Macronutrient breakdown?

[imported_gripstrength]

I've been on a low-carb program for about three years, and in terms of fat loss, it's worked extremely well for me. I lost about 40 pounds eating this way, and my cholesterol dropped by 50 points. I've been maintaining my weight with this program, too. It's worked well for me.

At about 16-17 percent, my bodyfat is still higher than I'd like it to be, but my priority right now is to gain muscle. I used to think I could continue to make progress by maintaining my weight but changing up the distribution: more muscle and less fat.

Try as I might, though, this hasn't been happening, so I've finally accepted that I'm going to have to eat more calories than I'm taking in if I want to gain muscular size. Over the past couple of days I've been eating more complex carbs in the form of whole grain breads and rice. I noticed a change for the better in my muscles almost immediately--noticeably bigger and harder--and have concluded I'm on the right track.

I'm wondering, though, if there's an optimal macronutrient breakdown one should follow with the goal of gaining muscle. Does anybody know?

 

[Lance]

1g/lb of protein, ~ 25% cals from fats (try to stick to good fats), the rest carbs

other than that, eat enough calories

 

[imported_gripstrength]

Thanks for the response, Lance. I weigh 145 pounds. Someone my size and activity level needs about 2000 cals per day just to maintain; tack on another 500 calories to gain size and that's 2500 calories.

With the above calculation, I'd be looking at about 600 protein calories a day, 625 fat calories, and about 1275 calories from carbs--that would be like 318 grams of carbs a day! That sounds like kind of a lot (though granted I've been restricting carbs for a few years now and that has probably influenced my perspective of what "a lot" is). I would make a point of consuming at least a third of those right before and after my workouts, but still.

Do other people here routinely eat that many carbs? Even more to the point, is it possible to "shuttle" extra calories into muscle rather than fat?

 

[Al and Hammer]

If you wanna bulk up you need to eat. I'm a "hardgainer", weighing close to 150lb now and I try and get down anything over 3000kcals a day with a ratio of 50:25:25 if I can (keeping fat intake down is HARD). I need to eat a lot just to keep the weight come on (although it's seemed to plateau for this week).

I don't really bother about putting on fat cos I just want the cals and anyway, when I get to my desired muscle mass THEN I'll start a cutting cycle and get lean.

 

[TennisDude]

Quote[/b] (Lance @ Mar. 23 2005,10:03)]1g/lb of protein, ~ 25% cals from fats (try to stick to good fats), the rest carbs
other than that, eat enough calories

Excellent! Is that what most people go by around here? If so, I am pretty pleased as it will make creating my diet a lot easier.

Thanks again,
TennisDude

 

[Lance]

Quote[/b] (TennisDude @ April 06 2005,11:33)]

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Quote[/b] (Lance @ Mar. 23 2005,10

3)]1g/lb of protein, ~ 25% cals from fats (try to stick to good fats), the rest carbs
other than that, eat enough calories

Excellent!  Is that what most people go by around here?  If so, I am pretty pleased as it will make creating my diet a lot easier.
Thanks again,
TennisDude

That's what's generally recomended around here, only variable really is how many calories you're eating.

 

[imported_dkm1987]

Quote[/b] (gripstrength @ Mar. 23 2005,9:33)]is it possible to "shuttle" extra calories into muscle rather than fat?

Yes and no. A lot of it has to do with your BF level at the time. The fatter you are the more the extra calories will go to adding fat, the leaner you are, naturally not dieted down, the more it will go to muscle or lean mass. Granted training will help improve this (so will, limitedly, nutrient timing) effect (called P-Ratio), dieting down then going on a sudden large bulk will ultimately lead to a rebound in fat stores, unless more energy is expended than consumed.

 

[savagebeast]

One dkm post deserves another! Here's his response to the same question, posed by yours truly, from the thread endomorphic bodybuilding, want muscle, but not fat!. Basically the same info, but a few additional things.

Quote[/b] (dkm1987 @ Mar. 30 2005,5:56)]What you are talking about is the P ratio, basically what this says is that the fatter you are the more fat will be deposited when trying to add calories for a bulk. Inversely the more lean(naturally, not dieted down) you are the more the additional calories go to lean mass. When working out.

Yes, supplementation can help with this, CLA, EFA, ECA, of course others (Clenbuterol) can help. Vinegar I'm not sure about.