11/11/2025
๐๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ. ๐๐ก๐ฒ? ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ-๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง๐.
Research shows energy restriction blunts hypertrophy almost completely, especially in trained lifters (Murphy & Koehler 2021; Helms et al. 2019). At best, you might maintain lean mass or gain a little if youโre new or carrying higher body fat.
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, (๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ), ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐. ATP isnโt just for muscle contraction. It fuels every essential system in your body, heart rhythm, nerve signaling, organ repair, hormone production, and immune function.
When calories drop, ATP production canโt fully meet demand, so the body triages where that energy goes.
1. Keep you alive (brain, heart, vital metabolism)
2. Repair whatโs essential (cell turnover, organ function)
3. Building muscle
Guess which one gets cut first?
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ. (๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐)
ATP production still occurs in a deficit, but the ATP molecules are allocated to maintenance, not growth. ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ. The hormonal environment shifts too, anabolic hormones like testosterone, IGF-1, and insulin decrease while cortisol rises further tilting the balance toward maintenance, not growth.
Anabolicโs wonโt override that energy reality. They can amplify the growth signal, but the process still requires ATP and substrate. Without adequate energy, the signal hits a metabolic wall, protein turnover may increase, but net muscle gain doesnโt.
A deficit is for cutting, not building. Muscle growth requires energy, substrate, and hormonal support all of which depend on adequate nutrition.
If someone tells you otherwise, ask them to explain why their science is better than that of those doing the studies?
