Stan Efferding Talks Protein Intake for Natural vs Enhanced Athletes, The Best Diet for Weight Loss, & Bulking/Cutting Mistakes

Stan Efferding met with Derek of More Plates More Dates for a special collaboration on nutrition and diet. During the interview, Efferding discussed the ideal protein intake for steroid users versus natural athletes, his best diet, and common bulking/cutting mistakes that prevent progress. 

Stan ‘The White Rhino’ Efferding made his mark as a multi-sport athlete showcasing next-level strength inside and outside of competitions. In addition to his expertise in powerlifting, Efferding led an exceptional career as an IFBB talent and was named the Mr. Olympia 2010 World’s Strongest Professional Bodybuilder.

Although he stepped away from the stage years ago, Efferding’s knowledge of exercise and nutrition is still on display in retirement. He is the architect behind the mega-successful ‘Vertical Diet,’ a nutritional regimen designed for those who demand a higher caloric intake. Whether it’s related to dieting or body composition, Efferding’s insight is valuable to the community. 

Stan Efferding Breaks Down Protein Intake for Natural vs Enhanced Athletes, Discusses Best Diet for Weight Loss and Bulking/Cutting Mistakes 

According to Efferding, once a Leucine threshold is met from protein intake, that’s sufficient for growing additional muscle. 

“In terms of stimulating MPS, as you mentioned the Leucine threshold, once you get two and a half grams of Leucine, you’ve sufficiently stimulated muscle protein synthesis. Five grams isn’t going to do any better. That’s kind of the same thought with protein.” 

He believes enhanced athletes likely require less protein than their natural counterparts given that they are presumably more receptive to food and performance-enhancing drugs. 

“What if you’re enhanced though? asks Derek MPMD.

“I would argue that you would probably need less protein if you’re enhanced because you would become more efficient,” said Stan Efferding. “Now, if you’re in a calorie surplus and pushing carbs more, now that’s protein sparing.” 

He specifies that even if you’re enhanced, that won’t equate to building muscle at 10 times the rate of someone natural. 

“If you’re in a calorie surplus, I’d like to get you a little more protein. Having said that, it doesn’t take a lot of extra protein to build muscle. Even in an enhanced, you’re not going to build muscle at 10 times the rate of a natty. You just want to be on an efficient surplus. The only reason I would be cautious, one of Hafthor’s or Layne Norton’s biggest challenges was being able to eat enough calories.” 

Efferding has always said the best diet is the one you will follow. However, he believes there are notable benefits to the carnivore diet.

“The best diet is the one you’ll follow. The weight loss itself is the primary driver of health benefits. We talked about all the other considerations beyond that in terms of biomarkers and micronutrients. I even said in my seminar years ago that the carnivore diet is the ultimate elimination diet.

It’s the only single food that you could consume that would get you the vast majority which you needed to survive, substitute that with any other single food and see how quickly you would decline. Either in sufficient protein or micronutrients, which red meat is robust in so many.” 

He suggests that when people bulk, they tend to put on more fat than anticipated. Conversely, he says those who diet too harshly will lose excess muscle tissue. 

“What generally happens is, and I can’t speak scientifically, like you said, it’s a bro science question but what generally I see happen is when people bulk they put on more fat than they thought. They think they are getting more muscular but they are probably putting on more fat.

I would like to hold that weight for a while, make that become your new set point because here’s what I found, obviously as you increase calories your metabolism increases, as you decrease calories, your metabolism decreases, its metabolic adaptation and it’s common and expected that as you get larger or smaller you have a higher or lower BMI,” said Stan Efferding. 

With social media influencers wanting a six-pack year-round, Efferding argues that it gets in the way of adding lean muscle. 

“What I found is particularly common now with a lot of influencers on social media, is that they want to have a six-pack year-round. So, if they do a little mini bulk or something and they end up with a four-pack, they get scared and immediately start dieting back down. They just don’t seem to retain the lean mass that they worked hard for.” 

“If you try to bulk too quickly or diet too quickly, you’re going to gain too much fat in the bulk and you’re going to lose too much muscle in the diet,” adds Efferding. 

Fat loss remains one of Efferding’s biggest motivations since turning his attention to nutrition. He has been open about diets he followed to lean down and burn fat. 

“If I’m eating 200 grams of protein, I can have 100 grams of fats. But as I’m starting to diet, I might start knocking those fats down to 90 grams, 80 grams, 70 grams, very slowly. The rest would be carbs. That would just depend on what your total caloric burn was for the day.”  

Having reached success in athletics, Stan Efferding’s opinions on diet, bulking, and cutting are backed up by experience. Above all else, he advocates for a diet that you can readily stick to for the best results. 

RELATED: Coach Stan Efferding Shares His Best Training Program for Hypertrophy

Watch the full video from the Derek More Plates More Dates YouTube channel below: 

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