Do you eat more calories if you have more muscle? The truth about mass and metabolism

October 13, 2025 •

4 min read

According to researchers at the University of New Mexico, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day at rest, compared to a pound of fat burning only two to three calories. This difference in metabolic activity is the foundation for addressing the question: do you eat more calories if you have more muscle? While the answer is yes, the full picture is more nuanced than simple resting calorie burn.

Quick Summary

Individuals with more muscle mass do burn more calories at rest due to muscle tissue's higher metabolic rate. However, the most significant increase in total daily calorie needs comes from the intensive exercise required to build and maintain that muscle, not from the passive burn alone.

Key Points

Resting Burn is Modest: A pound of muscle burns only a few more calories per day at rest than a pound of fat, making the passive metabolic boost minor.
Training is the Calorie Driver: The major increase in calorie needs for muscular people comes from fueling intense exercise and the recovery process, not the resting muscle tissue itself.
EPOC Adds to the Burn: Intense resistance training triggers Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), where your body continues to burn extra calories after a workout to recover.
Modest Surplus for Growth: For muscle gain (hypertrophy), a slight calorie surplus of 300–500 calories above maintenance is generally effective without leading to excessive fat storage.
Protein is Priority: A high intake of protein is essential for providing the amino acids needed for muscle repair and synthesis, especially for those with more muscle mass.
Carbs Fuel Workouts: Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for intense training sessions and should be timed strategically around workouts.

Unpacking the Metabolism Myth

It is a widely circulated myth that muscle mass dramatically increases your resting metabolism, turning your body into a 'fat-burning inferno' where you can eat endlessly without consequence. While it is true that muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, the difference is not as significant as many believe. A pound of muscle burns a modest six calories per day at rest, while a pound of fat burns two to three. This means that a person who has gained 10 pounds of muscle would only burn an extra 60 calories per day passively, which is roughly equivalent to a small piece of fruit.

The real story behind higher calorie consumption for muscular individuals, such as bodybuilders, is the intensity and frequency of their physical activity. Their rigorous training programs burn a substantial number of calories and demand more energy for recovery and growth, which necessitates a higher overall dietary intake.

The Components of Total Daily Energy Expenditure

To understand your overall calorie needs, it's essential to look beyond just the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day and is composed of several factors:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This accounts for 60-70% of your daily energy use and is the energy your body needs to maintain basic functions at rest, like breathing and circulation.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): This is the energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. Protein has the highest TEF, meaning your body burns more calories processing protein than it does fat or carbs.
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): The calories burned during structured, intentional exercise, such as lifting weights or cardio.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): This includes all the calories burned from daily movements outside of formal exercise, like walking, fidgeting, and standing.

For someone with a higher percentage of lean body mass, the BMR component will be slightly higher. However, the most significant increase in calorie burn comes from the EAT, which is why active, muscular people have higher overall TDEE.

Training for Growth: The Real Calorie Driver

Building and maintaining muscle is an energy-intensive process that goes far beyond just the passive calorie burn of the tissue itself. A resistance training workout not only burns calories during the session but also triggers what is known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), or the 'afterburn effect'. This means your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after the workout to restore itself to a resting state.

Furthermore, to build new muscle tissue (a process called hypertrophy), the body requires a consistent calorie surplus in addition to adequate protein intake. Eating a surplus of 300–500 calories above maintenance is often recommended to support muscle growth without excessive fat gain. Without this energy, the body cannot repair the micro-tears in muscle fibers caused by training and synthesize new tissue, and muscle growth is stalled.

Fueling for a High-Performance Physique

For muscular individuals, a high-protein diet is non-negotiable. Protein provides the essential amino acids needed for muscle repair and growth. Carbs are also critical, as they provide the glycogen stores that fuel intense workouts. Without sufficient carbs, workouts suffer, and the body may even begin to break down muscle for energy. Fats, too, play an important role in overall health, hormone function, and satiety.

Here are some key nutrition strategies for those with more muscle:

Prioritize Protein: Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to support muscle protein synthesis.
Time Your Carbs: Consume carbohydrates before and after workouts to fuel performance and replenish glycogen stores.
Maintain Hydration: Drinking enough water is essential for metabolic processes and overall performance.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods: Focus on whole foods to ensure you are getting a wide array of vitamins and minerals.

A Comparison of Caloric Needs

This table illustrates the difference in daily calorie needs for two hypothetical individuals of the same height and weight but with different body compositions and activity levels.


Feature	Sedentary Individual with Higher Body Fat	Muscular Individual with Lower Body Fat
Body Composition	Higher percentage of fat mass	Higher percentage of lean muscle mass
BMR	Lower (fat is less metabolically active)	Slightly higher (muscle is more metabolically active)
Physical Activity	Little to no intentional exercise	Regular, intense resistance training
Daily Calorie Burn (EAT)	Minimal	Significant (burns calories during and after workouts)
Energy Demands	Lower overall, primarily for basal functions	Higher for intense training, recovery, and hypertrophy
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)	Lower	Substantially higher
Dietary Focus	Calorie deficit for weight loss	Calorie surplus with high protein for muscle gain

Conclusion

Ultimately, do you eat more calories if you have more muscle? Yes, you do, but the increase is driven primarily by the high metabolic cost of building and maintaining that muscle through intensive training and recovery. While muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat, this passive effect is relatively small and often overestimated. The need for a consistent energy supply to fuel powerful workouts and provide the necessary protein for muscle repair is what truly dictates the higher caloric requirements of a muscular physique. A smart nutrition diet, rich in protein, carbs, and healthy fats, is crucial for anyone looking to build or sustain significant muscle mass.

Visit Healthline for more on how to gain muscle effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

A pound of muscle burns approximately six calories per day at rest, a modest amount compared to the total daily energy expenditure.

No, this is a misconception. While having more muscle raises your total calorie needs, consuming excess calories beyond what's required for maintenance and growth will still lead to fat gain.

The afterburn effect, or EPOC, is the increased rate of oxygen consumption and calorie burning that occurs after an intense workout as your body works to return to its resting state.

Metabolism tends to slow with age, largely due to a natural decrease in muscle mass. Regular resistance training is crucial to combat this and preserve metabolic rate.

For optimal muscle gain, aim for a modest calorie surplus of 300–500 calories per day, focusing on high-quality protein and strength training.

Both are equally important. Intense resistance training provides the stimulus for muscle growth, but without adequate calories and protein from your diet, the body lacks the resources to repair and build new tissue.

Bodybuilders eat a large volume of food to fuel their intense, frequent training sessions and to provide a consistent calorie surplus for maximum muscle protein synthesis.