HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD I EAT FOR NUCLEUS OVERLOAD™ AND HSP TRAINING™

💪Muscle growth💪Nucleus Overload®🥩Nutrition

Mar 31

There is a lot of confusion regarding optimal protein intake. Sources vary from as low as 0.3g per pound of bodyweight to as high as 1.5g per pound. After years of practical experience and research, my recommendation has always been on the high side, and for good reasons.

Protein has far too many uses in the human body, from the obvious muscle building effects such as increasing protein synthesis and lowering myostatin, to less known effects such as maintaining strong bones, sustaining optimal hormone levels (growth hormone, Testosterone, IGF-1, Cortisol etc.), aiding in glycogen replenishment, strengthening digestive health and the immune system, preventing excessive muscle damage, recovering faster from workouts, maximizing the pump from training, fueling the liver, activating satellite cells to promote muscle hyperplasia, increasing motivation, fighting off depression, and more. In fact, almost every key function performed by the body’s organs is directly or indirectly dependent on having the optimal balance of specific amino acids, some of which are essential (must be obtained from diet), and some non-essential (can be made by the body). And the higher your protein intake, the lower the chances that you’ll negatively interfere with any of those crucial processes.

The justifications for a higher protein intake don’t stop there. When you add in the stress of resistance training, the demand for additional protein rises substantially. Add to this the higher volume and higher frequency training required for HSP TrainingTM and Nucleus OverloadTM, and that number goes up even more. Several studies also confirm this by showing that trained lifters and people that engage in very intense exercise (such as full body workouts) require far more protein than the average lifter(1,2).

Moreover, protein is also the ultimate macronutrient when it comes to body recomposition (building muscle while losing fat at the same time). It does so by allowing you to eat a moderate surplus of calories (as long as the majority comes from protein) while simultaneously blunting the fat gain that normally comes as a result of being above your maintenance calories(3). How does it accomplish this? Mainly through its extremely high thermic effect (your body burns roughly 20% of the protein calories you ingest), and through other indirect pathways such as increasing your daily activity level (N.E.A.T), allowing you to train more frequently and harder (E.A.T), and obviously maintaining (and in many cases increasing) your muscle mass, and as we all know, the more muscle mass you carry, the more fat your body burns at rest. This effect of protein (allowing you to eat more calories than you normally would) is even more critical for those undergoing a cut, since it allows them to avoid the disastrous effects that come as a result of cutting calories too low, such as higher cortisol levels, lower Testosterone, loss of strength and motivation, inability to sleep etc. Higher protein intake during a cut (or maintenance) also allows you to stay full longer (not just from the excess calories it lets you get away with, but because protein also lowers the hunger hormone ghrelin)(4).

I can go into more detail on the several benefits of a higher protein intake, but I’ll stop here to avoid writing a book. But in short, the rewards of a higher than recommended protein intake far outweigh the few negatives. Nevertheless, as with all things fitness or nutrition related, make sure to consult your physician before making sudden changes to your diet. Although healthy individuals have little to nothing to worry about when it comes to substantially high protein intakes, those who have pre-existing kidney issues or are at a higher cancer risk may run into issues. That’s it for now. Check out my 30-minute long YouTube video on the topic if you want a more detailed breakdown(5).