What's The '30-30-30 Rule' And Does It Actually Make You Healthier?
Spend five minutes on FitTok (the fitness side of TikTok), and you’ll see dozens of different diets, workouts and supplements claiming to help you get fit and be healthier. Millions of accounts credit programs like 75 Hard or intermittent fasting for transforming their health, but these can be unsustainable and taxing on your body and brain.
Enter the “30-30-30 rule,” one of the internet’s latest obsessions. This now-viral wellness plan is brilliant in both its simplicity and its adaptability, but will it actually make you healthier? We spoke with experts to find out.
What exactly is the ’30-30-30 rule’?
Popularized recently by Gary Brecka, an online health personality and biologist, the 30-30-30 rule involves eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning, then doing 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise.
It’s popular because it’s easy to remember, doesn’t require you to make any other fitness or diet changes throughout the rest of the day and, in theory, is easy enough for everyone to do.
“A growing body of research suggests that combining a high-protein diet with exercise helps improve fat mass, blood glucose control, inflammation, physical performance and markers of heart health such as triglycerides and total cholesterol, especially among those who classify as obese,” Edwina Clark, a registered dietitian and wellness expert, told HuffPost.
She explained that protein in particular “requires more energy to metabolize than fat and carbohydrates,” which means eating more can help “stabilize blood sugar and promote satiety.”
“Protein is also needed for muscle building and maintenance — an important component of any weight loss program,” Clark said. “ Some evidence suggests that eating a