10Sep 2020 by Aidan Muir
Are Refeeds or Cheat Meals Beneficial for Fat Loss?

Are Refeeds or Cheat Meals Beneficial for Fat Loss?

Body Composition
Refeeds or cheat meals/days typically involve either a day or meal that is significantly higher calorie than what is regularly being consumed. Generally, they are undertaken during a dieting phase where you are consistently in a calorie deficit. And from what I see, they are most often performed once per week, often on a weekend. A cheat meal is typically just a high-calorie meal which is generally high in carbs and/or fat. A cheat day or refeed day is a day that is usually either a day at maintenance calories (instead of a calorie deficit) or a calorie surplus. Refeeds and cheat meals/days are pretty much interchangeable phrases, although I prefer the term refeed since that implies that it is being utilised for purposes beyond just a break from the…
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07Aug 2020 by Aidan Muir
How Large Should a Calorie Surplus Be for Muscle Gain?

How Large Should a Calorie Surplus Be for Muscle Gain?

Body Composition
One of the biggest questions in the fitness space is how to gain muscle as quickly and efficiently as possible. And while a calorie surplus is not always necessary for gaining muscle, no matter how you look at it, a calorie surplus is going to be a necessary step for doing it in the most efficient way possible. If the goal were just to gain muscle as quickly as possible, it would make sense to utilise a large calorie surplus. But this is where efficiency comes in. A large calorie surplus is likely going to lead to a lot more fat gain and an unfavourable ratio of fat to muscle gain. This then either leads to more time having to be spent dropping body fat down the line, or just…
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06Apr 2020 by Aidan Muir
Pros and Cons of Protein Powder

Pros and Cons of Protein Powder

Body Composition
Protein powder is one of the most commonly utilised sports supplements. While it has a wide range of potential applications, it’s typically used by people aiming to improve their body composition through increasing muscle mass and/or decreasing body fat. It isn’t necessary, but it can have some utility if used well. Pros Convenience In some cases, it can be difficult to obtain the optimal amount of protein through food. Protein powder can be a tool to help reach this target. It also can be useful for times when you want to consume protein, but it would be inconvenient due to schedule or appetite. For example, if you are on the go, a protein shake is going to be more convenient than a meal. Or if you have just finished a…
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26Mar 2020 by Aidan Muir
What Is Metabolic Adaptation and Why Does It Occur?

What Is Metabolic Adaptation and Why Does It Occur?

Body Composition
For a long time, people have been aware that total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) changes during phases of dieting. Personally, my first insight into this phenomenon was when I saw the phrase “metabolic damage” a bit over 5 years ago. This was at some stage in my nutrition degree at university. My understanding of the concept was that if somebody was aiming for weight-loss and was in a calorie deficit for an extended period, their “metabolism” (which I didn’t fully understand at the time) would slow down. My take on the main difference between metabolic damage and metabolic adaptation is that ”damage” indicates that there is an issue, whereas adaptation indicates that the body is making an adjustment. Damage could indicate that the metabolism is broken and needs to be…
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03Dec 2019 by Aidan Muir
The Vertical Diet: A Dietitians Review

The Vertical Diet: A Dietitians Review

Body Composition, Sports
Outside of the niche community of serious strength athletes, The Vertical Diet is pretty unknown. But due to quite a few elite-level athletes following the diet (including Hafthor "The Mountain" Bjornsson), there is a large reputation behind it. Another massive influence on this is that the founder Stan Efferding is very charismatic (and jacked) and creates compelling arguments as to why a lot of the aspects of this diet are beneficial for health and performance. As a dietitian who specialises in working with strength athletes (with a focus on powerlifting specifically), I get quite a few questions about The Vertical Diet, so I thought I would go through some of the pros and cons. What is The Vertical Diet? The Vertical Diet is a diet that is based on whole…
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15Dec 2018 by Aidan Muir
3 Things to Focus on That May Help You Lose Weight and Maintain the Weight-Loss

3 Things to Focus on That May Help You Lose Weight and Maintain the Weight-Loss

Body Composition
There are a lot of ways to achieve weight-loss, but the below tips are 3 things that I have found to be an effective way to maintain that weight loss. These are things I have learnt through a combination of an excessive amount of time interpreting research papers, combined with seeing countless clients in practice on a day-to-day basis. 1) Eat more vegetables. The vast majority of people don't eat nearly enough vegetables for general health purposes anyway, but the key reason I recommend this though is for appetite purposes. If you eat more vegetables, you will be filling yourself up with a lot of low-calorie foods. 2) Eat more lean protein sources - potentially including lean meat. This is counter-intuitive but I believe it is a massive key to…
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03Oct 2018 by Aidan Muir
Is Protein One of the “Secrets” for Weight Loss?

Is Protein One of the “Secrets” for Weight Loss?

Body Composition
A few weeks ago, I presented at a small conference on protein for weight-loss as I feel like it is a subject that is undervalued by a lot of dietitians. Since I am a Gary Vee fanboy and love his idea of pillar content, I figured I would also turn aspects of that presentation into this blog post and share it on a larger scale. My background prior to studying nutrition at university started with an excessive amount of time reading the forums on bodybuilding.com during 2012, followed by even more procrastination in the form of being an active member of a niche bodybuilding/powerlifting forum from 2013-2014. I feel like this has given me a different perspective to other dietitians who have come from different backgrounds. There was a lot…
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08Jun 2017 by Aidan Muir
5 Nutrition Priorities for Getting Jacked

5 Nutrition Priorities for Getting Jacked

Body Composition
There are so many conflicting opinions out there for how to get jacked. A classic example is clean eating vs If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). People from the clean eating camp debate that it is completely illogical to think that you can sit around eating junk all day and make optimal progress, while people in the IIFYM camp think that it is illogical to sit down to 5 meals a day of chicken, brown rice and broccoli when there is no need to be that restrictive. This article is not intended to debate these points and is solely focusing on the topic of the nutrition priorities for gaining muscle at an optimal rate. 1) Calories in vs Calories Out If you are not eating enough calories you will not…
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15Dec 2016 by Cassandra Bendall
High Healthy Fats Diet Effect on Weight

High Healthy Fats Diet Effect on Weight

Body Composition, Health
In the past, high-fat diets have been slammed for their ability to increase weight and affect our overall health. Although, diets which are high in fat are often high in saturated fats and trans fats, which have been continually linked to obesity and cardiovascular disease. But what about a diet which is high in healthy fats such as polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fats (MUFAs)? More recent systematic reviews have highlighted the ability of high healthy fat dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, to support modest weight loss in centrally obese individuals. In addition to this, the Mediterranean diet has also been shown to reduce waist circumference among a Mediterranean population group, as well as also reporting significant declines in body weight after a 5-year follow up period. What…
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12Dec 2016 by Aidan Muir
5 Nutrition Hacks to Ensure Optimal Progress in the Gym

5 Nutrition Hacks to Ensure Optimal Progress in the Gym

Body Composition
Training is only one piece of the equation when it comes to getting good results in the gym. Without adequate nutrition, not only does your body lack the fuel it needs to push through a tough workout, it is unable to effectively recover and grow after each session.  This article will outline 5 nutrition hacks to ensure that you are getting the full benefits out of each session. 1) Ensure You Are Consuming an Appropriate Number of Calories Consuming the correct amount of calories per day is vital to ensure you are seeing progress at the gym. Your ideal calorie intake depends on a variety of factors such as goals, age, gender, resting metabolic rate and current training load. For those looking to gain size, you will require a calorie…
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