Q&A: High Protein Diets, Hardgainers, Exercise Variety, and Bone Adaptations

In today’s episode, Greg and Eric field listener questions about the use of machines versus free weights, the importance of exercise variety, why some “hardgainers” struggle to gain weight, some interesting physiological roles of bone, and much more. To finish off the episode, Greg and Eric share some advice on how aspiring students can obtain good letters of recommendation, and how to make your way into the world of research. If you want your questions answered on a future episode, you can submit them using the following link: tiny.cc/sbsqa TIME STAMPS 0:02:14 Are there any downsides associated with high protein diets? Is the “one gram per pound of body weight” rule good? Study referenced: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2016/9104792/ 0:13:50 Is there any reason to believe that changing exercises circumvents the diminishing returns observed with completing several sets of the same exercise? Study referenced: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24832974 0:24:49 Are machines better or worse than free weights for hypertrophy? Study referenced: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27735888 0:36:39 We know that bone mineral density improves with weight training. Is there any reason to believe that purposefully improving bone mass could be a way to improve muscle mass and strength? Is it even possible to prioritize bone mass accretion in this manner? Study referenced: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27885410 0:50:13 Do "hardgainers" benefit from exceeding one gram of protein per pound of body weight? Do you see much in the literature about "hardgainers" who are female? 1:09:46 Is it possible to speculate that the diminished return from ‘training too hard’ can partly be explained by the magnitude of muscle protein breakdown exceeding the maximum magnitude of muscle protein synthesis that your body can stimulate in a single training session? 1:20:36 Do either of you have any recommendations on how to seek out a quality academic reference, without being a complete jerk about it? How can someone with aspirations of becoming a researcher get their start in the research world? MORE FROM THE SBS TEAM Work with a Stronger By Science coach : Get personalized training and nutrition plans and ongoing support from one of our expert coaches. Join the Research Spotlight newsletter : Our newsletter is the easiest way to stay up to date with the latest exercise and nutrition science. Join the SBS Facebook group and Subreddit . RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS Try MacroFactor for free : Use code SBS to get a 14-day free trial of our nutrition app MacroFactor. MacroFactor has the fastest food logger on the market and its smart nutrition coach adapts to your metabolism to keep you on track with your goals. Download it today on the App Store or Google Play . BulkSupplements : Next time you stock up on supplements, be sure to use the promo code “SBSPOD” (all caps) to get 5% off your entire order. MASS Research Review : Subscribe to the MASS Research Review to get concise and applicable breakdowns of the latest strength, physique, and nutrition research – delivered monthly.