How To Be Smarter About Protein Intake With Dr. Nick Burd

11/29/23 • 63 min

Dr. Nick Burd, PhD, is a skeletal muscle physiologist with an expertise in protein metabolism and exercise. In this episode, Dr. Burd discusses the importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age, expressing that “strong is the new healthy.”

While adequate protein intake is an important aspect of gaining muscle and maintaining healthspan, many people in the US actually over consume protein. In this discussion, Dr. Burd talks about how much protein we truly need, whether or not there is an optimal time to consume protein after exercise, and how to best distribute protein intake throughout the day. He explains why consuming protein from food sources rather than as a powder may be better for muscle growth, and shares why protein is critical for endurance athletes.
Episode timestamps:

Introduction: (0:00–1:50)
Why Dr. Burd became a scientist (1:50–4:00)
The three types of muscle (4:00–5:00)
How much of our muscle mass is skeletal muscle? (5:00–5:40)
How obesity impacts muscle mass (5:40–8:16)
What is a DEXA scan (8:16–10:30)
Benefits of exercise on skeletal muscle (10:30–14:00)
Sedentary behavior is detrimental to muscle tissue (14:00–19:00)
“Strong is the new healthy” (19:00–20:00)
Skeletal muscle and metabolic health (20:00–22:00)
Many people over consume protein (22:00–26:50)
Is there an optimal time to consume protein after exercise? (26:50–31:30)
Protein powders vs. whole food sources of protein (31:30–35:50)
Distribution of protein throughout the day (33:50–45:34)
Why protein is important for endurance athletes (45:34–51:20)
Protein needs for different ages, ethnicities, and gender (51:20–55:20)
Resistance training in post menopausal women (55:20–1:01:00)
Top tip for healthspan (1:01:00–end)

Listen to all episodes of Longevity by Design at https://info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign

Introduction: (0:00–1:50)
Why Dr. Burd became a scientist (1:50–4:00)
The three types of muscle (4:00–5:00)
How much of our muscle mass is skeletal muscle? (5:00–5:40)
How obesity impacts muscle mass (5:40–8:16)
What is a DEXA scan (8:16–10:30)
Benefits of exercise on skeletal muscle (10:30–14:00)
Sedentary behavior is detrimental to muscle tissue (14:00–19:00)
“Strong is the new healthy” (19:00–20:00)
Skeletal muscle and metabolic health (20:00–22:00)
Many people over consume protein (22:00–26:50)
Is there an optimal time to consume protein after exercise? (26:50–31:30)
Protein powders vs. whole food sources of protein (31:30–35:50)
Distribution of protein throughout the day (33:50–45:34)
Why protein is important for endurance athletes (45:34–51:20)
Protein needs for different ages, ethnicities, and gender (51:20–55:20)
Resistance training in post menopausal women (55:20–1:01:00)
Top tip for healthspan (1:01:00–end)

Listen to all episodes of Longevity by Design at https://info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign

Previous Episode

Tracking Your Body’s Data to Improve Health Outcomes with Dr. Sara Gottfried

In this episode of Longevity By Design, Dr. Gil Blander and Ashley Reaver interview Dr. Sara Gottfried. Dr. Gottfried received her MD from Harvard Medical School and completed residency at UCSF, however she is more likely to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor and personalized nutrition plan to her patients than the latest pharmaceutical.
This episode is a must listen for anyone trying to optimize their wellness plan. Dr. Gottfried discusses all the data she tracks and how that helps her practice precision medicine. This conversation also sheds light on how birth control pills impact women's health, how erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign for atherosclerosis, and gives advice for women seeking hormone replacement therapy.
Episode timestamps:

Introduction: (0:00–1:00)
Dr. Gottfried’s motivation for becoming a physician: (1:00–4:30)
Dr. Gottfried’s fascination with performance and healthspan: (4:30–5:30)
How do we define “hormone balance”: (5:30–7:10)
Is hormone balance more common in men or women? (7:10–9:30)
Understanding heart disease trends in women: (9:30–12:07
Why women should track their body composition over time: (12:07–16:23)
Testosterone is the most abundant hormone in the female body: (16:23–19:19)
Chronic stress can accelerate testosterone decline in women (19:19–20:20)
How the birth control pill impacts women: (20:20–26:58)
Cortisol is one of the most important hormones in the body: (26:58–32:50)
Dr. Gottfried’s recommendation for lowering cortisol?: (32:50–37:30)
Insulin and avoiding diabetes: (37:30–38:45)
Tracking your metrics over time (time-series): (38:45–40:30)
DEXA scans and tracking body composition: (40:30–42:30)
Cortisol in professional athletes: (42:30–45:43)
The female athlete triad: (45:43–49:45)
Understanding your health goals: (49:45–51:50)
The importance of sleep: (51:50–59:11)
Behavioral science: (59:11–1:03:10)
Keto diets and the mediterranean diet: (1:03:10–1:07:30)
Hormone replacement therapy: (1:07:30–1:15:35)
Erectile dysfunction: (1:15:35–1:19:00)
Dr. Gottfried’s top tip for healthspan: (1:19:00–1:21:33)

Check out all episodes of Longevity by Design at https://info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign

Next Episode

The Latest Updates in Longevity Research with Dr. Eric Verdin

This episode of Longevity by Design features an interview with Dr. Eric Verdin—the CEO of The Buck Institute. The Buck Institute was the first center dedicated to aging research, and many discoveries within the aging field have come out of this research center.

For this episode, Dr. Verdin, Dr. Blander, and Ashely Reaver sat down in person to discuss the latest updates in longevity research. Dr. Verdin shares his opinion on questions like “is aging a disease?” and “is there a maximum lifespan that humans will never surpass?” Dr. Verdin also discusses updates on the future of anti-aging drugs, including senolytics and metformin.

To close the episode, Dr. Verdin gives life advice for what 5 things we can do on a regular basis to improve our health span.

Listen to all episodes of Longevity by Design at https://info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign
Episode timestamps: