How many calories to build a pound?

BarackMeLikeAHurricane
BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know that when your body breaks down one pound of fat it yield 3500 calories. I know that when your body breaks down a pound of muscle it yields 600 calories.

My question is how many calories does it take to build a pound of muscle? I'm sure there's some extra calories involved in the synthesis of new muscle tissue other than the 600 calories your body can use from it for energy.

Replies

  • phjorg
    phjorg Posts: 252 Member
    Depends on a LOT of factors.

    But you can expect to have to eat thousands upon thousands of calories for every 1 lbs of muscle gain.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Depends on a LOT of factors.

    But you can expect to have to eat thousands upon thousands of calories for every 1 lbs of muscle gain.

    Let's say energy expended while exercising is already factored in. I'm wondering how many calories your body needs just to synthesize muscle tissue.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    It takes a ton of calories to bulk. This is why most guys in a 'bulking' phase will do no cardio and consume like 5k-6k clean calories/day. It's not an easy thing to bulk quickly.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Fully hydrated human skeletal muscle is no more than 20-25% protein, 4-8% fat and minimal glycogen. the rest is water (70-75%) and minerals. This makes 800-1000 cals per pound MAX. The positive side is that you only need an extra 200g of protein deposited as muscle to gain a pound of LBM! Of course getting it deposited is the hard part.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Ok after googling a bit it looks like 1600-1700 of clean muscle calories (protein and aminos) to gain 1 lb of lean muscle. This of course is above eating maintenance.

    Here's the forum from BodyBuilding.com http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=6609131&page=1
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    OK - so why is it if I go over my calorie target by one peanut butter sandwich (about 300 calories) I can expect to see a weight increase the next morning by about one pound? I'm not saying anyone os wrong here, but that's what I see every time.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    OK - so why is it if I go over my calorie target by one peanut butter sandwich (about 300 calories) I can expect to see a weight increase the next morning by about one pound? I'm not saying anyone os wrong here, but that's what I see every time.

    Most likely water weight. It takes water to digest food. Bread and PB contain a lot of sodium.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Ok try this...

    http://leanmassgains.com/the-7-fundamental-questions-for-a-one-pound-muscle-mass-gain
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Ok after googling a bit it looks like 1600-1700 of clean muscle calories (protein and aminos) to gain 1 lb of lean muscle. This of course is above eating maintenance.

    Here's the forum from BodyBuilding.com http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=6609131&page=1

    That explains why the closer I get to goal and the stronger I am, the hungrier I am. And...I'm eating more. Just a scary place after four months of conditioning and needing to cut calories. LOL Here we go!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Ok try this...

    http://leanmassgains.com/the-7-fundamental-questions-for-a-one-pound-muscle-mass-gain
    Ah, OK great. Thanks :flowerforyou:
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Ok try this...

    http://leanmassgains.com/the-7-fundamental-questions-for-a-one-pound-muscle-mass-gain
    Ah, OK great. Thanks :flowerforyou:

    Interesting quote from that article: "Under the stress of resistance exercise your muscles also release more Growth Hormone and your testes produce more Testosterone."

    Um...yeah, I think he was writing with the guys in mind on that one. ROTFL

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