Eating for Performance: What Actually Works
Cut through the noise. Here's what the science actually says about fueling your training for maximum results.
Protein: The One Thing You Probably Aren't Getting Enough Of
Protein is where most people fall short, and it's the single highest-leverage nutrition habit you can build. It repairs and builds muscle tissue, keeps you fuller for longer, and has the highest thermic effect of any macronutrient — meaning your body burns more calories just processing it. Aim for roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily. Hit that number consistently and you've done most of the work.
The Unsexy Fundamentals
Most of the results come from a handful of things nobody wants to talk about because they don't make for exciting content. Enough total calories for your goal — a surplus if you're building, a moderate deficit if you're cutting. Adequate sleep, because that's when your body actually repairs itself and the training you did becomes the adaptation you wanted. Hydration, because even mild dehydration affects performance, focus, and recovery. These aren't glamorous. They work anyway.
Ignore the Noise
Supplements, nutrient timing, and trending diets are rounding errors compared to the fundamentals. Creatine is legitimately useful. Most other supplements are optional at best. Eating within thirty minutes of training matters far less than what you ate across the entire day. Keto, carnivore, plant-based — the research consistently shows that the best diet is the one you can actually stick to. Eat mostly whole foods. Get your protein in. Sleep. Stay hydrated. Repeat. Everything else is a distraction until those are locked in — and for most people, they never fully are. That's the real work. It's not complicated. It just requires consistency, which is harder than any protocol.