MASS Office Hours Episode 3 (Retraining, Step Counts, and Maintenance Phases)
Sep 30, 2023
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Topics discussed in this podcast include regaining lost muscle, optimal caloric surplus, muscle growth for different body fat percentages, importance of hormone levels, step count targets for health, and the effectiveness of maintenance phases in fitness.
Regular exercise and healthy lifestyle are crucial for overall health and longevity.
For time-sensitive goals like peak athletic performance, maintenance may not be the most efficient use of time.
Small hormone fluctuations usually do not lead to noticeable effects on body composition or performance.
Deep dives
The Importance of Maintaining Health and Wellness
Maintaining a regular exercise routine and healthy lifestyle is not a waste of time. It is crucial for overall health, longevity, and supporting healthy aging. Engaging in regular exercise and being mindful of diet can significantly contribute to well-being and function as we age.
Specific Goals and Time-Dependent Objectives
For individuals with time-sensitive goals, such as athletes aiming to achieve peak performance in a particular sport, maintaining may not be the most efficient use of their time. Maximizing performance within a limited timeframe may require more focused efforts and continuous improvement. However, for most people in most situations, maintaining is not a waste of time and effort.
Unexpected Progress and Benefits of Maintenance
Engaging in maintenance does not mean one will stagnate or fail to make progress. Even with a lower intensity or minimal changes, individuals may still experience improvements and incremental gains. Maintenance is more related to an attitude of balance and sustainability, rather than an absolute lack of progress.
Magnitudes of hormonal changes matter for meaningful impact
In the podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes that when it comes to hormones, significant magnitudes of change are needed to have a substantial impact on things like body composition and performance. Small fluctuations in hormone levels usually do not lead to noticeable effects. For example, a drop from 600 to 540 nanograms per deciliter in testosterone may not result in any noticeable changes. However, a significant drop from 600 to 130, such as after a natural bodybuilding competition, can have a profound impact on physical performance and daily well-being. Similarly, significant increases in testosterone levels can also produce noticeable changes in appearance and overall health.
The importance of considering multiple factors when assessing thyroid hormones
The podcast episode highlights the complexity of assessing thyroid hormones and suggests that simply looking at thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels may not provide a comprehensive understanding. TSH levels alone do not convey the full picture of thyroid hormone status. To gain a deeper understanding, other factors such as T3, T4, reverse T3, and free versus bound T3 and T4 need to be considered. The speaker points out that thyroid hormone assessment requires a more comprehensive analysis to evaluate cellular effects adequately. Therefore, before diving into the intricacies of thyroid hormones, it is essential to recognize that significant changes in hormone levels are necessary for meaningful effects on the body.
In Episode 3 of MASS Office Hours, Dr. Eric Trexler is joined by Lauren Colenso-Semple to discuss evidence-based fitness strategies and answer questions from listeners.
In this episode, they discuss detraining, retraining, bulking calories, step count targets, maintenance phases, and much more.
The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode!
Time stamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:19 What are your thoughts on regaining muscle due to detraining or illness? How large should your caloric surplus be during this process?
00:17:10 Would someone with very low body-fat be able to gain muscle as readily as someone with very high body-fat? Would they require different caloric surpluses to facilitate muscle growth?
00:28:57 How important are fluctuations in hormone levels? Are they worth monitoring, or is their impact overhyped?
00:45:15 How many steps (per day) do you need to support health and longevity?
00:56:27 Are “maintenance phases” a waste of time?
01:15:42 Concluding remarks
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