Browse the evidence

Higher dietary protein intake is significantly associated with higher Phase Angle (PhA) in athletes, independent of fat-free mass, sex, and age.

If you are an athlete, ensure your daily protein intake is sufficient (likely >1.2 g/kg/day, with higher intakes up to ~1.8-2.1 g/kg/day potentially offering higher Phase Angle benefits). Focus on high-quality protein sources like meat and eggs, as these were specifically linked to better Phase Angle values independent of total calories or muscle mass. This suggests that optimizing protein intake supports cellular health and muscle integrity, which can be monitored via Phase Angle.

Whey protein supplementation (30g/day for 8 weeks) preserves fat-free mass and reduces fat mass more effectively than maltodextrin in women 18-24 months post-bariatric surgery.

If you had bariatric surgery recently, standard protein intake might not be enough to keep your muscle while losing fat. Adding 30g of whey protein daily for at least two months can help you lose more fat and keep more muscle than just eating your regular diet, even if your total protein grams look similar to others.

Periodization, defined as the systematic modulation of training variables (volume, intensity, density) over time, is necessary to direct specific physiological adaptations and optimize performance, whereas unstructured or constant loading leads to suboptimal results and increased injury risk due to fatigue.

Do not train at the same intensity and volume every day. Structure your training into phases that vary these loads (periodization) to manage fatigue and ensure you peak when it matters. Constant high effort leads to injury and stagnation; structured variation leads to adaptation.

Supplementation with 15g of gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen, combined with vitamin C, 1 hour before tendon-loading exercise, significantly increases tendon collagen synthesis and may reduce injury risk.

If you are prone to tendon issues (like patellar or Achilles tendinopathy), try consuming 15g of gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen mixed with 50mg of Vitamin C one hour before your tendon-loading exercises (like jumping or sprinting). This specific timing and combination has been shown to double tendon collagen synthesis compared to placebo.

Increasing dietary protein to 2.3 g/kg body mass during energy restriction helps attenuate the loss of lean body mass in injured athletes.

If you are injured and need to reduce calories to avoid gaining fat, do not cut protein. Instead, increase your protein intake to 2.3 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. This helps protect your muscle mass while you heal.

Supplementation with Essential Amino Acids (EAA, 20g twice daily) starting one week before and continuing two weeks after Total Knee Replacement (TKR) reduces quadriceps muscle atrophy and accelerates functional mobility recovery.

If you are having knee replacement surgery, ask your doctor or dietitian about taking Essential Amino Acid (EAA) supplements. The study suggests starting 20g of EAAs twice daily one week before surgery and continuing for two weeks after. This may help preserve your leg muscle strength and help you move better faster than standard care alone.

Evenly distributing protein intake across 3-4 meals (approx. 0.3-0.4 g/kg per meal) is a pragmatic strategy to maximize daily muscle protein synthesis, particularly for older adults or during energy restriction, though total daily protein remains the primary driver.

Aim to spread your protein intake across 3-4 meals, targeting roughly 30 grams per meal. This is especially important if you are older or trying to lose weight, as your body becomes less efficient at using protein for muscle building. If you currently eat most of your protein at dinner, try moving a portion to breakfast and lunch.

Increasing protein intake to ≥1.6 g/kg/day significantly improves lower-body strength gains in healthy adults undergoing resistance exercise, but has no significant effect on handgrip strength or physical functional performance tests.

If your goal is to increase raw strength (like your squat or leg press numbers), ensure you are eating at least 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight while lifting. However, do not expect this extra protein to directly improve your balance, agility, or daily functional tasks like stair climbing; those require specific functional training.

Ingesting carbohydrates during soccer match-play or simulated activity improves skilled performance (e.g., dribbling speed) and perceived arousal, even in the absence of hypoglycemia, likely by maintaining higher blood glucose levels.

Consume carbohydrates during matches or long training sessions. Even if you don't feel 'low energy', CHO ingestion can improve your dribbling speed and mental arousal. Practice this strategy in training to find what works for your stomach.

Plant-based diets can support athletic performance and muscular strength comparable to omnivorous diets when well-planned.

If you are an athlete, you can maintain performance on a plant-based diet. Ensure you eat a variety of plant proteins (legumes, grains, nuts, seeds) throughout the day to get all essential amino acids. You do not need to combine specific proteins at every meal, just eat a varied diet.

In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, a higher percentage of total energy intake from carbohydrates (>60%) is positively correlated with elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, suggesting that limiting carbohydrate intake to below 60% of total energy may improve glycemic control.

If you have type 2 diabetes, aim to keep your carbohydrate intake to less than 60% of your total daily energy. This study of Japanese patients found that eating more than 60% of your calories from carbohydrates was linked to higher blood sugar levels (HbA1c), even when total calories were controlled. You don't need to eliminate carbs, but avoiding excessive amounts may help you manage your blood sugar better.

Bodybuilding coaches recommend protein intakes of 2.0–4.84 g/kg/day, which exceeds the evidence-based recommendation of 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day for general physically active individuals, though this higher range may be necessary for highly muscular competitive bodybuilders.

If you are a competitive bodybuilder, especially if you are enhanced, your coach may prescribe protein intakes between 2.0 and 4.84 g/kg/day. This is significantly higher than the general recommendation of 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day. While general guidelines suggest 1.6 g/kg/day maximizes muscle gain, highly muscular athletes may require more to retain lean mass during contest prep. Distribute this protein across 3–7 meals daily.

Competitive collegiate swimmers in a general preparation phase require a population-safe protein intake of 1.92 g·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ to maintain nitrogen balance, which is higher than standard endurance athlete recommendations.

If you are a competitive swimmer training 3-4 hours a day, aim for approximately 1.9 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This is higher than the standard recommendation for casual exercisers. Ensure you are eating enough total calories, as being in a calorie deficit increases your protein needs.

Distributing protein intake evenly across meals (approx. 30 g/meal) maximizes 24-hour skeletal muscle protein synthesis compared to a skewed consumption pattern.

To maximize muscle building, spread your protein out. Aim for about 30 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or dairy) at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This timing strategy works better than eating most of your protein in just one big meal, especially as you age.

Distributing protein intake evenly across three daily periods (breakfast, lunch, dinner) is positively associated with increased lean mass, upper-body strength, and lower-body strength in healthy women.

For healthy women, try to spread your protein out across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You don't necessarily need to hit a perfect number at every meal, but aiming for at least 25 grams of protein in at least one meal, or hitting relative targets (0.24 g/kg for <60yo, 0.4 g/kg for ≥60yo) in one or more meals, is associated with better muscle mass and strength. Ensure your total daily protein and calories are adequate, as distribution benefits are observed on top of those totals.

In individuals with chronic spinal cord injury, combining home-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation resistance training (NMES-RT) with daily leucine-enriched whey protein supplementation significantly increases thigh lean mass compared to NMES-RT alone.

If you have a spinal cord injury, doing resistance training with electrical stimulation (NMES) at home is effective for building leg muscle. Adding a daily whey protein supplement (specifically one with leucine) on top of this training yields significantly more muscle growth than training alone. Consistency is key, as adherence was very high in this study.

Protein supplementation (specifically whey) reduces musculoskeletal injury rates and missed training days in active-duty military personnel compared to no supplementation, with a dose-response effect observed for two servings per day.

If you are in high-intensity military or tactical training, consuming two servings of whey protein daily (approx. 77g) after training and before bed significantly reduces your risk of injury compared to not supplementing. This benefit was not seen with just one serving, suggesting a threshold effect.

Dietary protein intake of 2.37 g/kg/day is sufficient for muscle gain and maintenance in national-level powerlifters, rendering high-dose protein supplementation unnecessary for basic hypertrophy goals.

You do not need to force-feed yourself massive amounts of protein. A daily intake of around 2.4 grams per kilogram of body weight is sufficient for muscle maintenance and growth. Focus on hitting this target consistently rather than chasing extreme numbers.

Professional male rugby league players require periodized carbohydrate intake of 6-8 g/kg/day during the season, with specific pre- and post-exercise protocols (1-4 g/kg pre-exercise; 1.0-1.5 g/kg post-exercise) to maximize glycogen availability and muscle protein synthesis.

For professional rugby players, do not eat the same amount of carbs every day. On heavy training or match days, aim for 6-8 grams of carbs per kg of body weight. Specifically, eat 1-4 grams of carbs (plus some protein) 1-4 hours before playing, and 1-0-1.5 grams of carbs (plus protein) within 2 hours after finishing. This timing maximizes energy stores and muscle repair.

Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation enhances protein synthesis, reduces protein breakdown, and increases muscle size, strength, and aerobic performance when combined with exercise.

If you exercise, HMB supplementation can enhance muscle size, strength, and aerobic performance. It does not work without exercise.

Increasing dietary protein and fiber density (g/100 kcal) while reducing total energy intake significantly correlates with greater weight loss in a self-selected dietary weight-loss program.

To lose weight sustainably, do not just count calories. Use a tool to track the density of protein and fiber in your meals. Aim for 7-11 grams of protein and 1.8-3.2 grams of fiber per 100 calories. This approach helps you preserve muscle and stay full while reducing total energy intake.

Higher dietary protein intake (1.2 g/kg/d) during weight loss preserves skeletal muscle volume in postmenopausal women with obesity, particularly during the initial 5% body weight loss phase, compared to standard protein intake (0.8 g/kg/d).

If you are a postmenopausal woman losing weight, aim for about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This may help protect your muscle volume, especially in the first few pounds lost. However, do not rely on protein alone. To truly preserve muscle, especially if you lose more than 5% of your body weight, you must incorporate resistance exercise. Protein is a support, not a substitute for movement.

Daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2g/kg body weight, distributed across 3-4 meals of ~0.4g/kg, optimizes muscle protein synthesis and training adaptation in football players.

Eat 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. Spread this out over 3-4 meals, aiming for about 0.4g/kg per meal. This ensures your muscles get the signal to repair and grow throughout the day, rather than just at dinner. You don't need supplements if you eat real food.

During ultra-marathon races, athletes should consume 30-50 g/h of carbohydrates and 5-10 g/h of protein to maintain performance and reduce muscle damage.

During your race, aim for 30-50 grams of carbohydrates and 5-10 grams of protein every hour. This helps maintain energy and reduces muscle damage. If you struggle with stomach issues, practice this during training by gradually increasing your intake. Use multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose + fructose) to maximize absorption.