Iron Culture presented by MASS

Ep 312 - Muscle Soreness: What Does It Mean? (ft. Dr. Mike Zourdos)

Jan 29, 2025

Dr. Mike Zourdos, a health and fitness expert, joins the team to tackle some intriguing questions. They discuss the real implications of muscle soreness and its relation to training volume. Zourdos shares insights on optimal protein intake and the effectiveness of plant-based sources for fitness enthusiasts. The conversation also delves into the dynamics of returning to exercise after interruptions, highlighting strategies for effective recovery. With a clever blend of humor and science, this chat is a must-listen for fitness fans!

01:34:56

Creator website

Episode guests

Mike Zourdos

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The World Natural Bodybuilding Federation's introduction of a classic division marks a significant shift in competitive bodybuilding aesthetics.

The nuances of coaching changes in college football highlight the complexities of team dynamics and performance expectations.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) should not be seen as the sole indicator of effective training or muscle growth.

Deep dives

Introducing Classic Bodybuilding Divisions

The World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) announced that it will introduce a classic bodybuilding division starting in the 2025 season, a significant move given that classic bodybuilding has been a controversial topic within natural bodybuilding circles. Historically, the WNBF had believed that natural bodybuilding epitomizes classic aesthetics; however, the decision to adopt a classic division mirrors the trend set by enhanced bodybuilding organizations. This change is intriguing as it may attract competitors who prefer a return to more traditional bodybuilding aesthetics, emphasizing posing and presentation over sheer mass. The implications of this decision for natural bodybuilding competitions and the judging criteria remain to be seen, but it showcases a shift toward a new competitive format that aligns with evolving preferences in the bodybuilding community.

Intro

3min

Engaging with the Mass Community and Recent News

2min

The Rise of Classic Natural Bodybuilding

6min

College Football Rivalries and Coaching Moves

3min

Highlights from the Sheffield 2025 Powerlifting Meet

5min

Navigating Fitness Recovery and Muscle Adaptation

21min

Navigating Plant-Based Proteins

25min

Training Volume vs. Strength Gains

30min

In today's episode of Iron Culture, co-hosts Eric Helms and Eric Trexler are joined by MASS colleague Dr. Mike Zourdos. After a brief chat about bodybuilding, powerlifting, and college football news, the crew addresses a number of questions about topics including optimal protein intake, what soreness can (or can't) tell us, detraining & retraining, vegan protein sources, heavy metals in protein supplements, training volume recommendations, pre-sleep meal guidelines, and much more.

The MASS crew records Iron Culture LIVE on YouTube, Monday nights at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode and say hello in the live chat!

Time stamps:

0:00 Intro music

2:25 Introduction to an episode with a rare Mike Zourdos sighting

Ask your questions here: https://massresearchreview.com/ironculture/

6:30 Helms brings some bodybuilding news (with some college football chat)

17:15 2025 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships recap

20:35 Preview for a future episode with Dr Refalo on recently published protein meta-regression

Refalo 2025 Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/9900/effect_of_dietary_protein_on_fat_free_mass_in.179.aspx

21:55 Q&A 1 Rapid bounce back from a series of unfortunate events

27:51 Q&A 2 Is soreness useful for determining volume?

Gomes 2019 High-Frequency Resistance Training Is Not More Effective Than Low-Frequency Resistance Training in Increasing Muscle Mass and Strength in Well-Trained Men https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29489727/

40:25 Q&A 3 Protein ‘rapid fire’: vegan options, protein supplementation, and heavy metal contamination

Nunes 2022 Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864/

1:06:10 Q&A 4 Strength progress, muscle growth and neurological adaptations

Pelland 2024 The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Eﬀects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460

Ralston 2017 The Effect of Weekly Set Volume on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28755103/

1:13:06 Q&A 5 Individual volume recommendation specificity

1:25:01 Q&A 6 Pre-sleep meal timing and other habits for sleep quality

1:36:07 Closing out and a preview for next week’s live episode

---

Music credit:

Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100806

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Iron Culture presented by MASS

Ep 312 - Muscle Soreness: What Does It Mean? (ft. Dr. Mike Zourdos)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Introducing Classic Bodybuilding Divisions

The Impact of College Football Coaching Changes

Multimedia Support for Lifters and Trainers

Navigating Soreness and Recovery in Resistance Training

Protein Timing and Eating Before Bed

Sleep Quality and Electrolyte Intake

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts