Glycogen/water weight or actual muscle loss/gain with weight fluctuations

ForecasterJason

I've noticed that when my weight fluctuates by only a few pounds (say 3 or 4), I will notice the difference in how shirts and pants fit. For example, if I increase carbs by 10-15% and increase my strength training volume by about 10%, I have noticed that my muscles feel firmer and my clothes fit tighter. Based on this, I don't think this is fat gain, which means that it's either glycogen/water or a combination of glycogen and real muscle. Since it's not a massive difference in carbs or training, I didn't know whether it's possible this is just glycogen/water weight that's making enough of a difference, or if real muscle is involved. I am working to gain back some weight that I had lost a previous point, and I think it's possible that some of the weight loss was muscle (so this would be "muscle memory" if it is real muscle gained). Likewise, if I reduce carbs a bit or my strength training volume, I'll notice the difference with how my muscles feel and how clothes fit.

heybales

Muscle is not fast for growth.

And neither is fat lost or gained for that matter.

Stored glycogen with water is.

Muscle memory is not the body remembering where to build muscle, but the CNS using what you got, rebuilding the pathways you might say to efficient lifting.

Some could also be the retained water for harder workout and inflammation. That can for sure make them feel firmer and be bigger.

ccrdragon

Muscle memory is not about size - it's about adaptation to a weight/movement/series of movements/etc where it actually takes less effort to make that particular movement.

If you are noticing the difference in how your clothes fit over an extended period of time (time weeks), then it is possible that you are gaining muscle. If you are noticing this difference after a single workout or a couple of workouts, then yes, it is water/glycogen retention in the muscles and not actual muscle mass increase.

The average male (w/o the use of enhancers) can expect to add 1.5 to 2 lbs of muscle across the entire body in about a month eating a surplus of calories and sticking to a good weight lifting routine.

ForecasterJason

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like it's more likely to be glycogen and water, especially since I have noticed the firmness and size increases disappear after only about 10 days of eating fewer carbs and not training as much. I never realized that water weight could make that much of a difference.