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The High Protein Myth- Exposed Again

October 12, 2009

proteinsbs The High Protein Myth Exposed AgainI hate to say “I told you so.”

But… I told you so.

For years now I have been getting a lot of flak from other fitness industry insiders and so called experts because I exposed the great protein myth at every chance I got.

They all either thought I was insane or were upset that I was blowing the whistle on their scam and costing them tons of money every year.

But now, due to a recent study that everyone is talking about, people are starting to change their tune and realize what I have been telling you all along…

You DON’T need 2-3 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to build muscle. It’s a lie promoted by the supplement and meat and dairy industry. That’s it.

Just another way to make money.

But hardly a scientific fact.

Recently Tarnopolsky performed a study in which weight trained individuals consumed a drink containing either: 5, 10, 20 or 40 grams of protein immediately after their workout. Each of the groups increased protein synthesis, but their results were dose dependant.

Up to 20 grams, that is. While the 20 gram group significantly increased protein synthesis over the 10 gram group, the 40 gram group did not significantly increase protein synthesis over the 20 gram group.

So any more than 20-30 grams of protein at one sitting isn’t necessarily going to benefit you in any significant way.

The conclusion to be drawn from this most recent study is what I have been saying all along… You don’t need all that protein. In fact, eating too much will force your body to burn protein instead of fat for energy and can make getting leaner a more difficult process.

Twenty to thirty grams of protein, every few hours is all that’s needed to build muscle. For most people that will be no more than about 150 grams per day.

Before I ever recommended a lower protein intake to you guys I tried several experiments on myself and my clients for years. Back in the early 90’s I slowly increased my protein intake all the way up to 450 grams per day. I also recruited a few training partners and clients for the experiment.

And after eight weeks nothing happened.

Then I tried experimenting with protein cycling and went on low protein for a while, thinking that if I desensitized my body to protein I would grow like a week upon reintroducing it.

Well, that never happened.

But during the low protein phase I actually gained muscle and lost fat. I even remember my brother commenting one day, about three weeks into it that he had never seen me in better shape.

Even after experiencing better results with less protein it shames me to admit that there were several times during the 90’s where someone would make a convincing enough argument to make me try super high protein again.

And all I ever did was end up fatter and poorer.

Admit it; you’ve tried it too. You added another steak or protein shake to your diet and thought, “this will be just what I need to really start growing.” And nothing happens.

Then you increased the size of your daily omelet from 3 eggs to 10. Still nothing.

Stop the insanity.

great outdoors The High Protein Myth Exposed AgainFrom now on instead of ordering 3 chicken breasts, save the money and just get one. Or order an extra baked potato or two for the extra calories and throw down a few tablespoons of olive oil when you’re done.

Instead of ordering “The Old 96′er” (“There’s nothing but gristle and fat on that plate.”) settle for a more human sized 8 ounce steak.

Instead of 4 scoops in your protein shake use one or two.

Instead of a dozen eggs I think you’ll be just fine with 3-5, depending on the size.

The first time I ate breakfast with Jim Wendler, Dave Tate and CJ Murphy, all of whom were around 300lbs at the time, I ordered extra eggs in my omelet while they simply ordered theirs as is.

I thought, “Man, what a douche, I am. These guys all outweigh me by 80 pounds. What’s wrong with you?”

I have been fooled many times. But like The Who, I won’t get fooled again.

I hope you don’t either.

An educated man is a dangerous man,
Jason Ferruggia

PS. For smarter muscle buidling meal plans visit MuscleGainingSecrets.com

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Written by jasonferruggia · Filed Under Muscle Building, Nutrition 

Comments

27 Responses to “The High Protein Myth- Exposed Again”

  1. Liam MullisNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 11:15 am

    Thanks for this Jason, I’ve always thought no way do you need 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight etc, I never have more than 30 grams in a sitting & feel alot better for it & never exceed more than about 160 a day & I weigh about 210, have decent size & I’m fairly lean & my pockets are deeper than they would be, but thanks for easing my mind totally on this subject as I always trust what you say. Thanks again.

  2. Chase KarnesNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 11:35 am

    Jason,

    Great post! I used to think the more protein the better. Hell we would head up to Ryan’s buffet post workout and I’d try to eat as many sirloins as humanly possible.

    By accident I went a few months with my protein intake floating between 150 and 180 while weighing 195 and to my suprise I didn’t lose muscle or get weaker.

    Now I try to shoot for 1g per pound to play it safe, but I worry more about my overall caloric intake vs. my protein intake.

    I’ve definintely seen some great things happen.

  3. craigNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 11:47 am

    Good stuff Jay. Most people also fail to realize how much protein they get from non-animal foods such as beans, grains and nuts.

  4. BillyNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 12:45 pm

    Great stuff Jay!
    I’ve definitely been fooled in the past but by reading and educating myself i’ve been learning just what you stated in this post….
    Thanks for putting it out there and cutting through the crap. Hopefully people will start to adhere to this and lower their protein intake. I’ve also read that too much protein can lead to osteoporosis via leaching calcium from the bones.
    Keep up the killer posting!
    BK

  5. OdiNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 1:18 pm

    I don’t have that much protein intake, just take a regular shake with a weight gainer and some light breakfast before training.
    What I understand from what you try to explain is not how much protein you take, but how your body can absorbe it.

  6. Justin BosleyNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 1:27 pm

    Man I argue this EVERYDAY with people at the University I attend/train at. It’s especially hard with some of my football players and wrestlers who’s coaches seem to think they’re nutrition experts and tell them to eat nothing but pounds of meat and potatoes. Thanks for posting this man….oh on your next post could you put in another picture of a half naked girl….it just seems to be the Jason Ferruggia way!

    BTW just ordered my first jug of Sun Warrior! God Bless man!

  7. Tyler EnglishNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 1:37 pm

    Good shit as always Jason!

    Like I explain to my clients when they say “but there’s no protein in that breakfast!” Hmm you had oatmeal, peanut butter, almond milk, all in one? Ok? So what’s the F’ing problem? Every meal doesn’t need to contain a complete protein source!

    Man I am in contest prep and even I am not consuming more then 1-1.2 grams per bodyweight/per day!

    Awesome post brother!

    And on a side note great to have you back man!

  8. Jon Le TocqNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:20 pm

    Jason have you come across Brad Pilon’s Eat stop eat program? Whatever you think of fasting, there’s some good studies in it.

    He presents some interesting research that in the 1920’s the recommendation for protein intake was 70-120g per day (obviously dependent on size, gender etc) and that more recent studies don’t show anything different (other than those clearly ‘designed’ by supplement companies)

    He argues that over all the years of bullshit advice, there is still little to be gained from eating more than 120g no matter how big you are or want to be.

    As usual we come full circle.

    Eat enough, lift enough, sleep enough.

    On that note, what are your thoughts on fasting?

    Keep it up mate.
    Jon

  9. DanielNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:31 pm

    Good point also about the finances. Eating too much protein from quality sources can cost a lot of money. But most people who consume that much protein are probably eating low quality sources of protein.

    I have also read somewhere that vegetarians use their proteins more efficiently than meat eaters, probably because the body get’s a little bit less of it and doesn’t waste all the precious protein for gluconeogenisis. It’s a waste of energy and money to convert ultra high amounts of protein to glucose.

    Another myth that goes along the myth of ultra high protein is the fear of carbs. I have seen people leave their carrots and beans, because they wanted to lose weight. Carbs are actually the main fuel of the body. When you eat a moderate of amount of it, you can train with higher intensity, volume and frequency. You can pay better attention in school, at work or in traffic.

    Low carbs will make you moody and smell like a goat. Maybe a low carb diet can help you become more attractive by losing some weight, but you’ll smell so bad no one of the opposite sex is going to get close to you.

  10. NielNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:35 pm

    Great article Jason, lots of good info.

    I love seeing guys scarf down tons of meet and ignore other essentials like vegetables.

    I have one question for clarification. The 20-30g for the post workout drink, does that include the protein from sipping on a peri-workout shake or is that separate total to be considered?

  11. Spida HunterNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:42 pm

    You can only attain this information brother when you have traveled down the “wrong” road, let’s hope others are more open minded then us…. Totally agree with you on this one, it’s a myth to eat a shit load of protein!!

  12. ChrisNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:43 pm

    Jay,

    Thanks to you I am now a vegan, and have never felt better or trained better. I never felt worse than when I was slugging down steak, chicken, milk and cheese by the pound.

    However, the only reason I was into that so much was not because body builders did it, but because of magazines like mens health recommending it as “healthy food”. I hope you can share some of your wisdom with them and maybe get them on board with the healthy plant based diet. (I realize their magazine says would probably dissapear, at least for a while)

    Just a thought.

    -Chris

  13. DanielNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 2:45 pm

    There’s a lot of dogma in the fitness industry. One expert repeating the other and if something has been said enough times, it becomes “science.”

  14. CareyNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 3:07 pm

    Anytime I put more than one scoop of protein in my shake, I get really stinky gas, I think that is my liver’s way of telling me it’s too much. My wife almost stopped buying me the stuff all together. I have only been drinking about 60g (three shakes) per day for the last few years and recently after I read the mistakes I have been making, I started really adding on the weight and have gained 15 lbs in the last three months. Thanks Jason!

  15. JohnNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 4:25 pm

    Prison inmates who work out can be complete beasts and they have the worst quality food available with hardly any protein. Not to mention a lot of them train with only bodyweight exercises but that’s a whole different topic.

  16. EskowNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 5:50 pm

    Great article man, really liked this one

  17. Tracy LangfordNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 9:03 pm

    Jay,
    Totally agree. I’v been eating around 150-180 grams protein a day for the past 3 months at a bodyweight of 200 Ilbs while I’ve been steadily stronger on my lifts. I also found that minimizing bread in my diet has been making me leaner in the past few weeks.
    Keep telling us the truth. We’ll keep listening.

  18. MIkeNo Gravatar on October 12th, 2009 11:46 pm

    Jay, I’m confused. This seems to conflict with your recommended fat-loss protocol of carb-cycling. You kind of need to be killin’ some protein to eat enough while minimizing carbs. I realize you don’t need to worry too much about “maximizing protein intake to increase muscle mass” or whatever.

  19. jasonferruggiaNo Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 3:31 am

    Chase,
    I know quite a few people who have had the same “accidental” type experience. It’s surprising at first but a relief when you prove it to yourself that you don’t need all that extra protein.

    Tyler,
    I hear ya man. Thanks and good luck in the contest. Keep us posted.

    Jon,
    I know Brad and like ESE a lot. I agree with a lot of his viewpoints. I am also a big fan of short term fasting the way he recommends.

    Niel,
    I would say that no more than 50-60 grams pre/during/post workout would be sufficient.

    Spida,
    Very true, my friend.

    Carey,
    Awesome progress.

    Mike,
    If you are following carb cycling then you are right, you may need to eat slightly higher protein intakes on low carb days just because you need to eat something. But it will not have some magical anabolic effect. That is really my point. On low carb days I would now tend to recommend no more than a gram per pound and an increase of green vegetables and healthy fats.

  20. jeff phillilpsNo Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 4:58 am

    Thanks for the article. I learned, about 6 years ago about the protein myth. Doesnt take a rocket scientist to realize that what Jason has stated makes perfect sense. I would like to know, however, what is the ingredient in muscle mike that may be dangerous.
    thanks
    Jeff

  21. T-No Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 7:08 am

    Jason, I have a question for you. If I lower my protein, and I’m already eating plenty of green, yellow, and red Veggies, do you recommend eating more grains or more fats like avocado & coconut oil etc. for extra calories?
    Thank you

  22. Thomas JNo Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 9:40 am

    Hi,
    I ate 210g of protein, 390g of carbs and 70-80g of fats last 1 and a half months and I gained 5 poundsof muscle and 8 pounds of fat… NOt a good progress. Should I lower the number of protein to 150g and increse the number of healthy fats over 100g? I am worried about the combination of high carb a and high fat meals – should I be worried?

  23. jackNo Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 11:56 am

    This study was only conducted on whey protein wasn’t it? What’s to say that casein protein synthesis can’t have a significant increase above 20 grams?

    Not that I eat more than 1 gram per lb of body mass but after a workout I don’t want to be limiting the amount of protein I’m putting in the tank, going over isn’t as much of a problem as going under right?

    jack

  24. adamNo Gravatar on October 13th, 2009 6:01 pm

    Great Article and look forward to more !! It’s true I did the experiment due to circumstances and nothing has changed . Wow who woulda ever thought !! LOL I think the ingredient Jason’s talking about is MSG .

  25. Vic Magary - GymJunkiesNo Gravatar on October 14th, 2009 6:23 am

    Great post Jason! Keep speaking the truth.

  26. IhabNo Gravatar on October 15th, 2009 11:06 am

    Hey Jason. Been reading your log for a long time, first time I comment. About the ‘protein myth’, the study seemed inconclusive to me. It only tested protein intake postworkout.

    Were other variables considered? Size/experience of the lifter? Intake of protein at other times of the day? Intake of other nutrients(carbs/fat) at the time they ingested their protein?

    I think there are too many variables in the study that were not accounted for to make this hard evidence.

    Also, guys like shelby starnes and justin harris are getting people insanely shredded with 1-2 grams of protein per bodyweight.

    I’m not trying to blast you or anything, I have great respect for you, but I would like to know your thoughts on my comments.

    thanks
    Ihab

  27. RandyNo Gravatar on January 29th, 2010 11:50 am

    Agree. I have never gone over 200 grams a day. I competed nationally in bodybuilding at 231 pounds. And I have benched 700 at 295 pounds. And I did
    all this with an average of 150 grams of protein a day. My clients gain on 120-150 grams. I’ve been in the business of muscle for 32 years and to this day still don’t sell protein in my center.
    Randy Woody
    http://randywoody.com

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