Nutrition Archives • Stronger by Science

Protein Science Updated: Why It’s Time to Move Beyond the “1.6-2.2g/kg” Rule

The recommendation that lifters should aim to consume “1.6-2.2g/kg” of protein is almost universally taken to be an unquestionable truth. You probably don’t need to exceed 1.6g/kg in the first place, and if you do exceed 2.2g/kg, you’ll definitely just waste the extra protein you consume – it certainly won’t contribute to further muscle growth. However, a closer look at the meta-analysis that generated this recommendation suggests that we probably shouldn’t have been quite so confident that protein intakes within this range will maximize muscle growth. When you dive deep into the protein research, it looks like slightly higher intakes may be necessary to max out your gains.

Greg Nuckols December 18, 2024

When Should I Consider Taking a New Supplement?

When Should You Consider Taking a New Supplement?

While most new supplements released to the market don’t pan out as effective, some do. So, if preliminary data supports the potential efficacy of a new supplement, why not try it out? The only potential downside of trying a new supplement is wasted money, right? Not so fast.

Eric Helms February 29, 2024

The Pros and Cons of Caffeine

Caffeine can give a boost of energy and acutely improve performance, but concerns about potential downsides (such as sleep disruption or heart issues) are common. This article discusses both the pros and the cons of caffeine consumption.

Eric Trexler January 31, 2024

How Much Dietary Fat Do We Really Need?

There’s no question that we need dietary fat. However, when it comes to exactly how much we need, definitive answers are hard to find. This short article aims to provide some evidence-based insights on minimum fat requirements.

Eric Trexler August 31, 2023

Beyond the Headlines: Aspartame and Cancer Risk

You’ve probably seen the headlines; the International Agency for Research on Cancer recently made waves by declaring aspartame a “possible carcinogen.” Let’s get to the bottom of what this really means.

Eric Trexler July 31, 2023

Don’t Close the Door on Creatine Yet

A recent meta-analysis suggested that creatine only has a “trivial-to-small” effect on muscle growth. However, that language might understate the actual impact of creatine.

Greg Nuckols July 12, 2023

Crash Dieting is Still a Bad Idea

A recent study indicates that jumping right into a severe energy deficit was just as effective as a progressive stepwise energy deficit for body composition. So are they equivalent? Well, no. A larger net energy deficit should mean greater fat mass loss, but that’s not what happened.

Eric Helms March 31, 2023

Optimizing Bulking Diets To Facilitate Hypertrophy

Weight loss is a common goal for people who wish to improve their health, compete in a physique sport, or make weight for a strength sport with weight classes. However, weight gain is an equally valid and important diet goal, and should be approached just as strategically. This article discusses how to construct an optimized bulking diet.

Eric Trexler August 1, 2022

Where are all the Female Participants in Strength, Hypertrophy, and Supplement Research?

An oft-cited 2014 study found that females account for approximately 40% of the total subject pool in exercise science research. However, female lifters seem considerably more under-represented in many of the areas of research that lifters care the most about. So, we decided to investigate the matter for ourselves.

Greg Nuckols June 1, 2022

Diet Tracking and Disordered Eating: Which Comes First?

A common concern is that quantitatively tracking dietary intake may give rise to disordered eating. A new randomized controlled trial casts doubt on this idea, fueling optimism for people who want to more actively manage their diet without unintended consequences.

Eric Trexler January 17, 2022

The Definitive Diet Setup Guide: How to Build and Adjust a Smart Nutrition Plan

Learn how to build a well-structured diet that supports your performance and body composition goals. This article will equip you with the basic knowledge required to set up a diet that is compatible with your goals and implement ongoing adjustments to keep you on the right track.

Eric Trexler September 20, 2021

Calories and Weight: From the Lab to the Real World

Although calories and mass are intrinsically linked, we’ve all experienced changes in weight that don’t match what we expected based on changes in diet and exercise. This article examines those situations to help clear up the confusion.

Greg Nuckols September 13, 2021

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