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Forbes
16-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
The Hottest New Fitness Craze Is One Of The Oldest—Because It Works
Rucking, or walking with a weighted pack, can be done in the city, the country or the woods, and the ... More simplicity is one of the reasons it is suddenly so popular. With over two million copies sold to date, the health blockbuster Outlive by Peter Attia, MD is currently Number Eight on the New York Times Non-fiction Bestseller List. But the impressive number is not eight, it's 107. That is how many weeks the book has been on the list, having already reached the Number One spot and remained a bestseller for more than two years since. Among many other things, Outline helped drive the hottest new fitness craze. The Hottest 'New' Fitness Craze Many readers of Outlive, including me, made systemic lifestyle changes, from the medical tests they get to what they eat to how much they exercise. But in particular Dr. Attia helped re-popularize one specific form of exercise, 'rucking,' or walking around with a weighted pack. Of course, he was not alone in making one of the oldest forms of exercise hot again. In a single 2-day span last month both the Times and rival Wall Street Journal ran long articles with nearly identical titles on why 'weighted vests' are suddenly hot. They both kind of got it wrong as the articles really described rucking, and weighted vests are largely a different thing in the fitness world, but they were both right about it being a hot trend. You don't have to enlist or join special forces to benefit from rucking, but there is a reason why ... More every major armed force in the world uses this as a primary form of fitness. Another NY Times bestselling author and former Men's Health magazine editor, Michael Easter, champions rucking in his book The Comfort Crisis, going so far as to practice the activity, normally associated with hiking or walking, while vacuuming his home and on a treadmill. Easter has been rucking regularly for well over a decade and while the pursuit is suddenly hot, he was an early adopter. He told me, 'As a health and wellness journalist I always took an evolutionary look at what we do. When you look at modern fitness, a lot of people run, which is something humans evolved to do. But very few people carry, which we also evolved to do, and in my opinion is even more important. So, I started throwing on a backpack with weight, it's so simple. You burn anywhere from 20-30% more calories than just walking, it's uniquely good for burning fat and building muscle, and it's a full-body exercise. When you run you just get cardio but not necessarily strength, with rucking you get both, building muscle while losing weight. And I feel very confident saying it has a much lower injury rate than running, it's closer to walking.' 'Everyone has tried running, and it works for some people, but others get hurt or just don't lie it. Rucking is just more approachable and easier.' Comfort Crisis author Michael Easter and his dog getting ready to ruck. Easter cites the work of expert Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman, a widely acclaimed evolutionary biologist known for his research on running and walking in humans. It was Lieberman who coined the term 'born to run' about barefoot running cultures, later borrowed as the title of yet another big fitness bestseller. In his own fascinating book Exercised, Why Something We Never Evolved To Do is Healthy and Rewarding, Lieberman praised these evolutionary roots of rucking, explaining that the ability to carry weighted loads over long distances voluntarily (without having them strapped to us like a donkey) differentiates humans from every other creature on the planet and is a huge part of our species success and of being human. Rucking is the act of walking or hiking (or for the devout using a treadmill at the gym) while wearing a weighted pack. It has been the primary fitness exercise of choice for most of the world's military forces for centuries (or longer), and the term comes from the name from a widely used military backpack, a rucksack. 'Rucking is very much a military term,' says Easter, 'and some people hear military jargon and think 'that's not for me,' but humans have been carrying weights for thousands of years, and it has always been good for us.'Michael Easter out on a training ruck. It differs from backpacking mainly in that it is intentional exercise, not something you have to do to carry the gear needed to camp in the wilderness. People strap on a weighted pack and walk their dogs or stroll around the neighborhood or go on hikes, in order to accomplish two fitness goals: burning more calories in the same duration of walking, and building muscle strength, while in turn improving bone density while becoming generally fitter. There is also a difference from backpacking in the packs and how you bear the weight, but what predominantly makes it rucking is intent, and that intent is to become healthier and stronger. But the best thing about it is that it is simple, and thus arguably the easiest new exercise routine to incorporate into your life, something many people struggle to do with all sorts of workouts. If you want to start a new fitness regimen tomorrow, I can't think of many things that are effective that are easier to do than adding rucking to your life, and ease of adoption is incredibly important in the success of any new plan. This is especially true if you already walk at all. I've always praised the health benefits of owning dogs, which need to be walked every day, and mine don't care if it's hot or cold or raining or snowing, they get my wife and I out for an hour or more each day, including many days when we would blow off the walk in bad weather if we didn't have dogs. After reading Outlive about a year ago, I started rucking almost every day when I walk my dogs, and I was doing that anyway, so I needed to add exactly zero extra time to get a better workout. Rucking is not just good for you, it's also an incredibly efficient way to exercise. Easter also rucks when he walks his dog. Pack manufacturer GoRuck has helped develop hundreds of local Ruck Clubs around the country so ... More people can work out in social groups. Many people, even those without dogs, already do some sort of fitness walking, and rucking is a natural addition to this. Of course, if you don't walk already, you have to add it to ruck, but you should be adding walking anyway (unless you run instead, and most experts do not recommend ruck-running). I also ruck when I hike, within reason, usually on hikes of 90-minutes or less. On longer hikes I am wearing a pack with gear and water anyway. It's lighter, but still added weight. Rucking has been an extremely popular form of exercise used by the military, and is currently employed by just about every armed force on earth. The reason it has lasted so long and continues to be so widely used is because the military sees the results, thousands of times each year, and knows it works. Special Operations Forces Prep Coach is a coaching programmed designed to help those trying out for U.S. special forces units (Navy Seals, Delta Force, Green Berets, etc.) make the cut in the highly selective, competitive and rigorous physical training programs required for admission. On its site, the coaches ask 'How important is rucking? There are three studies in the past three decades on SFAS [Special Forces Assessment and Selection] and each of them found that rucking performance was the greatest predictor of getting selected, more than any other physical factors like running, pull-ups, or A.P.F.T scores.' Rucking is so popular with elite special forces soldiers that in his New York Times bestseller Can't Hurt Me —with over 7 million copies sold—former Navy SEAL David Goggins used heavy load rucking to train for both the SEAL teams and to later become one of the top ultra-endurance race competitors in the world. Goggins remains the only soldier ever to complete the elite training programs of the SEALS, Army Rangers and Air Force Tactical Controller, and was named the 'The Fittest (Real) Man in America' by Outside Magazine. Even bestselling fictional SEALS use rucking—in Jack Carr's hugely popular series of Terminal List novels (turned into a Chris Pratt series on Prime) his ex-Navy SEAL protagonist James Reece gets back into shape by wearing a weighted pack up and down mountains. Rucking packs come in a variety of sizes depending how much you want to carry. But you do not have to be a special forces operator to benefit from rucking, and one of the great appeals is that almost anyone can do it, as you can start with small amounts of weight. 'The bearded dudes going into Afghanistan carried 120 pounds. I carry 45. My mom goes rucking with me and she uses 10 pounds,' says Jason McCarthy, a former special forces soldier who started GoRuck, the biggest company in the niche field of rucking gear, with his wife Emily (former CIA). I spoke to McCarthy over the phone while he was out rucking around his Florida neighborhood, and it's how he manages his time to stay hyper-ft and get his workouts in while running a company. 'You can train wherever you are, city rucking is just hiking in the city, and while we've been talking I just got in 3000 steps. This morning, I rucked while I walked my dog. Now I don't have to carve out time to go to the gym. It's about finding time to exercise.' 'Why does it work? It's always worked, since the beginning of time. I'm trying to create a 'new' fitness category that's actually been around forever. Nike started with running at a time when no one had heard of running, it was just for crazies and weirdos.' To that end, in addition to making rucking gear, GoRuck puts on several hundred public rucking events each year and has helped build a grassroots network of about 700 'ruck clubs' across the country to help newcomers join a community. 'People are starving for real world connections, and we have to create alternatives that make it fun and healthy to make those connections. The vibe is inviting and they are free. At first no one in the media wanted to cover it because it isn't a $2000 piece of gym gear or high-tech. The whole beauty of rucking is that it is simple and it works. If you believe walking is great, getting outside is great, getting stronger is great or having a healthier heart is great, then it is for you. Every form of human movement gets harder when you add resistance, and this adds resistance.' You can even practice rucking while traveling. This is the GR-1 backpack, the best carry-on bag I ... More have ever had and the one I have carried for the past few years. For someone who sells rucking gear, McCarthy surprisingly recommends starting by not buying any. 'When you were in college you probably walked around campus with a backpack full of books. I see people in the airport with these really heavy backpacks. A lot of people are rucking and don't even know it, because it's so natural. Don't go buy a bunch of expensive stuff. Start with what you have and for most people I recommend 20 pounds. If you put a dumbbell in a school backpack it's going to bounce off your back and you'll hate it, so maybe start with a bag of rice.' I tell my friends who are starting out to use multiple water bottles, because if the pack proves too heavy once you get out on the trail, you can just pour some out. Easter seconds this beginning approach. 'The beauty is simplicity, and unlike some other fitness and gear programs there is no paralysis by analysis. You own a backpack. You own something that weighs something. You have water bottles. Ideally you want the weight close to your back and higher up, so I tell people to put a yoga block or equivalent in the bottom of their pack and then put the weight on top of that to get it higher. If you use a dumbbell or weight plate, wrap it in a towel for cushioning. Go get started and then if you keep doing it, decide if you want to move on to more specialized gear.' I have done a lot of backpacking and hiking and gear reviews and probably have more packs than anyone should own, but I got a specific rucking pack from GoRuck, because it does make a difference. Backpacking packs are specifically and technologically designed to use a substantial hip belt and transfer weight to the lower body. That makes it more efficient and easier to carry loads long distances over uneven terrain, but the point of rucking is exercise, and to make your walk harder, not easier. The rucking pack has no waist belt, and is very low profile, so as Easter says, it holds the weight (I use metal plates and tubes of sand) close to your back and high up (Easter also uses GoRuck packs for his rucking). I was already familiar with the company because I use and write on luggage for all travel and sports, and in my many years of questing to find the perfect carry-on bag for my very frequent travel around the world, I've ended up with the GoRuck GR-1. I've had this for a few years, longer than I have been rucking, and like all their products it is overbuilt to truly last a lifetime. I put the GR-1 in my 2024 Father's Day luggage buying guide here at Forbes as the top carry-on and wrote 'The GoRuck GR-1 is simply the best carry-on bag for active travel (or any travel) I have found.' NY Times gear testing site Wirecutter also picked the GR-1 as 'The Best Buy It For Life Backpack' and wrote, 'It isn't just tough, it's nearly indestructible.' It's bigger and doesn't have a dedicated metal plate pocket, but you can definitely also use the GR-1 as a rucking pack if you want to buy just one thing. Because I keep my carry-on loaded for flights all the time, I use a separate rucking-specific pack, the GoRuck Rucker 4.0 20-liter. This way I can just leave the weights in it and not move things around daily. All their stuff is made to military grade and practically indestructible. GoRuck makes rucking-specific packs in three capacities (15, 20 and 25 liter) and several sizes for different heights. Easter says, 'I tell people to never go over a third of your body weight, and I carry about 20% of my body weight. I don't like vests where weight is on your chest because that affects your breathing, I only go on my back. If I'm training for big backcountry trip, I'll get on a treadmill with a very heavy pack, like 60 pounds, crank up the incline to a steep setting and walk slowly for 45 minutes, that's a great workout.' I've been carrying 21-24% of my body weight. You can also use the packs to add to your bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups. Just to clarify the misleading verbiage of the recent newspaper articles, there are also weighted vests, as Easter mentions, that carry weight on the front and back. GoRuck makes these as well, as do many fitness gear companies, and these are far more widely available than rucking-specific packs, which may cause the confusion. Weighted vests have traditionally been accessories used at the gym for serious strength training, mainly to add resistance to body weight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups. With strength training, to increase the workload you can do more repetitions, lift heavier weights or both, but body weight exercise is generally limited by your body weight. Most of us would struggle to do 10 pull-ups, but if you get to the point where you can do, say 30, you can either keep doing more or add weight, and a vest is the way to do that. For rucking, keep it on your back. But you can also use these rucking packs in the gym (or stopping for pushups on your hike) in lieu of a vest for most bodyweight exercises. The recent Wall Street Journal article said that carrying 10% of your body weight burned 8.5% more calories, while going to 20-30% jumped that to 19.7 and 32.2%. They also said carrying weight activated muscles in your back, shoulders, abs and lower body. The Journal also cited studies showing that rucking can prevent or reduce bone density loss while ageing. When you exercise regularly and eat well it is very difficult to break out the effect individual lifestyle elements have on your overall health and performance, which is why anecdotal reports are not a reliable source of training information. In addition to rucking I am also doing regular strength training with weights, hiking, cycling and doing high intensity interval training, plus myriad other activities. Nonetheless, I have been doing most of those things for a long time, and a year after I added rucking to my fitness mix I am at the leanest, fittest state of my adult life, I've had no pain or soreness or injuries related to rucking, my tangible performance at endurance events such as long distance cycling and hiking has improved, and I have to believe that my frequent rucking (60-90 minutes 4-5 times a week with 35-40 pounds) has made a difference. Just the fact that over the year I have been able to increase the weight when it gets easier seems to prove that strength and endurance are being built along the way. For most of my life, the primary focus of health-based exercise was aerobic, but in recent years studies have shown that strength training is much more important to long term health than many people thought, possibly even more important than cardio, and directly related to bone density. But for a well-rounded fitness routine you want cardio and aerobic exercise and full body strength, and most of us want to burn more calories. Rucking does all of this, in a way that is easy, efficient and time effective compared to many other kinds of exercise. But it should not take the place of strength training and other exercise but rather makes a perfect addition to those. It can also be highly social and is fun and easy to do with friends. 'I'm already going to go for a walk or walk the dog, so I might as well throw on the pack and get a lot more benefit from the walk,' says Easter. This simplicity and efficiency is a big part of the reason why rucking is the hottest new fitness craze.
IOL News
11-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
To read a book is such delight: A Journey Through Words, Fear and Becoming
Whispers Within the Pages Between the covers of stories not my own, I discovered mirrors. Books helped me name fear, reframe growth and slowly write myself into a more intentional narrative. As a child, I memorised a simple line: 'To read a book is such delight.' That innocent joy—the thrill of flipping open a new world—still sparks something inside me. But over the past 18 months, reading and writing about transformation has shown me that books aren't just delightful. They're catalytic. They've pushed me to confront fear, question long-held beliefs, and begin rewriting my own story. Have you ever stumbled upon a sentence so true it stopped you in your tracks, made your heart race, and your thoughts scramble to catch up? When was the last time a book helped you challenge something you believed—about yourself, about the world, or about what's truly possible? Or a story that made you see yourself differently, even just a little? This journey? Far from smooth. There were days when the words wouldn't come and self-doubt shouted louder than any spark of inspiration. I remember one afternoon, staring at a blank page, paralysed by the whisper: 'Who do you think you are to write this?' But I've learned that it's often the difficult days that teach us the most. They show us who we are when everything feels uncertain. Each book became a mirror, a map, a compass. They challenged me to rethink what's possible, to sit with discomfort, and to welcome change—even when it felt like the ground beneath me was shifting. Here are 10 lines from books that became guideposts along my path of fear, growth, and becoming: 1. Outlive by Peter Attia "Longevity is not just about adding years to life, but life to years." What does it mean to truly live, not merely survive? 2. Belonging: Finding Tribes of Meaning by Alison Weihe "We all crave connection; belonging is the soil where growth takes root." Where do you find your tribe? 3. Living on Earth by Peter Godfrey-Smith "We are the earth's story, written in flesh and breath." How connected do you feel to the world around you? 4. Optimal by Daniel Goleman & Cary Cherniss "Emotional intelligence is the compass that guides us through life's storms." How well do you navigate your inner world? 5. The Four-Way Path by Francesc Miralles & Hector Garcia "Happiness blooms where purpose, love, and hope intertwine." What fuels your happiness? 6. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins "You can't control others, but you can master your response." How often do you choose your reaction over impulse? 7. Nervous System Reset by Jessica Maguire "Healing begins when we learn to soothe our own nervous system." What calms you when life feels overwhelming? 8. AI and the Human Spirit by Sameer Rawjee "Technology should amplify our humanity, not replace it." How do you balance technology with your inner life? 9. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates "Empowering others is the surest path to lifting ourselves." How do you lift those around you? 10. Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent "Love and sacrifice are the twin flames that ignite resilience." What sacrifices have shaped your strength? Bonus: The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher "Every dialogue is a chance to rewrite your story." What conversations have changed your life? These lines have been my compass, steady through the storms, illuminating the path ahead. What about you? Which words have shifted your thinking, or moved you closer to who you're becoming? Reading a book is a delight. But living its lessons? That's transformation. So the next time a line reaches out and grabs you—hold onto it. Let it unravel you, rebuild you, remind you who you truly are. Books may not have all the answers, but sometimes, they ask exactly the right questions. And maybe, that's where the real magic begins.
Axios
14-05-2025
- Health
- Axios
Longevity's new muscle: Creatine
Creatine monohydrate, once a supplement marketed to bodybuilders and athletes, has now become popular with aging Americans. Why it matters: It's another tool longevity experts say can help people live stronger for longer — both in body and mind. What we're hearing: Building muscle before old age is key to maximizing healthspan. Doctor and " Outlive" author Peter Attia says strength built now will define how mobile you'll be in the last 10 years of your life — think, the ability to carry groceries (or not) in your 80s and 90s. Researchers also say strength training will add years to your life, and creatine can enhance its results. For women, creatine is being praised more specifically as one of "the most important supplements" they can take. It's specifically a hot topic for women in perimenopause and menopause. Orthopedic surgeon Vonda Wright, who has said every woman should be strong enough to complete 11 pushups, takes 5 grams of creatine daily. Early research suggests benefits even in pregnancy. How it works: As we age, we lose muscle (known in the medical community as sarcopenia) and can't move like we did in our 20s. Creatine is a compound that boosts energy. When taken regularly, people might have more energy to complete high-intensity exercises and see increased muscle growth. Yes, but: An active lifestyle is required. "You can't sit on the couch" and expect to grow muscle, cautions David Brady, chief medical officer at supplements company Designs for Health, who tells Axios he takes a creatine supplement while working out. Brains get a boost on creatine, too, research suggests. The supplement has been linked to improved memory, brain health, depression treatment and increased energy. How much creatine, for how often and paired with what diet and exercise is largely an individual equation. The recommendation from supplement companies is typically 5 grams a day, with a loading period of more at the start. Some people have reported surprisingly good results in 30 days, while others in a recent, small clinical trial didn't see much difference over 12 weeks. There's little harm trying it: A recent meta- analysis of hundreds of studies found little to no negative side effects from the supplement. Creatine is in food, but you'd have to eat a steakhouse-sized portion of red meat or seafood (up to 2 pounds) every day to hit 5 grams. In fact, we worked with a dietitian to try to identify a healthy creatine-rich diet as an example for this story, and they ultimately determined supplementation was the easiest way to consistently hit 5 grams without vastly increasing calories and cholesterol to unhealthy levels. Reality check: While creatine can boost muscle, it isn't required to build muscle in the same way that protein is needed. If your goal is to live healthier than the average American, that can usually be achieved through adjustments to food, exercise and sleep, Angel Planells, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Seattle-based dietitian, tells Axios. "A supplement isn't a cure-all, fix-all."
Straits Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Are you getting enough protein? Is there such a thing as too much?
Protein is important, but focusing too much on it can come with downsides, such as having less room for other healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: MORGANE FADANELLI/NYTIMES Are you getting enough protein? Is there such a thing as too much? NEW YORK – People are in a protein craze, and it is hard to ignore. Walk into any grocery store, and you will find rows of protein-fortified energy bars, breakfast cereals, baked goods, snacks and even sports drinks. And on social media, influencers – many with medical or scientific degrees in their bios – claim that most people are woefully deficient. One of the most well-known protein proponents is Dr Peter Attia, a physician, podcaster and author who advises and invests in various protein-related food companies. In his best-selling book, Outlive, he says that the federal recommendations for protein are 'a joke', suggesting that most healthy and active people should consume nearly three times as much. In a 2024 survey of 3,000 American adults, 71 per cent said they were trying to consume more protein – up from 59 per cent in 2022. So, are the federal recommendations wrong? Would most people benefit from eating more protein? Or is the obsession just another passing health fad? The New York Times reviewed dozens of studies and interviewed 12 nutrition scientists, many of whom have been studying protein for decades. All agreed that more research on the topic is needed, but the science now does clarify some of the confusion. Here is a fact-check of six big protein claims. The claim: The federal recommendation is wrong Scientists have debated whether it should be a little higher, but the current level seems adequate for most people. Nutrition experts in the United States recommend that most healthy adults eat at least 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight every day. For a 68kg adult, this translates to 54g a day – or the amount in about 240g of chicken breast. Some studies suggest this amount should be higher — by about 25 to 50 per cent, or 1 to 1.2g per kg of body weight. But scientists do not agree that those studies are better than the ones used to make the federal recommendation. The best – if limited – evidence now suggests that the current level is adequate for most people's basic needs, said Dr Wayne W. Campbell, a professor of nutrition science at Purdue University. The federal recommendation was intended to prevent protein deficiency and to maintain lean tissues, like muscle, in most people, he added . That level is not necessarily optimal for everyone. Many people – including those who are strength training or losing weight – may benefit from consuming more, he said. Dr Attia declined multiple requests for comment. The claim: Most Americans are not getting enough protein Research suggests this is false. According to the latest data, the average man in the US is overshooting the federal protein recommendation by more than 55 per cent and the average woman by more than 35 per cent. If most people were not consuming enough protein, there would be widespread signs of malnutrition, and there are not, said Dr Nancy Rodriguez, a professor emerita of nutritional sciences at the University of Connecticut. People who follow a balanced diet, like one recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are probably 'getting plenty of protein', Dr Campbell added – even vegetarians. That said, not everyone follows a balanced diet, and some people get less than what is recommended, which could put them at risk for deficiency. Teen girls, women and older adults, for instance, are particularly at risk of falling short of the federal recommendation. The claim: You need more protein to build muscle Research backs this up. Dr Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who offers advice to active women online, recommends consuming up to triple the federal recommendation. Dr Attia and other protein proponents suggest similar targets, along with exercise. If you are strength training, experts say you will probably want to consume more protein than the federal recommendation. But tripling it 'is far more than most people require', said Dr Luc van Loon, a professor of physiology of exercise and nutrition at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. In one well-designed trial of 50 middle-aged participants who followed a rigorous strength training programme for 10 weeks, half consumed about 1.5 times the federal recommendation, and the other half consumed about twice as much. After the training period, both groups were stronger and had gained lean mass, with no difference in results between them. For most people who want to build muscle, consuming around 1.5 to two times the federal recommendation is plenty, said assistant professor of geriatrics David Church at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Beyond that amount, he added, the effect of protein on muscle gain 'kind of plateaus'. The claim: Older adults need more protein Some research backs this up, but more studies are needed. There is some evidence that consuming more protein as you get older can reduce the risk of age-related muscle loss, but these findings have been mixed. In a three-year study of nearly 25,000 women aged 65 to 79, for example, those who consumed about 50 per cent more protein than the federal recommendation were less frail than those who consumed less. But other studies in older adults, including randomised controlled trials, have not consistently shown a benefit to consuming more protein. In a trial published in 2018, researchers provided 92 older men with diets that either matched the federal recommendation or contained 63 per cent more protein. After six months, the researchers found no differences in lean mass, muscle strength, walking speed, fatigue or well-being between groups. Despite the mixed evidence, nutrition experts in Europe encourage all people older than 65 to consume at least 25 per cent more protein than the US guidelines recommend. And, they add, older people may benefit from eating even more if they are healing from injury or recovering from surgery or hospitalisation – a recommendation Dr van Loon agreed with. The claim: High-protein diets can help with weight loss Research suggests this is partly true. Many posts on social media – several of them geared towards women – promote high-protein diets for weight loss. Some short-term trials in women and men have shown that eating 1.5 to two times the federal recommendation helped people lose more weight than lower-protein diets did. Research also suggests that protein can reduce hunger hormone levels and be more satiating than carbohydrates or fats. But longer-term studies have not always found that people lose more weight on high-protein diets compared with other weight-loss diets, said Dr Bettina Mittendorfer, a professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Still, research suggests that if you are actively trying to lose weight, increasing your protein may help you lose more as fat and less as lean mass, which includes muscle. In a review published in 2024, scientists concluded that consuming at least 25 per cent more protein than the recommended amount may help preserve muscle during weight loss. For people consuming fewer calories, whether because they are dieting or taking a medication like Wegovy or Ozempic, it is important to get adequate protein, Dr van Loon said. Strength training at least twice a week is also crucial for preserving muscle during weight loss, he added. The claim: The more protein, the better Experts have concerns about this approach. If you spend time online, you may see posts urging you to eat significantly more protein and saying that there is no harm in doing so. But focusing too much on protein can come with some downsides, experts said. It might, for example, leave less room for other healthy foods, like fruit, vegetables and whole grains – which most people n eed more of, Prof Church said. It could also prompt you to eat more animal products, which are linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease and earlier death, said Dr Frank B. Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Or you might rely on processed sources of protein, like powders or bars, instead of whole-food sources of protein such as beans, tofu, nuts, whole grains, fish or chicken, which are more healthful options, he added. Too much protein may also strain the kidneys in those with chronic kidney disease, Dr Campbell said. More than one in seven adults in the US are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, and up to nine out of 10 do not know that they have it. 'That gives me pause about the more-is-better approach,' Dr Campbell said. Dr Mittendorfer sees echoes of past nutrition trends in today's protein craze. 'There are these waves in public opinion,' she said. Fats and carbohydrates were once villainised, yet scientists found that the nutrients themselves were not bad; the issue was more about overeating certain foods they were in. As with any nutrient, she added, you should not have too much or too little. There is a 'Goldilocks zone' that meets your body's needs without causing problems, she said. The same is true for protein. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNN
02-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Intelligent Future: Physician behind ‘Early Medical' Speaks to CNN about Longevity
CNN's Becky Anderson is launching a new series, "Intelligent Future," exploring how technology is revolutionizing our world today and reshaping the way we will live tomorrow. In the second installment, she speaks with Dr. Peter Attia, founder of Early Medical and author of "Outlive" on what health and longevity mean in this day and age.
