Top 9 Sports Dietitian Tips to Build Muscle
November 2025
By Giulia Angelico, Sports Dietitian
If you’ve been lifting weights consistently but aren’t seeing the progress you expected, your nutrition might be the missing piece.
Training provides the stimulus for muscle growth, but it’s what you do outside the gym, especially how you eat, that supports recovery and drives results.
As a sports dietitian, these are the 9 key strategies I focus on to help people build muscle in the most effective and sustainable way.
1. Eat in a Calorie Surplus
A calorie surplus refers to eating more than your body needs to maintain its current weight. Building muscle is an energy demanding process, and a surplus ensures your body has the fuel it needs to support growth.
While some muscle can be gained at maintenance calories, particularly in beginners, most people will make better progress when consistently eating above it.
The size of your surplus matters. Too much can lead to unnecessary fat gain, and too little may not allow you to maximise your training results.
As a general guide, add the following to your daily maintenance calories:
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Beginner: 250 to 500 calories
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Intermediate: 125 to 250 calories
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Advanced: 50 to 125 calories
These ranges support muscle gain while helping to limit excess fat gain.
2. Prioritise Protein Intake
Protein is essential for muscle growth and recovery. Resistance training causes small amounts of damage to muscle fibres, and protein provides the amino acids your body needs to repair and build new muscle tissue.
Without enough protein in your diet, your body won't have the building blocks required for growth.
The recommended intake for building muscle is between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Here’s what that looks like at different body weights:
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60 kg: 96 to 132 grams
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70 kg: 112 to 154 grams
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80 kg: 128 to 176 grams
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90 kg: 144 to 198 grams
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100 kg: 160 to 220 grams
Those with higher body fat percentages may not need as much. Leaner individuals may benefit from aiming for the higher end of the range.
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3. Spread Protein Throughout the Day
It is not just how much protein you eat that matters, but also how you spread it across the day. Rather than loading up on protein at dinner or relying only on a post-workout shake, aim to distribute your intake evenly across 3 to 5 meals or snacks.
This helps provide your muscles with a steady supply of amino acids and supports muscle protein synthesis consistently.
When it comes to timing around training, include a solid serve of protein within a 4 hour window around your session. This could mean having a serving within 2 hours before training or within 2 hours after.
Consistent protein distribution combined with smart timing around workouts gives your body the best chance to recover and grow.
4. Don’t Neglect Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy during exercise. When you eat carbohydrates, they break down into glucose and are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Keeping your glycogen stores full before training helps fuel your muscles and supports peak performance.
To keep your energy levels steady, include a source of complex carbohydrates at every meal. Then, 30 to 60 minutes before your workout, have some simple carbohydrates such as white bread, crumpets, dried fruit, fruit juice, muesli, or LCM bars.
These provide a quick source of energy your body can easily use during exercise.
5. Make Healthy Fats a Priority
Fat is essential for your body, especially when it comes to producing hormones like testosterone and estrogen that play a key role in muscle growth. Eating enough fat each day helps keep these hormones balanced and supports overall health.
Fats are also calorie dense, meaning they provide more energy in a smaller volume of food compared to protein or carbohydrates. This makes them useful when you need to increase your calorie intake without feeling overly full.
Including healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, and nut butters in your meals and snacks can help you reach your calorie goals more easily.
These foods not only boost your energy intake but also provide important nutrients that support muscle growth and general wellbeing.
6. Use Supplements Wisely
Before considering supplements, it’s important to build a solid foundation with your training and nutrition. Once you are consistent with these basics, you can consider adding evidence-based supplements that may offer additional benefits.
A quality protein powder such as whey protein is a convenient way to help meet your daily protein needs, particularly around training sessions or on days when your appetite is lower. It makes reaching your muscle building goals easier and more practical.
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched and effective supplements for increasing muscle strength and size. It works by enhancing your muscles’ ability to produce energy during high intensity exercise, helping you train harder and recover faster.
While many other supplements claim to boost muscle growth, most have limited scientific support. Always prioritise nutrition first. If you decide to use supplements, choose ones that are batch-tested and safe for your sport.
7. Be Patient
Unlike fat loss, which can sometimes happen fairly quickly, building lean muscle is a slower process. For most people, a realistic rate of muscle gain is around 0.25 to 1 kilogram per month.
To give your body the best chance to build muscle, it is important to stay in an energy surplus for at least three to six months or longer.
8. Adjust Your Nutrition as You Progress
As your body composition changes, so will your nutritional needs. Gaining muscle increases your energy requirements, so you may need to gradually increase your food intake to maintain a calorie surplus.
Regularly reassessing your intake, especially if weight gain plateaus or your training intensity changes, can help you stay on track.
9. Prioritise Sleep and Recovery
Muscle growth happens during recovery, not just in the gym.
Without enough quality sleep, your progress can stall. Aim for 7 to 9 hours per night and manage factors that affect sleep quality, such as stress, alcohol, and sleep routines. Recovery also includes taking regular rest days, which give your muscles the essential time they need to rebuild stronger.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember that everyone’s calorie and nutrient needs are different. Your muscle building plan should reflect your goals, training demands, and body composition.
It often takes some trial and error to find the right balance. For a personalised approach, consider speaking with a sports dietitian.
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