Do you need to eat at maintenance to build muscle?

October 13, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2023 study published in Sports Medicine Open, while a moderate calorie surplus of 5-20% is ideal for maximizing muscle growth, it is still possible for many people to build muscle while eating at maintenance. The key lies in understanding a nuanced approach to nutrition and training known as body recomposition. This article explores if and how you can manage your caloric intake to effectively do you need to eat at maintenance to build muscle.

Quick Summary

This article discusses whether eating at maintenance calories is sufficient for muscle growth, highlighting the concept of body recomposition. It explains that while a surplus is optimal for maximal gains, beginners and individuals with higher body fat can still build muscle by prioritizing high protein intake and consistent resistance training. Key strategies are detailed, differentiating this approach from a traditional bulk.

Key Points

Body Recomposition is Possible: Eating at maintenance calories can lead to body recomposition, where you build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, especially for beginners and those with excess body fat.
Calorie Surplus Isn't Always Necessary: While a surplus is optimal for maximizing muscle growth, it is not an absolute requirement for all individuals, particularly novices.
Prioritize High Protein Intake: The most critical dietary component for building muscle at maintenance is consuming enough protein, with recommendations often falling between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Progressive Overload is Essential: Consistent and challenging resistance training that incorporates progressive overload is the primary stimulus for muscle growth, regardless of your caloric intake.
Rest and Recovery are Crucial: Adequate sleep (7-9 hours) and managing stress are vital for muscle repair and growth, especially when not in a calorie surplus.
Consider Calorie Cycling for Advanced Recomp: More advanced lifters can utilize calorie cycling—eating more on training days and less on rest days—to strategically optimize body recomposition efforts.
Manage Expectations for Pacing: Gaining muscle at maintenance will be a slower process than in a surplus. The key is to be consistent and patient with your progress.
Monitor Progress Beyond the Scale: Use progress photos and body circumference measurements, as the scale may not reflect improvements in body composition when you are losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time.

The Truth About Calories and Muscle Growth

Building muscle, or hypertrophy, is an anabolic process that requires energy. The traditional bodybuilding approach involves a "bulk"—eating in a calorie surplus—to ensure the body has ample energy to fuel muscle repair and growth. However, modern sports science, and the experiences of many lifters, have shown this isn't the only path, especially for certain groups of people. Eating at your maintenance calories, or even a slight deficit, can still yield results through a process called body recomposition, where you lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously.

How Body Recomposition Works at Maintenance

Body recomposition is the redistribution of your body's energy stores. Instead of relying on a calorie surplus, your body can tap into its existing fat stores for the extra energy needed to build new muscle tissue. This is most effective for specific individuals:

Beginners to resistance training: New lifters experience a high degree of muscle-building potential, often called "newbie gains," which allows them to build muscle even with lower caloric intake.
Individuals with higher body fat: For those with more body fat to spare, their bodies can use these reserves as an energy source for muscle protein synthesis.
Previously trained individuals returning to lifting: If you have lifted before and are getting back into a routine, your body will have a faster response to muscle-building stimuli.

Prioritizing Protein for Muscle Growth

Regardless of your calorie target, protein intake is the single most critical dietary factor for building muscle. Protein provides the amino acids, the building blocks for muscle tissue. Without sufficient protein, even intense training will not result in muscle growth. Experts generally recommend consuming 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to maximize muscle building, particularly when in a maintenance or deficit phase.

To ensure your body is constantly supplied with amino acids, you should aim to spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day across multiple meals. High-quality protein sources like lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy are excellent choices. For those on a plant-based diet, combining complementary protein sources or using supplements can help meet daily requirements.

The Importance of Strategic Training and Recovery

Training is the stimulus for muscle growth, and without it, no amount of nutrition will build muscle. The principle of progressive overload is key: you must continually challenge your muscles to adapt by increasing the resistance, reps, or volume over time. For those eating at maintenance, training volume and intensity should be managed carefully to avoid overtraining and ensure adequate recovery, as the body may have fewer resources than during a bulk.

Furthermore, prioritizing recovery is just as important as the workout itself. This includes getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and managing stress. Your body does most of its muscle repair and growth during rest, and neglecting this will hinder progress, regardless of your diet.

Body Recomposition vs. Bulking and Cutting

The two primary strategies for body composition change are body recomposition (maintenance) and bulking/cutting (surplus/deficit). Both have pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your fitness level and goals.


Feature	Body Recomposition (Maintenance)	Bulking and Cutting
Primary Goal	Build muscle and lose fat simultaneously.	Maximize muscle growth, then cut fat.
Calorie Intake	Maintenance level, with high protein.	Cycle between a surplus (bulk) and deficit (cut).
Rate of Progress	Slower, more gradual gains and fat loss.	Faster muscle gains during bulk, faster fat loss during cut.
Weight Fluctuation	Minimal scale changes; focus on body composition.	Significant weight changes; scale is a key metric.
Best For	Beginners, those with higher body fat, or maintaining fitness.	Experienced lifters seeking maximal muscle growth.
Risk of Fat Gain	Minimal due to controlled calorie intake.	Higher during the bulking phase.

The Role of Calorie Cycling

Some experienced lifters who are leaner but still want to explore body recomposition may use calorie cycling. This approach involves eating a slight surplus on training days to maximize muscle protein synthesis and eating at a slight deficit on rest days to encourage fat loss. This provides a strategic way to fuel workouts and recovery while still maintaining an overall neutral or slightly negative weekly energy balance. However, this is a more advanced technique that requires careful tracking and is not necessary for most people.

Conclusion: Finding Your Optimal Strategy

While the traditional advice to bulk in a calorie surplus for maximum muscle gain still holds true for advanced lifters, it's not a universal requirement. The answer to "do you need to eat at maintenance to build muscle?" is yes, for a significant portion of the lifting population, particularly beginners and those with more fat to lose. A high-protein diet combined with a progressive resistance training program and adequate rest can effectively drive body recomposition. For those seeking faster or more dramatic results, a controlled bulk followed by a cut is still the most efficient path. The key takeaway is to choose the strategy that best aligns with your experience level, body composition, and long-term fitness goals, rather than adhering to outdated absolutes.

The Final Word

The journey to building muscle is personal. For many, especially those just starting, the most sustainable and psychologically beneficial path is often a gradual one focused on recomposition. By focusing on smart training and prioritizing protein, significant progress can be made without the need for a surplus. The goal is to make consistent, long-term progress that you can maintain for a healthier, stronger physique.

Resources

MacroFactor's Bulk or Cut Quiz: https://macrofactorapp.com/bulk-or-cut/

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, absolutely. Beginners, often experiencing "newbie gains," can effectively build muscle while consuming maintenance calories because their bodies are highly responsive to new training stimuli and can use existing fat stores for energy.

No, not everyone needs a calorie surplus. While it is the most efficient method for experienced lifters aiming for maximal growth, beginners and those with higher body fat can achieve body recomposition by eating at maintenance with high protein intake.

Protein intake is crucial. When eating at maintenance, sufficient protein provides the essential amino acids needed for muscle repair and growth. Without it, muscle protein synthesis cannot occur effectively.

The key is a combination of sufficient high-quality protein, consistently challenging resistance training with progressive overload, and adequate rest and recovery.

If you train consistently and maintain a high protein intake, you can expect to gain muscle and lose fat, minimizing or preventing fat gain. The key is not to overeat, but to provide the body with the right fuel while it taps into fat stores for energy.

Focus on tracking your calories and macros to ensure you are truly at maintenance and getting enough protein. Prioritize lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates. Don't rely solely on the scale; use progress photos and circumference measurements.

Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, monitor your progress through consistent strength gains in your lifts, visual changes from progress photos, and tracking body measurements. The scale may not change significantly as you trade fat for muscle.