# Why do you have to eat more to build muscle??



## Gza1 (Aug 6, 2007)

Ok prolly going to get slated but interested to see answers.

Why do people refer to bulking up with gaining size or muscle, I.e eating more calories than require in order to build muscle.

But calories don't build muscle do they?

As long as sufficiant protein is taken in then the body will use it for building muscle.

Does eating more calories make you gain more muscle? Or help you gain faster?


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## Rob Smith (Jun 10, 2010)

Good question mate


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

there is an interplay.

Calories on their own - largely meaningless. But you do need enough calories to meet energy expenditure, or you won't grow no matter what, because all your protein will get robbed to meet energy demands.

So yeah, you need ample protein, but overall calories must meet (exceed actually) energy expenditure in order to gain muscle...


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## Bulkamania (Feb 16, 2009)

IMO you need enough protein, a good amount of fats and just enough carbs to see you through the day. I don't think rediculous amounts of carbs are needed tbh, as long as you have enough to get you through the day and still have enough energy for your workout, then you don't need anymore. Any unused energy gets stored as fat, so why take in more than you need?


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## Jungle (Mar 9, 2009)

rs007 said:


> there is an interplay.
> 
> Calories on their own - largely meaningless. But you do need enough calories to meet energy expenditure, or you won't grow no matter what, because all your protein will get robbed to meet energy demands.
> 
> So yeah, you need ample protein, but overall calories must meet (exceed actually) energy expenditure in order to gain muscle...


The best possible answer in a nutshell


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## Big Gunz (Jun 9, 2009)

Gza1 said:


> Ok prolly going to get slated but interested to see answers.
> 
> Why do people refer to bulking up with gaining size or muscle, I.e eating more calories than require in order to build muscle.
> 
> But calories don't build muscle do they?


Yes calories are energy and are needed to build muscle, without the extra energy then you can forget about growing.

The body needs sufficient energy in the form of calories to function. If your body requires 2000kcal to maintain all bodily functions and you go over that by say 500 you will gain weight in the form of muscle or fat (the former if you are weight training).



> As long as sufficiant protein is taken in then the body will use it for building muscle.


Yes, protein is needed for building muscle, as well as the other two macronutrients.



> Does eating more calories make you gain more muscle?


Yes if its over your bodys needs and you are stimulating your body (i.e. weight training) not by a lot though, otherwise your weight gain will be mostly fat, thats why you should increase by approx 500kcal.



> Or help you gain faster?


No, no extra amount of calories above the minimum required will help to increase the rate of muscle growth.


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## Gza1 (Aug 6, 2007)

\ said:


> IMO you need enough protein, a good amount of fats and just enough carbs to see you through the day. I don't think rediculous amounts of carbs are needed tbh, as long as you have enough to get you through the day and still have enough energy for your workout, then you don't need anymore. Any unused energy gets stored as fat, so why take in more than you need?


I agree with this, although carbs Are not the enemy if you consume more than you burn then it does get stored as fat.

Surely though it's impossible to know how many calories you need even for maintenance??


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

rs007 said:


> there is an interplay.
> 
> Calories on their own - largely meaningless. But you do need enough calories to meet energy expenditure, or you won't grow no matter what, because all your protein will get robbed to meet energy demands.
> 
> So yeah, you need ample protein, but overall calories must meet (exceed actually) energy expenditure in order to gain muscle...


That sums it up nicely.

You do need to keep increasing calories as you grow of course, as while muscle doesn't take many calories to build (remember you breakdown and rebuild lots of muscle everyday and are constantly recycling it, and still do the build up part efficiently even in calorie deficit), muscle does take a lot of energy to maintain.

Effectively this means just as rs says that you ideally just need to take enough calories for metabolism plus expenditure, so long as you are aware also that as muscle mass increases metabolic calorie cost increases too.

Otherwise there are hormonal advantages that help muscle growth when calories are in excess rather than deficit - the body generally produces more insulin, testosterone and IGF1 when in calorie excess than in deficit but not in an unlimited fashion... ever increasing calories doesn't lead to ever increasing levels of these hormones, just a very slight calorie excess (or at least just avoiding going into deficit) is enough to optimise them.

I have a personal theory as to why some people seem to feel they need to bulk on high kcals to grow, and that's that their diets are calorie heavy but nutrient low (lots of energy foods but not many high in vitamins and minerals and certain essential fatty acids) so the extra volume of food helps them not so much through the extra calories but through the extra nutrients.

That last bit is just a Dtlv74 theory though.


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## Gza1 (Aug 6, 2007)

\ said:


> Yes calories are energy and are needed to build muscle, without the extra energy then you can forget about growing.
> 
> The body needs sufficient energy in the form of calories to function. If your body requires 2000kcal to maintain all bodily functions and you go over that by say 500 you will gain weight in the form of muscle or fat (the former if you are weight training).
> 
> ...


Not trying to sound arrogent mare cus I respect your reply, but let's just say my maintenance is 2500, to gain muscle your saying shoot for 3000, if I consume 2000kals which consist of 200g protein ( 1g per lb bw ) and then rest is enough carbs for energy and good fats, does that mean if I'm training hard I'm not going to grow??


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## Big Gunz (Jun 9, 2009)

Gza1 said:


> I agree with this, although carbs Are not the enemy if you consume more than you burn then it does get stored as fat.
> 
> Surely though it's impossible to know how many calories you need even for maintenance??


See here http://www.healthrecipes.com/calories.htm


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## Big Gunz (Jun 9, 2009)

Gza1 said:


> Not trying to sound arrogent mare cus I respect your reply, but let's just say my maintenance is 2500, to gain muscle your saying shoot for 3000, if I consume 2000kals which consist of 200g protein ( 1g per lb bw ) and then rest is enough carbs for energy and good fats, does that mean if I'm training hard I'm not going to grow??


No problem mate,

Yes I am saying you wont grow because even though you are having ample amount of protein, it will be used for normal bodily functions rather than growth and repair from your training because you are not reaching your daily bodily energy needs.

If anything, you'll be losing weight.


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## egyption t (May 21, 2009)

2 grams protien/ pound,and 3 grams carbs/pound,and .50-.75 fat gram/pound


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## scobielad (Feb 27, 2010)

If you look at basic Molecular Biology or Biochemistry then what everybody has so far said is correct.

The main process that governs the growth or repair of muscle tissue in the body is protein sysnthesis. In order for protein synthesis to occur, or for there even to be a source of free nucleotides in cells to build polypeptide chains (that make complex muscle fibres) your body needs *NRG *.

Small energy creating organelles called mitochondria exist all over the body and in order for these 'mini organs' to generate energy....they need an initial supply of it. This is not taking into account the supply of energy that your body actually needs to remain alive, carrying out normal chemical reactions and contributing to 'useful work' such as walking or moving / heating the body. To build those HUGE guns....your body needs the kick start of *NRG * to fire up the mitochondria that supply energy to ribosomes (a clever organelle) that generate proteins...be it muscle, hair, hormones, immunoglobulins, antibodies etc. It is kinda like this analogy....when you are fcuked after a good workout...you go to the can machine to get a sugary drink to re-supply your body with energy....but if you don't put in any money (your own energy) then you aint getting anything out of it.

Ok...enough to digest. Aint Biology fun....


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## Gza1 (Aug 6, 2007)

But why do people to say if your bulking and gaining to much fat back off the carbs (less calories), so how much calories do you k ow u need it's a constant guessing game. If you lower your carbs to stop gaining flab, how do you know your still gaining muscle as effectivly??


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Gza1 said:


> But why do people to say if your bulking and gaining to much fat back off the carbs (less calories), so how much calories do you k ow u need it's a constant guessing game. *If you lower your carbs to stop gaining flab, how do you know your still gaining muscle as effectivly??*


Look in the mirror.

If you're eating enough protein and fat, and just enough carbs to support your energy expenditure you'll put on lean muscle through exercise, but not flab.

If you start to get porky, back off the carbs a bit. If you lack energy and feel tired, up them a bit.


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## anne12 (Jul 28, 2010)

Hello Friends.......

To gain muscle you need to eat more than you burn. You should also shoot to get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. You could really gain alot just sticking to bodyweight exercises for right now. Look for a good bodyweight routine online. You wont gain as much doing it that way as you would with weights but Id give it a couple years before I hit the weights too much. Go to fitday.com and figure out what you need to maintain your current weight and then add 500 cals to that. You will gain then. Oh and if you decide to supplement protein use WHEY protein. Its the best there is for after your workout. Walmart sells 2 kinds and they are pretty cheap. If you do that then for sure drink em right after your workout. Eat 6 times a day, just not big meals. Keep track of your calories and protein intake so you know you are getting enough.

Thanks

health care


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## suliktribal (Apr 4, 2010)

You can't build a house without bricks and mortar(etc).

And a mansion takes more than a semi detatched!


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## vitty (Jan 28, 2008)

In my experience with fast metabolism, I need to eat as much as possible as everything quiete litteraly goes to waste (im sure people know what i mean by that ). So i quiete litteraly have to force my self to eat if i want to add that extra pound!

In my case the more the better, but each to their own, I know guys that when they start bulking they almost instanly go 2 stone heavier from fat.... but to extent of my knowledge fat allows your body to produce more testestorone? I guess thats why at bulking stages people add up the calories to add extra pounds of fat on...


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