How lifting weights and eating right helps muscles grow
Resistance training volume and nutrient intake on lean mass and strength in young women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low energy intake (15–20 kcal/kg) led to strength loss—even with resistance training.
Common belief: training always improves strength. This shows underfueling can override training benefits, causing net strength loss—a counterintuitive outcome for beginners.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a woman new to weight training, aim for at least 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight and 35–45 kcal per kg daily to maximize muscle and strength gains.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low energy intake (15–20 kcal/kg) led to strength loss—even with resistance training.
Common belief: training always improves strength. This shows underfueling can override training benefits, causing net strength loss—a counterintuitive outcome for beginners.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a woman new to weight training, aim for at least 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight and 35–45 kcal per kg daily to maximize muscle and strength gains.
Publication
Journal
Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde
Year
2025
Authors
B. Strey, Gabriela Lucciana Martini, Márcio Beck Schemes, Artur Irigoyen, Carolina Guerini de Souza, R. S. Pinto
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Claims (4)
Individual hypertrophic responsiveness to resistance training exhibits moderate inter-muscle correlation, but a substantial proportion of variability is attributable to non-exercise-specific biological factors.
When young women who are new to weight training do more sets and lifts, and eat at least 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, they tend to gain more muscle than those who don’t get enough protein.
If young women who are new to weightlifting eat enough calories (35–45 per kg of body weight), they get stronger from training—but if they eat too few (15–20 kcal/kg), they might actually lose strength even while training hard.
For women just starting weight training, how much they lift (total volume) matters a lot—but only if they also eat enough protein and calories. It’s the combo that makes a difference.