The Science of Human Performance: Part 1 with Dr. Rachele Pojednic

Jun 15, 2025

Dr. Rachele Pojednic, an expert in nutrition and performance, dives into the intricate balance of carbs and protein for athletes, debunking common myths about post-workout nutrition. She highlights the crucial role of lifestyle medicine in chronic disease prevention and discusses the unique roles of health professionals in ensuring effective physical support. Rachele also addresses communication gaps in healthcare and fitness, and emphasizes the importance of balanced nutrition amidst popular diet trends, while exploring the rising interest in supplements like NAD.

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INSIGHT

Carbs vs Protein Post-Workout

Carbohydrates are critical to refueling glycogen stores after high-intensity anaerobic exercise.
Protein timing is less urgent as long as total daily protein needs are met.

INSIGHT

Science Disproves, Not Proves

Science is designed to disprove hypotheses, not to prove them absolutely.
The "anabolic window" dogma stemmed from early study designs and is now nuanced.

ADVICE

Protein Intake Guidance

Meet your total daily protein requirements for muscle health and repair.
Distribute protein intake throughout the day along with other nutrients for best effect.

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To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠ We have experts (including Rachele!) standing by to answer your questions.

When we hit record on this conversation, we thought it would be a single episode focused on bridging the gap between academia and practice, but we quickly realized that Rachele had a wealth of information to share. This will be part 1 of a 3 part series, and it all revolves around science communication.

Some specific topics include the roles of different professions within human performance, lifestyle medicine, supplements, and the challenges of making sure research is relevant and useful.

Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, FACSM, is the Director of Scientific Research & Education at Restore Hyper Wellness, an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University and the Director of Education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. In addition, she serves as a Research Associate at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Harvard Medical School and is an award-winning Instructor at the Harvard Extension School. Previously, she was a tenure-track faculty member at Norwich University and Simmons University.

For the past decade, Dr Pojednic’s work has examined nutrition, supplementation and physical activity interventions on muscle physiology, performance and recovery, as well as muscle related chronic disease. She has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Vermont Biomedical Research Network (VBRN) an NIH IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program. She has published extensively on vitamin D and cannabidiol (CBD) supplementation and their effects on skeletal muscle in health and disease, muscle physiology and aging with a focus on sarcopenia, physiologic metrics of muscle recovery in warfighters, the effects of nutrition and exercise interventions on diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and educational models for healthcare professionals focused on nutrition and exercise.

Dr. Pojednic received her PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition & Exercise Physiology from Tufts University. She also holds a Masters in Education in Physical Education and Coaching from Boston University and a BS in Cardiopulmonary and Exercise Science from Northeastern University.

She holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is board certified Health Coach from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC).