Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

My athlete finally gained weight after this change

17 May 2025 · 1 min

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In this brief talk, the speaker describes a case where a highly recruited Oregon State baseball player was unable to gain the 20 pounds his coaches demanded, despite training hard. The athlete’s progress stalled because his diet lacked sufficient carbohydrates, leading his body to use dietary protein for energy rather than muscle growth. By adjusting his nutrition to include enough carbs, the athlete was able to gain weight, improve strength, and meet the program’s expectations. The speaker emphasizes that while protein is essential, carbohydrates act as the primary fuel and protect protein from being oxidized, making them crucial for effective mass gain.

Chapters

My athlete had just committed to the Oregon State baseball program, one of the top programs in the country, but he was super frustrated because he wanted to be putting on weight. He wanted to be seeing his speed go up in the gym. He wanted to see his lifts go up, but it just wasn't happening. His OSU coaches were even telling him, hey, we need you to come about 20 pounds heavier if you want to play. Nothing was working, but everything changed once we dialed in his nutrition. And here's one thing we did: we started getting him eating enough carbs. Typically when people are trying to gain weight, they think protein, protein, protein. Yes, protein is important, but carbs are also important because carbohydrates are the gas in So if you don't have enough carbs in your body, your body will actually use the protein that you're eating towards energy instead of towards building muscle. So if you want to gain weight, eat more carbs.