Protein is crucial for muscle building and repair, while carbohydrates provide energy for exercise and help replace muscle glucose stores, known as glycogen. Studies show that glycogen also plays a role in muscle repair and growth. Key nutrients for healthy muscle growth include protein, water, calcium, magnesium, glutamine, vitamin D, potassium, carbohydrates, and vitamins B3, which are essential macronutrients for optimal functioning and maintenance.
Niacin, or vitamin B3, is an essential water-soluble vitamin that acts as a coenzyme to dehydrogenase enzymes in the transfer of the hydride ion and an essential component of the electron carriers NAD and NADP. Protein is an essential macronutrient for optimal functioning and maintenance, building and repairing body tissues like muscles, skin, and bones, providing energy, and supporting nutrition.
Proteins are essential macronutrients that help repair and build the body’s tissues, drive metabolic reactions, maintain pH and fluid balance, and keep the body’s tissues healthy. They are made up of amino acids, which the body uses to build and repair muscles and bones, make hormones and enzymes, and carry oxygen within red blood cells.
Cadherines are essential for energy metabolism and muscle stimulation, while zinc is important for protein. Protein is essential for building lean body mass, synthesizing hair, enzymes, and hormones, and promoting energy production. Glycogen, a complex carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles, is easily converted to energy by the body.
Eating adequate amounts of protein helps maintain muscle and promotes muscle growth. Key foods for building muscle include eggs and soy, which are essential for muscle development.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Health Unit 2 Flashcards | Calcium plays a vital role in maintaining muscle and blood health. Which nutrient is responsible for the construction of body tissues, the production of enzymes and hormones, and the transportation of oxygen within red blood cells? | quizlet.com |
| 11 Nutrients Your Body Needs to Build Muscle | Proteins are not only instrumental in rebuilding and building lean body mass; they are also a fundamental component of enzymes and hormones that facilitate communication within the body to facilitate repair processes. | dailyburn.com |
| Essential Nutrients for Muscle Growth | The role of micronutrients in muscle growth and function is a topic of considerable interest in the field of nutritional science. Of particular interest are the B vitamins, which have been the subject of numerous studies. These nutrients are essential for the functioning of the energy metabolism and the stimulation of muscle tissue. Zinc is a vital mineral that plays a crucial role in protein metabolism. | drinkag1.com |
📹 The Ultimate Muscle Building Nutrition Guide with Dr. Berg
Check out these amazing key nutrients that make your muscles grow. Timestamps 0:00 Nutrients that make muscles grow 0:19 …
Which nutrient helps to build body tissues, produce enzymes and hormones, and carry oxygen within red blood cells?
Iron. Iron is a mineral. It is also added to some food products and is available as a dietary supplement. Iron is a part of hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. It helps provide oxygen to muscles. Iron is important for cell growth, development, and normal body functions. Iron also helps the body make some hormones and connective tissue. Source : National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral naturally present in many foods, and is added to other food products. It is also available as a dietary supplement and present in some medicines. It helps your body regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. It also helps your body make protein, bone, and DNA. Source : National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Minerals. Minerals are those elements on the earth and in foods that our bodies need to develop and function normally. Those essential for health include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, chromium, copper, fluoride, molybdenum, manganese, and selenium. Source : National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Which type of nutrient is associated with enzymes hormones and muscles?
- Protein is an important part of a healthy diet.
- Proteins are made up of chemical ‘building blocks’ called amino acids.
- Your body uses amino acids to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can also be used as an energy source.
- You can easily meet your daily protein needs by following the Australian dietary guidelines.
- Most Australians get more than enough protein from foods alone.
- Very high protein diets are not recommended.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Which nutrient plays an essential role in muscle building?
The essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals are taken in different proportions through the diet. Egg, meat, milk, etc., are rich sources of protein. Proteins play a major role in the growth and repair of our body. Consumption of protein rich food helps in the building of our body muscles. Hence, they are considered as the building blocks of our body.
What nutrient is used to make hormones?
Consuming adequate amounts of protein is extremely important.
Not only does protein provide essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own, but your body also needs it to produce protein-derived hormones — also known as peptide hormones.
Your endocrine glands make these hormones from amino acids. Peptide hormones play a crucial role in regulating many physiological processes, such as growth, energy metabolism, appetite, stress, and reproduction.
For example, protein intake influences hormones that control appetite and food intake, communicating information about energy status to your brain.
Research has shown that eating protein decreases the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the production of hormones that help you feel full, including peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
Which nutrient is used to build body tissues and make enzymes?
- Protein is an important part of a healthy diet.
- Proteins are made up of chemical ‘building blocks’ called amino acids.
- Your body uses amino acids to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can also be used as an energy source.
- You can easily meet your daily protein needs by following the Australian dietary guidelines.
- Most Australians get more than enough protein from foods alone.
- Very high protein diets are not recommended.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Does protein build enzymes and hormones?
Proteins are biopolymeric structures composed of amino acids, with 20 found in biological chemistry. They serve as structural support, biochemical catalysts, hormones, enzymes, building blocks, and initiators of cellular death. Proteins can be further defined by four structural levels: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. The primary structure is the most basic, consisting of the linear order of amino acid residues connected via peptide bonds. The secondary structure consists of various shapes formed via hydrogen bonding, such as alpha helix, beta-pleated sheet, and beta-turn.
The tertiary structure is the third level, which forms when the polypeptide chain “backbone” interacts with an aqueous environment. This stability is achieved through chemical interactions, including hydrogen bonds, Vanderwall forces, and ionic bonding. These interactions can produce energy ranging from 0. 1 to 3 kilocalories per mole.
The fourth and final level is the quaternary structure, where complexes form from multiple polypeptide chains called subunits. For example, hemoglobin’s tetrameric structure forms when chemical interactions hold 2 alpha and 2 beta subunits together. The term subunit is interchangeable with protomer.
An example of clinical significance is sickle cell anemia, where defective hemoglobin aggregates to hide hydrophobic residues and achieve thermodynamic favorability. These altered hemoglobin molecules form polymers that elongate and distort the red blood cell’s plasma membrane into the classic sickle shape.
Mercaptoethanol is a chemical that can break up disulfide bonds, leading to hormonal denaturation. Hormones are proteins with many disulfide bonds, and if placed in an aqueous environment rich in alcohol groups, they denature and lose biological functionality. This condition is seen in mothers with alcohol use disorder, alcoholics developing diabetes, and teenagers who excessively consume alcohol stopping growing.
What produces enzymes and hormones?
Your pancreas plays a big role in digestion. It is located inside your abdomen, just behind your stomach. It’s about the size of your hand. During digestion, your pancreas makes pancreatic juices called enzymes. These enzymes break down sugars, fats, and starches. Your pancreas also helps your digestive system by making hormones. These are chemical messengers that travel through your blood. Pancreatic hormones help regulate your blood sugar levels and appetite, stimulate stomach acids, and tell your stomach when to empty.
Pancreatic enzymes. Your pancreas creates natural juices called pancreatic enzymes to break down foods. These juices travel through your pancreas via ducts. They empty into the upper part of your small intestine called the duodenum. Each day, your pancreas makes about 8 ounces of digestive juice filled with enzymes. These are the different enzymes:
Lipase. This enzyme works together with bile, which your liver produces, to break down fat in your diet. If you don’t have enough lipase, your body will have trouble absorbing fat and the important fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Symptoms of poor fat absorption include diarrhea and fatty bowel movements.
What is the best vitamin for muscle growth?
Vitamin B3. Niacin or vitamin B3 is another B vitamin with muscle-boosting powers. This vitamin is popular among bodybuilders for increasing muscle vascularity and testosterone production. B3 does not only help with muscle growth but with muscle repair, recovery, and improved metabolism. Take a B3 supplement or B complex vitamin to get all the essential B vitamins in one go.
Vitamin C, anyone?. A vitamin C supplement before or after exercise could do wonders for results. Vitamin C is vital for cell growth and tissue development. That means people should see the effects in muscle growth. And with age, vitamin C may be even more critical to muscle growth. Persons over 50, particularly males, retain more muscle mass when taking a vitamin C supplement.
Get a vitamin D. Known as the sunshine vitamin, the body produces vitamin D in response to sun exposure. Vitamin D is important for a range of functions like bone health, brain health, and absorbing minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Surprisingly, vitamin D can do wonders for muscle development. Research shows that people with high levels of vitamin D have increased lean muscle mass. The candidates in these studies also showed superior muscle function. About 20-30 minutes of direct sunlight a day is enough for a daily supply. If that’s not possible, try a vitamin D supplement.
Which nutrient is needed to make enzymes hormones and antibodies?
Many substances that control body functions, such as enzymes and hormones, also are made from protein. Other important functions of protein include forming blood cells and making antibodies to protect us from illness and infections.
Amino Acids. Proteins are made from simpler substances called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in the protein that we eat every day. The body takes these amino acids and links them together in very long strings. This is how the body makes all of the different proteins it needs to function properly. Nine of the amino acids are called essential because bodies cannot make them. These essential amino acids must come from the foods we eat.
Figure 1 shows a diagram of the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose (sugar). Insulin is a very small protein. Many proteins are made of thousands of amino acids strung together. The letters in the circles are the abbreviations for the amino acid that is in that location. Proteins can be very complex because of all the combinations of amino acids that make up the chains.
Which system transports oxygen nutrients hormones and enzymes around the body?
Cardiovascular System. The cardiovascular system (circulatory system) is dedicated to the distribution of nutrients and oxygen to all the cells of the body that compose the organ systems and transport metabolic cellular waste products primarily to the liver, kidneys, and lungs for removal to the outside.
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What nutrient is best for muscles?
Role of nutrition in muscle building. Nutrition plays a foundational role in muscle building, influencing everything from energy levels during workouts to muscle repair and growth afterward. Understanding how specific nutrients support muscle hypertrophy can help you optimize your diet for better results. The most important macronutrients for effective strength training are protein and carbohydrates, but healthy fats are important too! Micronutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and zinc also have a role to play when it comes to muscle function and growth.
Macronutrients and micronutrients. Protein is vital for muscle repair and growth. In addition to energy and satiety, protein provides the amino acids necessary for repairing and building muscle tissues. The process of muscle protein synthesis (MPS), where new proteins are produced to repair muscle damage caused by exercise, is crucial for muscle growth. The branch-chain amino acid leucine also stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Leucine can be found in foods like chicken, beef, eggs, and dairy products.
Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for most workouts. Glycogen stores are your body’s reserve of stored carbohydrates. Consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrates ensures that your glycogen stores are replenished, providing the necessary energy for optimal performance. Post-workout carb intake is also crucial for restoring glycogen levels and enhancing recovery. Focus on complex carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
📹 Protein Metabolism Overview, Animation
(USMLE topics) Biochemistry of proteins, protein digestion, role of the liver, protein synthesis, amino acid metabolism …
I’ve been following your advice on IF, deleting sugars, refined carbs, bad oils, and actually reading the ingredient labels of foods. I started at 340 lbs Jan 3rd. I’m now 319 Jan 28. I feel so much better! I’m less moody, less hungry, and have less brain fog. My body doesn’t feel weak, and I actually have the strength to implement weight training. Came upon this article and I definitely look forward to seeing results in the months to come! Thank you for sharing so much knowledge to help us become better versions of ourselves!
I am so glad I found this man he has saved my life. and in one year of following him and listening to him and doing a lot of what he teachers. Eating and going to the gym and be being very insulin resistant I am down 60 pounds I started at 250 and now I’m now at 190 and continuing to lose. I am more healthier now than I’ve been in 30 years. and dude I look so good, i’m 54 but everybody thinks I’m 35 .love this guy. A BIG THANK YOU MY MAN !!!! 🙌🥰👍
Always nice to see some acknowledgment. I’m on these habits for the last 20 years. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, practice I.F. don’t need or take any medication etc. Today I’m 65; I work out 7 on 7. One hour in the morning immediately after waking up and in the late afternoon I do 300 push-ups (3 x 100) with varying hand stands. When I do my shoulders and back (2 times each week) I still manage to do 9 series of 20 pull-ups (Broad grip, less broad grip, shoulder width). I look like a twenty year old athlete and I’m seldom sick. Feeling great every day is the payoff.
Ever since I started intermittent fasting, eating one meal a day, and eating nutrient dense foods I have lost about 30 pounds and I have a Eerily noticed that my stress level is always very low. Nothing has changed in my life, sometimes my job is stressful; however, since I’ve started with this diet and intermittent fasting my stress level has been very low. I am noticing all these great things due to taking Dr. Berg’s advice. I just feel better in every possible way. I am forever grateful to dr. Berg.
Before I lost 60lbs (230lbs sitting at 170lbs with a built musclier frame) I started with just dirt changed and the help of IF, I fasted 16-18-20 throughout my weeks and it really changed my body. I still have a small portion of loose skin but I take supplements and hydrate effectively and it’s slowly getting better. IF is a great tool to use for both weight loss but also to re-set your body. You do need to have good discipline but as long as you tough it out you’ll be on a fast track to success with your body goals!
I am 43 and have been a pack a day smoker for 27 years. Decided it was time for a change. Been cigarette tobacco free for a week and doing well. Started going to the gym and trying to build muscle and get some cardio in. I have had a complete lack of energy and ambition for far too long because my job requires me to sit for 8 hours every day. Feeling better already! Need to dial in my diet some though. Not overweight at all, just not healthy food choices.
He is absolutely right. I fast 20 or more hours a day. I eat one meal a day I don’t even eat more than 1400 cal sometimes less. I do 25 minutes of resistance training 6 days a week I rest Sundays. Im 50 years old that looks like 35 with a body that looks like 25.. I eat zero sugar… Your body adapt but is you that needs to have will power.. 6′ 170lb 31″ waist. My fasting is from 9pm to 7pm.
Thank you again for your help. I have begun intermittent fasting. I did 16 hours and ate meals within an 8 how time period. Now I am moving to 20 hours fast and I cut my meal to one. I was planning on 2 meals but I wasn’t hungry when the time came to eat so I waited and got busy with other things. I did finally begin to get hungry but it was so late and near bedtime so I toughed it out and I am waiting for the 20 hours to expire before I break my fast. I sense a taste of success and my next step is to work on applying the proper vitamins and reasonable fats and proteins to maximize my metabolism. Thank you Dr. Berg.
I agree with not taking in simple sugars and protein shakes. However, the bottom line for building muscle is being in a caloric surplus and keeping the body in an anabolic state. Hormones such testosterone (T), GH, IGF-1, and calories are needed to grow muscle. The calories consumed should be of high value and quality. My favorite go to carb for building muscle is jasmine rice. Also, have to keep in mind that high intensity resistance training will increase insulin sensitivity as muscles grow bigger and bigger.
Thanks a lot, this will help me, I am 55, been on a training diet programme for six weeks, lost 28lbs, I am greatly concerned about muscle preservation, after perusal your clear article I will be removing one meal/shake a day, so 3 meals/shakes a day, 6 hour gaps and a 12 hour gap overnight. I was a snacker, during last six weeks been having a piece of fruit between meals/shakes, I have stopped this, I have fruit same time as shake. I am looking forward to seeing results. Thanks again.
Great article. I have found the following exercise routine to be excellent for HIT. Pick up a barbell and do 15 curls using approx. 75-80 % of max. And then immediately without putting the barbell down do 15 overhead presses then immediately do 15 full squats then immediately do 5 more overhead presses then hold the barbell overhead for another 20-30 seconds then return the barbell to the floor. Do 3-4 sets resting only appropriately 2-3 minutes between sets. You will be breathing very heavily after each set!
Great article. Learning so much from you, Dr. Berg. QUESTION. If I only eat 2-3 meals a day my weight would drop dramatically. How would I still be able to build muscle if I’m not eating 5 or 6 meals per day? Whenever I drop it to 4 meals my weight drops significantly. I generally lift weights 6 days per week. I don’t like looking and feeling skinny. Thanks and gladly awaiting your advice!
You’ve never seen a pro body builder who didn’t eat less than 200grams of protein a day though. And who didn’t eat anything less than 5 meals a day. This stuff sounds good on paper, and maybe for the average person. But the thing is, in real life its always the skinny people who don’t workout and have the body to show it talk about these things. They say all this but the real world results are always different. Listen to a Body Builder Doctor and MD that’s also a body Builder and youll get a completely different Take on this. SO for all you people perusal. Don’t believe everything this doc is saying on this topic because he doesn’t have life experience in this and a passion in body building/aka building muscle. He doesn’t know what it takes. Their may be some science to this but real world results paint a completely different picture and have way more factors involved. In the end of the day you cant really have a perfect diet to get BIG/Real Body Building. It just isn’t possible for most people. Our body’s are different and absorb nutrients different and metabolize different. We have different stress levels and schedules and Different Tolerances and intolerances to food, Different genetics etc. Some people Respond different to different things. My body responded Greatly to taking in high amounts of protein, And taking in a large amount of carbs, In order to perform at a high level in the gym i need to carb up before my workout and even take a protein powder shake within 1 hour of working out.
Thank you dr. Berg. You really seem to understand it, and it does make sence to me. I started a week ago.. layed off snacks, great amout of sugar and carbs, added more fat, started eating 4 eggs for breakfast, stopped drinking Protein shakes, added a LOT of veggies, also started eating avocado for potassium. Thank you for meaningful advice 🙂
Thank you so much Dr. Berg. My diet is very much made by as much advice I can hear from you and your findings. The knowledge you provide I consider the most valuable to a healthy diet, to comfort in better well-being in daily life and for the preservation of ourselves until our aging days. Thank you again and may your teachings here continue to live on for the generations to come and know you. I give you my proud salute in gratitude.✌🏻
Coming at this from a purely bodybuilding perspective: Muscle growth happens in a caloric surplus (At least this has been the common approach for bodybuilders). How do we reconcile the need for surplus calories, with the need for fasting that Dr Berg explains at @5:14 ? The usual approach for bodybuilders to get the required calories is to break down meals into 5 or 6 throughout the day…which means that bodybuilders are constantly eating. Secondly, a prevalent approach is that after a weightlifting session, your body’s energy reserves are depleted, therefor you need to replenish energy and glycogen in order to stop muscle tissue from being broken down for energy, which is the idea behind drinking a flavoured whey protein drink (with sugar), after the workout. How does this reconcile with the need to stop insulin resistance at: @6:04 ? thanks!
Thank you Dr Berg, really. I am in recovery and with NA, I study as much as I can on most chemicals. Substance vs Suppliments. Piptides, and hormonic responses, I mean am just scratching the service, but there is a direct link between drug addiction and the food we ate that got us there, and the food we need to eat as we recover. What you teach is a game changer for us in recovery, thank you.
Beef works for me. I had 3 huge bags of hamburgers leftover from a party. I ate them basically every day for a month, along with other foods: fruits, veggies, etc. I ate beef for breakfast, lunch, dinner. I didn’t gain any weight, but my strength level at the gym skyrocketed. The cool thing is that I kept the gains after I went back to a more normal diet.
Everytime you give certain advice to adrenal type people with diabetes or with high stress levels, they try to follow your advice by eating the things you say but then everything they do interferes with the drugs that those “we know better” type of doctors prescribed to them. Your ideas clash with theirs and they keep forcing to keep taking all the nonsense drugs like blood thinners, blood pressure lowering pills, etc. etc.. But when you try to go drug free it goes very complicated and now doctors start to scare the hell out of their patients even with an insulting tone to keep them on drugs. It becomes a Catch-22 situation where patient can’t leave drugs but also wants to follow your advice. The doctors win. How do I know this? I know it from my mom.. and it seems like it is impossible for me to convince her to get rid of the drugs since then I become responsible for everything that could happen afterwards. Long story short: I think unless universities put out more and more doctors who do intensive research like Dr. Berg this problem will continue to grow based on an endless cycle caused by hypocrites.
Dr. Berg, I’m 65 and consider myself muscular with boarderline toward thin. I’m 6″1″, weight 204lbs and dropping. . My goal is to bet down to 190-194lbs. Note, I do take post work out protein shakes. I take Dymatize Isopure whey to compliment my first meal of the day at lunch time. I consider my works out heavy with HIT for 1 hour 15 minute. One muscle group a day. . I’m seven days into intermittent fasting and adapting quite well. So you advise not take protein shakes vexes me? I only use water and add strawberries. Plus eat 4 pieces of bacon and 3-4 eggs at lunch. I will say I have lost 3.5 pounds in the first week. Also, am getting at least 16 hours of fasting between meals and only eat two meals a day. Literally zero breads to date. My focus is to reduce cortisol chain reaction to belly fats. I’ve watched many of of your articles but his one speaks to me since I’m in the gym 4/5 day a week with three day rest periods to recuperate. Any guidance much appreciated on macronutrients. . I my app diet reads 29% fats, 16.3% carbs and 54% protein. I am above average structured person. Thanks for your all your content.
5:30 Here he is assuming the person is starting off WITH insulin resistance, in which case they should focus on eating foods with lower glycemic index and balancing their calories and carb intake. But if you DONT have insulin resistance then these regular increases are beneficial since insulin is what allows protein to be absorbed, as he himself explained.
Long Distance runners are skinny because that’s all they train for, which is endurance. they don’t do weights because more muscle weight means more energy to wasted to use them. there are tons of articles explaining deeper how the muscle develops for endurance. most sprinters are ripped bc they don’t need endurance. unless your doing a sport that requires endurance or explosiveness then i think a balance is the healthiest option.
Dr Berg is amazing. I have learnt so much. It is tough to get the truth sometimes. The whole fitness industry say you need about 1g of protein per lb of body weight. That is 150g per day for me. This is massive and not easily sustainable. I just bought a protein shake. Another thing almost everybody in the fitness industry say if a good way to get your protein. I think i will take Dr Berg’s advice over the so say fitness guru’s that just want you to buy their products
Dr Burg, I have Whey protein Powder, creatine, BCAA, and Multi vitamins for the best brand on earth Optimum Nutrition. I can stick to three meals a day as you said but I am confused how to fit those supplements in that 3 meals a day routine? When should I take them? Which food is easy access to get potassium? All young men have the same question so I hope you see my comment and make a detailed article to the point. So once we see we know how things work and get to our targets without hurting ourselves. Thanks so much for your help sir 🙏🏼
Love the articles and came across this with a question. I work with athletes between 180-300+ pounds that weight train and run every day at high intensity. Without a protein shake in-between meals, seems difficult to get in all those nutrients in 2-3 meals. Is this recommended for high level athletes and lifters as well?
Thank for the article Eric! So for those of us trying to put on weight, as well as build muscle, would you recommend having larger meals and just eating it all in those two or 3 sittings? For example, I’m currently eating a lot of nuts throughout the day, but I am better off eating them straight after a meal? Thanks for your help.
there are so many things up to doubt in this article like the amount of growthhormone that is released when fasting is in such small quantities that its almost insignificant to make a difference and there are a lot of people who do the opposite of what you describe as preferable and still made significant gains,muscle gain is not that one sided that you do this you gain you do that you lose,just saying
Endurance athletes utilize carbohydrates different than other types of athletes, I would say, they are the least sensitive to insulin resistance problems. They not only use simple sugars and carbohydrates in general extremely well, but also fats and proteins become a source of energy for their activity hence why they have an apparent smaller musculature, they are in a catabolic state once those glucose stores from fast and slow carbs are used. Also, they train different muscle fiber types, which gets into the complexities of oxidation in the muscle cells.
Hey Doctor Berg! Been following you for years. I just watched your article on BCAAs. I had a cycle where I was getting really excellent results by working out fasted but did include pre and post bcaas. I extended the meal fast long after training and ate in the evenings: I never felt more healthy and never looked more lean. Any comments on the best time to take bcaas for insulin resistance?
Hi Dr. Eric! Thank you for contributing! I have been fasting 16-8 for the past 2-3 years. I exercise though in the fasted state and eat my first meal afterwards, sometimes even a few hours later. My nutritional input is fine but sometimes I feel off when I workout and my strength lower. I do Strength training with bodyweight 3-4 times a week and yoga a couple times a week. Not HIIT because I am already under 12% body fat but I am thinking of turning to HIIT. Should I turn to HIIT and maybe change the time I exercise? Going to go OMAD and probably hit a 72hour fast 1 a month. Again thank you ! Love, Light and Grace Namaste’
Very interesting. I am currently trying to build muscle and strength without gaining excess fat. I used to believe that a lot of carbs was necessary, now I’m thinking it’s more about protein and fat quality and vitamins and minerals from veggies and fruits. Also if I eat alot of veggies it will give me some carbs anyway – and plenty of potassium:)) I’ve currently gained 1.5kg of muscle in 2 months with not alot of carbs. Strength slowly going up too.
Cheers Doctor Burg, you taught me some much needed information, beneficial information. It should come in good use in the near future. But, as you say intermittent fasting grows muscle mass, then I will also give that a spin too. Intermittent fasting could be the simplest way to get the perfect body and metabolism, I suppose. Great…
I love keto. I had great results with it but i noticed my muscles do not grow as much as in my former carb based diet. I cant rebuild the size i had on keto and this makes sense. Keto is all about keeping insulin down but insulin is the most anabolic hormone there is. The body may dont need carbs technically but if you want to grow (lots) of muscle you need insulin that comes with carbs.
Okay, I work in construction and mainly in roofs and I have a border collie that demands a lot of exercise and I try to go swimming or to the gym as often I can, so I am extremely active. I often feel like I am drained of bloodsugar and need to eat a snicers or a protein bar in the middle of the day companied with a high electrolyte drink like Gatorade just to cope with the day. Are you saying ì shouldn’t to prevent muscle loss?
So many questions but firstly, 3 to 6 ounces of protein? What after each workout? Or per day? That is up to 170g of protein. Or is that 170g of a source of protein, like fish or beef. ? Also, he seems against protein powder in many articles and says whey is actually the worse one. Ok so we need fatty protein? Like salmon right? How about Sun Warrior plant based protein? And if we need to consume fat with it how about a scoop of peanut butter with it?
If a fatty protein is good and insulin spike is the issue with protein powder, why not recommend to take a protein shake with psyllium husk (to slow down metabolism) and add coconut oil or olive oil? Why just right off protein powder when there are good options to make safely and productively digestible? Is it just Dr Bergs personal preference because he doesnt use protein powder? Thats not a good enough reason to tell people not to use it.
I’ve just been on a 5 day fast with just lemon water and electrolytes during the 5 days.. I’m not sure what I need to eat when I end the fast. Will I be providing my body with protein and healthy fats again now for 1 week and then go on another 5 days fast? Just confused about how much I need to refuel to give my body the nutrition it needs before fasting again? thanks
Interesting stuff. Why does whey protein powder cause insulin to spike? Is it due to the added sugars commonly added or to something inherent to whey protein itself? Are there any studies available that demonstrate that we need more nutrients than protein to build muscle? Are there studies that demonstrate that all of the “do” factors listed here (IF/moderate protein/nutrients/sleep/HIT/etc) will results in increased muscle growth?
It all sounds interesting but I always find it difficult to get musCle building advice from people that have none themselves. Would you listen to a fat person teaching you about losing fat? If pretty much all bodybuilders and fitness coaches advise for having many meals throughout the day it only makes sense to do the same as real life proved they could build musCle doing that. Or maybe this vid is only for insulin resistant people, which is not clearly stated, and makes this information useless for most people.
Hi Dr. I like your explanations but like every other youtuber talking about health and nutrition I take everything with a grain of salt, and if they cite papers I usually check them out. Something that always makes me think in your articles is the fact that the advise that you give usually goes against what a lot of people in the fitness industry say. Even some of them cite solid references defending their point of view. The arguments that you give in your articles seem to be logically consistent with the way (we think) the body works. However I find a bit disturbing that you usually don’t cite any references and everything seems to follow from deduction based on our (very limited) understand of the human body or your personal opinion. I could be wrong of course, maybe your arguments are well researched and based on solid experimental science and you just spare your viewers with the references. In any case, having 10 million viewers and considering that the vast majority of people are none or next to none critical with the content they watch on these platforms I think you should share the research that lead to your conclusion with your audience. Specially when your conclusions go against what is usually adviced. In this way, they can decide for themselves the validity of your claims and not having to take everything at face value. As I said I like the way you explain things but this is some feedback I needed to give you, specially after looking at the comment’s section in your articles.
Dr Eric.. please highlight on this If u say we need to do Intermittent fasting so we can imporve IR and should not consume 4-5 meals… but as i know every body builder in this world consume after every 2-3 hours and they have like 8-10 meals even they wake up in middle of night and consume their meals so they can preserve the muscle from break down.. Intermittent fasting is totally goes other way.. also please highlight let say body builder does Intermittent fasting and need to consume 3500-4000 calories in a day and let say he is only eating 2 meals as u said in article then he need to consume 2000kcal in one sitting… lets consider 40cent is protein in it so 200grams of protein at one sitting ??? How he will digest that ?? Please guide 🙏 thanks Your articles are very interesting and knowledgable We love perusal it
I would like to know how to obtain more potassium. I have discovered over many years that everything you have said here is true. I did muscle workouts, drank too much alcohol, ate too much sugar and had little muscle response. Much later I tried cutting out all refined sugar, eating only two or three times during a six hour window and fasting for 18 hours. I also cut out alcohol. The results were dramatic. I feel energetic and have dramatically increased muscle mass and endurance. I’m fitter and stronger at 54 than I was at 24, even though I trained hard all through my 20’s. I don’t look as slim, which I’m working on-But you can’t have everything!
Why do the biggest body builders in the world eat 6-8 times a day then? Some of them even set alarm clocks to wake them up a 1am for a snack. They eat 30-40g of protein with every meal! I’m not saying it’s healthy but they eat for a reason and that is to build muscle. To achieve gains like they do by eating 10 cups of vegetables and a moderate amount of protein just isn’t going to happen.
So if someone is trying to bodybuild how are they going to get enough calories worth of healthy food in 2 to 3 meals or enough protein without “overloading the liver.” I personally have figured out that my body can process roughly 40 grams of protein about every 3 hours, I at least need to eat four meals to hit my protein goals and have to snack quite a bit in order to eat enough calories. I am actually very eager to hear your response as this is an incredibly unique article and I’m not sure I fully understand how this sort of a diet could induce the best results regarding building muscle.
This is very interesting, due to work and studying I am only able to hit the gym on Saturdays only, I practice intermittent fasting and assumed that I may have experience muscle loss, that was not the case, if anything I belive quite the opposite, my muscles felt more firm and rigid. As you mentioned here potassium, I love bananas, I do not know if it is bad to have too much potassium but I usually have 2-3 bananas every other day, also I drink a lot of dandelion tea which I believe is also rich in potassium, this ties everything together. Thank You!
Okay I like most of this guy’s vids, but I have problems with this one. As a personal trainer pursuing my masters in kinesiology, a lot of this is fluff. While it is great to focus on healthy eating, the main source of building muscle comes from a calorie surplus of balancing out carbs, proteins, and fats. Even if you’re not in a caloric surplus building muscle still occurs, you’d be surprised about what the body can do. You don’t need to worry about all of the insulin nonsense he was talking about. People often make it seem like building muscle is rocket science, but it comes down to how much energy you’re bringing in
Ive listened to a few vidoes now. Some spot on, but its like he has an agenda…. ketosis. Fasting. Show me a bodybuilder with 5%body fat and who does that? Even the classic physique guys dont eat like this. Fasting is great stuff and weight loss is reached, but what if you just want to keep muscle and slowly lose fat/weight… slowly off is better than quick hard to maintain diets. Those people bloat up even bigger. Fact. Look at boxers wrestlers and many other sports. They cant maintain a trim look because they forced to stay a certain weight with the meals that is hard to maintain. Fasting is for a month or two to get you to a set goal. Then you need to ease back into normal life
I do eat 7 or more cups of vegetables a day and I don’t eat more than 4 ounces of meat at one time. I don’t use protein powder. Bare with me, I am getting to the point. I used to eat 0 vegetables, drink protein shakes and eat a lot of meat. I work out now and have in the past. But now at 58 and getting 4700 plus mgs of potassium I have more measurable muscle gains than ever. I now see how I have achieved this. Excuse me for the poor grammar. Thank you for the very well illustrated article
just my 2 cents.. ive been fasting every day from 8pm till 1pm, so that about 17h… noticed NO negative changes in my energy levels, nor have i dropped muscle mass, im just as strong as i were before if not even a bit stronger (i train for armwrestling, and have 6 workouts a week), so this kind of information has helped me so far.
Dear Dr. Eric Berg congratulations you are fantastic lecturer n a very super talent n full of excellen knowledge of what you are talking about. Your personality reflects your excellent health. You look super healthy,genuine and a sincere doctor who is very well versed in your topics . Voice pitch n the flow of your lecture is super excellent. Every word is clearly spoken n clearly understood. I enjoy your lessons,lectures,your wisdom n knowledge you shared. You are the super super excellent . There is no one better you. So much I have learnt tremendously. What is the title of the book Dr. ERIC BERG PLEASE . I want to buy one n where can I get it. By the way why you want a Beard? To look old ? It does not . Do you have any tips on how to have healthy nails? I wash n clean tremendously in my house duty until my nails kaput n skins cracked.please help. Thanks.
Excellent information except the 4-5 meals point. Low carb bodybuilding, zero sugar is the way to go – as someone with abs, 18″ arms and natural. Vince Gironda (who trained Arnold) was the pioneer of Bodybuilding diet and I can assure you he did not care a jot about IF. I highly recommend to read his “blue book”! He said specifically if you try to get too many calories per meal you will end up losing muscle because you’ll get bloated and lose your appetite. Granted this applies to advanced bodybuilders who need huge amounts of calories to continue building muscle but the principle stands and it is correct in my personal experience too.
i have a breakfast with eggs and turkey and then meals of pasta/rice, chicken and vegetables 3 times a day and 2 protein shakes a day as well, so this is bad for muscle growth? im trying to build as much muscle i can naturally and i always hear information that contradicts everything else i’ve heard and don’t know what to believe
So I’m the stereotypical eat protein to build muscle guy. What exactly is too much protein for the liver? Is .7-1g per pound of bodyweight consisered too much? I’m interested in trying your methods because while I have seen muscle gain, I also see the ingredients in my protein powders. Its honestly hard to get my recommended without them especially with cost of food these days.
I disagree with eating a lot of grass fed protein is actually excellent for you, I tried the vegan diet the vegetarian diet the keto diet, and finally I settled on the carnivore diet I have NEVER felt this good in my entire life. Everything I was taught by doctor’s/nutrients was all wrong. When I was eating 2 bowls of vegetable everyday it was a chore because you need to eat them relatively raw to maximise the nutrients you get out of them, by god that was the most trouble I have ever had with my stomach ever. So in the end try the carnivore diet eat only meant but good meat, try it for 3 months and i guarantee you’ll feel 100% better.
This is what I think, marathon runners are typically all thin because the cardio they do burns more calories than what your taking in, so typically you never see a body builder as marathon runner because not necessarily the carbs, but just doing too much cardio in general burns calories all over the body, you don’t get a choice where those calories come from, all the runners do is drink sugar related carbs mix with electrolytes that just lets them run longer but doesn’t feed the muscles enough to prevent catabolic breakdown of the muscle. All because too much cardio burns everything all over. Not giving your body enough chance to grow.
the basic reason we weren’t taught this stuff, and no one talks about this stuff except for Berg and us fans, and the reason everybody gets it wrong, and the reason doctors don’t tell us, and the reason the government doesn’t, and the reason that it’s not easy from WebMD and all these places, is because it takes a mature developed brain over the age of 25 with enough life experience to accept that there’s like 2,000 things that you have to understand and then you have to integrate them, so for example working out, strength training, resistance training, is very important daily, they say it’s diet and exercise but it’s actually exercises number one because diet means not eating and that’s relatively easy, getting yourself to move and move your muscles daily significantly is the number one thing that everybody has to do and then there’s strategy with hit it hard for one week and then do cardio and stuff for 2 weeks to recover so this article is about protein older people need significantly more protein than younger people, and everybody needs to get you know like 100 g on a daily basis and then you need to get more pro more than 100 g on a day if you happen to get less than 100 g today and it’s very hard to get 100 g or 75 g because most people get like 20 or 30 or 40 I mean we’re not all eating Big steaks lol