Who Needs a 5,000-Calorie Diet?
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Who Needs a 5,000-Calorie Diet?

Who Needs a 5,000-Calorie Diet?
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Updated on August 14, 2025
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Typically, we try to burn more calories than we consume to lose weight and add calories to build muscle. In general, women need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day, and men need 2,200 to 3,000.

Some people, however, try to consume 5,000 calories daily in what is called the 5,000-calorie mass diet. Although it can have a purpose, it also comes with risks.

What Is the 5,000-Calorie Mass Diet?

“The 5,000-calorie mass diet is a type of bulking diet that helps bodybuilders and athletes gain weight in the form of muscle mass,” says Staci Gulbin, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist based in Denver.

These diets are meant to be followed for only a few months, Gulbin says, usually at a time outside of competition preparation. During this time, the goal is to increase muscle mass without adding unnecessary body fat.

Achieving this calorie increase may require consuming 10 to 20 percent more calories than necessary to maintain your current weight.

 That may mean eating at least 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day and a moderate amount of fat. Additional calories come from carbohydrates.

People on a higher-calorie diet pair it with resistance training to ensure the surplus calories increase muscle mass instead of fat.

Risks of a 5,000-Calorie Diet

Eating more calories than you burn throughout the day can cause you to gain weight through fat unless you choose calories wisely and complement it with exercise, Gulbin says.

The high protein content of the 5,000-calorie diet can also stress the kidneys, though the link between excess protein and kidney dysfunction is heavily debated in the medical community. Kidneys process the substances left over after the body breaks down proteins, so a high-protein diet could put more pressure on them, leading to long-term damage. This may be true only for people with existing kidney issues, however, as studies on people with healthy kidneys suggest that short-term high-protein diets may not cause kidney damage.

High-calorie diets that rely heavily on animal-based proteins, such as red and processed meat in particular, also can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes.

 This is because red and processed meats contain more saturated fats than chicken, fish, and plant-based proteins, such as nuts, beans, and lentils.

Fat takes longer for the body to digest, which can cause bloating and gas if there’s too much for the body to handle at once. Consuming higher amounts of fat can also lead unabsorbed fat to build up in the digestive tract. The fat attracts water, resulting in diarrhea.

“Also, those who are prone to digestive issues may experience worsened symptoms when following a 5,000-calorie diet,” Gulbin says.

Who Should (and Who Shouldn’t) Follow the 5,000-Calorie Mass Diet

Consuming 5,000 calories a day may only be appropriate for bodybuilders and other athletes who want to add substantial amounts of muscle in a short period. These may include swimmers and runners, particularly those who load up on carbohydrates before events to build glycogen stores in their muscles to use for energy.

Beginner bodybuilders may benefit from a higher calorie surplus than more advanced bodybuilders, as beginners have a greater capacity to build significant muscle mass. The more advanced you get, the more challenging it is to add muscle, making it more likely that surplus calories will add fat.

Before making any major change to your diet, however, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian about the calorie count and macronutrient amounts that work best for your diet and your overall health.

“We all have varying nutritional needs based on our body size, age, and health status, so these unique qualities should be considered when planning any diet or exercise program to help us meet certain health goals,” Gulbin says.

In addition, get clearance from a healthcare provider if you have a history of GI issues or kidney damage or if you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic health condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), or heart, liver, or kidney disease.

The Takeaway

  • The 5,000-calorie mass diet is a high-protein eating pattern typically used by bodybuilders, swimmers, and other athletes who want to add a lot of muscle quickly.
  • Pairing this diet with exercise and a training regimen is crucial to avoid negative effects of consuming that many calories.
  • Higher intake of calories, protein, and fat can cause unwanted fat gain and health issues, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a stroke.
  • Always talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making any dietary changes.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December 2020.
  2. How Many Calories Do Bodybuilders Eat? International Sports Sciences Association. October 13, 2023.
  3. Iraki J et al. Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review. Sports. June 26, 2019.
  4. Lee DH et al. The Medical Challenges of Bodybuilding: Health Risks of Drugs, Extreme Training, and Dieting. The Korean Journal of Sports Medicine. June 1, 2025.
  5. Shi W et al. Red Meat Consumption, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. European Heart Journal. July 21, 2023.
  6. Picking Healthy Proteins. American Heart Association. August 28, 2024.
  7. How Fat Affects Your GI Tract. Orlando Health. September 10, 2021.
  8. Nairn R et al. Nutrition for Athletes: What to Eat Before a Competition. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
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Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

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Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.

She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.

Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

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