Body recomposition — simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss — is achievable without a caloric deficit. At least a dozen studies demonstrate it, and in 7 of 10 reviewed studies lean-mass gain outpaced fat gain even in a caloric surplus. (Alan Aragon, [How to Lose Fat & Gain Muscle With Nutrition](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_1zlead9ZU))
Practical protocol: resistance training 3x/week, cardio 3x/week (~1hr, mostly zone two), and a "judicious" ~10% caloric surplus (200-300 cal) sourced largely from quality protein — see Daily Protein Intake Guidelines.
High-protein-overfeeding effect: very high protein intake alone (1-2 g/lb, added on top of habitual diet, unchanged exercise) reliably triggers spontaneous fat loss or recomposition across roughly five free-living studies (Jose Antonio), apparently by suppressing other macro intake and raising energy expenditure — one 2g/lb, 8-week protocol produced subjects reporting they were "sweating while sleeping."
Contradiction/boundary case: a metabolic-ward study (Bray) that removed exercise entirely and just escalated protein/calories produced fat AND lean mass gain — the opposite of the free-living result. This suggests the recomposition effect specifically depends on the combination of resistance training plus free-living protein surplus, not high protein alone — see Evaluating Nutrition & Fitness Evidence for the metabolic-ward-vs-free-living reliability tension underlying this split.
Scale-illusion: net body-mass gain during a recomp study period can still mean fat was being lost the whole time — deceptive if you're only watching the scale number rather than the composition breakdown.
Из тем: Diet Strategy & Body Composition