#290: Menno Henselmans & Eric Helms, PhD – Diet Breaks, Calorie Cycling & Muscle Retention

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Eric Helms, PhD

Eric is currently a Research Fellow at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. His work is focused on training and nutrition interventions that could have implications for bodybuilders, powerlifters and other strength athletes. Eric has many peer reviewed publications and currently has many ongoing research projects and collaborations.

Previously, Eric completed his PhD at AUT. He also holds a BS in fitness and wellness, an MS in exercise science, and a MPhil in sports nutrition.

For the better part of his career he’s been a coach at 3D Muscle Journey, working with drug free strength and physique competitors at all levels. Eric, along with Greg Nuckols and Dr. Mike Zourdos, created the monthly reserach review MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sports), which breaks apart some of the recent research carried out that is relevant to strength athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters. He is also the author of the highly popular Muscle & Strength Pyramids set of books.

As an athlete, Eric has competed as a bodybuilder and powerlifter. This year (2019) he returns to the bodybuilding stage for the first time in eight years, for his fourth competition season.

Menno Henselmans

Once a former business consultant specialized in advanced statistical data analysis, Menno has MSc from the University of Warwick (UK) in that area. Menno’s background in science and statistics helped him to develop a unique way of approach questions in fitness.

Menno is a published academic author and has spoken at some of the world’s biggest evidence-based training conferences and events.

• How low is “too low” for low calorie days?
• How much do very low calorie days or fasting impact muscle retention?
• Is there a physiological benefit to diet breaks and refeeds?

• Get Podcast Transcripts
• Peos et al., 2018 – Continuous versus intermittent moderate energy restriction for increased fat mass loss and fat free mass retention in adult athletes: protocol for a randomised controlled trial—the ICECAP trial
• Pasiakos et al., 2010 – Acute energy deprivation affects skeletal muscle protein synthesis and associated intracellular signaling proteins in physically active adults
• Atherton et al., 2010 – Muscle full effect after oral protein: time-dependent concordance and discordance between human muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling
• Garthe et al., 2011 – Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes
• Byrne et al., 2018 – Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study
• Varady et al., 2013 – Alternate day fasting for weight loss in normal weight and overweight subjects: a randomized controlled trial
• mennohenselmans.com
• 3D Muscle Journey
• Instagram: @menno.henselmans
• Instagram: @helms3dmj

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