Can Eating Double the Protein Supercharge Your Gains—Or Just Your Waistline?
New research reveals what happens when resistance-trained athletes eat a massive 4.4 grams of protein per kilogram—every day for eight weeks.
Does eating massive amounts of protein accelerate your gains, or just pack on unwanted fat? This study tackles the big question: What happens to your body when you eat way more protein than even the most hardcore lifters typically recommend? We’ve heard all the rumours, but let’s get to the bottom of it.
👉🏼 PMID: 24834017
Key Points
Population: 30 healthy, resistance-trained individuals (mostly men, average age 24, training for years).
Groups:
Control (CON): Maintained normal diet and training.
High Protein (HP): Consumed 4.4 g/kg/day of protein, over twice the usual “high protein” recommendation for athletes.
Duration: 8 weeks.
Measurements: Body composition (Bod Pod), training volume, food intake tracked via apps and logs.
Protein Sources: Mostly whey and casein protein powder, since eating that much protein from food alone is impractical.
Aim
To find out if a very high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/day) changes body composition in already strong, trained individual…