higher.
Each nutrient (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) provides a certain amount of kilocalories (kcal) when broken down: carbohydrates and proteins – 4 kcal/g, fats – 9 kcal, and for enthusiasts, alcohol – 7 kcal/g. If we add them together, we get the total energy intake from food.
During metabolism, energy is released and further used for the growth of existing cells or the building of new ones, for the digestion process, nutrient absorption, energy supply to muscles, and other functions.
Unused energy goes straight to storage: either to glycogen in the liver or to fat stores. Prolonged consumption of excess energy inevitably leads to an increase in the size of fat stores and, consequently, unhealthy weight gain, distortion of proportions, deterioration of well-being, and a decrease in self-esteem (not for everyone, though).
Prolonged consumption of excess calories inevitably leads to an increase in fat mass
It works the other way around as well: if you eat fewer calories than required, the body will cleverly open energy stores and start depleting them.
But what happens if the stores are depleted and energy needs are skyrocketing? Our wise body will never leave itself in distress and will start consuming… itself. Everything will be used: with a calorie deficit, tissues, including muscles, will begin to break down, decompose into components, and transform into energy; if there is a lack of micronutrients, for example, calcium, it will be taken from bones and teeth.
And so on with a large number of elements. It can be confidently said that a huge number of amateur bodybuilders are chronically in this state.
A huge number of amateur bodybuilders are in a state of chronic energy deficiency, in which gaining muscle mass is impossible
Important: If you have been training for a long time, muscle mass is not increasing, and you may even be losing weight (if, of course, “fat” does not apply to you), it is quite likely that the caloric content of your diet is insufficient and your diet needs adjustment. Prolonged stay in this state can lead to serious health damage and the development of chronic functional disorders.
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The ideal values of muscle mass and body fat mass are unique for each athlete. In the desire to adjust these values, we are guided by various reasons.
In bodybuilding, men often come wanting to gain mass, muscle mass of course, and achieve definition. Women want to lose weight, tighten what is sagging; at the same time, masculinity and excessive muscle mass are undesirable for them, as well as for the men who admire them. To achieve these goals, we have two levers: nutrition and training.
Important: Regardless of what your goal is in sports, a strict strategic and thoughtful approach to nutrition is absolutely necessary.
Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass
The main secret of muscle mass growth – a positive energy balance: energy intake must exceed energy expenditure.
1 The main rule for those concerned with the question of “how to gain muscle mass”: the caloric content of your diet throughout the day should be 400-500 kcal/day more for men and 300-500 kcal/day more for women than your basic energy needs. Exact values are individual, keep this in mind. For some, a surplus of 300 kcal will be enough, while others may need 600 kcal.
But how to determine basic energy needs?
It is quite difficult to do this accurately. Some sports nutritionists recommend not to worry about exact numbers at all, but to proceed as follows: gradually increase caloric intake until weight starts to rise. There is a breaking point for everyone, and it needs to be determined. Conduct experiments for 2-3 months with a specific caloric surplus. This period is enough to see results.
Many nutritionists recommend gradually increasing caloric intake until muscle mass begins to grow
And overall, learn to feel your body and, of course, use measuring devices.
2 Focus primarily on consuming an adequate amount of carbohydrates (not proteins!). They provide energy. The recommendation is 5-8 g/kg.
3 Proteins are also important for mass gain; you can’t do without them. Consume at least 1.2 g/kg. The recommendation is 1.7 g/kg. Many studies show that exceeding this value does not affect the rate of muscle building. It is important to consume both carbohydrates and proteins at every meal!
4 Do not be fanatical about limiting fat intake. The recommendation is 1 g/kg.
5 Distribute caloric intake evenly throughout the day with a slight focus on workout timing (before/after/during).
6 Do not skip meals, plan ahead.
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How to eat properly to lose weight
The main secret of weight loss – a negative energy balance: energy intake must be less than energy expenditure.
It is necessary to balance the incoming and outgoing energy in such a way that, on the one hand, it provides energy for training, and on the other hand, creates a slight energy deficit to trigger the mechanisms of energy expenditure from internal stores.
1 Determine how many calories you need to consume per day to lose weight: from your daily energy needs, subtract 300-500 kcal/day (for men) and 200-300 kcal/day (for women). If you exceed these values, then most likely you will not benefit from the workout, and your mind and body will resist the foolish idea of moving weights from one place to another.
2 Plan your diet in such a way that a certain amount of carbohydrates from your daily norm is consumed directly before/after/during the workout. This will aid the recovery process while maintaining the planned energy deficit.
3 Ensure a protein intake level of 1.5 g/kg (per kilogram of body weight) to prevent muscle mass loss, as the caloric intake is limited.
4 Keep a record of everything you eat for subsequent analysis, either by yourself or by an expert. This is a useful practice.
5 Plan a balanced diet for each day, based on natural products rich in valuable nutrients: lean meats, legumes, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fruits, whole grains.
6 Do not skip meals. Reduce portion sizes. It is better to eat more frequently but in smaller amounts than less often but in larger amounts.
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