Stuart Phillips

At a glance

• Muscle physiologist and professor of kinesiology at McMaster University (Canada), one of the most cited researchers on protein, resistance training and muscle mass.
• Studies how diet and training drive muscle protein synthesis, in young athletes and especially in older adults.
• Co-authored a large meta-analysis (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018) in which extra protein supported muscle gains from resistance training, with little added effect above roughly 1.6 g per kilo of body weight per day.
• Showed in older adults that just two weeks of taking far fewer steps already leads to muscle loss and poorer blood sugar control.
• An active, level-headed voice on social media and in expert debates on protein needs, plant versus animal protein and supplements.
• A recurring theme in his work is ‘anabolic resistance’: older muscle responds less to protein and training, so it needs a stronger stimulus to be maintained.
• Takeaway: combine resistance training with enough protein spread across meals, and avoid long stretches of inactivity — especially after sixty.