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Mikkipedia

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NEW Episode 514 · Season 1 Oct 27, 2026 · 1 hr 36 min

Brandon DaCruz - Protein Masterclass: How Much You Need for Muscle, Fat Loss and Ageing

Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026 Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com Curranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz Episode Summary Brandon DaCruz is an online nutrition and physique coach and the host of the Chasing Clarity Health and Fitness podcast, and he is a familiar voice to Mikkipedia listeners. In the latest Mikkipedia and Chasing Clarity collaboration, he and Mikki put together a protein masterclass, working through the questions they are asked most: how much protein you need, how that changes with your goal and life stage, and which details deserve your attention. They cover why protein is still so confusing despite being added to everything from yoghurt to chocolate bars, why resistance training and protein work together, the difference between the RDA and an intake that supports muscle, and why needs rise in a calorie deficit. They also discuss lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat and those on GLP-1 medications, protein and appetite, protein quality and plant versus animal sources, how much protein one meal can use, and the anabolic window. Brandon finishes with practical starting points for muscle gain, recomposition, fat loss and very lean athletes, and Mikki does the same for endurance athletes, older adults and vegans. Key Topics Why protein advice is still confusing: "proteinification" of food, lingering myths about kidney harm, and experts with similar authority saying very different things Why training creates the signal for muscle growth and protein supports the response, and why adding protein without resistance training does little for muscle How much people actually eat: Mikki sees most clients under-eating protein even when they think every meal is covered, and Brandon sees protein skewed towards dinner and dropping at weekends, in men as well as women The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is an adequacy figure, not a target for muscle; around 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg covers most of the benefit for people training at maintenance or in a surplus, while Mikki aims for at least 1.8 g/kg for endurance athletes and around 2 g/kg for those eating lower carb Fat loss: a deficit suppresses muscle protein synthesis, so Brandon scales protein with the risk of muscle loss, from around 1.9 g/kg up to 2.5 to 3.2 g/kg for very lean and physique athletes Lean mass and GLP-1s: why Brandon worries less about some lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat, and how DEXA "lean mass" includes more than muscle Don Layman's informal 100 g a day floor, and why both hosts increase protein in steps rather than all at once Protein and satiety: protein is the most filling macronutrient, but fibre, water, energy density, food volume and regular meal timing matter too, and protein-fortified snacks are still processed food Protein quality and plant-based diets: leucine and the full essential amino acid profile, what vegan and mycoprotein trials show, leucine in plant protein powders, and why Mikki adds an essential amino acid powder for plant-based athlete

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0:00 Introducing Brandon and the protein masterclass 1:36:13
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