Calories for building quality muscle mass

Calories are the first thing you need to take an honest look at when it comes to muscle building. If you train hard but eat too little, your weight will usually stay the same. Here is a simple way to estimate your energy expenditure and set a sensible surplus.

Translated by Janar Rückenberg

Why do calories determine muscle growth?

The secret to building quality muscle mass is more than just a heavier barbell or a longer workout. Most bodybuilders trying to gain mass do not eat enough. It sounds dull, but your body cannot build new tissue out of nothing.

Of course, there is more to it. The amounts and proportions of nutrients matter, as do the number and frequency of meals. Appropriate training and recovery are equally important, especially sleep in the most literal sense of the word.

But if your goal is quality muscle mass, the calculation starts with one question: how much energy do you expend to maintain your body weight? In their book “Exercise Physiology,” exercise physiologists William McArdle and Frank Katch put the average daily energy expenditure of American men at 2700 – 2900 kcal per day. The average daily energy expenditure for women is 2000 – 2100 kcal.

Calorie calculations start with basal metabolic rate

To calculate your daily energy expenditure, you first need to estimate your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. This is the minimum amount of energy your body needs to maintain vital functions. Even if you spend 24 hours doing nothing but sitting or lying down, you still use energy to breathe, keep your heart beating and perform other basic functions.

Dr. Fred Hatfield has proposed a simple formula:

• BMR (men) = 1 x body weight (kg) x 24
• BMR (women) = 0.9 x body weight (kg) x 24

For example, a man who weighs 78 kg would get the following result: BMR = 1 x 78 x 24 = 1872 kcal. This formula is based on actual body weight, rather than fat-free mass. It gives a reasonably accurate estimate of BMR when body fat percentage is 14 – 19 % in men and 20 – 25 % in women.

If body fat percentage is significantly above average, the same formula overestimates energy needs. Knowing your fat-free mass gives you a more accurate picture. For this purpose, Katch and McArdle have used a formula that works for men as well as for women:

BMR (men, women) = 370 + (21.6 x fat-free mass in kg)

Let us use the same example. The man weighs 78 kg and has 14 % body fat. His fat mass is 10.92 kg and his fat-free mass is 67.08 kg. So his fat-free mass = 67.08 kg and BMR = 370 + (21.6 x 67.08) = 1819 kcal.

How do you calculate your daily calorie needs?

Once you know your BMR, you need to account for activity. The type of work you do, the length of your workouts and how often you train can make a big difference to the result. Activity multipliers are used to account for this:

• Sedentary work and lifestyle – 1.2
• Light activity – 1.375
• Moderate physical activity – 1.55
• Very physically active – 1.725
• Extremely active – 1.9

To calculate your daily energy expenditure, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity multiplier. For a moderately active 78 kg man with 14 % body fat and a BMR of 1819 kcal, the calculation is 1819 x 1.55 ~ 2820 kcal. This means a moderately active 78 kg man needs a daily calorie intake of 2820 kcal to maintain his body weight.

If your goal is growth, your calorie intake must exceed the calories you need to maintain your body weight. Your energy balance must be positive. Eating at maintenance keeps your body in more or less the same state.

To gain mass, you could add an extra 300 – 500 kcal to your maintenance calorie intake. More precisely, to gain any mass at all, you should consume at least 4.4 kcal per kilogram of body weight above your maintenance needs.

Continuing with our example, the man weighs 78 kg. His maintenance calorie intake is 2820 kcal. The extra calories needed to gain mass are 4.4 x 78 = 343.2 ~ 343 kcal. So, at his activity level, a 78 kg man should consume 2820 + 343 = 3163 kcal to build quality muscle mass.

Practical recommendations and checks

These calculations are theoretical. In practice, BMR can vary by 20 % in either direction among people of the same body weight because genetics, body build and daily movement differ. According to Dr. William Evans, you need approximately 100 kcal less to maintain your body weight with every ten years that pass.

The activity multiplier may not cover every situation either. Some athletes train so frequently and intensely that even 1.9 does not reflect their actual energy expenditure. Some triathletes and marathon runners may need 5000 – 6000 kcal per day just to maintain their body weight.

The simple truth is that gaining weight should not become an obsession that drives you to eat without restraint. There is little benefit if most of the mass you gain is fat. The goal is to gain body weight through muscle mass, with no fat gain or only a minimal increase in body fat percentage.

If you can measure your body fat percentage, it is worth doing so every couple of weeks. If it increases, first add about 20 – 30 minutes of aerobic training 3 – 4 days a week. If your body fat percentage continues to rise, review both the quality and quantity of your calories.

One option is a zigzag approach, alternating between higher and lower calorie intakes. For example, keep your calorie intake high for three consecutive days, at 300 – 500 kcal above what you need to maintain your weight, then slightly below what you need to maintain your body weight for the next 2 – 3 days. This approach helps keep your gains leaner.

If you follow the guidelines above, an increase in body weight of 200 – 400 g per week should be a realistic goal; gains will be smaller for women. If your weight has not increased after a couple of weeks, you are probably not eating enough and should increase your calorie intake.

After 3 – 4 months, muscle mass gains usually slow to 100 – 200 g per week. The closer you get to your genetic limits, the slower your progress becomes. For an experienced bodybuilder, even 100 g of muscle mass per week represents progress; over a year, that would amount to 5 kg of quality muscle.

Translator’s note: These calculations should certainly not be taken at face value either, because gains in mass and muscle do not always follow an ideal, predictable course and are influenced by many factors. Still, with good genetics and ideal conditions, gains like these are quite realistic.

FAQ: calories and muscle mass

Is simply adding calories enough?

No. Calories create the conditions for growth, but you also need proper training, protein, carbohydrates, fats and sleep. If your recovery is poor, a bigger plate will not save the day.

How quickly should you gain weight?

A good target is 200 – 400 g per week. Later, especially after 3 – 4 months, the rate may slow to 100 – 200 g per week. If you have been training for a long time, even 100 g per week can be a very good result.

What should you do if your body fat percentage rises?

Start with small changes. If needed, add about 20 – 30 minutes of aerobic training 3 – 4 days a week and check that your surplus really is 300 – 500 kcal, rather than much higher.

Author: Janar Rückenberg

The best calories come from ARMUDU restaurants

Source: WHO – physical activity.

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