Protein Explained! Muscle, Strength, Fat Loss + Endurance

My friends 🤍 I've had one or two questions come through around safety, and potential risks associated with higher protein intakes (challenge is good, we like challenge!) I’m aware this is a question that some researchers still have, and in general there’s much more work to do to understand the nuance and where the specific causalities are. Harvard Medical School, The International Society of Sports Nutrition and the Registered Dietitian Boards I’ve referenced in this video are all aware that some people are asking this question. Despite that, each of them are even more comfortable than I am that safety doesn’t seem to be a concern at the levels we are talking about based on the existing data. The ISSN’s position is that “Multiple review articles indicate that no controlled scientific evidence exists indicating that increased intakes of protein pose any health risks in healthy, exercising individuals...A series of controlled investigations spanning up to one year in duration utilizing protein intakes of up to 2.5–3.3 g/kg/day [way higher than what we spoke about!] in healthy resistance-trained individuals consistently indicate that increased intakes of protein exert no harmful effect on blood lipids or markers of kidney and liver function.” Harvard Medical School say that “for the average person, it's probably best to aim for no more than 2 g/kg”. That safe threshold is higher than I suggest for that subgroup: for recreational, more casual exercisers (like the “average person” they’re talking about), I suggest more like 1.2-1.6g/kg depending on the goal. In fact, even my suggestions for advanced athletes with a lot of muscle (so not “the average person"!) would be in keeping with their safe limits for casual exercises. There are more examples of this like the European Food Safety Authority, but I won’t keep you here forever. References are in the description box as always! 👩‍🔬 TL;DR: my recommendations are well within the safe limits put forward by leading Dietetics, Medical and Sports Nutrition institutions 🙏 Harvard’s School of Public Health says “Available evidence indicates that it’s the source of protein, rather than the amount of protein, that likely makes a difference for our health” and I have to agree (if you’re curious, red + highly processed meats seem to be where associations to disease are highest)

ik these videos take so much time to put together, so always always love and appreciate the fact-based science and research you put in! as a biomedical and biotech student trying to get more in shape and active, you're such an inspiring scientist and athlete to me as well as many others, so really thank you so much! really excited for this video, trying to learn more about protein in relation to fitness, especially bc i'm vegan and try to be mindful of protein intake to still build muscle. thanks again natacha, much love and luck with the ultramarathon!

Notes Amount Muscle and strength: 1.4 - 1.6g/kg BW Fat loss: 1.4 - 2.2g/kg BW (higher when you have less body fat) Endurance: 1.2 - 1.8g/kg BW (higher when training longer than 1hr) Timing 0.3g/kg BW 1-2 hours before or after workout Might be a good idea to consume some protein before sleep, only early research tho During endurance exercise: 0.25g/kg BW per hour Distribution *Don’t stress about this*, total protein intake much more important But ideally pulsing three hours apart max. 20-40g at a time depending on BW

Natacha! I don’t know if you’ll see this, but after almost 10 years of desperately fighting to lose weight only to gain it back over and over and over, I started your cut program and (with the help of a nutritionist) lost 10 pounds in a year and did not yo-yo. I have been able to eat things without feeling guilty, I have been able to battle the fear that if I don’t lose it all now I never will, I have learned so much about actually caring for my body and your videos and program played such a huge part in that. I still have a ways to go but I’m feeling so much better. I’m so grateful. Thank you.

Having this kind of free, accessible, science-based content makes training so much better and motivating. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to your audience

Thank you Natacha for explicitly saying that people don't need to know their body fat percentage!! Nowadays, I feel that people are becoming more obsessed with other numbers/data in addition to body weight whether it's due to social media, prevalence of InBody, etc. It's nice to see someone who has a big social media influence to say the opposite for once! Love that you're always trying to look out for peoples' emotional AND physical health <3

I just did my first 10k! I know it’s nothing compared to what you’ve done but it was HUGE for me. I’m so proud of myself and I love watching you for inspiration.

I’ve been following your CUT 23 and I’m starting week 6 now!! I love it so much, it’s helped me get 3 chin ups!! 🤍 love you & your content so much xx

I love the way you explain things. I have never seen anyone include so much science in such and easy to digest format. Keep doing what you’re doing!! ❤❤

19:06 “and the answer is yes.” I cannot tell you how much I needed to hear this - I’ve been consistently hitting the gym & trying to eat well, but work/studying for grad school entrance exams has been taking a toll on my protein intake. Subconsciously, I had the talk w/ myself and decided the same thing….just didn’t realize how emotional it would make me feel to hear you feel the same! LOVE YA AND ALL YOU DO, NATACHA

You can’t imagine how happy I am about this video! I just started “relaxing” about my caloric intake and focusing on protein thanks to your BUILD program and this video has all the info I was missing and needing ❤❤❤❤🤩🤩🤩

I love how, at the end of these types of videos, you make sure to tell us that the best lifestyle to live is the one that makes us happy. I've been looking into how harmful ideologies and thinking patterns that result in shame and guilt can be to our physical health (not to mention our emotional and mental health), and hearing you send a positive and important message at the end of these videos just makes me smile and, dare i say, sometimes cry. Thank you Natacha, you're doing incredible work out there :)

As a dietetics student, I admire you sooo much on how you’re able to pass science based information to people. And the amount of research behind your videos and the transcription in simple explanation will always hit me!

I really appreciate the effort you've gone to to incorporate the science into this video. This is more detailed than what I teach 1st year nutrition students, and not actually all that far off Masters level. There may be a couple of points where I slightly disagree, but that's perfectly normal! Thank you for making this content accessible for a wider audience - I hope your ultra training is going well :)

I’m a world of “have to” and “need to”’s, I’m so refreshed to hear your conclusion! Also have not found a one stop shop for all the knowledge you did pass on so thank you for your time putting it all together in such a digestible format ❤

!!! this is something i’m obsessed about and wanted more clarity on because the more i read on it from different journals in comparison to random articles on the internet, i’m like 👀?! i love when you share information that’s based on evidenced based studies and not on anecdotal evidence. it actually makes me look at research more often before i blindly try things when trying to improve my nutrition. as a nursing student going by the science and justified facts is really imperative too :) i loved this !

I purchased your CUT program this week and im already inspired just by reading the pdf on nutrition. I did keto last summer and lost a ton of weight but went back to carbs over the winter and gained. Tried starting keto again and I decided it is not sustainable for me. I want to feel happy and not starving and craving all day long. I started your nutrition guidelines yesterday and I cant believe how satisfied I was and honestly struggled to get in all the calories including carbs and protein! Needless to say I feel energized and motivated to work hard in the CUT workouts. Thanks for giving me permission to actually eat all the foods within reason and to only have to work out 4 hours a week. So freeing!!!! 🙏 can't wait to see the results in 12 weeks!!! But also I cant wait to adopt this as my lifestyle and live happily and healthily ever after.

This video could NOT have come at a better time! I'm training for my first 5k race and have been very confused about how much protein I should be consuming. Thank you so much Natacha for always providing us with great quality content!! <3

I don't know what it is but there is something so relaxing about your voice. I could listen to you for hours!

Natacha, you have no idea how happy it makes me when you post a new video! You truly are an inspiration, yesterday in class my teacher asked us which living person we admire the most and the answer couldn’t be family, I honestly thought of you immediately ♥️