Slayer's Den

[01dragonslayer]

by Chris Shugart​

Is This Viral Trend Worth Doing?​

It's a social media trend that works… if you're really, really out of shape. Here's how to modify it you're already taking care of business.​

About every 10 years, something amazing happens: the younger generations rediscover an old fitness idea and it becomes new again. It makes sense. You're probably not paying attention to exercise and diet when you're 10. By age 20, you probably are. And you definitely are by 30.

A more recent "what's old is new again" idea (resurrected by social media) is the 30-30-30 rule. It goes like this:

Within 30 minutes of waking up, eat a breakfast containing 30 grams of protein, then go for a 30-minute brisk walk.

Does it work for health and fat loss? For the average underactive, overfat, protein-starved person, it does. Eating more protein always helps, and moving sure beats not moving. The "eat within 30 minutes of waking" part doesn’t matter much.

But what about those of us who are already diet-aware and active? Can we benefit from this general idea? Yep. But I call it the 40-50/30 rule.

Application for Lifters: Breakfast Protein​

Getting 30 grams of protein in one meal is actually daunting for normies who get excited about the 30-30-30 rule. It's one of the most Googled protein questions. But the average lifter probably thinks, "Just 30?"

It's true, the 30-30-30 rule was made for regular folks, folks who've only heard about the outdated RDA protein guidelines – 56 grams per day for men, 46 for women. Those numbers are high enough to ensure baseline immune system functioning, facilitate wound healing, prevent brittle bones, and ward off edema and anemia. Those RDA numbers are NOT high enough to fuel muscle growth, support hard training, increase all-day satiety, induce a thermogenic effect, or keep your metabolism rockin'.

For lifters and athletes, a better goal is to have 40-50 grams for breakfast. Not only does this help you hit your protein goal for the day (roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight), but one study showed that 40 grams of protein results in a 20% greater stimulation of muscle protein synthesis than 20 grams, especially after training.

Can you absorb and utilize that much protein in one sitting? Yes. In overly simplified terms, protein not used by the body for muscle-supporting benefits is used for fat-burning benefits. In one study, men and women consuming 50 grams of protein in a meal experienced a powerful boost in metabolic rate. The thermic effect was 34% higher than the subjects eating 30 grams.

In short, the first 25-40 grams in a meal is used for muscle protein synthesis – building or maintaining lean muscle. Anything over that creates a thermogenic effect, helping you lose fat and keep it off.

Breakfast ideas for 40-50 grams of protein:​

• Two pancakes made like this 131. (40 grams of protein)
• Four eggs and three slices of uncured turkey bacon. (46 grams of protein)
• A protein shake made with one frozen banana and two scoops of whey(45 grams of protein)
• Two waffles made like this 33, plus six ounces of Greek yogurt. (50 grams of protein)
• One serving of oatmeal with one scoop of MD Protein mixed into it, plus four ounces of turkey sausage (47 grams of protein)

Application for Lifters: Walking After a Meal​

There's nothing special about walking after breakfast as the 30-30-30 rule commands. It's simple marketing: it just sounds like a tidy morning routine.

But walking after any meal does have some surprising benefits. Dinner is usually our biggest meal, so that makes more sense. Here are some of the benefits of a post-dinner walk:

• Post-dinner walking lowers blood sugar levels by improving glucose uptake by the muscles, reducing the typical spike in blood sugar after eating. It helps prevent insulin resistance.
• Post-dinner walking promotes gastric emptying and improves digestive health to help you better put those nutrients to work. It also prevents bloating.
• The subject of cholesterol is tricky and controversial, but walking after dinner does reduce triglycerides and cholesterol if that's something that worries you.
• An evening walk, of course, adds to your daily calorie burn. Depending on your body weight and speed, walking for half an hour burns 80 to 250 calories. Itty-bitty people who walk slowly burn less; muscley people who walk fast burn more.
• Walking in general improves blood flow which speeds up the removal of metabolic waste products. It'll cure your DOMS faster. It also stimulates the lymphatic system to help reduce excess inflammation and promote quicker muscle recovery.
• Walking after dinner reduces the time spent scrolling social media or watching the news, thus reducing cortisol. Also, your dog will love it. (And your cat will be glad you left the house.)

The 40-50/30 Rule?​

Forget the "eat within 30 minutes of waking" part of the original rule. Some people do that and it's fine. Some people wait longer and it's fine.

But do eat 40-50 grams of protein for breakfast and consider a post-dinner walk for around half an hour. The 40-50/30 rule doesn't have a trendy ring to it; it won't go viral with 20-year-olds on TikTok, but it'll improve your health and get you closer to your goals.