In this episode of the Bodybuilding Dietitians podcast, we tackle the question of whether a calorie surplus is truly necessary for muscle gain or whether maintenance can be just as productive. We discuss Eric Helms' 2023 study comparing maintenance to moderate and larger surpluses, how training age shifts the equation, and why training performance is the real driver of muscle growth rather than scale weight alone. We also cover whether high-dose antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E can blunt hypertrophy signalling when consumed close to training, what dosages the research actually used, and practical tips for timing supplements. The conversation also takes a lighter turn with yogurt bowl recipes, Ninja Creami tips, and as always, we wrap up with what we learned this week.

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Links & Resources

Coaching Services – https://www.thebodybuildingdietitians.com/enquirenow 

Website – https://www.thebodybuildingdietitians.com/

Instagram

The Bodybuilding Dietitians – https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuildingdietitians/?hl=en

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Jack Radford-Smith – https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/?hl=en 

Damien Cox – https://www.instagram.com/dietitian_damiencox/?hl=en

Lauren Stevens – https://www.instagram.com/thephysiquedietitian_/?hl=en

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