Why you can eat more if you have more muscle?
Muscle is a metabolically active tissue with high caloric demands to be able to maintain itself, that is why it is a determining factor of the basal metabolic rate, which means that the higher the percentage of muscle mass, the higher the calories we must eat.
This means that you must eat according to your weight to keep your muscle mass intact, hence the importance that each eating plan must be personalized.
What is the basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
The basal metabolic rate or basal metabolism is the minimum value of energy necessary for a cell to function, this means that it is the number of calories that our body needs only to be at rest.
This rate determines the energy necessary for all our vital signs to function involuntarily and for our body to maintain an adequate temperature to stay healthy, in addition to maintaining heart functions, liver function, kidney function, and respiration. [1]
What is the importance of the basal metabolic rate?
BMR allows you to know the calories you need to maintain your current weight and choose the objective that suits you best, be it a diet to lose weight, a maintenance diet, or a diet to gain muscle mass. This energy usually represents 50-60% of the total energy expenditure.
The greater the muscle mass, the greater the caloric requirements
Increasing muscle mass represents making significant changes in our metabolism, thus increasing the nutritional requirements to maintain it.
Each pound of muscle in our body represents several calories that we must add to our basal metabolic rate, each kilo of muscle may need a daily intake of up to 150 calories to maintain itself, in addition to other important requirements such as high-value proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Factors that affect metabolic rate
Knowing our metabolism is essential to know how to achieve our goals, any change in body composition can affect its performance [2]. Many factors affect the metabolic rate, the most influential being:
Bodyweight
Bodyweight is one of the factors that most influence the metabolic rate, the higher the percentage of muscle mass, the higher the basal metabolic rate.
Body volume also influence, the higher the body volume the greater the energy needs.
Body composition
Muscle is a metabolically active and important tissue for health, unlike body fat. Other important factors are the total body surface area, height, and fat distribution.
Age
Age is an essential factor that determines the performance of metabolism. During the first years of life, metabolism usually requires extra energy to cover the nutritional requirements of the growth process, and then it usually slows down from adulthood to aging.
Gender
Men usually have 5-10% higher MBR than women due to the difference in body composition. Due to hormonal and genetic factors, men tend to accumulate greater muscle mass than women.
Stress
Cortisol is a hormone released during the stress process that can decrease the metabolic performance of muscle mass. Stress is a key factor in failed diets.
Body temperature
The basal metabolic rate can also increase during feverish processes.
Hormonal factors
Hormonal activity is essential to regulate the performance of metabolism. Hyperthyroid and hypothyroid disorders are essential factors that should be evaluated by a doctor before considering any diet.
Why do you have to eat more to gain muscle?
Building muscle successfully is only possible with excess calories. This means consuming more calories than are spent during the day, because muscle synthesis is an intense and constant process that requires energy, therefore, it cannot occur without a daily excess of calories.
To increase muscle mass, a controlled calorie excess of 300 to 500 calories is recommended according to daily calorie requirements.
To transform excess calories into muscle mass, strength training is essential to stimulate muscle growth, otherwise, excess energy will be stored as body fat. (two)
How Can I Increase Metabolic Rate?
Your basal metabolic rate may not be adequate due to the low percentage of muscle mass, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Fortunately, you can take control and reverse this situation. Here are some ways to get it:
Set goals according to your needs
If you need to increase your muscle mass, you will need to establish objectives and strategies according to your purpose. You can start by seeking experienced help to guide you in developing your eating plan and training plan.
Establishing healthy and truly conscious eating habits is one of the keys to success.
Sleep the necessary hours
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your hormonal health, especially on hormones that regulate appetite and cortisol, a hormone released during stress that can negatively affect your metabolism. According to research, we need to sleep at least 8 hours a day so that our body can fulfill all its metabolic functions.
Leave the sedentary lifestyle. Start exercising
Strength and cardiovascular exercises are essential to keep the metabolism active.
Eat 5 to 6 meals a day
Hundreds of myths have been generated regarding this topic and we must clarify, it is not strictly necessary to obtain results, however, some studies suggest that it can have a slightly positive impact on metabolism unlike eating less than 3 meals a day, and any positive effort we make for our health counts, in addition to helping you stay satiated for longer.
Eat more, but eat well
In muscle growth there are no shortcuts, it is a long road that requires dedication and commitment, many start it without the proper information, and then they give up because they do not see their goals achieved.
To gain muscle mass, you have to eat, but eat properly, structure your diet and training according to each person's abilities, capacities, and objectives.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4535334/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15674762/