Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The oldest protein scare is that eating more protein wears out your kidneys. Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum takes it apart with the actual evidence: what protein does to a healthy kidney, why an estimated GFR can make a muscular person look sick, what the landmark low-protein trials (MDRD, the 2020 Cochrane review) really found, and why in real kidney disease it's the red meat and the whole dietary pattern that track with harm more than the protein number. It ends on the muscle-and-lifting tradeoff most low-protein advice ignores.
This is the kidney segment from Episode 407, The Protein Scaries.
Chapters
00:00 What protein does to a healthy kidney
00:54 Why estimated GFR can mislead
01:41 Where the scare came from (Brenner, 1982)
02:12 Healthy kidneys under higher protein
04:19 Chronic kidney disease: does low protein help?
06:30 Diabetes, and it's really the dietary pattern
07:34 Red meat, not total protein (Time to Move On)
08:39 Lab surrogates vs. what patients feel
09:57 Why lifting matters on a restricted diet
11:32 The bottom line on kidneys
Resources:
Barbell Medicine coaching and templates: barbellmedicine.com
Plus podcast subscription: barbellmedicine.com/shop/subscriptions/plus-podcast-subscription
Barbell Medicine Premium: barbellmedicine.com/shop/subscriptions/barbell-medicine-premium
Signal (book pre-order): barbellmedicine.com/shop/learning/signal
Our Protein Content:
barbellmedicine.com/blog/protein-and-weight-loss
barbellmedicine.com/blog/protein-on-ozempic
barbellmedicine.com/blog/barbell-medicine-protein-recommendations
Studies
Levine et al. Cell Metabolism 2014. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.02.006
Naghshi et al. BMJ 2020. doi:10.1136/bmj.m2412
Devries et al. J Nutr 2018. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy197
Antonio et al. J Nutr Metab 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/9104792
Knight et al. Ann Intern Med 2003. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-138-6-200303180-00009
Klahr et al. (MDRD). NEJM 1994. doi:10.1056/NEJM199403313301301
Hahn, Hodson & Fouque. Cochrane 2020. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001892.pub5
Obeid, Hiremath & Topf. Kidney360 2022. doi:10.34067/KID.0001002022
Lew et al. J Am Soc Nephrol 2017. doi:10.1681/ASN.2016030248
Castaneda et al. Ann Intern Med 2001. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-135-11-200112040-00008
Bauer et al. (PROT-AGE). JAMDA 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021
Fenton et al. Nutrition Journal 2011. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-10-41
Shams-White et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2017. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.145110
Witard et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2013. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.055517
Macnaughton et al. Physiol Rep 2016. doi:10.14814/phy2.12893
Trommelen et al. Cell Reports Medicine 2023. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324
Wycherley et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2012. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.044321
Moore et al. JAMA Intern Med 2016. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548
Larsson et al. Cancer Med 2020. doi:10.1002/cam4.3345
Brenner, Meyer & Hostetter. NEJM 1982. doi:10.1056/NEJM198209093071104
Chan et al. PLoS One 2011. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020456
Berryman et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2018. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy088
Morton et al. Br J Sports Med 2018. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
The oldest protein scare is that eating more protein wears out your kidneys. Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum takes it apart with the actual evidence: what protein does to a healthy kidney, why an estimated GFR can make a muscular person look sick, what the landmark low-protein trials (MDRD, the 2020 Cochrane review) really found, and why in real kidney disease it's the red meat and the whole dietary pattern that track with harm more than the protein number. It ends on the muscle-and-lifting tradeoff most low-protein advice ignores.
This is the kidney segment from Episode 407, The Protein Scaries.
Chapters
00:00 What protein does to a healthy kidney
00:54 Why estimated GFR can mislead
01:41 Where the scare came from (Brenner, 1982)
02:12 Healthy kidneys under higher protein
04:19 Chronic kidney disease: does low protein help?
06:30 Diabetes, and it's really the dietary pattern
07:34 Red meat, not total protein (Time to Move On)
08:39 Lab surrogates vs. what patients feel
09:57 Why lifting matters on a restricted diet
11:32 The bottom line on kidneys
Resources:
Barbell Medicine coaching and templates: barbellmedicine.com
Plus podcast subscription: barbellmedicine.com/shop/subscriptions/plus-podcast-subscription
Barbell Medicine Premium: barbellmedicine.com/shop/subscriptions/barbell-medicine-premium
Signal (book pre-order): barbellmedicine.com/shop/learning/signal
Our Protein Content:
barbellmedicine.com/blog/protein-and-weight-loss
barbellmedicine.com/blog/protein-on-ozempic
barbellmedicine.com/blog/barbell-medicine-protein-recommendations
Studies
Levine et al. Cell Metabolism 2014. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.02.006
Naghshi et al. BMJ 2020. doi:10.1136/bmj.m2412
Devries et al. J Nutr 2018. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy197
Antonio et al. J Nutr Metab 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/9104792
Knight et al. Ann Intern Med 2003. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-138-6-200303180-00009
Klahr et al. (MDRD). NEJM 1994. doi:10.1056/NEJM199403313301301
Hahn, Hodson & Fouque. Cochrane 2020. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001892.pub5
Obeid, Hiremath & Topf. Kidney360 2022. doi:10.34067/KID.0001002022
Lew et al. J Am Soc Nephrol 2017. doi:10.1681/ASN.2016030248
Castaneda et al. Ann Intern Med 2001. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-135-11-200112040-00008
Bauer et al. (PROT-AGE). JAMDA 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021
Fenton et al. Nutrition Journal 2011. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-10-41
Shams-White et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2017. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.145110
Witard et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2013. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.055517
Macnaughton et al. Physiol Rep 2016. doi:10.14814/phy2.12893
Trommelen et al. Cell Reports Medicine 2023. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324
Wycherley et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2012. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.044321
Moore et al. JAMA Intern Med 2016. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548
Larsson et al. Cancer Med 2020. doi:10.1002/cam4.3345
Brenner, Meyer & Hostetter. NEJM 1982. doi:10.1056/NEJM198209093071104
Chan et al. PLoS One 2011. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020456
Berryman et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2018. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy088
Morton et al. Br J Sports Med 2018. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
