Putting on extra pounds of muscle with great definition goes beyond sweating it out in the gym. You need to compliment all that hard-work with an equally effective dietary strategy. Those muscles need the right raw materials to make necessary changes for more size and strength.
This read will spill the beans on basic nutritional needs for optimal muscle growth for beginners and fairly seasoned lifters. We’ll start with a basic concept underlying nutritional recommendations for lifters, known as “Positive Energy Balance”, before getting into relevant details on each key macronutrient. Read on.
“Positive Energy Balance”
Don’t get spooked by the fancy terminology. This is a simple guiding concept that informs you on how much Protein, Fat and Carbs you need to consume for optimal results.
Energy balance is the relationship between the amount of energy you’re taking in through food and drinks, and the amount you’re expending through various forms of physical activity and basic body functions.
Positive Energy Balance describes a state in which the amount of energy input is greater than the output/expenditure. On the other hand, Negative Energy Balance is a state in which the energy expenditure is greater than the input.
Lifting weights for muscle growth increases your total energy needs. This means you’ll need to increase your total energy intake to handle the increased demand. In other words, you’ll need to get into a “Positive Energy Balance”.
To this point, the obvious question should be:
“How much more energy do you need?”
Fortunately, science has managed to unearth standard guidelines for energy/calorie intake for lifters at different levels.
According to the National Health Service, the recommended daily energy intake for women is 2000 calories, and 2500 calories for men. In case you’re new to the concept, calories are a measure of the amount of energy you consume or expend. In fact, a calorie is short form for Kilocalorie, which is equivalent to 4.2 Kilojoules(kJ).
The recommended daily intake caters to the energy needed to maintain basic, life-sustaining processes, and other basic activities for daily living. The minimum energy that’s needed for basic life processes is known “Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)” in professional circles. It accounts for 60-75% your Daily Energy Expenditure (DEE). The term is commonly used interchangeably with Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) as they’re almost the same. The difference lies in the fact that RMR includes energy expenditure when you’re awake and still while BMR is an absolute minimum.
Knowing your BMR allows you to set your bodybuilding goals more objectively by helping you to know your daily energy expenditure levels, which are then used to know how much more calories you need to take in to hit the caloric deficit. Fortunately, there are a number of equations you can use to estimate your BMR/RM and Total energy expenditure. The online revised Harris-Benedict equation proves a handy tool for BMR estimates, which you can use to estimate the daily energy expenditure by a set of criteria provided by the American Council on Exercise here.
Based on a 2019 review published in the Journal of Sports, starters/novice lifters should aim for a daily energy surplus of 10-20%, and a weekly weight gain of 0.25-0.5% of body weight. Advanced lifters should be modest by targeting the lower end of the range to eliminate the possibility of excess fat accumulation.
Proteins
Proteins are key structural components of muscle cells. Regular weightlifting is a physiological stressor that triggers a number of processes which are responsible for building new proteins for muscle growth. In physiology terms, this is known as Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS).
Proteins are structures built by basic building blocks, known as Amino Acids. It’s hard to make any tangible difference with any workout without adequate Amino Acid nourishment, no matter how good or intense it is.
No let’s get to the details:
Intake: So How Much Protein Should You Take?
Well, it depends on the level of training. If you’re a starter with no prior experience, you should aim at 0.8g per Kilogram of your body weight (08.g/kg/day). That’s based on general recommendations by researchers from the American College of Sports Medicine.
The math is quite simple:
Just multiply your bodyweight in kilograms by 0.8. Assuming your body weight is 60kg, you’ll be looking to get around 48g of Protein daily. In calories terms, this translates to around 192 calories since there’s roughly 4 calories in 1 gram of Protein.
Expectedly, regular lifters should aim for higher numbers. The ACSM recommends 1.2-1.7g per kilogram of bodyweight. In this case, you’d be aiming at 72g-102g per day if you’re weighing 60kg. Again, this translates to around 288-408 calories.
Of course, these figures aren’t an immutable rule for everyone, as individuals are different. Reach out to one of our coaches for more personalized advice or planning through the “ask a coach” section.
Protein Quality: Types and Sources to Focus on.
Great Protein intake isn’t just about your daily numbers. The kind of Protein also matters. This takes us to the concept of “Essential Amino Acids (EAA)”.
In basic terms, EAA’s are Amino Acids you can only get from food. In contrast, non-Essential Amino Acids are those that the body can produce by itself. An EAA known as “Leucine” is crucial for muscle growth physiology by functioning as a main trigger for processes that promote formation of new Proteins. Therefore, it’s a smart idea to focus on Protein sources with abundant supplies of Leucine. Good examples include eggs, dairy products, beef and Whey.
There are excellent plant sources as well if you’re not a fan of meat/animal products. These include Rice, Peanuts, Lentils, and Peas.
Timing: What’s the Best Time for Consumption?
Now let’s get to the right timing. There’s a prevailing belief that consuming Protein within 30-60 minutes after workouts (known as the anabolic window) is optimal for muscle gains and recovery. Well, there’s no convincing scientific evidence to support that. Recent evidence suggests that it’s the total daily intake that matters most. The best practice is to spread it out during the day, over 3-6 meals.
Carbohydrates
Glucose serves as a primary source of energy for muscle cells. This is possible through a series of reactions which convert it into a high-energy compound known as ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). This provides for the required energy to initiate and sustain muscle contractions.
Obviously, this calls for adequate daily Carb intake, especially for weight lifters. In fact, a number of studies have looked into the relationship between Carb intake and exercise performance. For instance, a study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning looked into the effect of dietary Carbohydrate composition on Squat performance at a specific load.
In the end, low Carb diets were associated with lower exercise volume (sets and reps). The reason lies in the fact that low Glucose concentrations in muscle cells hinder the release of Calcium, which plays a key role in production of ATP.
Intake: How Much is Enough Carbs?
Note that high Carb intake is counter-productive in the sense that it promotes accumulation of fats given that it’s not being countered by a correspondingly higher energy expenditure. Therefore, current standard guidelines and recommendations from research suggest a moderate intake of 5-7g/kg/day for novices and intermediate lifters, and 7-10g/kg/day for endurance athletes.
Timing: The When and Why.
Binging on Carbs before and after workouts seems to be a trend among lifters due to several reasons. The most popular ones include:
- Optimizing Carb replacement after workouts, which promotes muscle growth.
- Promoting the release of Insulin; a hormone which facilitates muscle growth.
However, research evidence is yet to give a nod of approval.
As for the first reason, Glycogen (aggregates of Glucose molecules) levels can be depleted by 20-40% following a high intensity exercise bout. However, they are usually restored within a day as long as the daily recommended intake is met. Therefore, there’s no plausible reason for a Carb feast before a workout session.
As for Insulin, it’s true that the hormone plays a crucial role in muscle growth by promoting formation of new Proteins (Protein Synthesis) and limiting its breakdown. However, the overall effect of pre-exercise carb feasting on Insulin levels isn’t big enough to translate to substantial muscle growth.
In the end, just like it’s the case with Protein intake, timing isn’t a crucial factor, but rather total daily intake.
Fat: The Unlikely Hero
Fats have a role to play in muscle growth though they are constantly painted as the ultimate villain in the bodybuilding and fitness community. Firstly, fats serve as a secondary source of energy when your body is running low on Carbs. Additionally, they are a crucial structural element of some important compounds for muscle growth, especially Hormones. A good example is Testosterone, which serves a key role in muscle hypertrophy(growth) and strength development.
Intake: How Much is Ideal?
Just like Carbs, standard recommendations for the general population also apply to training individuals. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the daily target should be 0.5-1.5g/kg/day, which translates to 20-35% of the total calorie intake.
Timing
Again, just make sure you hit the total daily intake regardless of the timing. Just like Carbs, all the talk about consuming high-energy sources before or after exercise is unfounded.
Quality
Hold on, the fact that fat isn’t all bad after all doesn’t mean you’re at liberty to destroy anything that looks fatty. Pay attention to the kind of fat in front of you.
There are four main types of fats:
- Monounsaturated.
- Polyunsaturated.
- Saturated.
- Trans.
“Mono” and “Unsaturated” fats are considered “healthy” fats as they’re known to promote healthy levels of Cholesterol. In case you’re aware, Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood, whose high concentrations have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Saturated” and “Unsaturated” fats are considered “unhealthy”, as they’re associated with increased risk of Heart Disease and Obesity.
You might have already heard about a class of Fats known as Omega 3 and 6. These are widely known for their positive effects on Heart Health, the cardiovascular system in general, and Cancer risk profile. Well, their charm extends to muscle development as well. Accumulating evidence has shown a positive effect on muscle strength. For instance, a 2023 scientific review published in the Journal of Advances in Nutrition showed that supplementing with Omega 3’s may lead to small increases in muscle strength.
Water
Water constitutes 75% of your muscles, with multiple structural and functional roles to keep them firing. Among the numerous roles, Water serves as the key medium of transport for a wide range of molecules, electrolytes and compounds needed in major chemical reactions for energy generation. Furthermore, it plays as a core part of the actual energy-producing reactions. For instance, Water reacts with the high-energy compound, ATP, to release other smaller compounds and the energy that’s used to power muscle contractions. This is why poor hydration has been linked to compromised exercise performance by various research studies. For instance, a large scientific review(meta-analysis) published in the Journal of scientific review linked water hypohydration(water deficit beyond daily normal fluctuations)) to decreased muscle strength (1-5%) and power(2%). According to the Food and Nutrition Board’s recommendations, men should aim for a daily intake of 3.7 liters, while women should aim at 2.7 liters. Active individuals should aim for more.
Here are the general guidelines with respect to exercise:
- 17-20 oz, 3 hours before exercise.
- 8oz of fluid, 20-30 minutes before exercise.
- 7-10oz of fluid every 10-20 mins during exercise.
- 8oz 3o mins after exercise.
Bottomline
In the end, optimizing muscle gains requires a fairly high Protein diet with slightly higher amount of Carbs, while Fats are kept within their normal limits. This caters for the high energy needs, while supplying necessary raw materials for muscle growth without posing a higher risk of excess fat accumulation. Your daily Protein intake should be raised to around 1.2-1.7g per kilogram of bodyweight, while Carbs and fats should be limited to 5-7g/kg/day and 0.5-1.5g/kg/day, respectively. Other factors such as type and quality should be considered to yield the best possible results.
Looking to get started with professional help?
At FitLife, our dietitian is always on standby to help you maintain a balanced diet.
