Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, an esteemed researcher and educator on muscle building and fat loss, continues to offer insightful information free to the consumer. In his latest effort, he joined Dr. Rhonda Patrick to discuss protein intake for bodybuilders, time-restricted eating patterns, and the validity of anabolic windows.
Nicknamed ‘The Hypertrophy Specialist,’ exercise scientist Dr. Brad Schoenfeld’s reputation among the fitness community is top-notch. He provides easy-to-understand science-backed research regarding a wealth of topics related to wellness, nutrition, and exercise.
Boasting over 347,000 followers on Instagram, Schoenfeld has become a trusted voice in fitness. Having trained bodybuilders, Schoenfeld has applied his knowledge and now is back to unravel some mysteries behind protein intake.
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld Opens Up On Protein Requirements for Bodybuilders and Anabolic Windows
Citing published research, Schoenfeld revealed the ‘anabolic window’ is ‘really minor’ and compared it to a barn door.
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“It’s really more of a barn door [not an anabolic window]. We’ve done a ton of research on this. Certainly, there is somewhat of a window. Even in the paper we publish which people take, there’s no anabolic window, that’s not what our research showed but it showed that it’s really minor.”
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld emphasized that meeting your optimal daily protein requirements is more important than when it is consumed.
“The much more important thing is getting your total daily protein intake in. That’s to your point, if you’re hitting your daily protein requirements, whatever your window is, if you’re doing like 10 hours or even like an 8/16 which is the most common time-restricted feeding strategy, if you’re getting 1.6 grams per kilogram, you’re pretty good. You’re going to get the majority of your gains regardless.”
“Like I said, it’s more of this barn door, it’s not this narrow window. What we debunked is after 45 minutes, oh my God I got to slam my shake immediately after training or I go catabolic. Even if you’re an advanced bodybuilder I don’t think there’s utility in that as virtually nill.
I do say, when I’m coaching bodybuilders, get your protein in as quickly as you can after a workout. You don’t have to stress and slam your shake after you finish your last set but this is where even small amounts of gains can be the difference between winning and losing a competition.”
Concerning those who regularly lift weights, Dr. Schoenfeld explained that adequate protein consumption is essential for maintaining muscle.
“Even if you’re lifting weights, if you are getting insufficient protein, you’re going to leech some muscle. So, you need to still take in sufficient protein. There is actually evidence that you need more protein than what has been shown for people at maintenance or above to maintain muscle or even to gain it slightly when you’re in a caloric deficit. That actually increases protein needs to some extent.”
To promote anabolism and the maintenance of muscle, he believes 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight is best.
“The general literature shows somewhere around 1.6 to 1.8 grams per kilogram per day of protein is required for resistance-trained people which is about double the RDA. RDA for sedentary individuals is about .08 grams per kilogram per day. You need roughly double that to maintain or to promote anabolism.”
He added that those who are operating on a caloric deficit should aim for even higher amounts of protein.
“When you start getting into a deficit that’s where I think it becomes even more important to be at that upper realm that 2.0 – 2.2 grams per kilogram,” adds Dr. Brad Schoenfeld
Schoenfeld Talks Time-Restricted Eating Patterns and Protein Demands for Different Individuals
For those who intend to lose body fat, Schoenfeld explained that they should adhere to a protein intake tailored to their desired weight.
“If you are 300 pounds and you should be 200 pounds, let’s say you would calculate it at the weight you would be where you would be at your lean weight. For a guy, 12-15% body fat.”
He also underscored the significance of protein intake for older individuals who are anabolically resistant.
“There’s good literature showing, we’ve done work on this, that if you want to maximize anabolism, again, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to gain any muscle if you’re taking in 1.2 but it will impair the gains that you’re going to get, especially when you’re talking about older individuals, they are anabolically resistant.”
Lastly, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld opened up on research related to time-restricted eating patterns and their efficacy.
“Time-restricted feeding it’s interesting you bring that up I have a paper currently in review, a review paper with my college Alan Aragon who is a big nutritional expert.
We cover this exact topic. The interesting thing with time-restricted feeding number one, there’s various iterations of it. There’s 4/20, four hours eating, 20 hours off, there’s 6/18, 8/16, so there’s all these variations.”
For those who are aiming to retain muscle, he shared that the ten-hour window for time-restricted eating is ‘more friendly towards anabolism.’
“There’s also the 2/5 concept where you fast for two days and eat for five days so a lot of that will depend upon the specific type of time-restricted eating. A ten-hour window is much more friendly towards anabolism.”
Daily protein demands have become a hot-button issue in the fitness community as of late. Bodybuilding legend and former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger tackled the topic. Similar to Dr. Brad Schoenfeld’s opinion, Schwarzenegger also suggested taking in double what the RDA (recommended daily allowance) advises, which would amount to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram.
In the realm of building muscles and staying fit, making sure you get enough protein is key. Protein plays a crucial role in muscle growth and maintaining your physique. Dr. Brad Schoenfeld emphasizes that the most important thing is to meet your protein needs rather than worrying too much about the timing of when you consume it. So, focus on getting enough protein, and you’re on the right track to reaching your fitness goals.
RELATED: Lee Priest Gives Take on Post-Workout ‘Anabolic Window’: “It’s Made-Up Fuc**ng Bullsh**”
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