30 Seconds Summary
How many additional calories does each pound of muscle burn?

  • Muscle burns around 6 calories per pound per day at rest, contrary to popular beliefs of 20-100 calories.
  • The total daily energy expenditure can be divided into active and non-active energy expenditure, with muscle affecting both.
  • Including the impact on active energy expenditure, gaining a pound of muscle may increase total daily energy expenditure by approximately 9-10 calories.
  • A simple calculation can be made to estimate the total increase in energy expenditure by accounting for both active and non-active effects when gaining muscle.
  • Most people will see an increase of about 7-12 calories per day from gaining a pound of muscle, depending on their activity level.
  • This contrasts the commonly cited figures of 300-500 calories per day for gaining 10 pounds of muscle, which are significantly overstated.
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