Gaining muscle mass in bodybuilding is a combination of proper nutrition, training, and increasingly – sports pharmacology.
If we remove the third component, we get natural bodybuilding; if we keep it – that which we most often see in pictures on social media and on the stage of professional bodybuilding.
There is a significant difference between them, both in terms of health and in the speed of gaining muscle mass, its beauty, aesthetics, and functionality. And, I hope, no one needs to be told that professional bodybuilding has long ceased to be natural.
In this article, we will discuss the main principles of proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass in bodybuilding.
Following them will help create conditions for muscle anabolism in the body, but it will never make you look like the stars of modern bodybuilding, who achieve inhuman sizes solely thanks to sports chemistry. It is important to understand this, especially if you are just at the beginning of your journey.
Main thoughts:
The main axiom of bodybuilding is that gaining muscle mass without proper nutrition is IMPOSSIBLE
Saturated fats are involved in the production of testosterone, unsaturated fats – ensure health
Sports protein is NOT at all necessary for gaining muscle mass. It is just convenient
Prelude: On the Importance of Proper Nutrition
The importance of proper nutrition in bodybuilding for muscle mass gain is sometimes assessed by experts as 50% of success; sometimes – 80%.
And although it is unlikely that the exact value can be quantified, the meaning that is attempted to be conveyed through large numbers is extremely clear: nutrition is of colossal importance.
In the minds of many, proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass is an arsenal of colorful cans with magical names like whey protein, BCAA, HMB, creatine, L-carnitine, sports vitamins, arginine, casein, and so on.
The average check for purchasing sports supplements can reach several hundred dollars a month, not including pharmacology…
The results of our analysis of hundreds of scientific studies indicate that the importance of most sports nutrition products for gaining mass is overrated… Explaining why, based on scientific facts, is the mission of the PROmusculus.ru project.
Below, we will introduce you to the main principles of nutrition for gaining mass. Studying the experiences of professional bodybuilding representatives (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Evan Centopani, Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, and others) shows that these principles are applied by all of them in virtually unchanged form, regardless of their attitude towards sports pharmacology.
The essence of these principles is understanding:
- what the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the diet should be;
- what the total caloric content of food should be;
- how often one should eat and what the portion sizes should be;
- which sports supplements for gaining mass are truly effective.
The main axiom of bodybuilding is that gaining muscle mass is IMPOSSIBLE without proper nutrition.
Principles of proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass in bodybuilding
1 The importance of PROTEIN for gaining muscle mass
Protein is of paramount importance for gaining muscle mass. The reason is that it is the building material for muscle cells.
– How much protein is needed to gain muscle mass?
The diet for gaining muscle mass should be based on the calculation that there should be approximately 1.6-2.2 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight.
Although the norm for an average person is about 1 g/kg of body weight per day, numerous studies confirm that athletes have a higher protein requirement. This applies to both those who train for mass and those who train for endurance.
Beginning young bodybuilders can try starting with a protein dose of 3 g/kg during the first 6 months, as their muscles respond very actively to strength training.
In numbers, this means that if the body weight is 80 kg, the amount of protein in the diet should be ~240 g.
More information about protein can be found in our study How to properly take protein for muscle mass gain?.
Sources of protein should primarily be lean natural animal protein products such as chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, and dairy products. The protein in them is of excellent quality, contains all the necessary amino acids, and is very well absorbed.
For vegetarians and vegans, we recommend our material How to gain muscle mass as a vegetarian/vegan, where we introduce recommendations from vegetarian bodybuilders and provide lists of products.
It is possible to gain muscle mass even exclusively on plant-based food, although it is significantly more challenging.
The main principle of proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass is a sufficient amount of protein – 1.8-2 g/kg of body weight
2 The Importance of CARBOHYDRATES for Muscle Mass Gain
Carbohydrates are a source of energy. They are the second most important macronutrient for gaining muscle mass.
Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as glycogen, making them “full” and serving as a source of energy for their function.
– How many carbohydrates are needed to gain muscle mass?
Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass should contain 4-6 grams of carbohydrates for each kilogram of body weight.
For a person weighing 80 kg, this is approximately 320-480 g.
The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains (cereals), oatmeal, whole grain bread, legumes, fruits, and vegetables… but not sugar, fructose, and products containing them.
We recommend: The harm of sugar to the human body. Scientific facts
Types of Carbohydrates, Their Properties, and Importance for Muscle Mass Gain
Carbohydrates can be:
- complex (whole grains, cereals, oatmeal, whole grain bread, vegetables, fruits): digested slowly, contain many beneficial nutrients;
- simple (sugar, fructose, white bread, sports gainers): quickly enter the bloodstream, are less beneficial for health, and primarily serve an energy function.
Proper nutrition in bodybuilding for mass gain also involves the ability to utilize the properties of different types of carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates should form the basis of the diet.
Research indicates that complex carbohydrates not only provide more energy and reduce feelings of fatigue during workouts but also aid in more effective fat burning and decrease feelings of hunger.
As for simple carbohydrates, the only time their consumption can be recommended in bodybuilding in small amounts for maximum mass gain activation is immediately after training.
And here’s why: as soon as they enter the bloodstream, this stimulates the release of insulin hormone, one of whose functions is to control blood sugar levels, while another is transport: it is responsible for delivering glucose (= energy) and amino acids (= building material for muscles) into the cells.
Insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning it is beneficial for muscle mass gain.
Its mechanism of action involves transporting carbohydrates into muscle cells, where they are stored as glycogen, which will be used during the next workout.
The accumulation of glycogen also leads to an increase in the size of muscle cells, meaning that each gram of glycogen binds several grams of water.
Additionally, insulin helps amino acids penetrate from the blood into muscle cells, where they are used to create new muscle cells.
For health, it is very important to control insulin levels and avoid spikes, as happens when we eat something sweet. The only time a spike is desirable is immediately after training.
Recommended: Powerful and Deadly.. The Mechanism of Insulin Action in Bodybuilding for Muscle Mass Gain and Weight Loss
Recommended: Side Effects of Insulin in Sports: Overdose, Coma, Death
If sweets are consumed at another time when the muscles are filled with glycogen (it has not been used during training), then another storage where insulin can store excess sugar in the blood will be fat. This is why sweets lead to weight gain.
Carbohydrates are just as important for gaining mass as protein. They should make up 4-6 g/kg of body weight in the diet, predominantly complex carbohydrates, with simple ones only after training.
Recommended: The harm of sugar to the human body. Scientific facts
3 The importance of FATS and cholesterol for muscle mass gain
It is a misconception that fats are the enemies of muscle mass and should be avoided.
In excess, they can indeed be easily converted into body fat and are dangerous for cardiovascular health (this primarily concerns saturated animal fats that contain cholesterol).
In bodybuilding, the situation is a bit different. Their diet should include saturated fats, including cholesterol, which is involved in the production of testosterone – the main male hormone responsible for muscle mass gain.
But this does not mean that more is better. About 5-10% of calories from fats should come from saturated fats. This is quite a small amount.
Good sources of saturated fats include beef, butter, or full-fat dairy products.
One of the important principles of proper nutrition for muscle mass gain is to increase the proportion of another type of fat – unsaturated fats – which are crucial for health as they contain omega-3.
A deficiency of omega-3 is one of the most common and dangerous vitamin deficiencies and other nutrients in the world. Scientists call it “the sixth biggest killer in the world.”
Good sources of unsaturated fats and omega-3s include avocados, nuts, olive oil, peanut butter, flaxseed oil, and fatty fish (salmon, sardines).
Saturated fats are involved in the production of testosterone, while unsaturated fats promote health.
4 CALORIC CONTENT – proper nutrition for muscle mass gain creates a caloric surplus
Muscle mass growth is only possible when a caloric surplus is created (excess): more calories are consumed than expended.
If the caloric content of the diet is insufficient, the body operates in a self-preservation mode, ensuring primary life functions, among which there is NO muscle mass gain.
To individually calculate how many calories you need to gain muscle mass, use a simple rule: approximately 40 calories per kilogram of body weight.
The proper diet for a person weighing 80 kg to gain muscle mass should have a total caloric intake of approximately 3200 calories.
About 20-30% of these calories should come from protein, 40-60% from carbohydrates, and 20-30% from fats.
Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass implies creating a caloric surplus: without sufficient caloric intake, muscles will not grow.
5 Eat often and in small portions
To gain muscle mass, it is recommended to eat often, in small portions.
This is necessary to ensure a constant flow of nutrients (energy and building materials in the form of amino acids) to the muscles.
It is very important that the portions are small in volume and caloric content.
If you eat 1200 calories at breakfast, the food will stay in the stomach for a long time, which will slow down both the absorption of nutrients into the blood and the emptying of the stomach for the next meal.
Moreover, the body cannot utilize a large single dose of calories, and a part of it is likely to be stored as fat.
Try to eat 5-6 times a day, with portions of 500-600 calories (for an 80 kg man).
One of the important rules of proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass is the last meal before bed, which should contain slow protein.
Sleep is a time of forced fasting for 7-9 hours. During sleep, life does not stop, and studies indicate that the process of muscle growth and recovery is most active during this time.
If your goal is to gain muscle mass, then feed your body at night to avoid a state of muscle catabolism, when it may start breaking down muscle to use amino acids for energy.
It is best to eat slow protein with healthy fats before bed. This mixture will be digested slowly, providing a gradual supply of amino acids to the muscles throughout the night.
An example of slow protein is casein. Its other name is “night protein.” Casein is available as a separate type of sports nutrition and is also found in large quantities in dairy products.
What is better? A classic philosophical question. There are facts indicating the exceptional harm of sports casein to health.
So, a good nighttime meal would be 150-200 g of low-fat cottage cheese or 30-40 g of casein. Add to it 2-3 teaspoons of flax seeds or 60 g of nuts, or 2-3 teaspoons of peanut butter.
For gaining mass, it is important to eat often and in small portions to ensure a constant supply of energy and amino acids to the muscles. The intake of slow protein before sleep is particularly significant.
6 Use SPORTS PROTEIN when necessary
Sports protein is not a product without which it is impossible to gain muscle mass.
Its main advantage is that it is simply more convenient to use when it is not possible to have a full meal or when it is necessary to add protein to the diet to meet the calculated amount.
Check out our material on the advantages and disadvantages of sports protein compared to natural food sources.
Sports protein is most often recommended to be taken at crucial moments for gaining mass: before training (if a meal was missed) or immediately after, when there is a very high need for amino acids for recovery and muscle growth.
For example, 30 minutes before training, you can drink 20 g of whey protein or a blend (whey + casein) along with 40 g of slow carbohydrates. And within 60 minutes after the workout, consume 20-40 g of whey protein and 60-100 g of fast carbohydrates.
Sports protein is NOT essential for gaining muscle mass. It is just convenient.
We recommend: Whey protein in sports nutrition: types, properties, and numerous advantages
We recommend: Hydrolyzed whey protein in bodybuilding: scientists’ reviews, how effective it is for gaining mass, and how to take it best
7 Experiment with CREATINE
Creatine is one of the few sports nutrition supplements whose benefits for gaining muscle mass are unequivocally proven by both scientific research and the practical experience of bodybuilders. Additionally, creatine is safe for health.
Take 3-5 g of creatine per day.
Using creatine, you can increase muscle strength and mass by several kilograms. Check out our material on how to properly take creatine for gaining muscle mass.
The benefits of creatine for muscle mass gain are proven. It can be taken regularly and is harmless.
8 What about AMINO ACIDS?
Amino acids are what protein is made of. Today, many of them are produced by sports nutrition manufacturers as standalone products and are recommended for intake to further enhance muscle growth potential.
Among the most popular are amino acids BCAA, glutamine, arginine, taurine, leucine (one of the BCAAs), and others.
From our perspective, their intake is unjustified and may even increase the risk of harm to health. This statement is the result of studying numerous scientific research (see the relevant sections in our Wiki) and surveys of doctors and scientists.
Not very convincing? For example, check out the material What is better: protein or amino acids (+ BCAA)? Reviews from doctors and experts.
Amino acids perform extremely important functions in the body, and many of them are directly related to muscle growth. And very often, this “importance” is used as an argument for recommending their additional intake.
But remember: all of them are already contained in protein. If you consume the aforementioned norm of protein from natural foods or sports protein, you can be sure that all necessary amino acids are supplied to your body in the required amounts.
We do not recommend taking amino acids as a separate type of sports nutrition for muscle mass gain. All of them are already contained in protein in the necessary amounts.
