Method and sources
How Bulkoa calculates your targets, and what it relies on. These are general sports-nutrition guidelines: they do not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.
Health warning
Bulkoa is not a medical device and provides no diagnosis or treatment.
Plans, quantities and programmes are guidelines for healthy adults. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an illness (heart, blood pressure, diabetes, kidneys, liver), are under treatment, have a current or past eating disorder, or a recent injury, talk to your doctor before you start.
You remain responsible for what you eat and how you train: listen to your body, stop a session in case of pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness, and always check product labels, especially if you have an allergy.
Your needs at rest
Basal metabolic rate is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (sex, age, height, weight), the most reliable in adults according to published comparisons.
Work and sport
Resting needs are multiplied by a factor based on your job (seated 1.20 · standing 1.35 · physical 1.55 · very physical 1.70) and your sessions (+0 to +0.20, capped at 1.90). These steps follow the WHO physical-activity recommendations.
Surplus, maintenance and pace
To build muscle without too much fat, a moderate surplus is added (about +10 to +20% of needs) and the target is 0.25 to 0.75 kg per week depending on your pace. In maintenance, calories match what you burn and the app suggests a small adjustment if your average moves outside ± 1 kg.
Protein
Target of 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kilo of body weight per day, spread over meals: the range used by the ISSN position stand for muscle gain.
Foods, diets and allergies
Nutritional values come from the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table (Etalab licence). Prices are estimates per store that you can correct in the app.
Diets (vegetarian, no pork, lactose-free) and the 14 regulated allergens are applied from the typical composition of each food. Actual composition varies by brand: always check labels, and with a severe allergy, do not rely on the app alone.
Training programme
1 to 6 sessions a week: each muscle trained at least twice a week from 2 sessions, 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week, sets stopped 1 to 3 reps short of failure, 1 to 3 minutes of rest, loads increased once every set passes, an easy week every 6 weeks. Warm up, stop if anything hurts, and ask a doctor if you have a health problem.
Safeguards
Bulkoa is for adults 18 and over. If your BMI is below 17 or above 35, the app advises you to see a professional before following the plan. Adjustments are always suggested, never imposed.
Images
Illustrations of people (exercises, questionnaire) are generated by artificial intelligence. Meal photos are illustrations: the dish you cook may look different.