What is the optimal protein intake for muscle gain and fat loss?

Generally, most weightlifters will do well with 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Endurance athletes might consume slightly less. Very lean individuals in a cutting phase might benefit from slightly higher intakes, but exceeding 2.2 g/kg typically offers diminishing returns.

Does exercise variety improve muscle hypertrophy?

Yes, varying exercises can lead to more well-rounded hypertrophy across an entire muscle or muscle group. While overall muscle volume might be similar to using fewer exercises, variety helps target different regions of muscles effectively. This can also help with motivation and reduce wear and tear on joints.

Are machines better than free weights for muscle hypertrophy?

Neither is unequivocally superior. Machines offer benefits like reduced setup time, less skill requirement, and the ability to match resistance curves to strength curves (as seen in pec deck or pullover machines), potentially providing consistent tension across a full range of motion. Free weights are foundational for compound movements, but machines can supplement a program effectively, especially for variety and isolating target muscles.

Can increasing bone mass help improve muscle mass and strength?

It is plausible. There's significant cross-talk between muscle and bone, and bone is more metabolically active than previously thought. Some evidence suggests that declining bone health can be a stronger predictor of sarcopenia (muscle loss) than vice versa. Stronger bones might remove a potential physiological constraint on muscle growth, though more research is needed to confirm the direct 'gaining' relationship.

How can one prioritize increasing bone mass in training?

In addition to regular heavy resistance training, which is beneficial for bone mineral density, movements like heavy partials and plyometrics can further stimulate bone remodeling. Heavy partials provide significant overload on the skeleton, while plyometrics introduce impact forces that stress the bone.

What defines a 'hardgainer' and how can they overcome difficulties in gaining weight?

A 'hardgainer' is someone who struggles to intentionally gain weight. This can be due to a significant adaptive increase in energy expenditure during overfeeding, being a below-average responder to resistance training, or having appetite suppression in a caloric surplus. Strategies include consuming more calories, focusing on calorically dense and palatable foods, and maintaining consistent, effective training.

Do higher protein intakes help hardgainers beyond typical recommendations?

For most hardgainers, increasing protein beyond the 1.6-2.2 g/kg range is unlikely to solve the underlying issues of energy expenditure or training response. However, older adults experiencing 'anabolic resistance' (reduced protein synthesis response to protein intake) might benefit from slightly higher protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis, although this may be more linked to activity levels than age itself.

Does excessive training volume cause more muscle protein breakdown than synthesis?

While extremely high training volumes can increase muscle protein breakdown, acute synthesis typically still exceeds breakdown, especially in trained individuals, even with diminishing returns. The long-term negative effects of excessive volume (leading to overtraining or atrophy) are more likely due to shifts in baseline muscle protein synthesis, breakdown rates, hormone levels, and inflammatory status, rather than acute breakdown massively overwhelming synthesis after a single session.

How can I get academic recommendation letters if I've been out of school for a few years?

Contact former professors who you did well with, providing a concise email reminding them of who you are, your grades in their class, and attaching your resume. Ask if they feel comfortable writing a 'positive' recommendation. Alternatively, you can form new relationships by volunteering in a university lab relevant to your field, which often leads to the strongest recommendations.

Key Moments

Q&A: High Protein Diets, Hardgainers, Exercise Variety, and Bone Adaptations (Episode 29)

Stronger By Science

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Dec 5, 2019|12,251 views|272|27

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Experts discuss protein intake, exercise variety, bone health, and research career paths.

Key Insights

High protein diets (up to 2.2g/kg) are generally safe and beneficial for healthy individuals, not harming kidneys or bones.

Varying exercises within a training program can lead to more well-rounded muscle development across the entire muscle.

Machines offer valuable benefits for hypertrophy, including exercise variety and targeted muscle stimulation, complementing free weights.

Bone health and muscle mass may have a two-way relationship, with improved bone density potentially supporting greater muscle growth.

'Hardgainers' often struggle due to increased energy expenditure or poor training response, not necessarily requiring extremely high protein.

Excessive training volume might lead to diminishing returns, possibly due to muscle protein breakdown exceeding synthesis thresholds or hormonal shifts.

PROTEIN INTAKE AND HEALTH MYTHS

The discussion addresses concerns about high protein intake, debunking myths regarding kidney damage, bone loss, and liver issues in healthy individuals. While prolonged excessive intake (beyond 2.2g/kg) may be unpalatable, intakes up to 3.3g/kg have shown no adverse effects in studies. High protein diets are beneficial for muscle building, retention during weight loss, satiety, and have a high thermic effect, generally falling within the 1.6-2.2g/kg range for most weightlifters.

EXERCISE VARIETY AND MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT

Varying exercises, even with the same total number of sets, can lead to more comprehensive hypertrophy. Research suggests that different exercises can target specific regions of a muscle, promoting more well-rounded development across its entire length. While total muscle mass gains might be similar, exercise variation ensures better development throughout the muscle group, providing a more complete stimulus.

MACHINES VERSUS FREE WEIGHTS FOR HYPERTROPHY

Both machines and free weights are effective for hypertrophy, with machines offering distinct advantages like increased exercise variety, ease of use for beginners, and consistent tension through a full range of motion. Studies comparing squats to leg presses show similar hypertrophy outcomes. Machines can be particularly useful for targeting specific muscles at different angles and overcoming limitations like grip strength or balance that can occur with free weights.

THE TWO-WAY STREET BETWEEN BONE AND MUSCLE

Bone is metabolically active and communicates with other tissues. While weight training improves bone mineral density, it's plausible that prioritizing bone health could positively influence muscle mass and strength. Studies suggest a potential two-way feedback loop, with some evidence indicating that declining bone health might predict muscle loss more strongly than the reverse. Heavy resistance training, partial reps, and plyometrics are suggested methods to enhance bone density.

UNDERSTANDING 'HARDGAINERS' AND PROTEIN NEEDS

'Hardgainers' who struggle to gain weight may experience increased energy expenditure in response to overfeeding or have a poorer response to resistance training. Exceeding 1g/lb (approximately 2.2g/kg) of protein is unlikely to be a solution for these issues. Caloric surplus is key for weight gainers, and targeted training is crucial for poor responders. Anabolic resistance in older adults might warrant higher protein intake, but this is less common for younger individuals self-identifying as hardgainers.

TRAINING VOLUME, RECOVERY, AND DIMINISHING RETURNS

Excessive training volume per session can lead to diminishing returns, potentially because muscle protein breakdown approaches or exceeds muscle protein synthesis. While acute muscle protein breakdown plays a role, shifts in baseline anabolic signaling, hormonal changes, and inflammatory status are more likely drivers of long-term overtraining effects. Mice studies suggest muscle protein synthesis plateaus after about five sets, indicating that significantly exceeding this threshold may not yield proportional benefits and could impair recovery.

NAVIGATING ACADEMIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESEARCH ENTRY

Seeking academic recommendations for graduate programs requires re-establishing contact with professors, providing concise reminders of achievements, and attaching a resume. It's advisable to ask if they can provide a 'positive' recommendation. For those aspiring to enter research, volunteering in a university lab is the most effective route for building relationships and gaining experience. While alternative paths exist, they often involve significant dedication and may not be as straightforward.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Tools

●Organizations

●Books

●Studies Cited

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

For individuals with healthy kidneys and liver, high protein diets within studied ranges (up to 3-4 grams per kilogram per day) typically do not cause direct damage. However, if you have an underlying kidney or liver pathology, consulting a physician about protein intake is crucial. The 'acid ash hypothesis' linking high protein to bone loss has been debunked; high protein may even have a modest positive effect on bone density.

Topics

Resistance Training Protein Intake Bone Density Nutrition & Diet Human Performance Mindset & Self-Improvement Muscle Hypertrophy Anabolic Resistance Exercise Variety Academic Advice

Mentioned in this video

People

Jose Antonio

A researcher who conducted studies on high protein diets, observing no deleterious effects on liver and kidney biomarkers in healthy individuals, even at very high intakes.

Eric Helms

A researcher and doctor mentioned for his review paper on optimal protein intake for very lean individuals cutting hard.

Andy Galpin

Mentioned for sharing a rodent study illustrating the plasticity of muscle fibers and regional variations in myosin heavy chain isoform densities within a single fiber.

Fabrizio Rossi

A good researcher who collaborated with Jason Khalipa on a study comparing squats versus leg press.

Jason Khalipa

Collaborated with Fabrizio Rossi on a study looking at squat versus leg press effectiveness.

Frances Hallway

Interviewed for 'The Sports Gene' book, he maintains a database of athletes' muscle-to-bone ratios, finding an approximate 5:1 ratio in elite athletes across various sports, suggesting bone can constrain muscle growth.

Brandon Roberts

Gave a talk in Mexico about the heterogeneity in responses to resistance training, highlighting the broad variation in muscle gain among individuals following the same protocol.

Media

The Game Changers

A documentary criticized for implying that eating meat has a negative effect on muscle glycogen levels, which the hosts describe as 'half-baked' and 'stupidest thing'.

Studies & Research

Fonseca et al. 2014

A study titled 'Changes in exercise are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength' which demonstrated that varying exercises led to more well-rounded hypertrophy across all heads of the quadriceps, even if overall growth was similar between varied and non-varied groups.

Yoshimura et al. 2017

A 2017 study indicating that osteoporosis is a stronger predictor of sarcopenia than vice versa, suggesting declining bone health might have a greater influence on muscle health than the opposite.

Organizations

Coastal Carolina University

The institution where Fabrizio Rossi was working when he collaborated with Jason Khalipa on research.

MASS

The December issue of a publication that will feature an article on appetite control and brain pathways, relevant to hardgainers.

Concepts

Wolf's Law

A principle of bone remodeling stating that bone adapts to the loads under which it is placed. Mentioned as a basic concept learned in exercise physiology classes.

mTOR pathway

An anabolic signaling pathway that tends to plateau in muscle protein synthesis after a certain volume of resistance exercise in mice studies, but not necessarily decrease.

Tools & Products

DEXA Scan

A technology used to measure body composition, including dry weight of bone, used in a database for muscle-to-bone ratios.

Books

The Sports Gene

A book for which Frances Hallway was interviewed, providing insights on muscle to bone ratios in elite athletes.

Supplements

Ritalin

A medication for ADHD that can suppress appetite, making it challenging for some individuals to consume enough calories to gain muscle mass.

Drugs & Medications

Adderall

A medication for ADHD that can suppress appetite, making it challenging for some individuals to consume enough calories to gain muscle mass.