How come you don’t gain muscle even when working out if you have a calorie or protein deficit. Maybe my understanding is an oversimplication but I thought muscle growth was from repairing tiny tears you get from working out. If these tears still occur why does growth not occur? Does it occur? Does it just happen but less efficiently?
In: Biology
In a calorie deficit, your body basically shifts priorities to maintaining more critical systems, like your brain and organs. Budget’s tight, your body won’t approve any additional construction projects. Any protein is converted to energy to help you not starve; if the deficit is high enough, it may even consume existing muscle tissue to survive.
In a protein deficit, even if you are eating enough calories, your body just doesn’t have the building blocks it needs. You can’t build buildings out of paper, no matter how much of it you have; likewise, your body cannot build muscle out of fats and carbs.
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