How much fat do elite athletes gain when trying to bulk?

A study by Garthe et al. (2013) on elite athletes showed that while a nutrition counseling group aiming for ~0.7% body weight gain per week consumed significantly more calories, they also experienced a greater increase in fat mass compared to an ad libitum eating group. Interestingly, both groups had similar increases in lean body mass, suggesting that very aggressive bulking might lead to disproportionate fat gain without much additional muscle in highly trained individuals.

Is it possible to gain muscle on maintenance calories?

Yes, research indicates that it is possible to gain muscle even while maintaining your body weight. The Helms et al. study, for instance, found substantial hypertrophy and strength gains in trained individuals at maintenance. While being in a surplus can slightly optimize hypertrophy, maintenance allows for recomping (gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously) and can be effective for muscle growth, especially for well-trained populations.

How accurate are calorie calculation formulas for bulking?

Calorie estimation formulas, like those for Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), often have a potential for significant error, sometimes up to 200-500 calories per day. This makes it challenging to set precise calorie targets for small surpluses or deficits, especially in short-term studies with small sample sizes, as initial recommendations might be far from what's ideal for an individual.

Do higher body fat levels make recomposition more likely?

Yes, a subject-level meta-analysis by Stronger by Science found that the probability of recomping (gaining muscle while losing fat) increases as baseline body fat percentage increases. Leaner individuals tended to gain similar amounts of fat and muscle, while those with more body fat often gained muscle and lost fat simultaneously.

Does gaining weight directly correlate with strength increases?

Analysis of the Open Powerlifting data set shows a pretty compelling linear relationship: gaining weight is predictive of increasing your total on the platform, and gaining more weight predicts greater total increases. Conversely, losing weight predicts a decrease in total strength. This suggests that bulking helps put more pounds on the bar, likely reflecting muscle growth.

What is the optimal calorie surplus for maximizing hypertrophy in trained individuals?

For maximizing hypertrophy in trained individuals, a slight surplus of around 100-200 calories over maintenance is often sufficient. While a larger surplus might offer a marginal benefit, the returns diminish quickly, and aggressive bulking tends to lead to disproportionately more fat gain without significantly boosting muscle growth.

Is it detrimental to have a large surplus on weekends and a deficit during the week when bulking?

While there's no direct research, it's generally recommended to maintain a consistent slight surplus throughout the week. A significant deficit during weekdays, even if balanced by a large weekend surplus, could negatively impact training intensity and recovery, potentially limiting overall muscle gain. Occasional fluctuations are fine, but it's not ideal as a consistent strategy.

Does a maintenance phase after a bulk 'solidify' muscle gains?

There is no direct research to support the idea that a maintenance phase after a bulk 'solidifies' gains. This perception might be due to the more gradual changes in muscle fullness and performance compared to directly transitioning into a deficit. However, spending time at maintenance can still allow for continued muscle growth, especially for well-trained individuals, effectively making 'more gains' rather than just 'solidifying' them.

Is Bulking Necessary for Muscle Gain? (Episode 138)

Stronger By Science

Sports4 min read111 min video

Jul 24, 2024|11,469 views|343|54

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Bulking's necessity for muscle gain is debated, with evidence suggesting it's not always required, especially for beginners.

Key Insights

For untrained individuals, significant calorie surpluses may lead to substantial muscle gain with minimal fat gain.

Elite athletes in high-volume training may struggle to eat enough to maintain weight, making controlled surpluses beneficial.

Trained individuals may not need large surpluses for muscle growth; maintenance calories can yield significant gains.

The rate of weight gain is a more practical metric than the intended surplus when assessing bulking strategies.

Individual training status and genetics significantly influence the body's response to bulking and fat gain.

Longer bulking phases at moderate surpluses potentially lead to more muscle gain over time than aggressive bulks followed by cuts.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND INITIAL STUDIES

The podcast begins with personal anecdotes about bulking, highlighting experiences ranging from aggressive weight gain in college to more controlled increases for powerlifting competitions. These stories underscore the subjective nature of bulking. Early research, like the Renck et al. (2002) study on untrained individuals, showed that a significant calorie surplus (2000 kcal/day) combined with resistance training led to substantial fat-free mass gain with minimal fat gain. However, the hosts discuss the potential for participants to unconsciously offset the surplus by reducing other food intake or increasing energy expenditure, suggesting the actual surplus might have been less than intended.

BULKING IN ELITE ATHLETES

The discussion shifts to a study by Gal et al. (2013) involving elite athletes. This research indicated that while a guided surplus led to greater weight and fat mass gain compared to an ad libitum (eat-as-you-please) group, lean body mass increases were not significantly different between the two groups, although the guided group showed a higher percentage increase. This suggests that for highly trained individuals expending significant energy, simply increasing intake might not proportionally boost muscle growth and could lead to more fat gain. The challenge for these athletes is often eating enough to maintain their current weight and performance.

THE HELMS ET AL. (2020) STUDY AND MAINTENANCE BENEFITS

A more recent and influential study by Helms et al. (2020) is examined. This research compared maintenance calories against moderate (5%) and high (15%) energy surpluses in trained individuals. Interestingly, the maintenance group achieved comparable muscle thickness and strength gains to the surplus groups, with the surplus groups gaining more fat. The complexity of controlling diets in studies is highlighted, with participants in the Helms study overeating their intended surplus targets, effectively making it a comparison between maintenance and an uncontrolled surplus. This study supports the idea that maintenance calories can be very effective for muscle growth in trained individuals.

REGRESSION ANALYSIS AND THE RATE OF WEIGHT GAIN

The podcast delves into regression analyses, such as those by Smith et al. (2021) and Murphy et al. (2021), which explore the relationship between weight gain and fat-free mass accretion. These studies suggest that at certain rates of weight gain, particularly in untrained or less trained populations, a higher proportion of the gained weight can be muscle. However, the hosts caution against extrapolating these findings, especially for advanced trainees, as aggressive weight gain (e.g., 2% per month) often leads to disproportionately more fat gain than suggested by initial regression models. The rate of weight gain (e.g., 0.5-1% of body weight per month) is presented as a more practical metric than theoretical surplus.

TRAINING STATUS AND BODY FAT PERCENTAGE INFLUENCE RECOMP

The impact of training status and baseline body fat percentage on body recomposition (gaining muscle while losing fat) is discussed. Research indicates that individuals with higher body fat percentages are more likely to achieve recomposition, potentially needing smaller deficits or even maintenance calories to gain muscle. Conversely, leaner individuals may find it harder to recompose and might benefit more from a surplus. The intensity and duration of training, along with factors like protein intake and recovery, are presented as crucial drivers of muscle gain, potentially more so than the exact energy balance.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR MAXIMIZING GAINS

The hosts offer practical advice for listeners. They suggest prioritizing a conservative surplus (around 0.5-1 kg per month) to minimize fat gain, allowing for longer bulking phases and less time spent cutting. Aggressive bulking is generally discouraged, especially for trained individuals, due to the increased unmanaged fat gain. They also touch on the idea that energy balance might be more about preserving fat mass than simply being in a surplus, and that a maintenance phase after a bulk might be more about consolidating habits and managing the perceptual shift rather than physiologically solidifying gains.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●Studies Cited

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Bulking for Muscle Gain: Key Takeaways

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Aim for a slight surplus (100-200 calories over maintenance) to maximize muscle gain.

Prioritize consistent training and sufficient protein intake.

For beginners, larger surpluses can be effective for muscle gain with less fat gain.

Consider a slower rate of weight gain (0.5-1 kg/month) to minimize excess fat gain, especially for trained individuals.

If you've been lean, return to a comfortable body fat level fairly quickly after a cut before focusing on prolonged maintenance/bulk.

Natural bodybuilders typically bulk over longer periods (3-5 years) with small surpluses/maintenance between competitive seasons.

If struggling with weight maintenance, incorporate a maintenance phase after a deficit to consolidate healthy habits.

Avoid This

Don't aim for excessively large surpluses (e.g., 2000 calories/day for trained individuals) as it leads to disproportionate fat gain.

Don't rely on overly aggressive rates of weight gain (e.g., 2% of body weight/month for advanced trainees) with the expectation of only gaining muscle.

Don't spend too much time cutting if you're trying to maximize muscle growth; longer periods in neutral to positive energy balance are better.

Avoid extreme fluctuations (big deficits during the week, big surpluses on weekends) as a primary bulking strategy without specific rationale.

Don't believe that a maintenance phase after a bulk 'solidifies' gains; it's mostly perceptual or allows for more gains at maintenance.

Common Questions

For untrained individuals, studies suggest that even a very large calorie surplus (e.g., an additional 2000 calories/day) combined with resistance training can lead to significant fat-free mass gain with minimal fat. This is because beginners are highly sensitive to muscle growth stimuli, allowing for efficient allocation of surplus calories to muscle.

Topics

Fat Gain Recomposition Maintenance Calories Sports Nutrition Dietary Adherence Energy Balance

Mentioned in this video

studySlater et al. Paper

A classic paper concluding that a slight energy surplus, around 200-300 calories over maintenance, is probably best to maximize muscle gain mechanistically.

companyBulkSupplements.com

A website for purchasing supplements, where listeners can use a discount code for 5% off.

organizationOpen Powerlifting Database

A data set used to analyze strength changes based on differing rates of weight gain between consecutive meets.

supplementWeight Gainer Shakes

High-calorie supplements, sometimes 900 calories per serving, which can suppress appetite for the rest of the day, making it difficult to maintain very large surpluses.

eventIPA North Carolina State Championships

A powerlifting competition where the speaker Greg Knuckles competed in the 242 weight class to help his gym win the team competition.

studyGarthe et al. 2013 Study

A study on 39 elite athletes (rowing, kayaking, soccer, volleyball) comparing nutritional counseling for weight gain (0.7% BW/week) vs. ad libitum eating, finding more fat gain with the aggressive approach but no significant difference in LBM.

studyHelms et al. Study

A study on 21 trained individuals comparing maintenance, 5% surplus, and 15% surplus, finding similar muscle thickness gains but more fat gain in the surplus groups, possibly affected by the pandemic.

bookShould You Bulk or Should You Cut Before You Bulk? How Body Fat Levels Affect Your P-Ratio

A multi-part article by Stronger by Science, which includes a meta-analysis showing that the probability of recomping increases as baseline body fat percentage increases.

studySmith et al. 2021 Study

A Bayesian regression paper suggesting that gaining approximately 0.55% of body weight per week leads to mostly fat-free mass gain, though potentially overestimating muscle gain in advanced trainees.

bookDoes Muscle Growth Increase Your Potential for Strength Gains?

An article by Greg Knuckles analyzing open powerlifting data, showing a linear relationship where weight gain predicts increased total strength on the platform.

eventRaw Unity Meet

An early raw powerlifting competition, which no longer runs, where the speaker Greg Knuckles competed in 2007.

studyRenek et al. 2002 Study

A study on 19 untrained individuals showing that a large 2000-calorie surplus with resistance training led to primarily fat-free mass gain with no additional fat mass gain.

softwareStronger by Science Coaching

toolStronger by Science newsletter