Thread: Dependent on protein?

There is some truth to it. After a long period of high protein intake, if you drastically lower it for a few days (3-5), you will lose size rapidly. But, when you re-introduce the protein back into your diet a higher % will be synthesized by the body, therefore more muscle growth. One of those two steps forward, one step back practices.

Refered to as "Protein Cycling".

Supreme Being said,
There is some truth to it. After a long period of high protein intake, if you drastically lower it for a few days (3-5), you will lose size rapidly.

*** When you say drastically lower it what do you mean?
I have gone from 300 grms to about 130 grms and I have not experienced this.


But, when you re-introduce the protein back into your diet a higher % will be synthesized by the body, therefore more muscle growth. One of those two steps forward, one step back practices.
Refered to as "Protein Cycling".

*** There is a artcile on t-mag, I'm assuming your referring to this. Its just a theory.


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Exercise, my drug of choice

"When you say drastically lower it what do you mean?
I have gone from 300 grms to about 130 grms and I have not experienced this."

I mean go to about 50g of protein per day.

"There is a artcile on t-mag, I'm assuming your referring to this. Its just a theory."

Actually, i was refering to an article written by Eric Hesse on ironmag. I'll see if i can dig it up.

Read this

From http://www.testosterone.net/html/135diet.html

Protein Cycling

Synopsis: Dr. Marcus R. Jones believes that bodybuilders eat too much protein. Yep, he actually said that. Out loud, even. The theory is that since bodybuilders are constantly clobbering their systems with protein, they become less efficient at using it. However, he maintains that by cycling between periods of low (20 to 40 grams per day for about four weeks) and fairly high protein consumption (one gram per pound of bodyweight), the body will be put into a state of "perpetual growth without plateaus."

Reader Feedback: As fascinating as this all sounds, it just didn't ring the cherries for those who tried it. The feedback from readers was mostly negative. Most felt they were shrinking away during the low protein phases. There were a couple of people who said the program worked for them, but these success stories were few and far between.

Conclusion: Sounds great, looks great, comes from a smart dude, but dammit, it just didn't work. The original article can be found here, a follow-up can be found here and an article by Cy Willson that attempts to explain why the diet went balls-up can be found here.


<font size="1">[This message has been edited by KabooM (edited 05-28-2001).]</font>

I would be interested in his own experiences on this method.
I would also be interested to see who the subjects were being used for these experiment put forth by those Drs.
Obese, trained athletes, medical patients etc....
Protein cycling will work because you are taking something away from the body and limiting it, just like when you start taking zinc,(ZMA) omega fats, creatine, steroids.
and you've not taken it for awhile.
You are applying a theory to a absolute extreme situation. Someone who takes excess amounts of protein and then cuts it down to next to nothing. I do believe the original posts was about a woman who stated that taking protein( not excess amounts) for long periods of time would be detrimental.

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Exercise, my drug of choice

"I would be interested in his own experiences on this method."

When i asked him about it, he told me it worked very well for him and others who have used it (Dexter Jackson was one of his examples...if i remember correctly)

"I would also be interested to see who the subjects were being used for these experiment put forth by those Drs.
Obese, trained athletes, medical patients etc...."

I would be interested as well.

"Protein cycling will work because you are taking something away from the body and limiting it, just like when you start taking zinc,(ZMA) omega fats, creatine, steroids.
and you've not taken it for awhile."

Yup.

"You are applying a theory to a absolute extreme situation. Someone who takes excess amounts of protein and then cuts it down to next to nothing."

I don't understand how it is extreme, i'm sure it wasn't what the lady was refering to, but i think the theory has a lot of merit.

"I do believe the original posts was about a woman who stated that taking protein( not excess amounts) for long periods of time would be detrimental."

I think she was saying that once you eat a certain amount of protein for a long period of time, you NEED that much to continue to see gains. which is completely false, as is a lot of gym advice.