Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina BREAKING: Your Body Burns More Calories Than We Thought — Dr. Howard on the Groundbreaking Study Rewriting Metabolism
Dec 8, 2025
Dr. Howard, a clinician-scientist with expertise in bariatric surgery and metabolism, shares groundbreaking insights from her recent study on energy expenditure. She challenges the long-held belief that our bodies have a fixed calorie budget, revealing that total energy expenditure increases linearly with activity when properly fueled. The conversation highlights the importance of balanced nutrition for effective fat loss, debunks common metabolism myths, and emphasizes training smarter—not harder—paving the way for healthier habits.
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Activity Adds Calories When Fueled
- Dr. Howard's PNAS study shows total daily energy expenditure rises linearly with activity when people are weight-stable and adequately fueled.
- This challenges the constrained energy model which found plateaus often in underfed or weight-changing populations.
Plateaus Tied To Underfeeding
- Past studies showing a plateau often involved participants in energy deficit or with limited intake, biasing results toward constraint.
- When athletes were constantly fed in older studies, metabolic scope rose without evidence of the Ponzer-style plateau.
Antarctic Trekkers Show Fuel Limits
- Howard referenced trekkers across Antarctica who experienced extreme weight loss and metabolic downregulation due to insufficient fuel.
- Those extreme examples likely reflect energy-deficient states, not a physiological hard ceiling present in fed, weight-stable people.