Most people who participate in intense sports are familiar with the phase of mass gain and muscle gain. Yes, there is a nuance between these two terms, but there is a link.
For amateurs, it is always surprising to hear these two terms. For the experts who master the field, they have privileged moments to make a mass gain. They often choose the winter.
It is impossible to gain muscle without gaining fat or mass. On the other hand, too much fat will take away the fact that there is more strength received.
The best way is the middle way. What is that middle ground? What will be the right attitudes to adopt in managing physical activity and diet?
Does the theory of gaining a lot of fat favour muscle definition?
Muscle builders want above all to have good muscle definition. Above all, it is important to differentiate between mass gain and lean mass gain.
As the word suggests, mass gain is weight gain without muscle retention. It is defined by the intake of a large amount of calories. There is a balance between the amount of calories burned and the amount of calories taken. This balance will influence the energy of the person depending on their activities and indeed the texture of their body.
When a person gains weight, the rate of calories taken in food is very high, the fat will increase and the person will put on weight. This is the fault of excessive calorie intake.
In another case, for lean mass gain, the calorie intake is a little high and a lot moderate. Well moderate means that the human body has an average calorie intake that the body must take per day. So this vital need must always be respected. Why? To avoid deficiencies, diseases such as malnutrition and undernutrition in case of a severe drop in calorie intake.
In any case, in sports language, too much fat eliminates muscles. In this case, lean mass gain is the most suitable.
What are the ways of managing muscle gain compared to fat gain?
You must know that to gain muscle you must gain fat, because there is a dose of nutrition necessary for this. Also, you should not gain too much to avoid a reduction in strength. Where is the key? In the right balance.
In the details of this right balance, there is the synthesis of proteins. This is where it all comes into play. A bodybuilder will have to use his energy to train and push his loads.
The body that is exhausted will need support and will have to draw on the deepest resources of the human body, the proteins. These are the ones that serve as a reserve to sustain its activity. And thus avoid fatigue and a decrease in muscle definition. It is then necessary that the proteins are enough so that the muscular mass does not decrease.
An asset would be to take food supplements, for example spirulina, BCAA. The universal dose is 3 to 5 grams per day.
During the lean phase, there will be no gap in the muscle tissue, so the muscle will not decrease, it will rather increase. Nevertheless, the calorie intake should not be totally neglected. The amount of basics useful for the body to function properly is 10-20% depending on a person's ability to gain weight.
How important are frequent meals to muscle gain?
In reality, eating frequent meals has no connection with muscle gain. Many people think that they need to eat more frequently to gain more muscle. This has other benefits, but none in muscle gain.
As a benefit of split meals, blood sugar levels will be reduced, appetite control will be good, protein synthesis will be ensured (the transformation of amino acids) and the transformation of lipids.
How to regulate the amount of fat to be taken?
Excess fat in the body causes several adverse health effects. There is a natural reaction in the body that creates compartments that will store fat. When there is too much fat, this phenomenon is favoured and weight loss is less noticeable. This explains the fact that we gain weight. These compartments are called adipocytes.
There are other adverse effects of excess fat. There is the vulnerability to rising cholesterol levels, the rate of diabetes because of the lack of insulin. Other harms are increased blood pressure, which is a common disease, and decreased power in men (decreased testosterone).
For athletes (those who work out), the decrease in testosterone causes great fear. This disease reduces male impulses, male characteristics and affects the increase in muscle mass.
In all cases, fat gain is contradictory to muscle gain. Nevertheless, it is possible to regulate fat gain in order to increase muscle mass. Both sexes have their own ration to respect. For men, the fat content should not exceed 14-15%. In contrast, women, who are more vulnerable, should not exceed 24-25%. In both cases, the values should be respected during physical activity.
On the other hand, it is possible to adjust the calorie rate that is to be taken. Once this is set correctly, fat reduction will follow. Indeed, the basic calorie intake must be well respected, at least the average.
