OVERVIEW

Your nutrition guide · Athletic · Muscle Gain

Overview

Tap a section to open it.

This guide is written for you: an Athletic body type eating for muscle gain. Text in this colour explains why: the reason behind an instruction. Technical words are explained in shaded ‘In simple terms’ boxes.

How to Use This Guide

Your plan at a glance: your plan in one table.
Overview: how your body type works, its strengths and weaker points, and how your plan suits it. If you just want the essentials, this is all you need to read.
Key Points: the list of what to do, with the reason for each, plus an example training day.
The Science. For those who want the detail: what is happening inside your body and why your plan is built this way.

The guide refers to three other parts of your plan: your nutrient breakdown table (your personal daily targets), your food list, and the nutritional data table (fruit and vegetable sections).

Your Plan at a Glance

Calorie target: About 10% above maintenance (weekly average)
Daily protein: 139 g a day (about 1.7 g per kg of body weight)
Target weight gain: 0.2 to 0.35% of body weight a week
Eating window: 12 to 14 hours (overnight fast 10 to 12 hours)
Meals a day: 4 to 5 (your coach sets which), about every 3.5 to 4 hours
First meal after waking: Within 1 hour of waking
Fasted training: No, always eat before training
Pre-training meal: Full meal 1.5 to 2 hours before
Early-morning training: Light snack 45 min before
During training: Water
Post-workout shake: Within 20 min
Carbohydrate timing: Spread evenly through the day
Last meal: At least 3 hours before bed (casein protein 30 to 60 min before bed is fine)
Rest days: Lower calories than a training day. Protein stays the same, fat stays the same share of calories, and carbohydrate is what is left, so it comes down.

1. Your Body Type: Athletic

Your body has an even mix of slow-twitch (endurance) and fast-twitch (power) fibres, a medium-to-large frame and naturally favourable hormones for building muscle. That is why you respond quickly to almost any kind of training. You store plenty of fuel, recover at a moderate pace between sets, and your metabolism is relatively fast, with muscles that handle carbohydrate fairly well.

Your strengths

Gains muscle and strength quickly
Loses fat and keeps muscle well
Handles a lot of training
Usually competitive and driven by a challenge

Your weaker points

Can gain fat quickly when inactive
Strength can rise faster than your tendons can adapt
Can get bored with the same routine

What your body needs

Carbohydrate spread evenly through the day
Regular meals
Adjusting your food when your activity drops

What to watch out for

Fat gain during inactive spells

2. Your Body Type and Muscle Gain

This guide is for clients whose main goal is to build muscle. Muscle is built from two things working together: training that challenges your muscles, and enough food (especially protein and carbohydrate) for your body to repair and grow. How much extra food you need, and when you should eat it, depends on your body type.

You are an Athletic body type on a muscle gain programme. Your body type is built for gaining muscle. Your large, balanced muscle fibres and naturally favourable hormones, such as testosterone, give you a strong response to training. You respond quickly to both training and food, so a modest calorie surplus is all you need. Eating much more than this simply adds fat.

Your calorie target is set 8 to 12% above maintenance. Maintenance means the number of calories that would keep your weight exactly the same, which depends on your metabolism. This is a ‘lean bulk’: enough extra to build muscle without spilling over into fat.

Eating more than your target will not build muscle any faster. Your body can only build a limited amount of new muscle each week; anything above that is stored as fat.

Your even mix of muscle fibres builds muscle readily with the right training and nutrition, as long as you are consistent. You handle carbohydrate fairly well. Carbohydrate fuels your training and refills your fuel stores; eaten at the right times, it supports building without adding unnecessary fat, which your body type gains quickly if the surplus is too large.

Your priority: eat the right amounts of carbohydrate and protein at the right times of day, to make the most of the building window your training creates, and eat enough in total to keep your body in a building (anabolic) state. Knowing what and how much you eat, and seeing how your body responds, makes it easy to see what to adjust. Consistency is the key.

Track your progress. Weigh yourself (and, if you can, measure your waist or body fat) at the same time each week, and tell your coach how it is changing. Muscle can only be built slowly, so a surplus bigger than your muscles can use is stored as fat. Steady gain with a stable waist means the surplus is right; rapid gain or a growing waist means it is too large. Contact your coach if you have any questions.

Change your food gradually. When your calories need to change, your coach changes them in small steps rather than all at once. A sudden large cut quickly lowers leptin (the hormone from your fat cells that tells your brain how much energy you have stored) and the active thyroid hormone T3, so your metabolic rate falls and your hunger rises. A sudden large increase raises insulin and delivers more energy than your muscles can use, so the extra is stored as fat. Small steps give your body time to adjust, and let you and your coach see clearly what each change does.

3. Metabolism, Blood Sugar and Carbohydrates

As an Athletic body type you have a relatively fast metabolism, so you burn your stored fuel more quickly than heavier, more powerful body types. Keeping your fuel stores topped up throughout the day is important, as it limits muscle breakdown during training. Eating the right number of meals each day keeps your blood sugar balanced and your insulin low, which helps limit fat gain.

Your body type handles carbohydrate fairly well, but on a muscle gain programme the right amount and type of carbohydrate, eaten at the right time in relation to your training, will help you build muscle without unwanted fat gain. The aim is to keep the insulin circulating in your blood in the right range through the day. Insulin rises after you eat (especially after carbohydrate), and while it is raised, fat breakdown slows right down.

4. Meal Timing and Frequency

All body types have a limited capacity to store fuel, so be careful not to overeat at any one sitting, as the excess will be stored as fat. The hard work has been done for you: at Your Body Programme we have calculated the right amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat for your body type on a muscle gain programme, taking your daily activity into account. This will help you build muscle while keeping fat gain to a minimum.

Meals and eating window: your plan uses 4 to 5 meals a day (not counting your post-workout shake), eaten within a 12 to 14-hour eating window, which leaves an overnight fast of 10 to 12 hours. Your coach sets where you sit in each range from your measurements and questionnaire (body fat, waist, daily steps, training level, hunger and energy between meals) and reviews it every 4 weeks. Clients carrying more body fat, or who are less active, sit at the lower end (fewer meals, shorter window, longer fast); leaner, more active clients, or those who get very hungry or shaky between meals, sit at the upper end. As you get leaner and fitter you move up the range.

Why never fewer than three meals: each protein-containing meal switches on muscle building, but only once, for a few hours, and a very large serving does less per gram than a moderate one. Three or more evenly sized protein meals switch building on more often, which is what protects and builds muscle. The benefit of low insulin comes from the length of the overnight fast, not from eating only once or twice, so a short eating window with three meals gives you both.

Why your eating window suits your body type: Your muscles handle carbohydrate fairly well and your fuel stores are large, so you sit in the middle of the range: a moderate eating window gives enough time with low insulin for stored fat to be released, without leaving you short of fuel.

When your window falls: start it within about 1 to 3 hours of waking and finish your last meal at least 3 hours before bed (a small casein protein snack shortly before bed is the one exception: see Key Points). Insulin sensitivity follows a daily rhythm set by your body clock: your muscles are most responsive to insulin in the morning and least in the evening, and melatonin (the sleep hormone, which rises in the evening) also reduces insulin release. The same meal raises blood sugar more late in the evening than in the morning.

5. Training-Day Nutrition: The Three Phases

There are three nutrient timing phases around your training:

Phase 1: the Energy Phase. Fuelling your body before and during your training session. Your muscles burn mainly glycogen during hard training, so starting with full stores lets you train harder for longer.

Phase 2: the Anabolic Phase. The hour immediately after training. This is the best time to refill your energy stores, which is why we use a post-workout shake. Straight after training your muscles soak up fuel faster than at any other time. Your goal is muscle gain, and this is when your muscles are most ready to grow, so getting the right nutrients in this window is essential. Getting protein and carbohydrate in soon after training makes the most of the work you have put in, especially if you trained fasted or several hours after your last meal. We recommend having your shake within 20 minutes of finishing. Your larger, efficient glycogen stores give you a little more time. On a muscle gain plan every window is tighter, because the sooner protein and carbohydrate arrive, the sooner muscle building starts.

Phase 3: the Growth, Repair and Recovery Phase. The 24 hours after training. This is when most of your muscle growth takes place. The carbohydrates you eat in this phase, including breakfast, should be low GL. This keeps your glycogen topped up and prevents muscle breakdown.

6. Food Choices, Rest Days and Daily Habits

Your daily food choices and habits support everything above. Choose low-GL carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats from your food list, eat plenty of varied vegetables, and adjust your carbohydrates on rest days. Any protein or carbohydrate drinks recommended in your plan are already included in your daily calorie target.

Small daily habits (drinking enough water, sleeping well and keeping alcohol low) make a big difference. Poor sleep, for example, raises ghrelin (the hormone that makes you feel hungry) and lowers leptin (the hormone that tells your brain you are full), making your plan much harder to stick to. Your personalised water and sleep recommendations are on your 9 Pillars Lifestyle page.

CALORIES TARGET

Prepared for Alan
1 November 2026

Your nutrition plan · Athletic · Muscle Gain

Your daily targets

Training days · 5 a week

3,100 kcal

Protein139 g

Carbs434 g

Fat90 g

Rest days · 2 a week

2,720 kcal

Protein139 g

Carbs363 g

Fat79 g

After training109 g carbs + 22 g proteinYour post-workout shake, part of your training-day totals

Protein per mealAbout 29 gAcross 4 meals, plus 22 g in your shake. Rest days: about 35 g a meal

Eating window12 hoursFor example 9am to 9pm

Your meal plan and charts load here.

Reviewed and approved by Terry FaircloughYOUR BODY PROGRAMME

NUTRITIONAL DATA

Quick look macro tables

Easy to use tables to help you get the right amount of protein and carbohydrate into your meal plan. What does 10g of protein and carbs actually look like....

Your food list

Food, grouped by protein and carbohydrate

Each group lists portions with roughly that amount of protein or carbohydrate. Tap an amount to see the foods.

ProteinCarbohydrate

Protein

5gprotein8 items

Handful of chickpeas
20 almonds
1 small egg
Serving of peanut butter (for 2 small slices of toast)
Handful of pumpkin seeds (20g)
1 slice of prosciutto
2 large handfuls of edamame beans (50g)
Handful of cashew nuts (25g)

10gprotein8 items

2 small eggs
1 cup of soya milk
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds (big handful)
Serving of Greek yoghurt (100g)
Serving of quinoa (60g)
Serving of tofu (1/4 pack)
1/2 buffalo mozzarella ball (62g)
Small portion of squid rings (100g)

15gprotein8 items

Half a ready to eat pouch of Puy lentils (125g)
3 medium eggs
2 to 3 slices of smoked salmon (60g)
2 to 3 rashers of bacon
Small handful of beef biltong (25g)
Small sea bass fillet (90g)
Small lobster tail (100g)
Portion of smoked mackerel (75g)

20gprotein6 items

Half a pot of cottage cheese (165g)
Single hamburger patty (110g)
Skinless cod fillet (120g)
Skinless haddock fillet (120g)
Serving of monkfish (150g)
Single venison burger

25gprotein6 items

Single beef steak (120g)
4 large eggs
Tuna steak (120g)
2 skinless chicken thighs (120g)
Single pork loin steak (130g)
Skinless salmon fillet (110g)

30gprotein4 items

Tin of tuna (120g)
6 slices of roast turkey breast (120g)
Small venison steak (140g)
Half a pack of venison mince (150g)

35gprotein2 items

Average skinless chicken breast (170g)
Packet of prawns (150g of raw prawns)

40gprotein2 items

Half pack of lean beef mince (200g)
Sirloin steak (230g)

45gprotein1 item

Half a pack of turkey mince (150g)

50gprotein1 item

Portion of diced turkey breast (150g)

Carbohydrate

5gcarbs2 items

Small bowl of strawberries or raspberries (100g)
Portion of blueberries (75g)

10gcarbs5 items

1 large carrot
15 cherry tomatoes
Serving of mange tout (150g)
Small slice of pumpernickel & rye bread
Slice of rye bread

15gcarbs7 items

Single aubergine (250g)
Medium pear
4 Nairn's oatcakes
Slice of wholemeal seeded bloomer
Glass of Alpro oat milk (250ml)
Portion of brown rice (75g)
Portion of bulgur wheat (65g)

20gcarbs6 items

Small banana
Medium apple
Serving of wild rice (85g)
Glass of Alpro soya chocolate milk (250ml)
Slice of Biona millet bread (50g)
Serving of granola (50g)

25gcarbs3 items

Slice of white sourdough bread
Large banana
Slice of spelt sourdough

30gcarbs5 items

Single ciabatta roll
Sweet potato jacket
Half a pack of fresh egg noodles (150g)
Serving of buckwheat soba noodles (50g)
Serving of porridge oats (50g)

35gcarbs3 items

Large wholemeal bread roll
Serving of Straight to Wok Udon noodles
Serving of giant wholewheat couscous (50g)

40gcarbs1 item

Half pack of fresh rice noodles (150g)

45gcarbs2 items

Medium jacket potato (200g)
Serving of wholewheat spaghetti (75g)

50gcarbs2 items

Serving of spinach pasta (75g)
Serving of spelt pasta (75g)

Nutritional data tables

Vegetables Section A24 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fibre (g)
Asparagus	20	2	4 / L	2
Beetroot	43	2	10 / L	3
Capsicum Pepper Green	20	1	5 / L	2
Capsicum Pepper Red	31	1	6 / L	2
Capsicum Pepper Yellow	27	1	6 / L	1
Broccoli	34	3	7 / L	3
Brussels Sprouts	43	3	9 / L	4
Cabbage, Savoy	27	2	6 / L	3
Carrots	41	1	10 / L	3
Cauliflower	25	2	5 / L	3
Celery	16	1	3 / L	2
Aubergine	24	1	6 / L	3
Fennel	31	1	7 / L	3
Garlic	149	6	33 / L	2
Green Beans	31	2	7 / L	3
Kale	50	3	10 / L	2
Leeks	61	1	14 / L	2
Lettuce, Iceberg	14	1	3 / L	1
Mushrooms, White	22	3	1 / L	1
Onions	40	1	9 / L	2
Spinach	23	3	4 / L	2
Sugar Snap Peas	42	3	8 / L	3
Swiss Chard	19	2	4 / L	2
Turnips, Boiled	22	1	5 / L	2

Vegetables Section B6 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Butternut Squash, baked	40	1	10 / L	0	0
Olives, Green	145	1	4 / L	15	3
Peas	81	5	14 / L	0	5
Potato, baked with skin	93	3	21 / M	0	2
Sweet Potato, baked with skin	90	2	21 / H	0	3
Yams	118	2	28 / M	0	4

Fruits (Raw) Section A19 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Apples	52	0	14 / L	0	2
Blackberries	43	1	10 / L	0	5
Blueberries	57	1	14 / L	0	2
Clementines	47	1	12 / L	0	2
Cranberries	46	0	12 / L	0	5
Grapefruit	42	1	11 / L	0	2
Gooseberries	44	1	10 / L	1	4
Lemons	29	1	9 / L	0	3
Limes	30	1	11 / L	0	3
Melon, Honeydew	36	1	9 / L	0	1
Melon, Watermelon	30	1	8 / L	0	0
Nectarines	44	1	11 / L	0	2
Oranges	47	1	12 / L	0	2
Peaches	39	1	10 / L	0	1
Pears	58	0	15 / L	0	3
Plums	46	1	11 / L	0	1
Raspberries	52	1	12 / L	0	6
Strawberries	32	1	8 / L	0	2
Tomatoes	18	1	4 / L	0	1

Fruits (Raw) Section B11 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Apricots	48	1	11 / M	0	2
Avocado	160	2	9 / L	15	7
Bananas	89	1	23 / H	0	3
Cherries	63	1	16 / L	0	2
Figs	74	1	19 / L	0	3
Grapes	69	1	18 / L	0	1
Kiwi	61	1	15 / L	0	3
Mangoes	65	1	17 / L	0	2
Melon, Cantaloupe	34	1	9 / H	0	1
Papaya	39	1	10 / L	0	2
Pineapple	50	1	13 / L	0	1

Seafood13 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)
Clams, steamed	148	26	5 / L	2
Cod, oven cooked	105	23	0 / L	1
Halibut, oven cooked	140	27	0 / L	3
Mackerel, oven cooked	134	26	0 / L	3
Monkfish, oven cooked	97	19	0 / L	2
Mussels, steamed	172	24	7 / L	4
Prawns, cooked	77	18	1 / L	1
Salmon, oven cooked	206	22	0 / L	12
Scallops, steamed	112	23	0 / L	1
Sea Bass, oven cooked	124	24	0 / L	3
Shrimp, steamed	99	21	0 / L	1
Tuna, oven cooked	139	30	0 / L	1
Tuna, tinned	128	24	0 / L	3

Eggs and Dairy21 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)
Eggs, fried	196	14	1 / L	15
Eggs, poached	142	13	1 / L	10
Eggs, scrambled	167	11	2 / L	12
Eggs, whole hard boiled	155	13	1 / L	11
Camembert	300	20	0 / L	24
Cheddar Cheese	403	25	1 / L	33
Cheshire Cheese	387	23	5 / L	31
Cottage Cheese	98	11	3 / L	4
Cow's Milk, 3.25% fat	60	3	5 / L	3
Edam Cheese	357	25	1 / L	28
Feta Cheese	264	14	4 / L	21
Goat's Cheese, Hard	452	31	2 / L	36
Goat's Cheese, Soft	268	19	1 / L	21
Goat's Milk	69	4	4 / L	4
Gouda	356	25	2 / L	27
Gruyère	413	30	0 / L	32
Mozzarella	300	22	2 / L	22
Parmesan	392	36	3 / L	26
Ricotta	174	11	3 / L	13
Roquefort	369	22	2 / L	31
Yoghurt, plain whole milk	61	3	5 / L	3

Beans and Legumes10 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Black Beans, cooked	132	9	24 / L	1	9
Chickpeas, cooked	164	9	27 / L	3	8
Haricot Beans, cooked	140	8	26 / L	1	11
Kidney Beans, cooked	127	9	23 / L	0	7
Lentils, cooked	116	9	20 / L	0	8
Lima Beans, cooked	115	8	21 / L	0	7
Miso	199	12	26 / M	6	5
Pinto Beans, cooked	143	9	26 / L	1	9
Tempeh	193	19	9 / L	11	0
Tofu	76	8	2 / L	5	0

Poultry and Meat16 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Beef fillet, pan fried	179	28	0 / L	7	0
Beef Sirloin, 0% fat, pan-fried	188	30	0 / L	7	0
Beef Mince, 5% fat, cooked	137	21	0 / L	5	0
Chicken Breast, oven cooked	165	31	0 / L	4	0
Chicken Breast, pan/stir fried	187	33	1 / L	5	0
Chicken Legs without skin, oven cooked	191	27	0 / L	8	0
Chicken Thighs without skin, oven cooked	209	26	0 / L	11	0
Duck Breast without skin, oven cooked	201	23	0 / L	11	11
Duck Breast without skin, pan/stir fried	140	28	0 / L	3	3
Lamb Mince, cooked	283	25	0 / L	20	0
Pork Mince, cooked	297	26	0 / L	21	0
Pork Loin, cooked	131	25	0 / L	4	0
Turkey Breast without Skin, oven cooked	135	30	0 / L	1	0
Turkey Legs without Skin, oven cooked	159	29	0 / L	4	0
Turkey Mince, cooked	235	27	0 / L	13	0
Venison Steak, cooked	152	31	0 / L	2	0

Nuts and Seeds16 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Almonds	575	21	22 / L	49	12
Brazil Nuts	656	14	12 / L	66	8
Cashews	553	18	33 / M	44	3
Chia seeds	490	16	44 / L	31	38
Coconut, fresh	354	3	15 / L	33	9
Flaxseeds	534	18	29 / L	42	27
Peanuts, plain	567	26	16 / L	49	8
Pine nuts	673	14	13 / L	68	4
Pistachio, plain	557	21	28 / L	44	10
Pumpkin Seeds	541	25	18 / L	46	4
Sesame Seeds	573	18	23 / L	50	12
Sunflower Seeds	584	21	20 / L	51	9
Walnuts	654	15	14 / L	65	7
Hazelnuts	628	15	17 / L	61	10
Chestnuts, roasted	245	3	53 / H	2	5
Pecans	691	9	14 / L	72	10

Dried Fruits4 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Apricots	241	3	63 / H	1	7
Cranberries, sweetened	308	0	82 / H	1	6
Prunes	240	2	64 / H	0	7
Raisins, seedless	299	3	79 / H	0	4

Grains15 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Protein (g)	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)	Fibre (g)
Barley, Pearled	352	10	78 / H	1	16
Bread, Pitta Wholewheat	266	10	55 / H	3	7
Bread, Rye	258	8	48 / H	3	6
Bread, Wheat	266	11	48 / H	4	4
Bread, Wholewheat Commercial	247	13	41 / M	3	7
Buckwheat	343	13	71 / H	1	10
Millet, cooked	119	4	24 / M	1	1
Oats	389	17	66 / H	7	11
Quinoa, cooked	120	4	21 / L	2	3
Rice, Brown Long Grain, cooked	111	3	23 / M	1	2
Rice, White Long Grain, cooked	130	3	28 / M	0	0
Rice Noodles, cooked	109	1	25 / M	0	1
Rice, Wild, cooked	101	4	21 / L	0	2
Rye	335	15	70 / H	3	15
Spelt, cooked	127	5	26 / M	1	4

Natural Sweeteners3 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Carb (g) / GL
Honey	304	82 / H
Maple Syrup	261	67 / H
Molasses	290	75 / H

Oil4 items

Food per 100g	Cals	Carb (g) / GL	Fat (g)
Coconut Oil	862	0 / L	100
Olive Oil	884	0 / L	100
Rapeseed Oil	884	0 / L	100
Walnut Oil	884	0 / L	100

GL = glycaemic load: L low, M medium, H high. Tap a section to open it.

Nutritional data table – Foods to avoid

Your food list

Foods to limit or avoid

Highly processed foods
Typically these foods are low in nutrients and high in artificial chemicals and preservatives, which are potentially damaging to the body. These include ready-made meals, breakfast cereals, tinned produce, white bread, refined grains, cheese, fast food, crisps, fizzy drinks, bacon and ham.
Added sugar or high fructose corn syrup
These have a negative effect on your hormones. High sugar consumption is linked to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Trans fats (also known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats)
These are unsaturated fats that have been chemically changed to increase shelf life and make them solid at room temperature. They increase levels of small dense LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good kind). They also increase abdominal fat, which can lead to various health problems.
Seed and vegetable oils
They contain a lot of omega 6 fatty acids, but these need to be in the correct ratio with omega 3 for optimal use by the body. If not in balance it can lead to inflammation in the body.
Artificial sweeteners
These can increase your appetite as your body is expecting a large hit of carbohydrate that doesn’t arrive. They have been linked with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Sweeteners are also many times sweeter than table sugar and therefore can perpetuate sweet cravings.
Low fat or diet foods
Often these products are high in wheat, high in sugar and highly processed, so you may be better to choose the full fat version.
Grains
Be aware to eat the right type of grains at the right time of day for your particular body type and goal (this will differ for each person and is explained in your nutrient timing section). If you feel uncomfortable after eating them, it may be worth considering having an intolerance test.

RECIPES

Check out our recipe page for lots of healthy tasty meals.

Use the recipes as ideas for your meals. Your meal plan above shows how much protein, carbohydrate and fat each meal should have and when to eat it, so pick recipes that fit and adjust the portions to match.

Meat and poultry
Fish and seafood
Vegetarian
Smoothies

NUTRITION INFO FOR YOU GEEKS

For those of you who are interested in understanding the science behind our methods, this is the section for you. Tap any topic to read more.

The science of muscle gainHow your body builds new muscleRead more Why your body type mattersSame pathways, different strengthsRead more How muscle gain worksStep by step, inside your bodyRead more Why your plan suits youYour fibres, insulin and fuelRead more Metabolism and carbohydrateHow your body handles carbsRead more Meal timing and eating timesWhy your meals are spaced as they areRead more Around trainingWhat happens when you trainRead more Food, sleep and your bodyFibre, sleep and key nutrientsRead more ElectrolytesWhat they do and why they matterRead more Changing your foodWhy your targets change graduallyRead more Muscle damage and repairHow training builds you back strongerRead more Sleep and your hormonesHunger, blood sugar and repairRead more

The science of muscle gain

How your body builds new muscle

Muscle grows when your muscles build new protein faster than they break old protein down. Both happen all the time: muscle protein synthesis (building) and muscle protein breakdown. Training and food tip the balance towards building.

Muscle protein synthesis and breakdownYour muscles are constantly being rebuilt. Muscle protein synthesis is the building of new muscle protein; muscle protein breakdown is the removal of old protein. You gain muscle when building is greater than breakdown across the day.

Lifting weights creates tension in your muscle fibres. Sensors in the muscle turn this tension into a chemical signal that switches on mTORC1, the muscle’s master ‘build’ switch. Protein from food supplies the building blocks, and one amino acid, leucine, acts as the key that turns mTORC1 fully on, so each meal needs enough protein to reach the leucine threshold.

mTORC1The master ‘build’ switch inside your muscle cells. It is switched on by lifting weights, by protein (especially the amino acid leucine) and by insulin, and switched off when energy is short. When it is on, your muscles make new protein.

Leucine thresholdLeucine is one of the amino acids, the building blocks of protein. It acts as the trigger that switches muscle building fully on. A meal needs about 2 to 3g of leucine to reach this threshold, roughly the amount in 25 to 40g of protein from meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

Building muscle is expensive, so it needs a small energy surplus. When energy is short, the fuel gauge AMPK switches on and puts the brakes on mTORC1, and building slows down. Carbohydrate matters too: it refills glycogen, which fuels the volume of training that drives growth, and it raises insulin after training, which reduces muscle breakdown.

AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase)A fuel gauge inside every cell. When energy runs low (during exercise, or when you eat less than you use), AMPK switches on. It tells the cell to burn fat and sugar for energy and to pause energy-hungry jobs such as building new muscle.

The key facts

Main pathway	Training tension → mTORC1 (the build switch) → muscle protein synthesis
Main fuel	Glycogen to power training; protein as building material; a small energy surplus to pay for growth
What your nutrition must do	Provide a controlled surplus, reach the leucine threshold at every meal, place carbohydrate around training and fuel every weights session

Electrolytes

What they do and why they matter

Electrolytes are minerals that carry a tiny electrical charge when they dissolve in your body’s fluids. That charge is what lets your nerves send signals and your muscles contract: every heartbeat and every rep depends on them. Electrolytes also decide where water goes in your body: sodium holds water outside your cells and potassium holds it inside, so the balance between them controls how well hydrated your muscles and blood stay.

ElectrolytesMinerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride that carry an electrical charge in your body fluids. They power nerve signals and muscle contractions and control the balance of water inside and outside your cells.

When you sweat you lose mostly water and sodium (roughly 0.5 to 1.8g of sodium in every litre of sweat), with only small amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium. Running low can show up as cramp, headaches, tiredness, dizziness and weaker training. A balanced diet covers most people’s needs; a pinch of salt or an electrolyte drink matters mainly after long or very sweaty sessions, or in hot weather.

Electrolyte	What it does	Signs of low levels	Good food sources
Sodium	Holds water in your blood and around your cells; carries nerve signals. The main electrolyte lost in sweat.	Headache, nausea, tiredness, muscle cramps, confusion; in severe cases, seizures.	Salt, stock, olives, cheese, bread
Potassium	Holds water inside your cells; sets the electrical charge across nerve and muscle cells; controls heart rhythm.	Muscle weakness, cramps, tiredness, constipation, palpitations or an irregular heartbeat.	Potatoes, bananas, beans, lentils, leafy greens, avocado
Magnesium	Needed by over 300 enzymes, including those that make energy (ATP); helps muscles relax; keeps nerves from over-firing.	Muscle cramps, twitches and tremor, tiredness, weakness and an irregular heartbeat; low magnesium also lowers potassium and calcium.	Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, dark chocolate
Calcium	Triggers every muscle contraction; builds bones; helps blood clot and nerves signal.	Short term: tingling around the mouth and in the fingertips, muscle spasms and cramps. Long term: weaker bones and a higher risk of stress fractures.	Dairy, fortified plant milks, tinned fish with bones, tofu
Chloride	Works with sodium to balance fluids; used to make stomach acid for digestion.	Usually lost together with sodium: weakness, tiredness, cramps and signs of dehydration.	Salt, seaweed, tomatoes, olives

How low levels cause these signs. Every nerve and muscle cell carries a small electrical charge across its membrane, set by the balance of sodium and potassium inside and outside the cell. Sodium: when blood sodium falls (most often from drinking large amounts of plain water during long, sweaty sessions), water moves into cells by osmosis (water moving towards where dissolved minerals are more concentrated), and swelling of brain cells causes the headache, nausea and confusion. Potassium: low potassium makes the resting charge across cells more negative, so nerves and muscles are harder to fire, causing weakness, and the heart’s rhythm can be disturbed. Magnesium acts as a natural brake on calcium entry into nerve and muscle cells; when it is low, nerves fire too easily, causing cramps, twitches and tremor, and the kidneys lose more potassium. Calcium: your blood calcium is held very steady by parathyroid hormone, which draws calcium from bone when intake is low, so a low intake usually shows up slowly, as weaker bones; when blood calcium itself falls, nerves become over-excitable and muscles spasm. Chloride is lost alongside sodium in sweat and vomiting, so its signs are those of sodium loss and dehydration.

These signs have many possible causes. If they persist, see your GP: a simple blood test can check your electrolyte levels.