Energy balance
Natural bodybuilders in the off-season should consume a hyper-energetic diet (~10–20% above maintenance) targeting a weight gain of 0.25–0.5% of bodyweight per week, with advanced lifters using a more conservative surplus to minimize fat gain.
Calculate your maintenance calories. Add 10-20% if you are new to lifting, or 5-10% if you are advanced. Weigh yourself daily and average it weekly. If you gain more than 0.5% of your body weight, reduce calories slightly. If you gain less, increase them slightly. This prevents excessive fat gain while supporting muscle growth.
Based on the current evidence, it may be appropriate to recommend bodybuilders to consume a slightly hyper-energetic diet (~10–20% above maintenance calories) in the off-season and recommend advanced bodybuilders to aim for the lower end of this recommendation... Aiming for a target weight gain of ~0.25–0.5% of bodyweight per week might be useful
Why this rating
The recommendation is based on a narrative review of observational data and extrapolated studies on trained vs. untrained subjects, lacking direct RCTs on elite bodybuilders.
Source
Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review
Juma Iraki et al. · Sports · 2019
DOI 10.3390/sports7070154
More from this paper
- Bodybuilders should consume 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight daily, distributed in doses of 0.40–0.55 g/kg per meal across 3–6 meals.Good
- Creatine monohydrate (3-5 g/day), caffeine (5-6 mg/kg pre-exercise), beta-alanine (3-5 g/day), and citrulline malate (8 g/day) may yield ergogenic effects beneficial for bodybuilders.Good
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