Arnold Schwarzenegger relied on clean nutrition to reach the top of the sport, and still does at 79. In a recent Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter (November 4, 2026), he warned that focusing on protein alone and neglecting carbs can hurt workout performance.
“Hitting Your Protein Goal Can Still Leave You Underfed – Protein gets plenty of attention during weight loss. But if you’re trying to keep training hard, the amount of food left after you hit your protein goal matters, too.”
Having secured seven Mr. Olympia titles, Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the bodybuilding landscape with aesthetics, size, and proportions. While genetics played a role in his superhero physique, Schwarzenegger always paid close attention to the foods he put in his body to fuel demanding training sessions. Protein was paramount for “The Austrian Oak,” but he knew that without carbs, workouts became harder.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on Why You Can Hit Protein Goals & Still Underfuel Your Workouts
In the newsletter, Schwarzenegger shared that prioritizing protein during a steep calorie deficit can hurt workout performance.
“A randomized trial found that if you focus only on eating enough protein during an extreme calorie cut, your workout performance could suffer. In the study, active adults tried three diets for five days each. One gave them enough calories to meet their needs. The other two gave them roughly two-thirds fewer calories, but cut back on different foods. And all participants performed bike sprints.”
Looking at bike sprints, researchers observed differences in performance depending on how calories were reduced.
“The best outcomes came from keeping calories higher. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise. But when calories were cut, outcomes changed depending on what they cut. When protein intake remained unchanged (and fat and carbs were reduced more aggressively), the participants couldn’t sustain as much power during a 30-second bike sprint as when they ate enough.”
“But when people cut protein, carbs, and fat by the same proportion (so they had more carbs and fat), researchers saw no clear drop in sprint power compared with eating enough. This study didn’t test many things, so we can only draw so many conclusions; other research shows that getting enough carbs is tied to better workout performance.”
For the best results, Schwarzenegger encouraged starting with a smaller calorie deficit that allows for protein and adequate carbs. It’s an easier and more sustainable strategy:
“Your muscles use stored carbohydrates during intense exercise, like hard sprints, but the researchers didn’t measure those stores in this study. A review of low-carb diets found that athletes often maintained their power for a single sprint. But during repeated hard efforts, that’s when intensity and performance are more likely to suffer.”
“If you want to lose body fat and still train hard, start with a smaller calorie cut that leaves room for both protein and carbs. This way, you have more room to adjust your diet when you hit a true plateau, and the gradual approach will be easier to tolerate, which could help you stay more consistent on your nutrition plan.”
If your current program doesn’t allow for any more carbs than you’re already eating, Schwarzenegger has the answer, although you may not like it. He recently broke down a study on sniffing dark chocolate during workouts. Shockingly, data suggested that participants were able to perform 18 additional reps if they sniffed dark chocolate right before a set.
So eating carbs might not be the only route to a performance boost—look at that. Schwarzenegger continues to offer his fan base useful and easy-to-use strategies to take their fitness to the next level.
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