Hey All! Feel free to check out the Alpha Progression App: alphaprogression.com/HouseofHypertrophy 2 small editing errors: 1) With the imperial conversions, I wrote X g/*lbs*, but I realize that X g/*lb* is more accurate 2) The X-axis in many of the graphs noted total protein intake (g/*kd*/d), the *kd* is supposed to be *kg* :) Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:27 Part I: The Scientific Literature on Protein & Gains 4:57: Training Experience/Effort? 6:27 Cutting? 8:18 Bulking? 8:54 Part II: This Is Worth Remembering 11:13 Part III: Final Thoughts + Summary Additional Note: Nitrogen balance data was mentioned. However, it's worth noting this isn't perfect. Nitrogen balance data does not always successfully predict muscle growth outcomes. The indicator amino acid oxidation technique is considered to be more reliable though. Here are some papers that involve a discussion on this: www.researchgate.net/publication/332441779_Should_Competitive_Bodybuilders_Ingest_More_Protein_than_Current_Evidence-Based_Recommendations + www.researchgate.net/publication/257350851_A_Systematic_Review_of_Dietary_Protein_During_Caloric_Restriction_in_Resistance_Trained_Lean_Athletes_A_Case_for_Higher_Intakes
@MarlonS-gj5tb4 ай бұрын
@house of hypertrophy , can you make a video on nucleus overload training which is basically working out 2 times a day, 8 hours apart while taking rest days normally (3 to 4 days)and i was wondering if it truly does increase follistatin and decrease myostatin? also the link is pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17823296/
@Gargarks4 ай бұрын
I did a little experiment on myself with this very subject a couple years ago. My hypothesis was that since your body essentially converts excess protein to carbohydrates, that was why you still managed to see gains with higher intakes. So what if I ingested protein on the low end of the recommended spectrum and upped my carb intake instead? Well, after two years I've still made plenty of gains ( no noticeable difference from before when I was at the Standard 1 G per pound) my workouts are much better with the higher carb intake, and meals are definitely more varied and enjoyable. It works for me 🤷 EDIT: this isn't dietary advice, or a problem that needs a solution. Simply an anecdote related to the subject of the video I thought I would share. Take it as you will.
@bentnissen4 ай бұрын
How is your diet?
@cyprian48694 ай бұрын
Why are your meals more enjoyable? Do you not like meat or do you just like eating more carbs?
@gk58914 ай бұрын
Makes sense. If going from 1.2 grams to 2.0 grams of protein per kg gives only a minimal increase (1%) then the potential increase in capacity from additional carbs may very well result in larger gains.
@ericanderson73464 ай бұрын
I’ve heard that excess protein is converted to urea. It may explain why I’ve had greater urination urgency the last couple months.
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
Carbs are only good as fuel with overflow to fat. Protein is good for growth/maintenance, and overflows to fuel (provided you havent gorged on carbs and fat). It is difficult to get fat on high protein low carb.
@tim..t1754 ай бұрын
My own personal experience is that since i have deliberately went super high protein, my improvement across all lifts has been consistent
@humanyoda4 ай бұрын
Have gone, not have went.
@Gargarks4 ай бұрын
I love this. I did the opposite, went to the low end of protein and upped my carbs and saw drastic improvement across my workouts. Speaks for taking the information available and seeing how it best fits you and your individual performance. Keep lifting, brother.
@tim..t1754 ай бұрын
@@Gargarks thanks ! Yeah like with everything it requires experimentation. Being older for a lifter ( 49) and in my 4th year , i find much of the advice targeted toward people my age doesn’t work for me. The experiment with higher protein is the only change i made the last few months and its been the best improvement i have had since starting
@incorectulpolitic4 ай бұрын
what does 'high' protein mean ? 1g/lb, 2g/lb , 3g/lb, 4g/lb ?@@tim..t175
@joeybidenthemosthonestmani18714 ай бұрын
I went high two. 🤣@@humanyoda
@SummersSnaps4 ай бұрын
When I was seriously into this sport I did some experimentation (even when taking PEDs). I personally found NO negative effects from dropping 250g protein per day to a measly 50g. In fact... the less protein I took generally the better gains I made as my digestion system was not hampered and rewarded with other macro nutrient food better suited. I concluded that high protein intake was nothing more than a myth, fueled by the magazine and advertising industry as a mechanism to stay relevant. I'm not saying protein isn't important, but that so few individuals genuinely experiment with levels of grams to outcomes. Most are sheep blindly following literature, and this is sport is massively about genetics which throws 90% of studies out of the window. Test, test and test with yourself only, nothing else really matters.
@TheWormChad4 ай бұрын
most guys are at 50-100 when eating food that their parrents cook, where are all those super gainz? if u believe a low protein diet is superior then u prob just abused steroids like crazy and grew no matter what.
@reuterss3064 ай бұрын
anecdotal bs. :D
@CrniWuk4 ай бұрын
@@reuterss306 Infact, it is even anabol.
@ipproductions4 ай бұрын
i agree with the test part
@USA2Brazil2 ай бұрын
Seems like a low amount however I imagine some people bodys utilize protein better due to age and genetics. Personally I try and get around a minimum of 1.5 grams per day of lean body weight ( minus your fat/ BMI ) say 100 kilos and 20% fat so 80 kilos x 1.5 = 120 grams.
@JK56864Ай бұрын
I am 6 feet, 85 kg male with 15% body fat percentage. I have been weightlifting since the last 14 years and have tried 75 grams, 100 grams and 150 grams protein per day keeping all other variables constant (total calories, workout etc) I have not even found a single difference among all three protein intakes in body composition, strength or anything else. Infact, my blood work is the best at 75 grams protein per day.
@ryanmaxwelll27304 ай бұрын
So many of these studies make reference to "older" people. None of them specify what ages "older" is comprised of. I'd love someone to be specific about what this means.
@reuterss3064 ай бұрын
Well, there is simply no clear answer to that. Everyone is different, so who knows how much more protein you need at age 40, 50, 60 etc. I simply kept eating a bit more protein after turning 30 and now with 45 I eat roughly 1.8-2g/kg which is probably still a bit overkill but I can maintain muscle pretty good this way.
@CrniWuk4 ай бұрын
A very large number of studies are bullshit sadly. They often have way to small sample groups, don't really specificy what or how something is tested and the value of it is relatively low. There are some really good studies out there. But not as much as people think.
@toota91254 ай бұрын
It’s because all of this information varies from person to person. We’re all unique and some folks just love putting info out. Age is always how your body feels. It’s 35 year olds out here with your typical 45 year old bodies because of not taking care of themselves and the same on the lower spectrum
@geoffknox5974 ай бұрын
I’ve never noticed any difference in muscle utilizing different amounts of protein except….when cutting calories. At that point, higher protein seems to make quite a difference. I do hope there is more research on this specific area in the future.
@Angel_EU344 ай бұрын
That graph showing how NOTHING is left on the table is science at its purest! xD Love your vids, i can imagine the amount of work the graphics alone take, not to mention the research.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Haha, thank you so much!
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
I like the addition of "Volitional Failure" on the graphics, we need to make that distinction as so many are unclear that there's multiple definitions of "working to failure".
@hornsteinhof75924 ай бұрын
Very interesting findings! I am a dairy farmer - feed-milk-relationships are well researched in this area. What strikes me is that people are looking at the curves around 1:00 and try to find the effect maximum. In dairy farming, you'll look for the efficiency optimum in most production environments, which would translate to the maximum pitch or slope of the curve (or maximum of the first derivation, mathematically). This is where you'll get the most 'bang for your buck' in terms of protein. Looks like the efficiency maximum is sitting around 1 to 1.2 g per kg, translating to about 90 to 108 g per day for a person like me (90 kg). Yeah, you could eat more. But adverse effects are often connected to a supply of a nutrient that is too low or too high - I could see benefits of staying at the sweet spot.
@colmy16514 ай бұрын
I love this balanced approach.
4 ай бұрын
Yes, this is the way for 99.99% of people :-)
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
An efficient car may be the best bang for buck.. But it's not as fast as the car drinks twice the fuel for 50% more speed. Do you want efficiency or performance? Camry Hybrid or BMW M3? Is suppose you would optimize a dairy or meat cow for efficiency, but perhaps you would optimize a race horse for speed 🤔
@nicoleibundgut5344 ай бұрын
Thats a good point. Looks like 1.2g per kg is good enough and better looking for other stuff to gain.
@DjDolHaus864 ай бұрын
This is how you should look at the data in terms of giving general advice. However, in an ideal world you'd tailor your own specific intake to your own specific results, if you're an outlier who gets maximum effect from a high/low dose then the 'general' advice is either dosing too high or too low, this would however require a scientific approach to both training and data collection. The same goes for training methods, general advice gives general weights and reps but some people respond far better to high weight/low reps, others respond better to low weight/high reps. Every case should be viewed as an individual particularly if you are looking to maximise results
@Korvxx4 ай бұрын
not just the amount of protein...If you eat more protein aka beef and eggs, you get more choline,creatine,carnitine,glutamate etc for repair and hormones...what the protein is attatched to.
@user-ii7xc1ry3x4 ай бұрын
Candito mentioned HoH in his last video. RP has done that a couple times in the past as well. Just love to see it x)
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
This was really awesome to see, shout out the Candito, I've been a fan of his for a looongg time!
@Darknight5264 ай бұрын
Love Candito!
@jeremyspencer53014 ай бұрын
One thing that gets misconstrued is when you hear "1 gram per lb of bodyweight" you have 300 lb overweight guys out there pounding 300 grams of protein and its just excess for someone who's not in the position to be consuming excess anything. Its based off LEAN body mass as stated in this video. Also its my observation that this model should only be for folks who are ACTUALLY training hard. The average soccer mom and desk dad thats going to the gym 2x a week riding the elliptical and doing 3 sets of bicep curls with 20lb dumbbells does not need to be eating that much protein in my opinion.
@liz91474 ай бұрын
Wrong.
@zerrodefex22 күн бұрын
Agreed, I base my protein intake off of my lean mass and I've seen no decrease in growth vs when it was based off of total mass despite being around 40-50g/day less. Also agreed about the second point that large amounts of extra protein do little good if you're still mostly sedentary. Even the carnies don't get jacked while sitting on their ass just because they eat nothing but steak every day, like the keto people they just get scrawny.
@xerikl19 күн бұрын
Mike Metzner has been preaching this. He recommends a balanced diet of 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat
@azimuthclark4623 ай бұрын
I've been eating more fiber, drinking more water, and taking in more minerals. I do more cardio now. I'm 200lbs and try to get at least 100g of protein per day. Depending how I feel, I'll eat more. Trust your body. Take your time.
@GabrielCazorlaPersson14 ай бұрын
Good to know that bulking does not change how much protein you need. I have also read (but not been able to verify) that you will gain less fat if you consume more protein in a bulk. If anything, I would say you need to worry a bit less for protein intake, because you are probably going to consume more than when you are maintaining, even if it is just an extra 10g.
@durnhand95244 ай бұрын
Your body has to convert protein into energy efficient enzymes. Carbs are much easier to convert and thus result in higher spikes of insulin, ect. It's recommended to increase protein with your other macros in order to keep people from ballooning due to extra water bloating and additional fat stores due to over estimated surplus. In other words. It's safe and effective to only raise carbs and fats during a bulk. However, it removes the fail safe on your diet and could lead to excess bodyfat compared to a similar diet with higher protein.
@zerrodefex22 күн бұрын
When lean bulking I increase protein and carbs and try my best to keep fats the same as maintenance, no sense in giving the body more easily stored fat. Just get at least 0.3g/day per lb bodyweight to support your horomones.
@MrEsNewChannel4 ай бұрын
I've worked out every day for 1 year now. I'm turning 40 this July. The past 5 months straight, I've seen 2lbs of lean muscle mass growth. I consume .75g per lb and maintain a
@wisemansaid50094 ай бұрын
75 per lb bro?
@MrEsNewChannel4 ай бұрын
@@wisemansaid5009 no... look again.... there's a decimal....
@aidenralston43284 ай бұрын
@@wisemansaid5009he literally said .75 per lb
@scifiordie4 ай бұрын
you need to rest more, maybe improve/change your routine and progressively overload
@MrEsNewChannel4 ай бұрын
@@scifiordie you need to presume less and be smarter. See you're assuming I'm not progressively overloading and I am. Now you're just dumb
@NoRockinMansLand3 ай бұрын
Main points for me: - there is no clear cut standard on ideal protein intake. The graphs themselves show weak correlation despite the line of best fit suggesting it's not as clear as we think. Less than 0.7 g/lb might still be enough - protein quality matters, animal-based protein has higher digestibility and EAA amount. Specifically Whey, Bovine milk, Beef and Eggs. (The Skeletal Anabolic Muscle Response to Plant vs Animal based protein consumption - Viet Stephan) - there is little evidence to suggest that more experience weightlifting requires a higher daily protein intake - resistance training is still the most significant indicator in muscle growth, it is the stimulus
@Trident-3334 ай бұрын
So glad I found this channel.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Thank YOU for checking it out :)
@erniegamboa56094 ай бұрын
I started seriously lifting / bodybuilding at about age 35 and began researching supplements and protein intake. I used to be obsessed with getting 200 plus grams of protein per day and had to drink at least 3 shakes and incorporate egg whites to meet the minimum daily intake. Got really tired of trying to keep up and kicked that mindset to the curb. I now take in as much as I can from food with an average of one shake a day depending on how I have been eating and training. I still use eggs and egg whites to bump it up when needed but I can tell you that I look and feel better than I ever have. Granted, I have lost a little bit of mass but at 220 lbs. and 5"10" I could afford to lose a little. I am now 190-195 lbs. but I am totally ripped down, with abs popping, a 30-inch waist with that crazy wide shoulder, small waist v taper. So I suggest you find your sweet spot on the protein intake, get the most from your food, and supplement with eggs and protein powder as needed. I am probably only getting 150 grams of protein on a good day and maybe 180-200 on a great day, which again, depends on how I've been eating and training in the last few days and even weeks.
@zerog42614 ай бұрын
Im not a big Mike Mentzer fan, he was a bit crazy in my opinion but he stated this in the 70's and was ridiculed by the BB industry at the time
@Almadanim4 ай бұрын
Crazy??? Ok... lol
@jeremyy224 ай бұрын
Well, he did use meth as a pre workout, so there's that....@@Almadanim
@Astral-Projector23894 ай бұрын
@@jeremyy22 Sure, but what have you done compared to Mike Mentzer. Drugs aside?
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
All the way back in the late 50s Steve Reeves was getting 40% of his calories from carbs, he ate plenty of protein but complex carbs are what fueled those long workouts of his. He was also insistent that what you eat the day before a workout matters more than what you eat on the day of, probably observing the time it takes to build up glycogen before we really understood the process.
@zenraloc4 ай бұрын
@Astral-Projector2389 what the hell kind of rebuttal was that? 😂 you think it's likley the other commenter has done something Worse for their brain than Meth. Are you serious.
@ScottKent4 ай бұрын
Lots of studies focus on protein needs for muscle growth/maintenance, but little is said of other systemic protein needs. For instance, protein is the 2nd largest component of the brain...how would that figure into the overall need for systemic health.
@ningunoag4 ай бұрын
Good point. Not only brain but organs like the skin etc. enzymes and the immunesystem made out of protein or at least need aminoacids. Dont know why they ignore that important part
@champinatorr4 ай бұрын
One of the best fitness youtube's channels
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Thank YOU so much!
@FriedBalonyPony4 ай бұрын
This is AI
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
My voice just sounds a little monotone, but I'm working on it :) I was actually a little ill recording the second half of the voiceover, and you might be able to hear the difference from 6:35 onwards compared to before. You may also be able to hear the change in my voiceover across years (check out my first videos if you like). The editing, research, and everything else is just done by me (no AI) :)
@Marco_My_Words4 ай бұрын
@@HouseofHypertrophy I initially thought your voice was AI-generated as well. This perception arises partly because you pronounce sentences in precisely the same manner multiple times, without any variation, not solely because your voice is monotone. However, this demonstrates the remarkable advancements in AI technology. It's becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between real and artificial voices.
@DudeSilad4 ай бұрын
I'm glad it was mentioned about how much you should require for your fat free weight. I'm around 200lbs. There is no way I need 150 to 200 grammes of protein. I probably don't even have 100g most days. Even when I'm carrying a decent amount of muscle.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Yep! certainly is a consideration that can be overlooked
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
"I'm around 200lbs. There is no way I need 150 to 200 grammes of protein." Based on what? What is your lean mass? When I was 225lb my lean mass (according to DEXA) was 140lb so I settled on 170g/day. I still consume that daily at 197lbs as my lean mass has not gone down.
@DudeSilad4 ай бұрын
@@zerrodefex Protein is calories. 3 calories per gramme of protein. I want to look good, not big. At a guess, my lean body mass is around 170lbs. I don't count the grammes religeously, just have a rough idea but when I was training for muscle I was doing a 100 to 150g and putting on muscle. And losing fat. When I was a young lad and carrying a fairly decent amount of muscle, I doubt I was having a 100g of protein a day. You have to learn how your own body responds. I've known fellas who eat complete rubbish but only have to look at a weight and gain quality muscle and fellas I see in the gym, have a bag of stuff of ready made protein and drinking isotonic and energy drinks, writing down every exericise and weight that they do and look complete shit. The sciences is great, love to learn how stuff works but I've been training over 40 years and the science is just veryifying and explaining what we already knew.
@angmori1724 ай бұрын
Unless you are an actual competitive bodybuilder: If you eat a reasonably clean diet, you should be able to tell if you need more protein because you will crave more protein. I don't ear particularly cleanly but I can tell the difference pretty easily. And as long as you keep making steady progress, your training-diet-rest trinity is tuned well enough for your current level of training.
@a.f.s.30044 ай бұрын
I have noticed a lot of the confusion arises when we start talking pounds. A kg is 2.2 pounds, so when we are being told one gram per pound that is double the intake a person taking 1 gram per kilogram. I see this all the time. Someone weighing 200 pounds is being told to consume 200 grams per day in the states while in the kg system its only 90 grams.
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
Yes, 1g/lb/day is 2.2g/kg/day. The Studies never go hard enough to include the sweet spot that most trained people shoot for (as a baseline).
@Nobody910214 ай бұрын
from my experience personally as someone currently doing a bodybuilding cut for a comp l find having higher protein to be essential for keeping my muscle mass and strength. I'm actually on 1.5g protein per pound so way above the recommended. I've even made PR's while on a cut for some minor exercises, all my compounds have decreased but l've kept majority of my strength despite losing more than 10kg and reaching 10% body fat currently. 62kg eating 200g protein and roughly 250g carbs for 2200 calories. I believe the higher protein works mainly for me simply because of the fact l do like an hour and a half of active cardio daily and 15k steps usually as passive cardio. Often endurance athletes need a lot higher protein consumption, as someone who may be a hybrid between endurance and building muscle that may be the reason for my higher protein intake working. This is all just me assuming things though.
@Theprotocold4 ай бұрын
So you pr on lateral raises but not deadlift? what happens is you never really push your ''minor'' exercices. And no endurance athlete need more complexe carb calories. For anyone who trains, a chronic stable protein intake is optimal, and you play with carbs or lipids to balance your diet for either bulking, cutting or prepare for a marathon.
@GettingAGrip2084 ай бұрын
@@Theprotocoldwhile endurance athletes obviously need more carbs due to higher energy demand their is actually research confirming that endurance athletes do need to try to be in the higher intake levels of protein to help with recovery. A lot of endurance athletes are actually under consuming protein due to the high carb mindset
@NJN234 ай бұрын
So you are 62kg (136 pounds)… Just curious, how tall are you? I am also cutting for (a natural) competition, currently at 64.5 kg (142 pounds)
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
Clen??
@Nobody910214 ай бұрын
@@Theprotocold It's hard to PR on conventional deadlifts when they place a lot of systemic fatigue in my opinion l'm still capable of doing 190kg at 62kg. I've increased strength from originally 50kg to 75kg on back extensions for reps due to them being a relative new exercise on my program. So I would like to think l am pushing on my "minor" exercises. This Is just my personal experience and l'm not saying anyone should follow it but a higher protein intake isn't bad just more expensive. I obviously still have a good amount of carbs and will be increasing them when l do a carb loading phase
@user-ob3dc9os9y4 ай бұрын
Hey HOH, I would love to see you dig into the research on meal/protein timing. NOT as it relates to muscle anabolism but as it relates to muscle catabolism. There seems to be a pervasive idea that you will experience muscle loss if you don't eat soon after training (within 1-2hrs). I haven't been able to find any substantial evidence supporting this and none of the content creators I trust seem to have covered it. I've had some anecdotal observations from people I've met who are reasonably jacked and who workout in the morning but fast until noon which makes me doubt the idea in its entirety. I would love to see your take on this
@zerrodefex22 күн бұрын
Total protein per day matters most, that's why you see guys doing intermittent fasting and still getting jacked. It's just easier though for most people to have multiple smaller meals than trying to stuff themselves in a smaller period of the day. I think though the confusion comes from a study on carb timing where it was shown that your muscles replenish glycogen the fastest within 2 hours of training and some protein with the carbs improves carb absorption and that mutated via word of mouth into protein timing.
@Theoverthinker814 ай бұрын
High protien intake, 2-3 protien shakes a day, and after 10 years i now have stage 1 kidney damage. I was drinking upto 15lt of water per day in summer doing construction, no shortage of water. So do it at own risk.
@TheZantesuken4 ай бұрын
Your kidney damage ist most likely connected to undetected blood pressure issues. One of the most common „silent killers“ of kidney’s. There are multiple studies on protein intake and kidney health. Look them up to see if there is causality to kidney damage of healthy kidneys and protein shakes. (there is none)
@ozzy61624 ай бұрын
Thank you for analysing so many papers and your recommendations - I always look forward to the next thought-provoking video. TBH I'm fed up with having to repeatedly work out how much protein I'm getting from various meals & protein powder. If it were possible I'd actually prefer to get my protein from a couple of tablets - most importantly it would save on the washing-up.
@northbuster2904 ай бұрын
Powerbuilding since 2000, always with a high protein diet. I was recently forced to switch to a less protein and more carb diet due to circumstances. I gained a lot of strength and mass. Better recovery, more energy...
@arkapravade72344 ай бұрын
How much protein exactly are you consuming rn ?
@northbuster2904 ай бұрын
@@arkapravade7234 maybe 100gr.
@kuriosites4 ай бұрын
I think what often gets left out is that, while muscle tissue is primarily protein (and water), the processes needed to build muscle require energy, which is most efficiently derived from carbohydrates. There are also other variables that may affect your ability to increase size and/or strength.
@lucaantonelli15114 ай бұрын
Hormones is key
@zerrodefex22 күн бұрын
This. Do you want the brick layers (mTor) to be eating carbs while they assembly your proteins into a muscle or be munching on half of your protein before it even makes it to the wall?
@mb59704 ай бұрын
Nice to see some recent research on this. These videos are awesome by the way. I've always found these "one meal a day" intermittent fasting people interesting, especially when they're ripped. If one is able to maintain above average amounts of muscle on one meal a day, that's gotta give you some insights on how much protein the body can process.
@patrycja26964 ай бұрын
You can eat a lot of protein in one meal. I slim carnivore female no problem can eat 600,700 grams steak in one go. Many times more!
@janverschuren5934 ай бұрын
Amazing to see how different people are
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
Take a look at Natural Hypertrophy for example, his "day of eating" videos are very carb heavy.
@kinzo97664 ай бұрын
7:03 , I heard the body weight i should use as a base is the weight i aiming for. For example, someone weights 90kg and he wants to decrease his weight to 77kg, and he decided to take 2.3 g/kg/day Should he take 77x2.3 or 90x2.3?
@IzzyFX0072 ай бұрын
Man there is a lot said. Some say use your goal body weight, some say use your actual body weight and some say use lean muscle weight
@lularoeamynjeff45854 ай бұрын
I’ve read several papers on the subject as well. A study shows .73-1.25 g/lbs essentially yielded the same amount of gains in natural athletes. 1.26+ only yielded 10% more results. There is definitely a diminishing returns in natural athletes.
@nunninkav4 ай бұрын
Yes, but did they do the enhanced version?
@tientruong20074 ай бұрын
Is that fat free weight or total?
@Theoriginalbubbafett4 ай бұрын
I’ve never understood why nobody ever calculated protein requirements based purely on lean body mass instead of whole body weight. Great video!
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
How would one measure such a thing. How about flipping it round, and eating the right amount of protein for your desired LBM. Then slowly gain toward it.
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
Because that requires everyone to first find out what their lean mass is and not everyone has access to those testing means or can afford the accurate tests. And don't tell me those bathroom scales with bioimpedance measurement, those are insanely inaccurate.
@jordixboy4 ай бұрын
cause you cant precisely know how much muscle you have... duh
@GuidoDePalma4 ай бұрын
dexa scan@@peterpan408
@adelenicholson14 ай бұрын
Caliper test cheap BF % calc
@sherlockbonez4 ай бұрын
Back in the mid 90s to 2000s i was lifting hard and followed the 1g/pound. As i get older, i still managed to be of decent size and strengthen, but now i only take down maybe 90-120g a day @ 175lbs.
@Avianthro4 ай бұрын
Shouldn't protein needs be based on training load (energy used in our training) and energy-balance calorie needs, rather than on body weight? As training load and total daily calorie burn go up, we do more "damage" to our muscles and other protein-using systems (almost everything in the body) and hence we need more protein to repair and then rebuild-supercompensate. A person doing no training and with low levels of daily activity should not need nearly as much protein as someone who is training and has higher activity levels through the day. Basing protein intake recommendations on body weight is nonsensical and studies that do this should be critically examined to see who is funding them...protein supplement suppliers perhaps? The FDA and USDA do not base their recommendations on body weight but on daily calorie needs for energy balance/activity level.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
This view is completely understandable, but fascinatingly, the research doesn't clearly support this (as somewhat discussed in the section on training effort/experience). Many of the papers aren't funded either.
@Viking_Raven4 ай бұрын
Damage is not the primary driver of hypertrophy. No matter how hard you train there's only so much damage you can consciously cause through normal training to your muscles, not enough to consider it a traumatic event which requires more resources, rest and rehabilitation. The variance amongst training protocols shouldn't be that high.
@j.rob.59434 ай бұрын
Watch the video bruh
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
Body weight rules of thumb are easier to apply on a bro science level.
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
@@peterpan408 yes and it's easier to plan and adhere to a diet when the macros are consistent every day rather than trying to figure out on the fly what you need every single day.
@insurgentbroccoli4 ай бұрын
Might be a silly question but i still want to ask to be sure: if you're training for strength and not for hypertrophy, do you still need to consume more protein? If so is the protein intake spectrum shown in this video works for it?
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
I was going to initially have a section on this, but I cut it out as I thought it made the video too long. Anyhow, the real key is that protein most likely enhances strength by way of muscle growth (muscle growth involves the addition of contractile units which enhances force production). In my eyes, that's the only really plausible mechanism. This will be most prominent in the long-term, which is probably why some studies/analyses don't always show as strong of a relationship between protein consumption and strength gains (neural adaptations can cloud things). I say all this to say, yep, the data in this video can be used if the goal is to maximize strength over the long term :)
@arkapravade72344 ай бұрын
@@HouseofHypertrophy If I just want to increase strength without gaining muscle? I am currently eating 1.4 gm/kg , is that enough?
@ailfawka62784 ай бұрын
Not everyone has the same androgen levels Also, calorie and carbohydrate restriction will cause a substantial drop in primary androgens, reducing protein synthesis.
@danieldyman71964 ай бұрын
Have you ever considered your Garmin might not be counting calories burned correctly?@Everest_Climber
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
T is a fat based hormone.. so it needs fats, not carbs.
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
@Everest_Climber plenty of grifters trying to convince us that the laws of thermodynamics somehow don't apply to the human body. Also those watches can't give us the full story, it doesn't know if they steps you take are on a flat surface or an incline or up the stairs and if you're carrying extra weight like a backpack at the time. The only reliable thing is to track the trend over time.
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
@@peterpan408 T needs fats but muscle protein synthesis runs off of carbs.
@Philush974 ай бұрын
@zerrodefex All carbs do is provide glycogen-based energy to the body. There are plenty of people on low carb and even keto diets who do perfectly fine in the gym
@Pablitopewpew4 ай бұрын
One thing I've always wondered about these studies is do they make sure it's not just the added calories in itself that give hypertrophy a boost and not proteins per say. Like do they give double blind suplements to the subjects, one group has added carbs, the other proteins (with calories matched)? And also compare to added carbs, how much of a boost in muscle mass do they get? 10%? 30%? 50%? Would love to be enlighten on that
@haim416 күн бұрын
I saw one paper that checked that, and found that the group that was mainly fed high carbs-low protein got the same results as high protein-low carbs (your body can changed food to make different amino acids) so to be honest - if you have good diet you dont have supplement with protein powder, it should be considered a tool - when you "cutting" you can use it, if you are sick and got no appetite this is a nice way to gain protein and etc.
@Killinggravity4 ай бұрын
Trained legs to failure- so X grams of protein. Next day skipped workout- X? grams of protein. Next day light workout of just biceps- X? grams of protein. What protein are you consuming, a Complete protein? Can you average the grams over the course of a week? 2 weeks? Bottom line is listen to your body..it will tell you Exactly what you need. Not recovering from last weeks workouts? Try Upping your protein a bit and get more sleep. You can get dialed in...just takes time. 💪💪💪💪
@davidmchattie4 ай бұрын
I find 1.2g kg for me is optimal. Taking any more is a waste of money. Some days i go as low as 0.8g kg and i see no difference. Each person should find there own level, what can afford and what u can eat with ease.
@DILFDylF4 ай бұрын
How much muscle you gain isn't noticeable day to day, so you could go down to 0g on some days and you wouldn't notice a difference if all the other days were the same.
@weich1q2w4 ай бұрын
Except it is very much noticeable
@kchuen4 ай бұрын
@@DILFDylFexactly lol how does someone tell the difference how one day or even a few days of lower protein intake impacts their muscle gain. You can take a dexa scan everyday and the variance would still be nonlinear and it would fluctuate.
@GAINZonWHEELS4 ай бұрын
You’re are a women, or tiny guy (that’s ok no avance) muscle grow and recover your muscles after a hard work out you need high protein, and yes if I compete early days the last 4 days I eat less protein and more carbs to blow up..
@1nguoixauxi225 күн бұрын
my uptake is 90g a day, I weight 70kg. I measure my uptake by ... sweat ! eat a certain amount of protein (lets say 200g), and then sleep at night, if you wake up at the middle of night with sweat and feel hot, it is too much! now reduce the intake amount to 100g and see if you are still sweat or not. Listen to your body is the best way to take nutrition.
@Wolf_Templar4 ай бұрын
Subbed. what an amazing channel. just what i want - cutting edge data well presented with well reasoned hypotheses. Excellent!
@keithianlocke4 ай бұрын
The only factor that influences protein "intake" is how much you consume. What is a more crucial factor regarding protein is how much the body utilises, and the surrounding factors that influence utilisation.
@inkwell1014 ай бұрын
I'm glad you looked at the R^2 value. Many studies in exercise science fail to consider it in their conclusions.
@GoooogleАй бұрын
I don’t count protein or calories. Just eat good and train hard, anything further optimization is just diminishing returns. Also, don’t take protein powder, it’s hard on your liver and will imbalance your amino acids, take collagen peptides or gelatin instead, it will improve your digestion like nothing else.
@input93814 ай бұрын
I eat around 4grams per kg. I do see deminishing returns on protein but my physique looks better when I consume 4 grams vs 2 grams.
@phoenixrisin22694 ай бұрын
Absolutely
@ThunderbackOG4 ай бұрын
One of the things most confusing for me is that no one differentiates between Bodyweight and body composition. So this video helped a bit. I weigh 160kg but about 30-40 kg of that is fat (strongman body). Still, getting 200-300g of protein a day without adding a lot of calories seems borderline impossible. Anyone?
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Yep! As noted near the end, scaling to fat-free mass could be better in this case :)
@yipperdeyip4 ай бұрын
Gram/ target bodyweight. Everyone includes their fat for some reason
@bigripjames4 ай бұрын
All types of proteins are different and do different things, most ppl have no idea what they are taking
@Optimal-GymRat3 ай бұрын
So less body fat = less protein we need? And more carbs? Or i misunderstood something? I thought higher protein on lower body fat secure the muscles 🤔🫡
@boom-bm1kl4 ай бұрын
The protein marketing machine has a death grip on society
@zerrodefex22 күн бұрын
At the same time the RDAs for protein so are laughably low no wonder many people are weak and chronically sick.
@ParvParashar4 ай бұрын
Absolutely amazing video as always! It’s highly informative and super helpful. Thank you so much for all the great work! It’s greatly appreciated. 🙌
@PatronusHelice4 ай бұрын
All the different conclusions on protein intake made me test the claims of them. I personally felt the best and have seen the best results at around 2.3 g. 1.6g was just to little, everything over 2.5g messed with my digestive system. So I really think the oldschool 2g and more is still the way to go, the studies seem all over the place and inconclusive to me, so I go oldschool on this one. You know, with all the decades worth of Bodybuilders proven it to work.
@j.e.t.v40164 ай бұрын
They also have a bit more 💉 help 💉 to metabolize higher protein amounts
@PatronusHelice4 ай бұрын
@@j.e.t.v4016 Yeah you right with that, but I also mean athletes in general and I never once juiced in my life, maybe there is also a subjective portion to what´s best, genetic types that respond different to different dosages and what not
@baraneo81954 ай бұрын
this is reassuring and makes sense, I've averaged 80% of a gram per lb of body weight, yet had strength gains over the course of months that was more than satisfactory. I figured the people trying to convince me 1.5/2 gram per lb were way over doing it.
@thatsit79334 ай бұрын
On a bulk i would say around 1,8 protein pr kg is enough, because i read somewhere that carbs has a protein sparing effect ☺️
@aberges4 ай бұрын
You're definitely converting half that protein into carbohydrates. You're eating more expensive rice basically lmao.
@thatsit79334 ай бұрын
you are allowed to have your opinion, but I disagree with your theory 😊 The body doesnt automatically say that, "oh well lets take half of the protein and convent into carbs" Exess protein is turned into energy/fat or glucose. Halv of it? Where did you get that info from anyway? I would like to see that study. But protein is not only needed to build/repair muscle, it's also needed to dna repair, build bone and produce hormones, so it's essential to get enough when you are trying to build more muscle, it requires more protein for that to happen. So you see the theory of yours doesnt make much sense, unless you are counting the TEF with is only around 10% from protein and not 50% But hey, you are allowed to believe what you want, good day to you sir.
@johnk675716 күн бұрын
@@aberges spending an extra $2 a day to potentially have a 5-10% benefit on something I spend 15 hours+ a week doing, when my time is worth $50 an hour. These numbers aren't precise but I'm just trying to illustrate why it's very overdetermined to err on the side of caution here.
@williamgomes52204 ай бұрын
The amount depends a lot on how much physical activity you do, how much time you spend walking or running. For a sedentary person, 1g per kg is the minimum of the minimum. For someone who practices moderate physical activity and/or goes to the gym as an amateur, 1.5g per kg is the minimum. For those who practice intense activity every day, 2g per kg is the minimum, and could be even more. If you have done a lot of physical activity on that specific day, it is better to consume more than 3g per kg. If you are serious about gaining muscle by practicing physical activity, the ideal is to maintain a maximum of 2g ~ 3g per kg for 365 days of the YEAR. There's no point in eating very little protein one day and a lot the next, you have to maintain a decent average. Injectable anabolic hormones are the only ones that can make you gain muscle from fat and carbohydrates, so if you want to eat less protein, use them. But even so, you will still need to eat protein depending on your level of physical activity for the day and week.
@Jleighton33554 ай бұрын
I think carbs play just as an important role in muscle growth. There is a certian amount of carbs to protein to good fats that help with muscle growth and its not just protein itself. Usually carb intake should be higher than protein intake (good carbs and depending on your goals). If you want to pack on mass then carbs are very important. You put on mass and then shred down
@JeZZGro4 ай бұрын
Gram per LBS or lean body mass. So you should calculate your % of fat, then use this formula: (number of gram per kg that you want) * ((your weight) - (amount of fat)) If I have 80kg, and my body fat is 30%, then i calculate like this: 2g/kg * (80kg - 24kgfat) = 112g of protein per day.
@user-sy7ck3ln6o4 ай бұрын
There is definitely not a one size fits all when it comes the amount protein you need to consume. Age, health, activity level, goals.. are all goind to factor in to your personal needs.The older you get the more quality protein you'll need to consume. FYI.. plant protein IS NOT THE SAME AS MEAT/WHEY PROTEIN. You will NOT get the BCCA's from plants that you get from meat/whey. You will have suppliment (alot) to get the same.. even then.. it's a little bit of a crap shoot. 1grm/1lb of desired body weight.. should be a starting point ... You have to experiment with it from there...to see how YOUR body responds. If your not active or only workout lightly once a week.. then.. 1 gram is more than suficiant for most people.. beyond that.. you'll need to factor your level of activity and goals into the amount. This really sohouldnt be a rocket science sort of thing.
@Dattobayo9 күн бұрын
I measure when I've hit my protein ceiling by the way my sweat smells. If it starts to smell ammonia I'm eating more protein than my body can process.
@EduardQualls4 ай бұрын
Pairing going up to 2.5g/kg/d (including 50 g whey protein at bedtime) with regular intake of trimethyl glycine, aka "betaine" (3 g spread across a day), I've gained almost 10 kg in the past three months while, according to remarks at the gym, I've turned into a "power lifter." BTW, on a keto diet that includes (organic, whole-fat) dairy, the methyl groups in betaine can be used by the body (the brain, in particular) to create needed metabolic products from the galactose that is split from lactose. [Galactose is more important that most think, which suggests why there is upwards pressure on lactose tolerance, now appearing in ~35% of the human population.]
@Teabonesteak4 ай бұрын
The debate continues...
@Beliar_VR2 ай бұрын
11:28 That thing that always disturbs me. you should have Xg of protein per kg body weight... in my logic it makes no sense. There must be difference if you are an overweight or a buffed dude with 130kg. Thx for making this clear!
@aaddsssdsdsdaaa4 ай бұрын
can you make a video about how much calories do you really need to build muscle?
@theoriginalbreadcrumb4 ай бұрын
People min/maxing protein while at the same time smoking weed, drinking alcohol, sleeping like shit and training at RPE 4.
@awesom-o15702 ай бұрын
What does smoking weed have to do with protein synthesis??
@jonpageable4 ай бұрын
Just because you eat a certain amount of protein a day doesn’t mean your body absorbs it all. Some nutrients just pass straight through your body. Personally I think it’s best to be on the higher end of the protein range. I consume a lot of lean meat, milk and eggs so I easily go over the range but it’s the diet I enjoy the most and stops me eating junk
@You-are-right-but4 ай бұрын
I did something similar. My basic guide is, if I am eating 100g of Extra protein a day above a normal intake, without putting on 100g of muscle a day, I am eating too much protein. Better to use carbs and fats to help balance your diet.
@McCarthy1776Ай бұрын
Why would you NOT aim for higher than the highest estimate? Worst case scenario you arent growing more but getting leaner calories. There's no real negative to eat more
@djdiagram16454 ай бұрын
i eat mostly plant based whole foods whenever i want. somedays one meal someday 4 meals. there are days i dont even get 50 grams of protein but im fairly muscular than average male. i can bench 225 ten reps
@Poppetje754 ай бұрын
On almost all fitness channels that sell proteins themselves, they tell you that you should use at least 2 grams per kg of body weight. The channels that focus on learning good techniques, instead of posting as many videos as possible, without sales say that 1.4 -1.7 grams / kg is enough for muscle building.
@toxx12203 ай бұрын
Looking forward to your video on protein quality. There is a pretty good interview on KZfaq about it with Stuart Phillips, on the channel Nutrition Made Simple. The key takeaway is, looking at single meals or even meal elements is not relevant. If you underconsume an amino acid adding up the day, then it can become relevant. As I am not consuming any animal products due to ethical reasons, I'm just aiming for 1.6g/kg, as there are multiple studies showing no difference in muscle gains on plant based vs mixed diet (for example Hevia-Larraín et al 2021).
@HouseofHypertrophy3 ай бұрын
Yep! That's pretty much what the video will detail haha :)
@Muphenz4 ай бұрын
I do track my protein consumption down to the gram, but when I start eating excess protein, I start to fart on daily basis, haha.
@Nost26824 ай бұрын
It's called protein shit.
@andyvandeschootbrugge2904 ай бұрын
I think that it also depends on the use or no use of steroids.
@GuidoDePalma4 ай бұрын
all those studies assume natty :)
@DANA-lx8cv4 ай бұрын
Like most things in fitness, you generally do not need to overthink the minutia, although these studies are interesting for sure. I try to get around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight (funny how science often comes around to supporting "bro" science, lol). Some days I get more, some days less. If you don't hit your target one day, no need to panic, it's the long term trend that matters more. Related but off topic, have there been any videos done on BCAA's? I often flavor my water with them and drink it during a workout. Protein, a mild organic pre-workout (basically caffeine), and BCAA's are the only supplements (besides normal vitamins) that I have ever used. Thanks!
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
There has been some showing that EAAs (which include the BCAAs plus the other 6 non-branched essential aminos) are better overall. Anyhow if you're getting complete protein you should be getting all of the aminos anyway, I just use EAAs in my intraworkout so I don't have to spend energy digesting them during a long session.
@mikebarnacle14694 ай бұрын
But the science doesn't support bro science, it says you are consuming far far far too much protein for no reason. And it also has other negative health effects.
@therightman20314 ай бұрын
Relation to FAT FREE body mass (muscle mass meter) is key in my opinion.
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
That is difficult to measure.. Going by weight and trimming the macros to prevent getting fat works at a practical level.
@justmyself10004 ай бұрын
I'd be curious to see how an individual production of protease enzyme affect ideal protein consumption. As an example: I'm in my sixth decade....I don't secrete the same amount of protease enzymes as I did in my youth. I don't seem to benefit from increased protein intake. But I seem to benefit from supplementing by using Bromelain and Papain. Nothing measured. Just anecdotal and observed. Also, there are many individual factors affecting one's protein synthesis and how it's utilized. Amazing in this day and age there is still much to learn...
@leonardofalcao97524 ай бұрын
Here we go for one more jaw dropping content. It's amazing!!
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Haha, thank YOU :)
@eliteenergy4 ай бұрын
I didnt see much difference in a higher protien diet. I thinks carbs are very important for size
@peterpan4084 ай бұрын
To get that nice marbling in the meat? I would rather have lean gamey texture 😉
@zerrodefex4 ай бұрын
Agreed, past 170g there was no improvement but adding back up to 300g of carbs and I started leaning down very quickly while my lift numbers rose every week.
@GettingAGrip2084 ай бұрын
It’s interesting to me that the average muscle gained generally kept at an upward trajectory with less below the curve and less above. To me that means the higher the protein intake the more you can ensure max growth/recovery. I have dug into the science behind protein for many years and accepted that I don’t need more than 1G per LB of bodyweight. HOWEVER, I have had a few extended periods of 1.5 G per LB daily and it has coincided with my “best looking” and absolutely strongest forms I have ever had in my life. Every single one of my biggest PRs has been set during the higher protein periods. I also am not substantially increasing calories during this time, I take away some carbs and add the protein. Also very hard for the scale to move up quick during these higher protein periods even if I increase the calories. Most likely due to being able to put in more effort into my training and daily life. Could be coincidence but for whatever reason my body tends to respond well to higher protein intake than 1G per LB
@thatweakpowerlifter25154 ай бұрын
I think it would be great if we had a study that shows if you can still gain the same amount of muscle with the same amount of protein intake in the long run. (which we all know is impossible if you train hard and rest hard but don't hitting a plateau) The point is, a trained person might need more protein intake simply because he has more muscle mass. So maybe you need to increase your protein intake after awhile to break through the plateaus.
@thatweakpowerlifter25154 ай бұрын
And you see, someone with more muscle mass is indeed still taking more absolute amount of protein compared to the past, since he has more mass now. But is it really enough after awhile?
@MrMortimus64 ай бұрын
there is aso huge diffrence in terms of bioavailability of diffrent forms of protein. So its always better to eat more than neccesary, id say 2g pr pound is optimal
@kinzo97664 ай бұрын
Can u make a video about "mind-muscle connection" I think it's a important subject for maximum muscle hypertrophy I know u made a video 3 years ago about it, but if there's any new data about this subject, new video is needed since u uploaded many videos for other subjects when a new Data is available 😅
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Interestingly, there hasn't been any new studies on the topic haha, so my views haven't changed much. But if anything does come out, I'll probably have an update :)
@dynaspinner644 ай бұрын
Overrated unless you are having a weak muscle group as an intermediate/advanced trainee. Or if you are dealing with other muscle groups taking over the one you intend to target.
@ialexis.stetic4 ай бұрын
I rarely use my protein, bc I always complete my dialy protein intake (1.6x kg)
@watchdog66194 ай бұрын
Huh and there i am only feeling the strength gain after one week workout break 🤔😅
@sleeplessi936814 ай бұрын
O:49 you all miss the most important metrics....blood vessel growth and branching and inflow-outflow...anytime I trIn I gain veins,after the veins formed growth kicks in,when I'm stop training even for years,muscle memory kicks in(veins and arteries are developed) so growth is instant..makes sense?😊😅🎉😂❤ 9:49
@Jimmy29li4 ай бұрын
Very good vid.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
Thank you much!
@Rainy_Day122344 ай бұрын
.6 to 1.5 grams of protein per lean body weight(pounds)depending on the amount of exercise.
@galbenceszabo32774 ай бұрын
I guess, beginners need more protein, than advanced trainers, because resistance exercise increase the sensitivity of muscle to BCAAs for activating mTOR. That's how anabolic steroids work and that's why teenagers and steroid users can grow muscle very fast on low-protein. And that is why older ones needs more protein in some studies (older ones are more inactive usually and less circulating testosterone, both gives less sensitivity for BCAAs). So maybe a beginner needs 1,6g/kg, but a advanced body builder needs just 1,2g/kg (but calories). Also, possibly the it also depends on the training style: The more muscle damage (ex.: series done more close to failure) also increase protein need, because of higher need for repair (more protein synthesis with same FFM increase).
@xDeathBySpikesx4 ай бұрын
Why would people deviate from decades of anecdotal evidence of what actually works, that has been used to created tens and thousands if not more of solid bodybuilder physiques, because a study told them so?
@johnk675716 күн бұрын
Given the ambiguous nature of research results, and relatively small sample sizes in exercise science, why not err on the side of caution - say 2g/kg/day. Because it simply doesn't cost that much. I don't see ANY evidence suggesting that higher protein ranges could be detrimental to gains (probable at some point because carbs are a superior fuel source) so simply, why not?
@coolcatbaron4 ай бұрын
200gram per cell in body daily.
@HouseofHypertrophy4 ай бұрын
😂
@georgesarreas55094 ай бұрын
Serge nubre (can't remember how it's spelled) did it .
@bva04 ай бұрын
Although very high protein intake may not directly impair kidney health, it can likely lead to hyperuricemia (high uric acid blood levels), which can cause gout and kidney stones (which, in turn, damage kidney tissue). There are genetic factors, of course. I have to stick to 1.4g/kg per day or less to avoid hyperuricemua, but others may not need to.
@parthchaudhary71864 ай бұрын
You can go for testing also
@jarrod16874 ай бұрын
Interesting, haven't considered this
@arkapravade72344 ай бұрын
I am sticking to 1.4 gm/kg too, it has made my overall health a lot better
@krispbacon94744 ай бұрын
The problem is everyone is different and we live in an "I want solutions right now, with a side of dopamine" culture, but science incessantly attempts to discover a one size fits all anyway.
@GAINZonWHEELS4 ай бұрын
In my prime 3 pro kg/ day 300 gram, 1200 kcal.. bodyweight fat, 100 grams, 900 kcal, rest carbs..
@Derp8464 ай бұрын
This is probably the best video I have ever seen on the amount of protein needed topic. I like the video even more since it confirms my assumptions that I made from doing alot of research.
@GuidoDePalma4 ай бұрын
awesome video, thank you
@argonkrux98734 ай бұрын
You might want to eat more protein if you are doing fullbody because that protein is being spread across thin between all muscles