The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different supplementation strategies on the average daily gain (ADG) and carcass characteristics of Nellore bulls grazing Piatã grass (B. brizantha cv. BRS Piatã) pastures from the weaning until a Brazilian commercial slaughter weight of 450 kg. Thirty 2 bulls (initial BW of 189 ± 15.7 kg) from the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Aquidauana, Brazil, were randomly distributed in 4 treatments (8 animals/experimental units per treatment): mineral supplementation (Control), continuous concentrate supplementation (Continuous), concentrate supplementation from weaning until a BW of 320 kg (Growing), and concentrate supplementation from 320 kg until 450 kg BW (Finishing). Concentrate supplement used was Recrimax AC (until BW of 320 kg) and Lipomax (BW from 320 to 450 kg) (Real H, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil) and was supplied at 0.5% of body weight. Recrimax AC and Lipomax were formulated with corn, soybean meal, urea, molasses, rumen-protected fat (Lactoplus), salt (sodium chloride), dicalcium phosphate, virginiamycin, and a premix with methionine, lysine, minerals and vitamins A, D and E. These supplements had 75.6 and 85.1% OM, 24.3 and 18.6% CP, 1.34 and 2.3% EE, 7.1 and 12.3% NDF, 44.2 and 54.2% NFC, 68.3 and 77.6% TDN, respectively. Mineral supplement was supplied ad libitum. To calculate ADG, animals were weighted (after 16 h of solid fasting) at the beginning of the trial and at the slaughter day. After slaughter, measurements of loin eye areas (LEA) and fat thickness at the 12th rib (FT) were taken. The effect of the concentrate supplementation, of the continuous or tactical (just in part of the animal's life) concentrate supplementation, and of the phase of the tactical supplementation were evaluated by the partition of the sum of squares of treatment in orthogonal contrasts. ADG was greater to supplemented animals and to continuous compared with tactical concentrate supplementation (P < 0.05), and did not differ between phases of tactical concentrate supplementation (0.449, 0.611, 0.519 and 0.557 kg/d for Control, Continuous, Growing and Finishing treatments, respectively). Concentrate supplementation and continuous supplementation (when compared with tactical supplementation) also increased (P < 0.05) LEA (64.6, 88.8, 72.0 and 77.6 cm² for Control, Continuous, Growing and Finishing, respectively). FT (1.59, 1.72, 2.05 and 1.85 mm for Control, Continuous, Growing and Finishing, respectively) was not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatments. Acknowledgments to FUNDECT – Foundation to Support development of education, science and technology of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, for financial support of the project.