FSHP Academy
Sports Nutrition — all lessons

Module 1: Foundations of Sports Nutrition

Energy systems and metabolism for nutritionMacronutrients and athletic performanceMicronutrients and hydration essentials

Module 2: Nutrition for Training & Competition

Pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition strategiesFuelling for endurance vs strength/power sportsCompetition-day meal planning

Module 3: Body Composition & Weight Management

Balancing muscle gain and fat lossSafe weight-cutting practices for athletesNutrition for injury prevention and recoveryEnergy availability and RED-S

Module 4: Supplements & Ergogenic Aids

Evidence-based supplements (creatine, caffeine and others)Avoiding banned substances and doping risks

Module 5: Practical Applications

Creating individualised nutrition plansSports nutrition case studies

Balancing muscle gain and fat loss

Nutrition for gaining muscle, losing fat, or doing both (recomposition) — energy targets, protein, rate of change and who can recompose.

Intermediate Evidence: Strong evidence 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Set energy targets for muscle gain and fat loss
  • Choose appropriate rates of weight change
  • Explain when body recomposition is realistic
  • Protect lean mass during a deficit

Before this lesson

Why this matters

Many clients want “more muscle, less fat”. Energy balance, protein and training determine which is realistic and at what pace.

Muscle gain

  • A modest energy surplus supports muscle gain; larger surpluses mainly add fat.
  • Protein ~1.6 g/kg/day captures most of the benefit for lean-mass gains, with ~2.2 g/kg as a sensible upper target [morton2018] [jager2017].
  • Progressive resistance training is the stimulus; nutrition supports it.
Protein intake and resistance-training gains in lean mass A schematic line shows additional gains in fat-free mass with resistance training rising as daily protein intake increases, then levelling off at about 1.6 grams per kilogram of body mass per day. A shaded band from about 1.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram shows the uncertainty around this breakpoint; the upper value is a sensible target for those wanting to maximise gains. 95% CI of breakpoint ≈ 1.0–2.2 ~1.6 g·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ RDA 0.8 00.511.522.53 Total daily protein intake (g per kg body mass) Extra fat-free mass gain Schematic of the meta-regression breakpoint in Morton et al. (2018); not individual-level data.
Figure 1. Protein intake and resistance-training gains in fat-free mass: benefits level off around 1.6 g/kg/day. — Original diagram, FSHP Academy (schematic, not to scale).

Fat loss

  • Requires an energy deficit.
  • For lean athletes, Helms and colleagues recommend losing ~0.5–1% of body mass per week, with protein of ~2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean mass and continued resistance training [helms2014].

Recomposition

Gaining muscle while losing fat is most realistic in beginners, people returning after a break, and those with higher body fat; it can also occur in trained people with high protein and well-designed training [barakat2020].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A 75 kg recreational lifter (20% body fat) wants to lean out without losing strength. With a ~400 kcal/day deficit, protein ~2.2 g/kg and unchanged training, he loses 4 kg over 10 weeks with stable squat strength.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Introductory needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Bulking vs cutting vs recomp

evidence-based coaches (search)

You will understand: body composition strategies

Why: Overview.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Contest prep nutrition

Eric Helms (search)

You will understand: evidence-based physique nutrition

Why: Researcher-practitioner.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. For physique athletes in a deficit, Helms et al. recommend weight loss of about…

Answer B. Slower rates help retain lean mass.

2. Body recomposition is most likely in…

Answer B. Barakat et al. (2020) noted it also occurs in trained people under some conditions.

3. A reasonable surplus for lean muscle gain is…

Answer B. Larger surpluses add more fat.

4. During energy restriction, protein needs…

Answer B. Helms et al. (2014) recommendations for lean athletes.

5. The most important stimulus for preserving muscle while dieting is…

Answer B. Mechanical tension signals muscle retention.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Plan a lean-bulk for a 70 kg athlete with targets for energy and protein.
  2. Explain recomposition to a beginner and set expectations.
  3. Design a 12-week fat-loss plan that protects lean mass.

Key takeaways

  • Muscle gain is supported by a small energy surplus, high protein and progressive resistance training.
  • Fat loss requires an energy deficit; slower loss (~0.5–1% of body mass per week) better preserves lean mass.
  • Recomposition is most realistic in beginners, returning trainees and people with higher body fat.
  • During a deficit, higher protein and continued resistance training protect muscle.

Connected topics

lifestyle nutrition

Science of fat loss vs muscle retention

personal training

Muscular training: foundations and benefits

sports nutrition

Energy availability and RED-S

This is the canonical lesson for: Lifestyle Nutrition → Weight Management & Body Composition

References

  1. Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11:20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20 Narrative review check pending
  2. Barakat C, Pearson J, Escalante G, Campbell B, De Souza EO (2020). Body recomposition: can trained individuals build muscle and lose fat at the same time?. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 42(5):7–21. Narrative review check pending
  3. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6):376–384. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608 Meta-analysis check pending
  4. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8 Position stand check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.