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Professional Supplements for Wise Athletes (click to see the huge "always on" discount) Affordable (best pricing by far) Blood Testing at GoodLabs (use code WISE for 20% discount) Jose Areta, PhD Dr. José Areta is an Associate Professor in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University (UK). Originally from Argentina and trained first as a biologist (with a minor in zoology), he completed his PhD in exercise physiology and nutrition at RMIT University in Melbourne, then spent roughly three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences before moving to Liverpool. His research centers on training–nutrition interactions in humans — how manipulating carbohydrate, protein, fat, and overall energy availability shapes adaptation to training and physical performance. In recent years his work has focused on the endocrine, metabolic, and physiological effects of energy deficiency, including the first dynamic proteomic profiling of how human skeletal muscle responds to a short-term energy deficit combined with exercise. He is also a practicing athlete, coach, and practitioner, and has roughly 60 peer-reviewed publications. Jose Areta, PhD profile Most of us treat an energy deficit as a problem to be corrected — a state where you've fallen below a known requirement, risking lost muscle and blunted performance. Areta's reframe: think of it as energy stress. Like exercise stress, it's a signal the body is built to adapt to, and — at least as a working hypothesis — one you may get better at handling with repeated, progressive exposure. We (probably) evolved under intermittent scarcity, and a body that responded to hunger by becoming weak and slow wouldn't have survived to find its next meal. The practical hook for the older athlete: if you're always in a calorie surplus to recover and build, you're adding fat alongside muscle. Energy stress, used deliberately, becomes the tool for managing body (low) fatness without sacrificing the performance and muscle you've worked for. Key learnings You can get stronger in a deficit without getting bigger. Energy deficit plus resistance training yields the same strength gains as energy-balanced training — but without the same hypertrophy. The gains come from neuromuscular adaptation, not added mass. (Function over form.) Protein is the lever that makes a deficit safe. Requirements rise to roughly 2.2 g/kg/day to preserve lean mass during a deficit. The threshold that matters: deficits beyond about 500 kcal/day impair muscle-building even with training; below that, recomposition (muscle gain + fat loss) stays achievable. Fat is the fuel; contractile muscle is largely spared. In Areta's short-term deficit study, energy came predominantly from fat oxidation, and most of the apparent "lean loss" was water — the contractile machinery was preserved. The deficit upregulates mitochondrial machinery. Deficit-plus-exercise increased mitochondrial protein synthesis and quality-control proteins — the stress acted as an adaptive signal, not just depletion. Meanwhile the collagen "scaffolding" proteins that rise with aging were reduced — though whether that's net-beneficial isn't yet settled. The body has no fixed metabolic rate. It adjusts expenditure and efficiency to energy availability (the Hadza/Pontzer finding: lots of activity, not many extra calories burned). Caveat: this is bounded, not unlimited, and the interpretation is debated. Performance testing at the bottom of a deficit will mislead you. Low muscle glycogen impairs high-intensity output, so refeed before anything that matters — don't judge your true capacity, or the strategy, by how you feel mid-deficit. The load-bearing question — "functionally superior muscle." The most exciting idea (that energy stress yields mus

Professional Supplements for Wise Athletes (click to see the always discount) Hunter Allen Bio: Hunter Allen, ex-pro cyclist, coach and author has recently authored “Training and Competing with a Continuous Glucose Monitor”.   Hunter is best known for his work with power meters and for developing the power training principles.  He’s the co-author of “Training and Racing with a Power Meter”, along with “Cutting Edge Cycling” and “Triathlon: Training with Power”.   Hunter was one of the co-developers of TrainingPeaks WKO software and a co-founder of TrainingPeaks.  He founded and currently operates The Peaks Coaching Group. Key Ideas: Managing blood glucose is not only important for health and longevity, it impacts athletic performance in real time Wearing a CGM provides access to the raw data needed to manage glucose via diet, feed schedule, activity For athletic performance, keeping blood glucose in the high performance zone means no bonking or premature fatigue. Episode Resources Hunter's Coaching Website -- PeaksCoachingGroup.com CGM Book Website - TrainingandCompetingwithaCGM.com Key Discussion Points: Discover how and why seeing your continuous blood glucose with a CGM in real time will give you an edge in your sport with the ability to: Optimize the timing of nutrition intake (for exercise, for sleep…?) Determine the correct serving of foods to positively impact energy levels Understand the proper type of foods to use to “prime” your system before training or an event (“top off glycogen stores” without causing hypo-glycemic rebound?) Recognize patterns of poor nutrition and correct them (food combos, volume of fast carbs) Learn your blood glucose highs and lows throughout the day to correct them for better glucose stability (why correct them?) And so much more Related episodes & links: Episode 87 | Zeroing in on Fun AND Fitness part 2 of 2 | Hunter Allen Episode 86 | Make Training Fun for Better Performance part 1 of 2 Hunter Allen Help the show: 3 ways to support our show:  Leave a review (or share this episode) Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you! Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com. *This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.

Professional Supplements for Wise Athletes (click to see the always discount) Do you feel like you are drifting through life always waiting on something? Do you feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled? Is time flying by? About the guest: Adrian Kelly, Author of The Success Complex Drawing from his experiences as a solicitor, entrepreneur, and sports coach, Kelly examines the skills essential for overcoming challenges and achieving sustained success. Adrian joins me to discuss how to shift into living a big life, rather than merely a long one. Adrian says: Most of us don’t just want simple happiness; we want intensity. We want to feel that sense of existential urgency we get when we are engrossed in some meaningful project, when we know you are doing something important and good. Link to Amazon: Success Factor Episode Summary: Adrian Kelly’s Success Complex explores the hidden emotional and psychological burdens that often accompany outward success, especially for men. It challenges the traditional view that success—defined by wealth, career, and achievements—automatically leads to happiness. Instead, Kelly argues that many high-performing individuals are silently struggling with stress, disconnection, and a lack of purpose. Core Aspects of Spirituality Connection: A feeling of being linked to a higher power, nature, or the collective human experience. Purpose and Meaning: An ongoing quest to understand one's role and significance in the world. Transcendence: Experiences that go beyond the ordinary, often described as profound or mystical Inner Peace: Cultivating a sense of calm and contentment through practices like meditation, mindfulness, or prayer. Key Themes: The Illusion of Success -- Success is often externally validated—money, titles, status—but it can mask deep dissatisfaction, anxiety, or emotional repression. Many men achieve success only to find it unfulfilling. Performance-Based Identity -- Men often tie their self-worth to performance. When they stop achieving or face setbacks, they feel worthless or lost. Emotional Suppression -- A major cost of the “success complex” is emotional disconnection. Men learn to suppress vulnerability, which leads to isolation and strained relationships. The Masculine Mask -- the “mask” successful men wear to appear confident, in control, and stoic. Behind it, many feel burned out or uncertain. Breaking the Pattern -- Healing begins by questioning the cultural narrative around masculinity and success. This includes: Reconnecting with emotions Seeking genuine relationships Redefining success through internal values rather than external metrics Authentic Living -- shift from achievement-driven living to values-driven living—embracing meaning, connection, and self-awareness. The ABC Framework: Activity (A): Engaging in purposeful actions…a means to an end Balance (B): Maintaining equilibrium between various life aspects. Congruence (C): Aligning actions and values to achieve a state where success is both sustained and sustaining Prior

Professional Supplements for Wise Athletes (click to see the discount) About the guests: Richard LaFountain, PhD & Brandon Fell, MS Clinical Staff at Healthspan (gethealthspan.com) Rich LaFountain, PhD - Health coach and science writer; his academic and research focus centers on metabolic health, cardiovascular physiology, and the optimization of physical performance through dietary and exercise interventions. Education: Ph.D. in Kinesiology from The Ohio State University; Bachelor of Science in Biology from the College at Brockport, State University of New York. Research: His academic and research focus centers on metabolic health, cardiovascular physiology, and the optimization of physical performance through dietary and exercise interventions. Current Role: Senior Scientist on Healthspan's clinical staff Brandon Fell, MS - Wellness Coach, with expertise in keto nutrition, clinical research, and longevity science. Education: M.S. in Kinesiology (OSU, 2020); Dietetic Internship with rotations through Volek’s lab. Research: Graduate Research Associate in Dr. Jeff Volek’s ketogenic diet studies; major controlled trials. Current Role: Head of Metabolic Coaching at Healthspan Episode Summary: Blood testing isn't perfect but it's one of the best tools available to shine a light into the black box of your personal physiology to see how your body is doing: compared to other healthy people and compared to yourself over time as you age and implement health and longevity interventions. Healthspan now offers an online Longevity Pro Panel blood testing and analysis service to provide expert guidance into lifestyle-based health enhance, and as a gateway into more aggressive interventions to recover lost athleticism, extend healthspan, and maybe even life a long healthy life. Healthspan comprehensively analyzes pivotal longevity biomarkers to help you optimize your metabolic and cellular health. Examining over 100 biomarkers, Healthspan identifies health insights, enabling personalized recommendations for a successful longevity journey. Some important notes: Webinar for healthspan onboarding gethealthspan.com What is Healthspan, and why does it offer the blood testing / evaluation service? Blood panel is a big part, but what else is needed to fully assess biological age status (identify areas for improvement)?  BP, DEXA: bone, lean mass, visceral fat, VO2Max, grip strength (bar hang time), etc. Reliability of blood tests for identifying “optimal” vs. “problems”?  wide ranges based on population “normal” (40% obesity rate), different labs/procedures, test result variability, time of day test taken, workouts / foods eating in proximity to testing, blood is only a proxy (not the same thing as organs) Personal trends vs. “vs. normal” vs. low ACM?  Or centenarian typical blood marker ranges? Need to look at multiple blood markers and understand context to interpret blood test results Example of a blood panel review session (using Joe Lavelle's data) Related episodes & links: Episode 141 | You

Professional Grade Supplements for Wise Athletes About the guest: Trevor Connor is an exercise physiologist, endurance sports coach, and former professional cyclist with nearly 20 years of racing experience. He has coached at national performance centers in both Canada and the U.S., managed teams such as Team Rio Grande, and holds a master's degree in exercise bioenergetics and nutrition. He is also the co-host of the Fast Talk podcast, which focuses on the science of endurance performance. Trevor earned his master's degree in exercise bioenergetics and nutrition from Colorado State University, where he was the final graduate student of Dr. Loren Cordain, the originator of the Paleo Diet. His research focused on the effects of a Paleo-style diet on autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease CEO of The Paleo Diet, LLC: Since 2018, Connor has led the company, overseeing its programs, certifications, and branding initiatives Co-founder and CEO of Fast Talk Laboratories: He co-founded this platform dedicated to endurance sports science, offering resources on training, nutrition, and performance Cycling Career: A former semi-professional cyclist, Connor trained at the Canadian National Center and managed Team Rio Grande, a top-ranked amateur team in the U.S. Episode Summary: The Paleo Diet. Initially skeptical of the Paleo Diet, Connor's perspective shifted after personal experimentation led to improved health and a return to competitive cycling at age 40. He now advocates for whole-food nutrition and challenges traditional high-carbohydrate sports diets, emphasizing the benefits of healthy fats and reduced sugar intake Our talk today is mostly about how can the older athlete get the most out of the Paleo Diet and how to personalize it to make it work for each of us. What are the most important guidelines of the Paleo Diet that should guide and simplify our food decision-making. Foods to emphasize and minimize. Eating (and not eating) patterns that matter. Some important notes: Macronutrient based diets are hard to get right because there are healthy and unhealthy versions of all macronutrient diets. Paleo is not about macros, but instead about whole foods that mimics the food supply 10,000 years ago. Fruits, vegetables, naturally grown meat and fish, and nuts and seeds sparingly. Limit grains and minimize dairy. Some people should also limit legumes (beans / pulses / lentils / etc) Eating whole foods means not just getting the vitamins and minerals and macronutrients but also the food matrix....all the other stuff in things that were once alive. Everything provides some benefit as long as we don't overdo it. But eating processed foods without the food matrix is a poor health choice. An ancestral diet is hard to define exactly and impossible to replicate today, but some features can be mimicked: not eating the same things all the time or out of season, not eating the full daily calorie requirements every single day, eating foods that were recently alive are hard to chew (good for oral health and is satiating), not over-eating foods that didn't exist (dairy, processed food) or were in short supply (grains, beans). Eat more potassium and less sodium (people generally get too much sodium; avoid processed food with sodium) Eat more magnesium and less dairy (less calcium). Target 2:1 calcium to magnesium; most people are 4:1 calcium to magnesium. Supplements recommended by Trevor: Vitamin D, Fish Oil (EPA/DHA), Magnesium (especially if consuming dairy: heavy calcium source), Taurine (especiall

Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes On today's show, Dr. Merijn van de Laar, a recovering insomniac, sleep therapist, and the author of How to Sleep Like a Caveman: Ancient Wisdom for a Better Night’s Rest, will tell us how learning about our prehistoric ancestors’ sleep (via studying the Hadza) can help us relax about our own imperfect sleep. He explains that the behaviors we think of as sleep problems are actually normal, natural, and adaptive. Merijn destroys the myth that you have to get 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and how being awake during the night is normal, and how efforts to change normal healthy sleep into "perfect" sleep scores is detrimental to our health. Today’s episode is not for those few, lucky souls who fall asleep the moment their head hits the pillow, cruise through the night, and bounce out of bed in the morning ready to take on the world. Good for you—but seriously, get out of here. This one’s for the rest of us wise athletes who work hard to be fit and healthy—through exercise, through diet—only to be undone by poor sleep. The poor sleep that slows your recovery, ramps up your risk of illness, and leaves you reaching for caffeine just to survive the day, and then something else entirely just to shut down at night and squeeze 7-9 hours into the 6-hour window we allow for. This talk is not a list of sleep hygiene factors and discount codes for fancy tools that work well to lighten your wallet without addressing the real reasons for poor sleep. Dr. Merijn van de Laar says "sleep is cheap" and that we've been sold a bunch of BS about sleep. This isn’t about chasing perfection. This is about letting go of the pressure and easing into realistically healthy sleep—the kind your ancestors would recognize—without needing to track every blink and breath. So unplug, lie back, and listen up—because it’s time to learn how to Sleep Like a Caveman. About the Guest Dr Merijn van de Laar (https://merijnvandelaar.com/the-sleep-scientist/) Merijn van de Laar studied biological psychology at the University of Maastricht and obtained his PhD on the subject of personality and sleep and the treatment of insomnia. He worked for years at Kempenhaeghe, Center for Sleep Medicine, and treated people with insomnia, parasomnia and delayed sleep phase syndrome. He is now adjunct director at the University of Maastricht. Merijn’s professional and personal mission is to create restful nights across the world. His motivation to give people a better night’s sleep arose when he experienced what it was like to have chronic insomnia in his twenties. He did not receive the right care and, in retrospect, not the right scientifically substantiated information that could have helped him get rid of the problem much sooner. Merijn’s slogan is “Sleep is Cheap”. By this he means that most people with insomnia do not need expensive products, apps or medication at all and that these often don’t help or even worsen the problem. For most people, a good night’s sleep can be achieved through natural solutions that cost little but are very effective. In many ways, we should learn to sleep like Cavemen again. Merijn van de Laar website Episode Summary: Why do modern people report worsening sleep quality, despite the emergence of optimized sheets, mattresses, sound machines, and sleep trackers have emerged during that time, and despite the fact that the amount of time people are sleeping hasn’t decre

Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes About the guest: Bill Harris, PhD in Human Nutrition Dr. William (Bill) S. Harris is an internationally recognized expert in omega-3 fatty acid research, particularly concerning cardiovascular health. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from the University of Minnesota and completed post-doctoral fellowships in Clinical Nutrition and Lipid Metabolism at the Oregon Health Sciences University. In 2009, Dr. Harris founded OmegaQuant, a company specializing in omega-3 blood testing, notably the Omega-3 Index test, which he co-invented in 2004. This test measures the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells and has been widely used in research and clinical settings. ​ Over his 40-year career, Dr. Harris has authored more than 300 scientific papers on fatty acids and health. His significant contributions have earned him recognition as one of the top 2% of scientists worldwide based on research impact. ​ In late 2020, Dr. Harris transitioned from his role at OmegaQuant to establish the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI), where he serves as President and focuses on conducting and publishing research on fatty acids and health. ​ Dr. Harris is also a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition and has co-authored multiple American Heart Association scientific statements on fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. Episode summary: Omega 3. EPA/DHA. Our talk today is mostly about how can the older athlete get the most out of the omega 3 nutrient…sources, forms of supplements, how to dose, what to take it with for better bioavailability, and anything else we should know. We also explore three other areas: what does our body do with omega 3’s? Is more better? should we take only EPA or only DHA? what’s the real story behind the recent negative headlines on omega 3’s (failed pharma studies, Afib risks, DHA is detrimental)? what’s the deal with the new stuff being marketed to us now such as SPMs (specialized pro resolving mediators) and Fatty 15 (they sure are good at marketing…is this a replacement for EPA/DHA?) EPA & DHA are not "essential fatty acids" but if you are interested in any of the many available benefits, eat more fish....or take fish oil or algae oil. Don't let your body be short of these vital nutrients. Lower resting HR (resulting in better oxygen to heart) Anticoagulation like aspirin but without stomach issues Reduced homocysteine Lower triglycerides Improved mitochondrial energy production Lower chronic inflammation Speeds resolution of acute inflammation (from injury or training) Related episodes & links: Nature article: Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total can cause specific mortality from 17 prospective studies OmegaQuant website Help the show: 3 ways to support our show:  Leave a review (or share this episode) Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you! Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com. *This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.