Muscle Building Foods: 10 Best Proteins and How Much to Eat

The best muscle building foods give your body protein rich in the amino acid leucine, in servings big enough to make a meal count. Complete proteins from grass-fed red meat, wild fish, pasture-raised eggs and poultry lead the list, and goat and sheep dairy, bone broth, beans, lentils, fermented soy and seeds fill it out.14

Protein is the most important thing to focus on when you want to build muscle and burn fat.2 It works hand in hand with training:

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The 10 foods further down run animal foods first, then bone broth and collagen as support, then plant foods, each with its protein and leucine per serving from USDA records. First, here's how much protein you need and how food builds muscle. If you're looking for full meal ideas, see what to eat to gain muscle.

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How much protein do you need to build muscle?

That range lines up with the research on lifting. In a review of 49 randomized trials with 1,863 people who did resistance training for at least 6 weeks, adding protein built 0.30 kilograms (about two-thirds of a pound) more fat-free mass and 2.49 kilograms (about 5.5 pounds) more strength on a one-rep max than training alone.6 The gains leveled off at about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, which is about 0.73 grams per pound, and the authors suggested aiming as high as 2.2 grams per kilogram, about 1 gram per pound, for people who want the most from their training.6 A range of 0.7 to 1 gram per pound covers that whole span.

A larger 2022 review of 74 randomized trials found the same pattern: eating more protein added extra lean mass in people doing resistance training.7 For the daily math on other goals, see how many grams of protein you need per day.

Here's that range at five body weights:

If you have weight to lose, base the math on your goal weight, the way the Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset protocol does.8

Why does protein matter more after 40?

Your muscles respond less to the same meal as you get older, so the protein target goes up with age.

Lab studies have measured that effect. When one research group pooled its own studies, healthy men around 71 needed more than twice as much protein at a meal as men around 22 before muscle building topped out: 0.60 against 0.25 grams per kilogram of lean body mass.9 Counted against total body weight, the gap was smaller, 0.40 against 0.24 grams per kilogram, and could have been chance. For a 170-pound man, 0.40 grams per kilogram works out to about 31 grams at a meal, right in the 30- to 40-gram range.

Muscle loss with age, called sarcopenia, is gradual and then speeds up. Studies comparing younger and older adults put the average loss at about 0.47% of muscle a year in men and 0.37% in women; by age 75, men lose 0.80% to 0.98% a year and women 0.64% to 0.70%, and strength drops faster still, about 3% to 4% a year in men.10 Protein helps slow it. In a 3-year observational study that followed 2,066 adults in their 70s, the people who ate the most protein lost about 40% less lean mass than the people who ate the least, 0.501 kilograms against 0.883.11 An international expert group on protein and aging, PROT-AGE, recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram a day for healthy adults over 65, and 1.2 or more for those who exercise.12

Strength matters for more than how you look. In the PURE study of 139,691 adults in 17 countries, every 5-kilogram (11-pound) drop in grip strength was linked to a 16% higher risk of death from any cause over a median of 4 years, and grip strength predicted death better than systolic blood pressure did.13 It's never too late to build it. Not long ago, my dad, at 76, was trick skiing on one foot and doing 360s, and my mom, at 74, was slalom skiing.3 See strength training for longevity for how to start.

How does food build muscle?

Resistance training isn't optional if you want to build muscle.2 Here's the sequence after a protein-rich meal:

That last step has been measured. In one study, 8 healthy adults each ate two 7-day diets with the same total protein and calories: one spread it evenly, about 32, 30 and 33 grams at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the other loaded it at dinner, about 11, 16 and 63 grams.15 On the dinner-heavy pattern, muscles built new protein about 25% more slowly over 24 hours (0.056% against 0.075% an hour), and the gap was still there on day 7 (0.056% against 0.077%).15

At around 170 pounds, I aim for about 40 grams of protein four times a day.3 Don't try to get it all in one meal: a day of 10 grams at breakfast, 30 at lunch and 30 at dinner won't come close to the target.2

The best muscle building foods, ranked

I rank protein sources this way: meat is the highest-quality source, followed by eggs, with dairy close behind, and plant sources can be fantastic too.4 Every number below comes from USDA FoodData Central, worked out for the serving shown and rounded to the whole gram for protein.1

The beef row uses USDA's standard top sirloin record; the bison row uses its grass-fed record.1

1. Grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and venison

Per serving: 4 ounces of lean top sirloin has 34 grams of protein and 2.7 grams of leucine, the same amount of grass-fed bison has 29 grams, and venison has 34.1

Clean red meat is a core muscle-building food. In The Biblio Diet, Jordan Rubin and I suggest getting about half of your protein from animal meat, and choosing organic, grass-fed beef, bison, lamb or venison.18 There's a vast difference between 100% grass-fed and grain-fed meat: it's the same animal with completely different fat ratios.19 See grass-fed beef for the full comparison.

Red meat has been tested alongside lifting. In a 4-month trial in 15 Australian retirement villages, assigned at random as groups, 100 women aged 60 to 90 all did resistance training twice a week. The women asked to eat about 160 grams (5.6 ounces) of cooked lean red meat 6 days a week gained 0.45 kilograms (about a pound) more lean tissue and 18% more strength than the women who added a serving of pasta or rice instead, and their levels of the inflammatory marker IL-6 fell 16% more.20 In a study of 16 adults aged 65 to 85, each person ate two meals with the same protein and calories, and the whole-food meal built around lean ground beef raised muscle protein synthesis about 47% more than a vegan meal did.21

Keep red meat fresh, unprocessed and grass-fed. The WHO's cancer agency classifies processed meat of every kind, processed beef included, as a Group 1 carcinogen, largely on colorectal cancer data, and rates red meat itself Group 2A, probably carcinogenic.22 As I've said on my show, the studies that link red meat to poor health mostly reflect grain-fed and processed meat, not the fresh, grass-fed red meat I recommend.19

2. Wild-caught fish: salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring

Per serving: 4 ounces of cooked sockeye salmon has 30 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of leucine; Atlantic mackerel has 27, Atlantic herring 26, and a can of sardines packed in oil, bones included, 23.1

Wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring bring omega-3 fatty acids along with their protein, and fish is one of the two places your diet gets creatine.23 For seafood, I hold to the standard of wild, ocean-caught fish with fins and scales.18 Choose Atlantic mackerel rather than king mackerel, which is on the list of fish you should never eat.

The omega-3s in fish have their own muscle research in older adults. In a 6-month placebo-controlled trial of 60 healthy adults aged 60 to 85, taking fish oil capsules increased thigh muscle volume by 3.6% and handgrip strength by 2.3 kilograms (about 5 pounds) compared with corn oil capsules; 44 people finished the study.24 That trial tested daily fish oil capsules; wild fish brings the same kinds of omega-3s, EPA and DHA, along with a meal's worth of protein.

3. Pasture-raised eggs, yolk included

Per serving: Three large hard-boiled eggs have 19 grams of protein and 1.6 grams of leucine, or about 6 grams of protein per egg.1

Eat the whole egg, yolk included, and choose pasture-raised when you can.182 The yolk matters for muscle. In a study of 10 resistance-trained young men, each man ate whole eggs after one workout and an equal amount of protein from egg whites after another, and the whole eggs raised muscle protein synthesis more.25 Over 12 weeks of training in a randomized trial of 30 trained young men, those who ate 3 whole eggs after each workout gained more knee-extension and handgrip strength and lowered their body fat percentage more than those who ate 6 egg whites, while gains in muscle size were similar in both groups.26 See protein in an egg for egg sizes and cooking methods.

4. Organic, pasture-raised chicken and turkey

Per serving: 4 ounces of roasted chicken breast has 35 grams of protein, the most of any serving in the table above, and the same amount of roasted turkey breast has 34.1

Organic or pasture-raised chicken and turkey are lean, easy proteins to build a meal around, and they're on my list of the best protein sources.218 Roast, grill or slow-cook them, and skip fried or breaded chicken.18

5. Beef liver

Per serving: 3 ounces of pan-fried beef liver has 23 grams of protein and 2.1 grams of leucine.1

Liver supports detoxification and energy because it's one of the richest foods in B vitamins and iron.18 About 3 ounces once a week is a good target, unless your bloodwork shows vitamin A running high. The beef liver guide covers how to cook it so it tastes good, and the capsule option if you'd rather skip the taste.

6. Goat and sheep dairy

Per serving: A cup of sheep milk has 15 grams of protein, a cup of goat milk 9, and an ounce of semisoft goat cheese 6.1

When you eat dairy, choose full-fat goat and sheep dairy, ideally fermented, such as goat milk kefir or sheep milk yogurt.18 Sheep milk carries more protein than goat milk, cup for cup, and about 10% of its protein is leucine, the highest share of any food in the table above.181

7. Bone broth and collagen

Per serving: A cup of homemade chicken stock has 6 grams of protein and a cup of beef stock 5; 20 grams of unflavored gelatin powder, which stands in for collagen in USDA's records, has 17 grams of protein, 0.5 gram of leucine and no tryptophan.1

Every day, you should either drink bone broth or have a collagen supplement.27 For building muscle, collagen counts partially, not completely: count 20 grams of collagen as about 10 grams toward your protein target, because it's low in leucine and the other branched-chain amino acids.21

Collagen helps build muscle when it's paired with training. In a 12-week trial of 53 men in their 70s with low muscle mass who lifted three times a week, those taking 15 grams of collagen peptides a day gained 4.2 kilograms (about 9 pounds) of fat-free mass, against 2.9 kilograms with a placebo, and lost more fat, 5.4 kilograms against 3.5; neither the men nor the researchers knew who got what, and the collagen's maker supplied the product and paid some of the study's costs.28 See how much bone broth to drink a day for amounts.

8. Beans and lentils

Per serving: A cup of boiled lentils has 18 grams of protein and 1.3 grams of leucine, and a cup of black beans or chickpeas has 15.1

Lentils, beans and chickpeas belong on a muscle-building plate, ideally soaked or pressure-cooked first.18 Plant proteins carry less leucine than animal proteins, so eat a bigger portion or pair beans with another protein at the same meal.16 For more options, see plant-based protein foods.

9. Fermented soy and edamame

Per serving: 3 ounces of tempeh has 17 grams of protein, half a cup of natto 17 and half a cup of prepared edamame 9.1

Fermented organic soy, such as natto, tempeh and miso, is the soy I like; I don't like processed soy, such as soy milk.29 Organic edamame belongs on the list too, while tofu and non-organic soybeans sit on the avoid side of my food lists.18

10. Pumpkin and hemp seeds

Per serving: An ounce of pumpkin seeds has 9 grams of protein, and 3 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds also have 9.1

Seeds top up the protein in a meal. Sprinkle them over a salad, a bowl of lentils or a smoothie, and keep the serving modest, about a handful, the same limit I use for nuts.18

Also worth adding: A cup of cooked quinoa adds 8 grams of protein to a meal, and a tablespoon of spirulina adds 4.1

You won't find pork or shellfish on this list. My food lists leave out pork, and shellfish don't meet the fins-and-scales standard for seafood above.18

Do you need protein powder or creatine to build muscle?

Protein powder. I've called protein powder, by far, the number one supplement for building muscle and burning fat at the same time, and protein powder of all types counts.2 Whey protein, ideally organic, A2 and grass-fed, is a great option if you tolerate dairy; if whey or dairy doesn't agree with you, switch to a plant-based protein, a beef protein or an egg protein.2 A shake makes it easy to reach 30 to 40 grams at breakfast or after a workout. One morning, my breakfast was 40 grams of plant protein and another 20 grams of protein from a bone broth base, blended with a handful of berries, a little coconut milk and a tablespoon of ground flax and chia.2 See the best types of protein powder and pea protein for how they compare.

Creatine. Creatine helps your muscles do more work in each set of high-intensity effort.30 Take plain, unflavored creatine monohydrate, about 5 grams a day for most people, or about 3 grams if you're a smaller woman around 110 pounds.223 I max out at 5 grams a day, because past that point there's no extra benefit.23 In a review of 22 placebo-controlled trials with 721 adults, average age 57 to 70, who lifted two or three times a week, creatine added 1.37 kilograms (about 3 pounds) more lean mass than placebo and improved chest-press and leg-press strength.31

Red meat and fish are where your diet gets its creatine, so if you want more, eat more of both.23 A pound of uncooked beef or salmon provides about 1 to 2 grams of creatine, and your body needs to replace about 1 to 3 grams a day.30 See foods high in creatine and creatine for women for more.

What does a day of muscle-building eating look like?

Four meals from this list add up to about 166 grams of protein, close to 1 gram per pound for a 170-pound adult, using the USDA numbers above:1

Swap foods within a meal to suit your taste: sardines for salmon, turkey for chicken, lentils for black beans. For a smaller frame, shrink each serving to fit your number from the body-weight table. If you're new to lifting, pair this plate with compound exercises such as squats, hinges, pushes and pulls, and add weight over time, a principle called progressive overload. The Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset protocol puts strength training at three times a week.8

What holds muscle gains back?

A light breakfast. My fix is simple: "Raise the volume. Get real protein every meal, starting with breakfast."3 Three eggs alone fall short of a full meal's protein, so add goat cheese, sheep milk, hemp seeds or a protein shake to reach 30 to 40.1

Cutting calories too hard. When you're losing fat, keep the deficit moderate. I recommend about 300 calories below maintenance with protein kept high, because going too low drives cortisol up and pushes your body to break down its own muscle.2 High protein protects muscle even in a steep deficit. In a 4-week randomized trial, 40 young men ate about 40% fewer calories than they needed while training six days a week; those eating 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram gained 1.2 kilograms of lean mass and lost 4.8 kilograms of fat, against 0.1 kilogram of lean mass gained and 3.5 kilograms of fat lost at 1.2 grams per kilogram.32 See calorie deficit and body recomposition for how to set yours.

Short sleep. Sleep is construction, the time your body heals, so prioritize quality sleep, about 8 hours a night.2 In a study of 10 overweight adults on the same reduced-calorie diet, each person spent 14 days with 8.5 hours in bed and 14 days with 5.5; on short sleep, they lost 60% more fat-free mass (2.4 against 1.5 kilograms) and less than half as much fat (0.6 against 1.4 kilograms).33 See sleep deprivation for more on what short nights do.

Alcohol. In a study of 8 active men who each tried all three drinks, alcohol after a workout, about 12 standard drinks' worth for their size, lowered muscle protein synthesis by 24% even when they had protein with it, and by 37% when they had carbohydrates instead.34 The Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset keeps alcohol off through its muscle-building phase.8

Processed food. The protocol drops liquid sugar and ultra-processed foods from the start.8 Swap processed meat for fresh, grass-fed cuts too, for the reasons in the red meat section above.

Is a high-protein diet safe?

The bottom line

Muscle building foods: frequently asked questions

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2019): protein, leucine, isoleucine, valine and tryptophan per 100 g, with per-serving values computed from each record's per-100-gram values (protein printed to the whole gram, leucine to a tenth of a gram); vitamin A for beef liver. FDC IDs 168635 (beef, top sirloin, lean, broiled), 173847 (bison, ground, grass-fed, cooked), 172544 (lamb, ground, broiled), 175085 (deer, roasted), 168627 (beef liver, pan-fried), 171477 (chicken breast, roasted), 171496 (turkey breast, roasted), 173692 (sockeye salmon, cooked), 175139 (sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained, with bone), 175120 (Atlantic mackerel, cooked), 175117 (Atlantic herring, cooked), 173424 (egg, whole, hard-boiled), 170882 (milk, sheep), 171278 (milk, goat), 173433 (goat cheese, semisoft), 172421 (lentils, boiled), 173757 (chickpeas, boiled), 173735 (black beans, boiled), 168411 (edamame, prepared), 174272 (tempeh), 172443 (natto), 170148 (hemp seeds, hulled), 170556 (pumpkin seed kernels, dried), 168917 (quinoa, cooked), 170495 (spirulina, dried), 172884 and 172883 (chicken and beef stock, home-prepared), 169599 (gelatin, dry powder, unsweetened). Accessed October 12, 2026.
2. Axe J. Burn Fat, Build Muscle, Live a LOT Longer. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 5:48 (resistance training), 10:05 (women who lift), 15:06 (the foreman and the construction crew), 15:47 (protein as the most important focus), 15:55 (0.7 to 1 g per pound), 16:23 (his best protein sources), 17:04 (a moderate deficit of about 300 calories), 17:14 (cortisol when calories go too low), 18:03 (over 40), 18:27 and 19:05 (spreading protein, 30 to 40 g four times a day), 19:53 (collagen counts about half), 25:41 (his breakfast), 27:56 (the protein shake in his college locker), 30:43 (protein powder and whey), 31:36 (creatine dose), 32:05 (creatine and protein powder as his pick of two), 39:13 (sleep is construction), 42:07 (sleep) and 42:11 (muscle is not vanity); YouTube PKpftccZnv4).
3. Axe J. The 7 Biggest Health Mistakes People Over 40 Keep Making: And what to do instead. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 3:57 (his parents' water skiing), 7:43 (muscles become hard of hearing), 8:19 (protein every meal, starting with breakfast), 8:29 (40 g four times a day at around 170 pounds) and 22:16 (honor God with our bodies); YouTube 1V-TsjJEGPE).
4. Axe J. Top 3 Benefits of Protein (Why You Should Double Your Protein Intake). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe at 25:03, his ranking of protein sources: meat first, then eggs, with dairy close behind, and plant sources; YouTube SqxwU7KXzNg).
5. Axe J. Top 10 Reasons You're Not Healing. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe at 8:19, 30 to 40 grams of protein at each meal; YouTube bjU77gf__x4).
6. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608. PMID:28698222
7. Nunes EA, Colenso-Semple L, McKellar SR, Yau T, Ali MU, Fitzpatrick-Lewis D, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022;13(2):795-810. doi:10.1002/jcsm.12922. PMID:35187864
8. Axe J. Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (Phase 2, Build, p. 17: strength training three times a week with progressive weight; protein at every meal, 30 to 40 g, 0.7 to 1 g per pound of goal weight; creatine 3 to 5 g daily with lifting; protein powder; alcohol off; "Muscle is where blood sugar goes"; liquid sugar and ultra-processed foods dropped from the first phase; HbA1c and fasting insulin retested).
9. Moore DR, Churchward-Venne TA, Witard O, Breen L, Burd NA, Tipton KD, et al. Protein ingestion to stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis requires greater relative protein intakes in healthy older versus younger men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2015;70(1):57-62. doi:10.1093/gerona/glu103. PMID:25056502
10. Mitchell WK, Williams J, Atherton P, Larvin M, Lund J, Narici M. Sarcopenia, dynapenia, and the impact of advancing age on human skeletal muscle size and strength; a quantitative review. Front Physiol. 2012;3:260. doi:10.3389/fphys.2012.00260. PMID:22934016
11. Houston DK, Nicklas BJ, Ding J, Harris TB, Tylavsky FA, Newman AB, et al. Dietary protein intake is associated with lean mass change in older, community-dwelling adults: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(1):150-5. doi:10.1093/ajcn/87.1.150. PMID:18175749
12. Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, Cesari M, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Morley JE, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542-59. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021. PMID:23867520
13. Leong DP, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Avezum A Jr, Orlandini A, et al. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet. 2015;386(9990):266-73. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6. PMID:25982160
14. Kimball SR, Jefferson LS. Signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which branched-chain amino acids mediate translational control of protein synthesis. J Nutr. 2006;136(1 Suppl):227S-31S. doi:10.1093/jn/136.1.227S. PMID:16365087
15. Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, Casperson SL, Arentson-Lantz E, Sheffield-Moore M, et al. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. J Nutr. 2014;144(6):876-80. doi:10.3945/jn.113.185280. PMID:24477298
16. van Vliet S, Burd NA, van Loon LJ. The Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Response to Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Consumption. J Nutr. 2015;145(9):1981-91. doi:10.3945/jn.114.204305. PMID:26224750
17. Symons TB, Sheffield-Moore M, Wolfe RR, Paddon-Jones D. A moderate serving of high-quality protein maximally stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis in young and elderly subjects. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(9):1582-6. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2009.06.369. PMID:19699838
18. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439. Meat list (organic, grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and venison; about 50 percent of protein from animal meat); poultry list (organic or pasture-raised; fried or breaded chicken on the avoid side); eggs ("especially the yolk"); fish guidance ("Choose wild, ocean-caught fish. Make sure it has fins and scales," ebook p. 84); dairy (goat and sheep dairy; sheep milk has more protein than goat milk); beans and legumes (soaked or pressure-cooked; tempeh, miso and organic edamame on the eat side, tofu and non-organic soybeans on the avoid side); nuts ("about a handful at most a day," ebook p. 104); organ meats chart (liver: B vitamins, iron, detoxification and energy, ch. 8, p. 134); pork on the avoid list.
19. Axe J. 10 Biblical Superfoods That Can Add Years to Your Life. The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Episode 393. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 20:31 (grass-fed vs. grain-fed meat) and 21:03 (red meat studies and grain-fed meat); YouTube 9AnNi1umufc).
20. Daly RM, O'Connell SL, Mundell NL, Grimes CA, Dunstan DW, Nowson CA. Protein-enriched diet, with the use of lean red meat, combined with progressive resistance training enhances lean tissue mass and muscle strength and reduces circulating IL-6 concentrations in elderly women: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99(4):899-910. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.064154. PMID:24477043
21. Pinckaers PJ, Domić J, Petrick HL, Holwerda AM, Trommelen J, Hendriks FK, et al. Higher Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates Following Ingestion of an Omnivorous Meal Compared with an Isocaloric and Isonitrogenous Vegan Meal in Healthy, Older Adults. J Nutr. 2024;154(7):2120-2132. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.11.004. PMID:37972895
22. Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, Ghissassi FE, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, et al. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(16):1599-600. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1. PMID:26514947
23. Axe J. Creatine Isn't Just for Muscle: What It Does for Your Brain, Energy and Healthy Aging. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 3:14 (red meat and fish as creatine sources), 18:22 (5 grams a day is his maximum), 24:09 (plain, unflavored creatine monohydrate) and 24:27 (no kidney harm in healthy people; creatinine and cystatin C); YouTube bqe0ZGM4U1g).
24. Smith GI, Julliand S, Reeds DN, Sinacore DR, Klein S, Mittendorfer B. Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA therapy increases muscle mass and function in healthy older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(1):115-22. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.105833. PMID:25994567
25. van Vliet S, Shy EL, Abou Sawan S, Beals JW, West DW, Skinner SK, et al. Consumption of whole eggs promotes greater stimulation of postexercise muscle protein synthesis than consumption of isonitrogenous amounts of egg whites in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;106(6):1401-1412. doi:10.3945/ajcn.117.159855. PMID:28978542
26. Bagheri R, Hooshmand Moghadam B, Ashtary-Larky D, Forbes SC, Candow DG, Galpin AJ, et al. Whole Egg Vs. Egg White Ingestion During 12 weeks of Resistance Training in Trained Young Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(2):411-419. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003922. PMID:33306586
27. Axe J. The BIGGEST Causes of Fast-Aging Skin (How to Reverse Aging). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe at 25:09, bone broth or collagen every day; YouTube tsTht-zHz-U).
28. Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Baumstark MW, Gollhofer A, König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2015;114(8):1237-45. doi:10.1017/S0007114515002810. PMID:26353786. Erratum (funding and conflict-of-interest statements): Br J Nutr. 2025;134(5):440.
29. Axe J. Natural Sunscreens, EMF Exposure, & the Best Dairy Alternatives | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe at 39:29 to 39:51, processed soy vs. fermented organic soy; YouTube C-HsQGa7aOo).
30. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID:28615996
31. Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017;8:213-226. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S123529. PMID:29138605
32. Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, Devries MC, Phillips SM. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):738-46. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119339. PMID:26817506
33. Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(7):435-41. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006. PMID:20921542
34. Parr EB, Camera DM, Areta JL, Burke LM, Phillips SM, Hawley JA, et al. Alcohol ingestion impairs maximal post-exercise rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis following a single bout of concurrent training. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e88384. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088384. PMID:24533082
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