Simon Hill
Simon Hill is a nutrition scientist and physiotherapist. His published research investigates dietary patterns, including the relationship between omnivore, vegan, and vegetarian diet quality and depressive symptoms. He has also authored commentary analyzing historical trends in saturated fatty acid consumption and their relationship with non-communicable diseases.
26 claims checked on air: 3 context 1 overstated 22 supported
What they said on air
There is no difference in muscle size or strength outcomes between plant and animal protein diets.
"You do not see a difference in muscle size or strength regardless if it was animal or plant, regardless of the two diets." (said at 0:00:46)
Randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses indicate that when total daily protein intake is sufficient (e.g., ~1.6 g/kg/day) and paired with resistance training, plant-based and animal-based protein sources result in comparable increases in muscle size (hypertrophy) and muscular strength. However, this equivalence requires adequate total protein and essential amino acid (notably leucine) intake to compensate for the lower anabolic potency and digestibility of individual plant proteins. In broader meta-analytic data not standardized for high protein intake, animal protein intake shows small advantages for percentage lean mass and absolute lean mass accrual in younger adults.
- supports: High-Protein Plant-Based Diet Versus a Protein-Matched Omnivorous Diet to Support Resistan… (Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2021) · cited 128x in the literature
"A high-protein (~ 1.6 g kg -1 day -1 ), exclusively plant-based diet (plant-based whole foods + soy protein isolate supplementation) is not different than a protein-matched mixed diet (mixed whole foods + whey protein supplementation) in supporting muscle strength and mass accrual, suggesting that protein source does not affect resistance training-induced adaptations in untrained young men consuming adequate amounts of protein." (abstract, conclusions, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - context: Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systema… (Nutrients 2021) · cited 157x in the literature
"Results from the meta-analyses demonstrated that protein source did not affect changes in absolute lean mass or muscle strength. However, there was a favoring effect of animal protein on percent lean mass. RET had no influence on the results, while younger adults (<50 years) were found to gain absolute and percent lean mass with animal protein intake (weighted mean difference (WMD), 0.41 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.74; WMD 0.50%; 95% CI 0.00 to 1.01)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Stearic acid, the predominant saturated fat in chocolate or cacao, does not seem to affect blood lipids.
"We talk about stearic acid, the most predominant saturated fat in chocolate or cacao that really doesn't seem to affect blood lipids." (said at 0:06:38)
Stearic acid (18:0) is the predominant saturated fatty acid in cocoa butter and chocolate. Extensive randomized controlled feeding trials and meta-analyses demonstrate that, unlike other long-chain saturated fatty acids such as palmitic (16:0) and myristic (14:0) acids, dietary stearic acid exhibits a relatively neutral effect on circulating total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, behaving similarly to oleic acid or carbohydrates in its impact on the lipid profile.
Approximately 75% of subjects dropped out of the Minnesota Coronary Experiment in the first year.
"75% of the subjects appear to drop out in the first year." (said at 0:11:46)
The claim is supported by the 2016 re-evaluation of recovered data from the Minnesota Coronary Experiment (PMID 27071971). Out of the 9,423 men and women randomized into the trial, only 2,355 participants were exposed to the study diets for one year or more. Due to high institutional turnover (discharges and dropouts) in the state mental hospitals and nursing home where the study was conducted, approximately 75% (7,068 of 9,423) of participants left the study before completing one year.
Meta-analyses of the longest, lowest-dropout randomized controlled trials replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats show a reduction in cardiovascular events.
"when you look at the trials that are longest in duration with the least dropout, with a good intervention that probably doesn't have this confounding variable of trans fats, you do see a reduction in risk of cardiovascular events in these short-term kind of RCTs." (said at 0:13:19)
Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating dietary fat modification demonstrate that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) or reducing saturated fat intake over long durations significantly reduces the risk of combined cardiovascular events and coronary heart disease (CHD).
A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs (Mozaffarian et al., 2010, PMID 20351774) specifically evaluated trials where PUFA was increased in place of saturated fat for at least 1 year without major confounding interventions. It found a 19% reduction in CHD events (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.95), and meta-regression confirmed that study duration was a key determinant of risk reduction, with trials of longer duration showing greater benefit. Similarly, the Cochrane Systematic Review (Hooper et al., 2020, PMID 32827219) assessed long-term RCTs (minimum duration 24 months) reducing saturated fat and found a 17% reduction in combined cardiovascular events (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.98, moderate-quality evidence), with benefit tied to the degree of saturated fat reduction and serum cholesterol lowering.
- supports: Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated … (PLoS medicine 2010) · cited 1219x in the literature
"The overall pooled risk reduction was 19% (RR = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.95, p = 0.008)... Meta-regression identified study duration as an independent determinant of risk reduction (p = 0.017), with studies of longer duration showing greater benefits." (abstract, results)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. (The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2020)
"The included long-term trials suggested that reducing dietary saturated fat reduced the risk of combined cardiovascular events by 17% (risk ratio (RR) 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70 to 0.98, 12 trials, 53,758 participants of whom 8% had a cardiovascular event, I² = 67%, GRADE moderate-quality evidence)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
About 40% of linoleic acid in the American diet comes from soybean oil alone.
"about 40% of linoleic acid in America comes from soybean oil alone" (said at 0:13:46)
Dietary availability and food-disappearance modeling studies of the US food supply (such as historical analyses by Blasbalg et al., 2011) demonstrate that soybean oil is the predominant dietary source of linoleic acid (LA) in the United States, contributing approximately 40% to 45% of total dietary linoleic acid intake following a >1000-fold increase in per capita soybean oil consumption over the 20th century.
Observational dietary survey data show that higher dietary intake of linoleic acid is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease.
"when you look at that and you sort of quantify how much linoleic acid is in people's diets, they have lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to people with higher amounts of linoleic acid compared to those with lower." (said at 0:14:03)
Large systematic reviews and meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies consistently demonstrate that higher dietary intake of linoleic acid is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and CHD mortality compared to lower intake, especially when replacing saturated fatty acids.
- supports: Dietary linoleic acid and risk of coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-ana… (Circulation 2014) · cited 563x in the literature
"When the highest category was compared with the lowest category, dietary LA was associated with a 15% lower risk of CHD events (pooled RR, 0.85; 95% confidence intervals, 0.78-0.92; I(2)=35.5%) and a 21% lower risk of CHD deaths (pooled RR, 0.79; 95% confidence intervals, 0.71-0.89; I(2)=0.0%)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Dietary intake, biomarkers and supplementation of fatty acids and risk of coronary events:… (Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 2024) · cited 18x in the literature
"Dietary intake of trans fatty acids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and saturated fatty acids from meat and unprocessed meat was modestly associated with a higher risk and, in contrast, intake of alpha-linolenic acid, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and linoleic acid was modestly associated with a lower risk." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Higher levels of linoleic acid in red blood cells or adipose tissue are associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and lower total mortality.
"You see again here, you see lower risk of coronary heart disease, lower risk of total mortality with higher levels in both red blood cell or adipose tissue." (said at 0:14:38)
A large pooled analysis of 30 prospective cohort studies across 13 countries evaluating circulating and tissue biomarkers of linoleic acid (including adipose tissue, erythrocytes, plasma, and serum compartments) demonstrated that higher biomarker levels of linoleic acid were associated with lower risks of total cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, and ischemic stroke, as well as a trend toward lower coronary heart disease risk.
- supports: Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortalit… (Circulation 2019) · cited 339x in the literature
"Higher levels of LA were significantly associated with lower risks of total CVD, cardiovascular mortality, and ischemic stroke, with hazard ratios per interquintile range of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.99), 0.78 (0.70-0.85), and 0.88 (0.79-0.98), respectively, and nonsignificantly with lower coronary heart disease risk (0.94; 0.88-1.00)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Clinical trials show that overfeeding linoleic acid (omega-6) does not increase arachidonic acid levels in the body.
"there are clinical trials where you overfeed people omega-6s and linoleic acid and you measure the amount of arachidonic acid, which is the next omega-6 that's produced... And it doesn't go up. So the body seems to buffer it and hold it at a pretty steady state." (said at 0:18:50)
Clinical trials and systematic reviews demonstrate that increasing dietary linoleic acid (LA) does not increase arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations in circulating lipid pools (such as plasma or erythrocyte phospholipids). A systematic review of adult human intervention trials (Rett & Whelan, 2011) found that increasing dietary LA up to six-fold showed no significant correlation with changes in AA levels, reflecting tight physiological buffering and regulated conversion rates in adults.
High levels of omega-6 fatty acids compete for shared enzymes and reduce the conversion of plant-based ALA to EPA and DHA.
"these two pathways you mentioned, they share the enzymes. So if you have a whole lot of omega-6 running through that pathway and using a lot of these enzymes... you rely on the conversion to DHA and EPA. But if you have a lot of omega-6s in the diet, that conversion is even lower." (said at 0:19:20)
The omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid, ALA) biosynthetic pathways utilize the same sequence of enzymes—primarily delta-6 desaturase, elongases, and delta-5 desaturase—to synthesize longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Stable isotope tracer studies in humans, animal feeding trials, and cellular models demonstrate that high dietary intakes or concentrations of omega-6 fatty acids compete for these shared enzymes, thereby reducing the rate and efficiency of ALA conversion to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
- supports: Long-chain conversion of [13C]linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in response to marked… (Journal of lipid research 2005) · cited 370x in the literature
"Long-chain conversion of [U-13C]ALA and [U-13C]LA, calculated from peak plasma 13C concentrations after simple modeling for tracer dilution in subsets from the FXO (n=6) and SO (n=5) diets, was similar but low for the two tracers (i.e., AA, 0.2%; EPA, 0.3%; and DPA, 0.02%) and varied directly with precursor concentrations and inversely with concentrations of fatty acids of the alternative series." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Linoleic and α-linolenic acid as precursor and inhibitor for the synthesis of long-chain p… (Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience 2012) · cited 79x in the literature
"Competition between the n-3 and n-6 LC-PUFA biosynthetic pathways was evidenced by reductions of ARA (>40%) at high ALA intakes. Concentration of EPA (>35%) and DHA (>20%) was decreased by high LA intake (all P < 0.001)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Twelve-week clinical trials show that feeding a high-saturated-fat diet increases liver fat more than feeding a high-polyunsaturated-fat diet.
"I've been interested by some of these relatively short clinical trials, like 12-week studies looking at feeding people a lot of saturated fat or polyunsaturated fats... when you dial up saturated fats, you seem to increase liver fat more than when you dial up polyunsaturated fats." (said at 0:28:39)
Randomized clinical dietary intervention trials support the claim that increasing saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake increases liver fat accumulation to a significantly greater degree than increasing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake. In double-blind randomized controlled trials, hypercaloric overfeeding of SFA (e.g., palm oil) markedly increased intrahepatic lipid content (including a relative 50% increase in liver fat over 8 weeks), whereas overfeeding PUFA (e.g., sunflower oil) did not induce significant liver fat accumulation or liver enzyme elevation despite equal weight gain (PMID: 31369090, PMID: 24550191). While some study durations in this literature range from 7 to 8 weeks or up to 16 weeks under eucaloric conditions (PMID: 33381795), the clinical trial evidence robustly confirms that saturated fat promotes hepatic steatosis significantly more than polyunsaturated fat.
Higher levels of linoleic acid in red blood cells and adipose tissue are associated with lower risks of heart disease, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality.
"And when I look at the linoleic acid seed oil consumption data, again coming back to red blood cell content and also adipose tissue, people with higher linoleic acid in their tissue have lower risk of heart disease, cancer mortality, and total mortality." (said at 0:36:27)
Large systematic reviews and pooled meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies demonstrate that higher biomarker levels of linoleic acid (measured in adipose tissue, red blood cells, or other blood compartments) are significantly associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality. A 2020 meta-analysis examining 65,411 participants with biomarker measurements found that each standard deviation increase in tissue/blood linoleic acid was associated with a 9% reduction in total mortality (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.87–0.95), an 11% reduction in CVD mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85–0.94), and a 9% reduction in cancer mortality (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.98). A 2019 pooled consortium analysis of 30 prospective cohorts (68,659 participants) similarly confirmed that higher tissue and circulating linoleic acid levels are associated with significantly lower risks of total cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular mortality.
- supports: Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortalit… (Circulation 2019) · cited 339x in the literature
"Higher levels of LA were significantly associated with lower risks of total CVD, cardiovascular mortality, and ischemic stroke, with hazard ratios per interquintile range of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.99), 0.78 (0.70-0.85), and 0.88 (0.79-0.98), respectively, and nonsignificantly with lower coronary heart disease risk (0.94; 0.88-1.00)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Dietary intake and biomarkers of linoleic acid and mortality: systematic review and meta-a… (The American journal of clinical nutrition 2020) · cited 128x in the literature
"Pooled RRs for each SD increment in LA concentrations in adipose tissue/blood compartments were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87, 0.95; I2 = 64.1%) for total mortality, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.94; I2 = 28.9%) for CVD mortality, and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.98; I2 = 26.3%) for cancer mortality." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
From the age of 30 onwards, adults lose approximately 0.5% to 1% of muscle mass per year.
"And and what we see is from the age of about 30 onwards, we see a reduction in muscle mass, about half to to kind of um 1% per year" (said at 0:40:11)
The speaker's statement that muscle mass decline begins around age 30 at roughly 0.5% to 1% per year (commonly cited in geriatric literature as a 3% to 8% loss per decade) reflects widely recognized population estimates, but requires nuance. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies evaluating skeletal muscle mass across the adult lifespan show that while relative skeletal muscle mass begins to decline in the third decade (around age 30), significant absolute skeletal muscle mass loss typically accelerates later, noticeably after the fifth decade (around age 50).
After age 50, muscle mass loss accelerates to 1% to 2% per year, totaling 10% to 14% loss per decade.
"and then by the age of 50, that can ramp up, so you you can be losing 1 to 2% of your muscle mass per year, right? So you could be losing 10-14% of your muscle mass per decade after the age of of 50." (said at 0:40:23)
The speaker's statement reflects standard estimates in musculoskeletal and aging research regarding the trajectory of sarcopenia. In inactive adults, muscle loss begins around age 30 at an average rate of 3% to 8% per decade and accelerates around age 50 to approximately 1% to 2% annually (equivalent to roughly 10% to 15% loss per decade), alongside a parallel decline in strength and resting metabolic rate.
After age 50, adults lose muscle strength and power at a faster rate per year than they lose muscle mass.
"From age 50, you're losing more strength per year than you are muscle mass, which is also really important: strength and power." (said at 0:40:46)
Published quantitative reviews and longitudinal studies demonstrate that muscle strength and power decline at a substantially faster annual rate than muscle mass in aging adults. While muscle mass decreases at approximately 0.5% to 1.0% per year with advancing age, muscle strength declines at roughly 2.5% to 4.0% per year, representing a rate of loss 2 to 5 times faster than the loss of mass (a distinction characterized clinically as dynapenia versus sarcopenia).
Average daily protein intake among adults in the United States is approximately 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
"but average protein intake is at about 1.2 grams per kilogram at the moment in in America, um, which could be a little bit further optimized" (said at 0:41:55)
Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data confirms that average relative daily protein intake among adults in the United States is approximately 1.1 to 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Specifically, Berryman et al. (2018) examined NHANES 2001–2014 data across 57,980 participants and found that relative protein intake among adult demographic groups averaged approximately 1.10 to 1.32 g/kg body weight per day (e.g., 1.10 ± 0.01 g/kg/d in adults ≥71 years, 1.18 ± 0.01 g/kg/d in non-Hispanic white and black adults >19 years, and 1.32 ± 0.02 g/kg/d in Asian and Hispanic adults >19 years). Therefore, the claim that average daily protein intake among US adults is approximately 1.2 g/kg is directly supported by nationally representative population data.
During aging and sedentary behavior, innervating motor units die off, accompanied by a selective reduction in Type II fast-twitch fibers and a relative increase in slow-twitch fibers.
"And unfortunately, what happens is that the when you're not stimulating the muscle, the kind of motor units, the nerves that go into the muscle that innervate them that allow us to contract to control, they they die off. And so something that I think is often not appreciated is that as we're aging, we're not just losing muscle mass, but the quality—we're losing quality muscle. And we get a shift from type II kind of fast-twitch fibers... And as we age, we get this reduction in the fast-twitch and relative increase in slow-twitch." (said at 0:42:17)
Published human physiological research and reviews confirm that aging and physical inactivity are associated with motor unit loss (denervation of motor neurons). This process disproportionately affects fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibers, leading to selective Type II fiber atrophy and loss. Many surviving denervated fibers are subsequently reinnervated by slow-twitch (Type I) motor units (collateral sprouting), resulting in a relative shift and grouping toward slow-twitch fiber characteristics.
- supports: Effects of aging on muscle fibre type and size. (Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2004) · cited 673x in the literature
"Loss of muscle fibre number is the principal cause of sarcopenia, although fibre atrophy--particularly among type II fibres--is also involved. Several physiological mechanisms have been implicated in the development of sarcopenia. Denervation results in the loss of motor units and thus, muscle fibres." (abstract, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Exercise-mediated reinnervation of skeletal muscle in elderly people: An update. (European journal of translational myology 2022) · cited 114x in the literature
"With aging, type 2 fast fibers preferentially undergo denervation and are reinnervated by slow-twitch motor neurons. They spread forming new neuro-muscular junctions with the denervated fibers: the result is an increased proportion of slow fibers that group together since they are associated in the same motor unit. Grouping and fiber type shifting are indeed major histological features of aging skeletal muscle." (abstract, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: The physiology and biochemistry of skeletal muscle atrophy as a function of age. (Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 1994) · cited 96x in the literature
"Studies have shown that with age there is some loss of peripheral motor neurons, reduction in the number of motor units, alterations in the neuromuscular junctions, and selective denervation of Type II muscle fibers." (abstract, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Master athletes who remain physically active in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s can attenuate most age-related muscle loss.
"In order for us to combat this—and we see this, Mark, if you look at masters athletes, there's some studies... Older older athletes, right? So athletes that are in their 50s, 60s, 70s, you know, sometimes early 80s that have been physically active throughout their life, they can attenuate a lot of that muscle loss." (said at 0:43:33)
Cross-sectional studies and reviews demonstrate that master athletes aged 40 to 80+ who maintain high levels of chronic physical activity preserve significantly greater muscle mass, mid-thigh muscle area, and quadriceps strength compared to sedentary peers, effectively attenuating typical age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). For example, Wroblewski et al. (2011) evaluated master athletes aged 40 to 81 and found that mid-thigh muscle area and lean mass did not decline across age groups, suggesting that much of the muscle loss observed in typical aging reflects disuse atrophy rather than intrinsic muscle aging alone. Similarly, Walsh et al. (2017) observed zero cases of sarcopenia among master athletes aged 40 to 70+ years. However, because these observational cross-sectional data cannot rule out healthy-user selection bias, the certainty of evidence is low.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein of 0.8 g/kg was established based on nitrogen balance studies designed to determine minimum requirements to prevent deficiency, rather than to optimize muscle mass or function.
"GUEST1: They do these nitrogen balance studies and they were done a long, long time ago. But I'd say just at a very high level to explain that those studies are more looking at a requirement of protein— HOST: Like preventing protein deficiency. GUEST1: Not an optimization of protein, yeah." (said at 0:48:21)
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein (0.8 g/kg body weight/day for healthy adults) was derived from meta-analyses of nitrogen balance studies designed to determine the minimum average protein intake necessary to achieve zero nitrogen balance (the estimated average requirement, or EAR) and meet the basic maintenance requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. These foundational studies evaluate the prevention of deficiency and basal nitrogen loss rather than the optimization of muscle mass, athletic performance, or functional outcomes.
Studies demonstrate that increasing dietary protein intake without concurrent resistance training does not result in strength gains.
"There's a a beautiful study that looked at strength um and protein intake in two different contexts. So one was looking at as you dial up protein in the context of someone who's doing resistance training, and then the other is if you dial up protein and they're sedentary. What happens to strength? What you see is increasing protein without resistance training basically does nothing." (said at 0:49:38)
Dietary protein supplementation augments muscle strength and fat-free mass primarily when paired with progressive resistance exercise training. In the absence of resistance exercise or mechanical loading (such as in sedentary or physically inactive individuals), increasing dietary protein intake does not stimulate significant muscle hypertrophy or meaningful gains in muscle strength.
- supports: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplement… (British journal of sports medicine 2018) · cited 1117x in the literature
"Data from 49 studies with 1863 participants showed that dietary protein supplementation significantly (all p<0.05) increased changes (means (95% CI)) in: strength-one-repetition-maximum (2.49 kg (0.64, 4.33)), FFM (0.30 kg (0.09, 0.52)) and muscle size-muscle fibre cross-sectional area (CSA; 310 µm 2 (51, 570)) and mid-femur CSA (7.2 mm 2 (0.20, 14.30)) during periods of prolonged RET." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Effects of protein supplementation on muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performan… (BMC geriatrics 2025) · cited 10x in the literature
"Protein supplementation had no statistically significant effect on total lean body mass (p> 0.05). Furthermore, secondary muscle mass parameters showed negligible intervention benefits, whereas heterogeneous outcomes were observed across muscle strength and physical performance metrics." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Approximately 80% to 90% of the United States population fails to meet standard resistance training guidelines.
"So and and if you like 80 80 or 90%, I think, of the US population are not meeting the resistance training guidelines." (said at 0:50:08)
Nationally representative surveillance data from the United States show that approximately 73% to 80% of US adults do not meet the federal muscle-strengthening activity guidelines (defined as performing strength training at least 2 days per week). Analyses of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that adherence to muscle-strengthening guidelines rose from 19.8% in 1997 to 27.2% in 2018 (leaving ~73% to 80% non-adherent). Non-adherence rates reach 80% to 85% when evaluating combined guidelines (meeting both aerobic and muscle-strengthening criteria) or specific demographic subgroups (such as rural populations, where only 21.1% meet strengthening recommendations).
- context: Prevalence of Meeting Aerobic, Muscle-Strengthening, and Combined Physical Activity Guidel… (MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2023) · cited 61x in the literature
"Prevalence of meeting the aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines was consistently the lowest in Nonmetropolitan counties (38.2%, 21.1%, and 16.1%, respectively) and highest in the West region (52.1%, 35.3%, and 28.5%, respectively). Regardless of rural-urban classification and region, no more than 28% of adults met combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Trends in adherence to the muscle-strengthening activity guidelines in the US over a 20-ye… (General hospital psychiatry 2023) · cited 10x in the literature
"The overall prevalence of adherence to MSA guidelines significantly increased (p < .001) from 1997 to 2018 (19.8% to 27.2%, respectively)... It is over a 20-year span, adherence to MSA guidelines increased across all age groups, although the overall prevalence remained below 30%." (abstract, results and conclusions)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Resistance training with moderate loads in the 8 to 12 repetition range provides greater bone mineral density benefits than performing high repetitions with light weights.
"also at the 8 to 12, you get the added benefit of loading the skeleton. So, you get the bone mineral density benefits that you don't get as much if you're doing a light weight and doing 30 reps." (said at 0:50:50)
The speaker claims that resistance training in the 8 to 12 repetition range provides bone mineral density (BMD) benefits that are not achieved as much with light weights at 30 repetitions. While high-intensity, heavy-load resistance training (e.g., >80–85% 1RM, typically 5–12 reps) is well documented to elicit clinically meaningful bone density improvements compared to low-load home control programs (e.g., LIFTMOR trial), systematic meta-analyses directly comparing high-load to low-load resistance training show overall similar effects on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD in middle-aged and older adults. Furthermore, low-load, high-repetition programs (e.g., BodyPump or high-rep weight training) have also been shown to significantly increase or preserve BMD compared to non-lifting controls. Thus, asserting that high-repetition light-weight training does not provide comparable bone mineral density benefits overstates the distinction between load ranges.
- contradicts: Low load, high repetition resistance training program increases bone mineral density in un… (The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 2017) · cited 21x in the literature
"Compared to baseline, BMD significantly increased for S-WEIGHT in the arms (+4%, P<0.001), legs (+8%, P<0.01), pelvis (+6%, P<0.01) and lumbar spine (+4%, P<0.05)... These results suggest that a low load, high repetition resistance training program may be an effective method to improve bone mass in adults." (abstract, results and conclusions)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical F… (Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2018) · cited 445x in the literature
"HiRIT (n = 49) effects were superior to CON (n = 52) for lumbar spine (LS) BMD (2.9 ± 2.8% versus -1.2 ± 2.8%, p < 0.001), femoral neck (FN) BMD (0.3 ± 2.6% versus -1.9 ± 2.6%, p = 0.004)" (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - contradicts: High and low-load resistance training produce similar effects on bone mineral density of m… (Experimental gerontology 2020) · cited 30x in the literature
"The meta-analysis revealed no difference between groups for femoral neck (weighted mean difference [MD] and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.00 g/cm 2 [95% CI, -0.01 to 0.01]; P = 0.63) and lumbar spine (MD = 0.01 g/cm 2 [95% CI, -0.00 to 0.02]; P = 0.12) BDM... Both high- and low-load RT have similar effects on femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD in aging people." (abstract, results and conclusions, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
During resistance training, the majority of strength and muscle-building benefits from protein are achieved at 1.2 g/kg, with minimal additional benefits gained between 1.2 and 1.6 g/kg.
"as you dial up protein, most of the benefit is is driven once you get to 1.2. There is a little bit further getting going from 1.2 to 1.6 g. It's kind of like squeezing the last few drops out of the towel." (said at 0:50:58)
Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials examining protein intake during resistance training support the claim. A dose-response meta-analysis by Tagawa et al. (2020) demonstrated that the rate of lean mass accretion per 0.1 g/kg/day increase in protein intake is substantially steeper below 1.3 g/kg/day (0.39 kg increase) than above 1.3 g/kg/day (0.12 kg increase), confirming that the majority of muscle-building benefits occur at lower-to-moderate thresholds. Furthermore, landmark meta-analyses by Morton et al. (2018) and Tagawa et al. (2022) found that additional gains in fat-free mass and muscle strength plateau around 1.5 to 1.62 g/kg/day, beyond which no further significant training-induced benefits are observed.
- supports: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplement… (British journal of sports medicine 2018) · cited 1117x in the literature
"Protein supplementation beyond total protein intakes of 1.62 g/kg/day resulted in no further RET-induced gains in FFM." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass increase: a systematic r… (Nutrition reviews 2020) · cited 116x in the literature
"In the multivariate spline model, the mean increase in lean body mass associated with an increase in protein intake of 0.1 g/kg of body weight per day was 0.39 kg (95%CI, 0.36-0.41) and 0.12 kg (95%CI, 0.11-0.14) below and above the total protein intake of 1.3 g/kg/d, respectively." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Synergistic Effect of Increased Total Protein Intake and Strength Training on Muscle Stren… (Sports medicine - open 2022) · cited 42x in the literature
"In the dose-response analysis using a spline model, muscle strength increase with resistance training showed a dose-dependent positive association with total protein intake, which is 0.72% (95% CI 0.40-1.04%) increase in muscle strength per 0.1 g/kg body weight [BW]/d increase in total protein intake up to 1.5 g/kg BW/d, but no further gains were observed thereafter." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Clinical trials by Hamilton Roschel and Alistair Monteyne comparing vegan and omnivorous diets at 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg protein intake showed no difference in muscle hypertrophy or strength gains over 10 to 12 weeks of resistance training.
"There's been a couple of clinical trials, Hamilton Roschel out of Brazil and then Alistair Monteyne and his group with Benjamin Wall that have actually looked at comparing omnivorous diets to vegan diets where all of the protein comes from plants... in these two studies that go for 10 and 12 weeks long where they're doing resistance training in healthy adults and they put the protein intake at 1.6 g per kilo or in Alistair Monteyne's it was more about 2 g per kilo which is pretty high. You do not see a difference in uh muscle size or strength gains throughout that 10 to 12 week period" (said at 0:52:17)
Both referenced clinical trials directly evaluated these parameters and found no significant differences between vegan and omnivorous diets. The 12-week trial led by Hamilton Roschel's group (Hevia-Larraín et al., 2021) compared habitual vegan and omnivorous young men undergoing resistance training at ~1.6 g/kg/day of protein and found identical gains in leg lean mass, muscle cross-sectional area, and 1RM strength. Similarly, the 10-week trial by Alistair Monteyne and Benjamin Wall's group (Monteyne et al., 2023) compared young adults on vegan vs. omnivorous diets at ~2.0 g/kg/day of protein and found comparable increases in lean mass, thigh muscle volume, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, and 1RM strength.
- supports: High-Protein Plant-Based Diet Versus a Protein-Matched Omnivorous Diet to Support Resistan… (Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2021) · cited 128x in the literature
"Both groups showed significant (all p < 0.05) PRE-to-POST increases in leg lean mass (VEG: 1.2 ± 1.0 kg; OMN: 1.2 ± 0.8 kg), rectus femoris CSA (VEG: 1.0 ± 0.6 cm 2 ; OMN: 0.9 ± 0.5 cm 2 ), vastus lateralis CSA (VEG: 2.2 ± 1.1 cm 2 ; OMN: 2.8 ± 1.0 cm 2 ), vastus lateralis muscle fiber type I (VEG: 741 ± 323 µm 2 ; OMN: 677 ± 617 µm 2 ) and type II CSA (VEG: 921 ± 458 µm 2 ; OMN: 844 ± 638 µm 2 ), and leg-press 1RM (VEG: 97 ± 38 kg; OMN: 117 ± 35 kg), with no between-group differences for any of the variables (all p > 0.05)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: Vegan and Omnivorous High Protein Diets Support Comparable Daily Myofibrillar Protein Synt… (The Journal of nutrition 2023) · cited 60x in the literature
"Resistance training increased lean mass in both groups by a similar magnitude (OMNI2 2.6 ± 1.1 kg, VEG2 3.1 ± 2.5 kg; P > 0.05). Likewise, training comparably increased thigh muscle volume (OMNI2 8.3 ± 3.6%, VEG2 8.3 ± 4.1%; P > 0.05), and muscle fiber CSA (OMNI2 33 ± 24%, VEG2 32 ± 48%; P > 0.05). Both groups increased strength (1 repetition maximum) of multiple muscle groups, to comparable degrees." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
A 9- to 10-day clinical study led by Luc van Loon and funded by Beef Checkoff found no significant difference in daily muscle protein synthesis rates between omnivorous and vegan diets at 1.1 to 1.2 g/kg protein intake in active older adults.
"Luc van Loon published a study who's a big protein researcher and this study was funded by Beef Checkoff... They had protein intake at 1.1 to 1.2 g per kilogram and they were using elderly um healthy adults that were active and looking at daily muscle protein synthesis rates and no significant difference between an omnivorous diet and a a vegan diet" (said at 0:56:33)
A randomized controlled crossover trial conducted by Luc van Loon's research group evaluated 34 active older adults (aged 72 ± 4 years) consuming a 10-day controlled vegan diet versus an isocaloric, isonitrogenous omnivorous diet. Integrated daily muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates, measured using deuterated water, showed no statistically significant difference between the vegan (1.23 ± 0.04%/d) and omnivorous (1.29 ± 0.04%/d) diets (P = 0.2542).
A study by Nicholas Burd comparing vegan and omnivorous diets with even versus uneven protein distribution (10% at breakfast, 30% at lunch, 60% at dinner vs. five even meals) found no difference in daily muscle protein synthesis rates across groups.
"and one of those studies that I mentioned there the Nicholas Burd um study not only compared a vegan to omnivorous looking at muscle protein synthesis but looked at two different distributions uneven and even. So they looked at one where they had five meals across the day, even distribution, and then the other was uneven. So they only had 10% of protein at breakfast, 30% at lunch, and 60% at dinner... And they didn't see it. And in fact, across both groups, even comparing to the same group, there was no difference in daily muscle protein synthesis rates, even in an uneven distribution." (said at 1:03:04)
A randomized controlled trial led by Nicholas Burd's research group evaluated 40 healthy young adults consuming either an omnivorous or vegan diet (1.1–1.2 g/kg/d protein) with either an unbalanced distribution (10%, 30%, and 60% of protein across three meals) or a balanced distribution (20% of protein across five eating occasions) during a 9-day resistance training protocol. Using deuterated water, the researchers measured daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and found no statistically significant differences between the omnivorous and vegan groups or between the even and uneven distribution patterns.
Cancer guidelines do not recommend avoiding whole soy foods for cancer prevention or patients with cancer, but do advise against taking soy isoflavone supplements.
"the guidelines now certainly are not telling people to to avoid soy foods for preventing cancer or whether they have cancer. But they do say, and I think this is important for people to know, not to take soy isoflavone supplements, which have become relatively popular. You'll find them all over the internet. So having that that very isolated high dose of isoflavones, there is no evidence right now to to recommend that for people. Um, and it could be deleterious for someone who has cancer." (said at 1:09:25)
The speaker's statement accurately reflects current oncology perspectives and clinical guidance regarding soy. Epidemiological evidence shows that dietary intake of whole soy foods is safe, not advised against for cancer prevention or cancer patients/survivors, and often associated with neutral or protective outcomes. Conversely, high-dose isolated soy isoflavone supplements are not recommended due to insufficient evidence of safety or benefit, along with concerns that concentrated phytoestrogens could exert stimulatory or adverse effects in hormone-sensitive cancers.
- supports: Do phytoestrogens reduce the risk of breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence? What clin… (European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) 2008) · cited 82x in the literature
"Observational studies suggest a protective effect of isoflavones on breast cancer risk and the case may be similar for increasing lignan consumption although evidence so far is inconsistent. In contrast, short-term intervention studies suggest a possible stimulatory effect on breast tissue raising concerns of possible adverse effects in breast cancer patients. However, owing to the dearth of human studies investigating effects on breast cancer recurrence and survival the role of phytoestrogens remains unclear. So far, not enough clear evidence exists on which to base guidelines for clinical use, although raising patient awareness of the uncertain effect of phytoestrogens is recommended." (abstract, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - context: Phytoestrogens: science, evidence, and advice for breast cancer patients. (Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology 2010) · cited 6x in the literature
"There are important safety concerns associated with dietary supplements and foods rich in phytoestrogens, especially for breast cancer patients with hormone-sensitive disease. However, no consensus has been reached concerning specific dietary items that should be avoided, and safe levels of potentially problematic foods have yet to be determined." (abstract, passage verified)
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