#205 - Energy balance, nutrition, & building muscle | Layne Norton, Ph.D. (Pt.2)
May 2, 2022
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Layne Norton, Ph.D., a leading expert in nutritional sciences and a renowned physique coach, dives deep into the science of energy balance and its impact on body composition. He explains how tracking calories can be tricky and offers tailored nutrition advice for individuals at different life stages. The conversation highlights the crucial role of protein and resistance training in muscle gain and metabolic health. Layne also discusses effective supplement options like whey protein and creatine, demystifying their benefits for fitness enthusiasts.
Energy balance is a key factor in weight management, but it's not just about tracking calories in versus calories out.
Metabolic adaptation during weight loss, including changes in basal metabolic rate and physical activity, makes sustained weight loss challenging.
Restriction is necessary for weight loss, and finding the right form of restriction that suits an individual's lifestyle is crucial for long-term success.
Resistance training and building muscle mass are crucial for overall health and can be beneficial for individuals of all fitness levels.
Increasing protein intake, along with considering overall caloric intake and nutrient timing, is essential for optimal muscle growth and repair.
Deep dives
Understanding Energy Balance
Energy balance refers to the relationship between calories consumed and calories expended. It is important to understand that energy balance is not as simple as just tracking calories in versus calories out. Factors like macronutrients, tracking accuracy, and metabolic adaptation play a role in weight loss. Energy balance is the foundation of weight management, and various approaches can be effective, but individual preferences and needs should be considered in choosing the right approach.
Metabolic Adaptation and Energy Expenditure
Metabolic adaptation refers to the changes that occur in the body's energy expenditure during weight loss. As weight decreases, the body adapts by reducing basal metabolic rate (BMR) and spontaneous physical activity (NEAT). These adjustments make weight loss more challenging as the body resists further reductions in weight. Understanding metabolic adaptation is crucial in sustainable weight loss and demonstrates the importance of long-term strategies.
The Role of Restriction and Tracking
Restriction is necessary for weight loss, whether it's caloric restriction, macronutrient restriction, or time-restricted eating. Tracking calories can be a helpful tool in creating awareness and accountability. While it is recognized that tracking may not be suitable for everyone, it provides a baseline and helps individuals make informed choices. Finding the right form of restriction that feels manageable and suitable for an individual's lifestyle is key to long-term success.
Importance of Resistance Training and Muscle Acquisition
Resistance training and muscle acquisition are essential for overall health and fitness. Building and maintaining muscle mass is important for metabolic health and helps prevent age-related muscle loss. Even individuals who have never lifted weights before can benefit from resistance training. Starting with two lower body strength training days and one upper body strength training day per week is a good strategy. Beginning with machine exercises that target different muscle groups, such as leg extensions, leg curls, and leg press for lower body strength, and incorporating upper body exercises like chest press and lat pulldowns can be helpful.
Protein Needs for Muscle Growth
Protein is a crucial macronutrient for muscle growth and repair. To maximize muscle protein synthesis and lean mass deposition, it is recommended to consume around 1.6-2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or lean body mass). For a 50-year-old woman who is starting a resistance training program, increasing her protein intake to support muscle growth is important. Lean protein sources, such as lean meats, fish, poultry, and plant-based protein options, should be included in her diet. Increasing portion sizes and selecting leaner cuts of meat can help meet the protein goals.
Balancing Caloric Intake and Nutrient Timing
In addition to increasing protein intake, it is crucial to consider overall caloric intake and nutrient timing for optimal muscle growth. Ensuring a well-balanced diet with sufficient calories and macronutrients is important for supporting muscle repair and growth. If the woman mentioned consumes around 2,300 calories per day, focusing on distributing the calorie intake across meals that include lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats is beneficial. Timing protein consumption before and after workouts can also aid in muscle recovery and growth.
Increasing Protein Intake for Breakfast
One key point discussed in the podcast is the importance of increasing protein intake during breakfast. The speaker highlights the common low protein content in typical breakfast foods such as cereal or oatmeal. They suggest incorporating a lean protein source or a protein shake in the morning to stimulate protein synthesis and mimic some fasting benefits. They emphasize that adding a protein shake to a carb-heavy breakfast or opting for lean protein choices can optimize protein intake and support muscle growth.
Training and Nutrition for Hypertrophy
Another main idea explored in the podcast is the training and nutrition strategies for hypertrophy. The speaker emphasizes the need for progressive overload and volume in resistance training to induce muscle adaptation and hypertrophy. They discuss the benefits of working within the rep range of 6 to 15 for compound movements and incorporating variety in isolation exercises. The speaker also highlights the importance of recovery and individual preferences in exercise selection. They stress the need to adjust training volume and rest times based on personal goals and fitness level, ensuring adaptation while minimizing fatigue.
The Importance of Rest and Recovery in Strength Training
Rest and recovery play a crucial role in strength training. While it may seem counterintuitive to rest for extended periods between sets, especially when witnessing others perform high-repetition sets, it is important to understand the intense mental focus required when lifting heavy weights. The amount of weight being lifted puts incredible strain on the body, and the risk of injury is always present. It is essential to create an optimal recovery debt to avoid excessive fatigue. Additionally, working muscles through a full range of motion and focusing on challenging regions is important for stimulus and growth.
Effective Exercises for Leg Development
To develop the legs effectively, a combination of exercises is recommended. Hack squats, leg presses, and pendulum squats are highly effective in providing a full range of motion and stimulating the quadriceps and other leg muscles. Working through a complete range of motion is crucial for optimal results. Incorporating variety in exercises, such as hack squats, leg extensions, leg curls, and Romanian deadlifts, can provide the necessary stimulus. Frequency of training is also important, with one leg day per week being sufficient for legs, while multiple upper body workouts may be beneficial.
Layne Norton holds a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences and is a physique coach, natural bodybuilder, and previous guest on The Drive. In the first half of this episode, Layne dives deep into the topic of energy balance, including the role that macronutrients and calories play in weight loss. He describes how many people struggle with tracking food and calories on their own across a variety of diets and how all of this can impact nutritional habits and behaviors. In the second half of the episode, Layne discusses the importance of protein and weightlifting for improving one’s body composition and increasing muscle mass. He explains how he would prescribe different training and nutrition programs for two hypothetical clients—a 50-year-old female who is entering menopause and wants to improve her health, and a 40-to-50-year-old male who wants to maximize muscle mass. Additionally, Layne discusses a number of supplements that could potentially benefit a training program including whey protein, branch chain amino acids, creatine, nitric oxide boosters, and more.
We discuss:
Defining energy balance and the role of calories [2:30];
Defining a calorie, whether they are all created equal, and how much energy you can extract from the food you eat [8:00];
Factors influencing total daily energy expenditure [12:15]:
The challenge of tracking energy expenditure accurately, and the thermic effect of different macronutrients [23:30];
Challenges of sustained weight loss: metabolic adaptation, set points, and more [34:45];
Weight loss strategies: tracking calories, cheat meals, snacks, fasting, exercise, and more [40:45];
Sitting in discomfort, focusing on habits, and other lessons Layne learned as a natural bodybuilder [52:15];
Commonalities in people who maintain long-term weight-loss [1:01:15];
Does a ketogenic diet result in greater energy expenditure? [1:03:15];
The metabolic benefits of exercise, muscle mass, and protein intake [1:15:00];
The impact of lean muscle and strength on lifespan and healthspan [1:20:00];
Hypothetical case study #1: Training program for 50-year-old female [1:27:45];
Muscle protein synthesis in a trained athlete vs. untrained individual following a resistance training program [1:31:30];
Protein and amino acids needed to build and maintain muscle mass [1:37:15];
Nutrition plan for the hypothetical 50-year-old woman starting to build lean muscle [1:42:45];
Dispelling myths that excess protein intake increases cancer risk through elevations in mTOR and IGF [1:55:30];
Hypothetical case study #2: Training program for a 50-year-old, trained male wanting to increase muscle mass [2:04:00];
Maximizing hypertrophy while minimizing fatigue—is it necessary to train to muscular failure? [2:11:30];
Ideal sets and reps for the hypothetical 50-year-old male interested in hypertrophy [2:16:15];
Maximizing hypertrophy by working a muscle at a long muscle length [2:22:15];
Recommended lower body exercise routines and tips about training frequency [2:24:00];
Nutrition plan for the hypothetical 50-year old male wanting to add muscle [2:29:00];
Cycling weight gain and weight loss when building lean muscle mass, and expectations for progress over time [2:33:30];
Supplements to aid in hypertrophy training [2:38:30];
