Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes As a followup to my chat with Dr Vyvyane Loh, Glen and I sat down with Dr Loh to get into the HOW of losing excess body fat without losing muscle. Dr Loh does not disappoint as she shares her tips on how she has helped so many people successfully navigate the changes needed to get to a healthy body fat level AND a healthy body muscle level...both are necessary for health and athletic performance. Check out my own Dexa Scan at the bottom of the show notes that reveals the details we all need to know to assess bone and fat and muscle health status, and to set improvement goals. I used dexascan.com via a provider in my area. My scan showed that while my body fat % is only 16.3%, I still need to lower my visceral fat from 87.7 cm2 to 70.0 cm2. I'm working on it. Episode #135 | What's Your Healthy Fat % Dr Loh is board certified in internal and obesity medicine, and she runs a medical practice helping people of all shapes and sizes to solve metabolic health challenges. Bullet points How to lose excess fat while retaining or gaining muscle? Good Sleep #1 (to keep cortisol and sex hormones healthy; recovery) 8-9 hours of good sleep for athletes (consistent sleep schedule every day & avoid use of sleep drugs that interfere with sleep architecture (melatonin okay)…eye mask, noise protected, test for sleep apnea Circadian rhythm— set by light and eating. Be consistent everyday.  Respecting the timing of meals: Eat breakfast (within an hour of waking) with protein to end catabolic state Protein: eat 30-35 grams of complete protein per meal, up to 5 meals per day. Everyday. Animal sources of protein allows for lower calorie burden to get the protein.  Exercise  Resistance training is key (3X/week) Work at end range (maximum range of motion under tension but be careful) Essentric (lengthening) movement better than concentric (shortening) Also isometrics (good during injury recovery) Cardio is good also (do after resistance training if on same day) HIIT 2x/week (20-45 minutes) targets visceral fat. Has to be really hard. Dread it.  Diet:  Higher percentage body fat — with a calorie deficit in diet doesn’t mean less availability of calories. Still need enough protein to hold onto muscle Near goal body fat — eat 5 times day and getting enough protein. Working out. No calorie deficit.  If fat is okay but low muscle? Get extra protein everyday. Maybe extra protein before bed to reduce muscle loss.  Low carbs to manage calories but need enough carbs. No keto. Low carb is good for calorie control. 80-100g of carbs. Need more carbs if alot of high intensity.  Insulin is a growth factor. Extra protein to get extra insulin to stimulate muscle growth. And extra protein can be turned into glycogen  The key is to be clear about goals. Changing lifestyle is hard. Start with identity and making it hard to cheat.  Everyone is ready when they seek help. It’s after they’ve lost weight at people lose focus. “Just ….” means you are in trouble because you are rationalizing.  Just a little…just this one time…etc. watch out.  Moderation is a loser strategy. We’ve tried that experiment across the country. Now we are all obese. Rising metabolic disease.  Either you are getting the results you want or you are not. Focus on results not on theory and what we want to be true.  Other topics: Rising fat in body leads to falling blood flow to brain. Leads to shrinkage of brain. Brain can’t get more blood flow but it can get more sugar per volume of blood. Crave sugary foods. High blood sugar.  Don’t make it hard for yourself. Don’t put those foods in your home.  Declare your identify as a person that doesn’t eat that sort of thing.  Over eaters are fine in front of other people if they have declared publicly that they don’t eat crap and over eat. But when they get home, all bets are off of the foods are in the house Drinking alcohol also interferes with healthy eating. Alcohol calories. Decrease in willpower What about pleasure in eating? “As I got bigger my world got smaller”. Let’s be accurate…if you are over weight you might be enjoying the few minutes of eating but you are not happy most of the day. Getting healthy can you a boatload of happiness. Plus, stop hiding from the real problem. The food isn’t really solving the problem.  GLP-1 good? Look for Dr Loh’s paper. (Didn’t sound positive) Vyvyanelohmd.com Sign up for Dr Loh’s newsletter, and send email on website asking for link to fat-muscle-bone talk  Related info and episodes: Episode 135 | What's Your Healthy Bodyfat %? Episode 132 | Measuring Metabolism Episode 120 | Recover from Food Madness More Dr Loh info: Vyvyanelohmd.com - Dr Loh's website Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, please leave us a review. And, be sure to check out our FullScript supplements link to see the amazing prices on the best brands on the planet. Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes

Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes The USA declared war on heart disease in 1955. 70 years later it is still the leading cause of death. What about statins and all that medical progress we’ve had. Exactly, what about it? Dr Michael Twyman is a board certified cardiologist who runs Apollo Cardiology, a clinic serving patients from all over the world. His approach is to understand cardiovascular health from a whole body perspective. Rather than focus on LDL and HDL and apoB, he says we need to look at the bigger picture of cardiovascular health….namely cardiovascular health as a marker of whole body health. He says plaques can start building early in life....stop the progression now to eliminate the need for dramatic interventions with significant side effect later in life. We discuss specific behaviors and supplements and even medications to signal the body to stop building plaques. A statin is only one of many potential solutions. Since recording this episode, I have stopped taking my low-dose statin that was significantly reducing my muscle power, and replaced it with better tools. Stop damaging the Glycocalyx (the protective barrier to the lining of arteries) Stop making so many ApoB particles Make more receptors to remove more ApoB particles Lower reabsorption and absorption of cholesterol from food in gut Bullet points Damage to glycocalx Causes: high oxidative stress (mitochondrial disfunction), inflammation from any source: gut related, infection (COVID), smoking, high insulin, high glucose Signs: high BP, erectile dysfunction Supplements to consider Vit k2 - keep calcium in bone not arteries Garlic - support glyocalix health Berberine — increase LDL receptors (like a weak pcsk9) Bergomot - lower LDL production (like a weak statin) Ezetimibe (not supplement) — reabsorption of cholesterol Aspirin (81 mg) - complicated. Had an event?  Aspirin for life. No event yet?  Higher CAC?  Aspirin. Unless high risk of bleeding. Blood markers review Homocysteine <10 GGT high means low glutathione (high oxidative stress) Uric acid. High means poor metabolism. A marker of gout but also damaging to glycocalyx. Oxidized LDL — 5 alarm code hsCRP — good to know but if high doesn't point to the problem Myeloperoxidase (increase with infection) — HDL dysfunction Boston heart panel Related info and episodes: Episode 103 | Boosting Nitric Oxide Episode 105 | UV Light for Health Episode 112 | Simple Solutions for AGEs More Dr Twyman info: drtwyman.com - Dr Michael Twyman's website Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, please leave us a review. And, be sure to check out our FullScript supplements link to see the amazing prices on the best brands on the planet. Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes

Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes If you look around you can see that body fatness is a bigger problem now than it used to be.  Officially the statistic is approximately 45% of Americans are obese measured by BMI. But if we measure body fat as a percentage of total body weight, the metric is closer to 90 percent. because of the many people who don’t look obese but have high fat combined with low muscle mass. What's even more concerning for wise athletes is that the level of body fatness that is unhealthy varies dramatically between people because the location of the fat is what matters. Some people have a very low threshold for fatness before they start to experience metabolic problems that are associated with obesity including higher rates of Cancer, t2d, and CVD.  So what is my threshold for unhealthy fat? What is yours? Today on episode 135, Dr Vyvyane Loh joins the show to explain what is happening to our bodies and why, and thankfully she shines a bright light on the pathway to metabolic health and athletic longevity.  Dr Loh is board certified in internal and obesity medicine, and she runs a medical practice helping people of all shapes and sizes to solve metabolic health challenges. And she has answers to my questions on how to know if this applies to you, and how to avoid the excessive catabolism that comes from sitting too much, over weighting endurance exercise, eating too little protein, intermittent fasting, frequent dieting, and more.  Bullet points People generally think their body fatness is lower than it really is.   The “pinchable” fat under the skin isn’t the problem. Fat can be hidden under the abdominal wall and in organs: muscles, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas …wherever your body could put it after your “under the skin” (subcutaneous) fat storage filled up.   Note: Ectopic (abnormal place) fat includes visceral (in the abdomen) fat Obesity measurements based on weight miss the key point. It’s the amount of ectopic or "out of place" fat that drives metabolic illness.  And each person has a different amount of healthy fat storage before the unhealthy storage begins. So the amount a person weighs can be misleading if the fat increase is offset by muscle and bone losses, and for people who have very low healthy fat storage. In fact, muscle and bone losses on top of fat increases is an even bigger problem even though BMI is “normal”.   Obesity definition — body fat % Men: 25% or higher Women: 35% or higher If you are using a bio-impedance device add 10-15 points (men) or 20-25 points (women). Use Dexa “body scan” to get an accurate reading. Very low radiation.  You can’t get an accurate assessment with body fat photo comparisons or bio impedance or using blood markers of inflammation  The key: find your body fat % and where is the fat located Dexa breakdown Fat mass Lean mass (muscle, organs, protein in bone, water) Mineral mass of bone A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan can measure bone mineral density and body composition, including lean mass, fat mass, and muscle mass. Lean mass is made up of everything that isn't bone mineral or body fat, including organs, skin, connective tissue, and water. However, DEXA scans don't show body water as a separate component. People lose 3-8% of muscle mass per decade of aging On top of that loss, “catabolic crises” cause additional muscle (and bone) loss. Illness, injury, surgery.  Also weight loss is a catabolic crisis.  Catabolic crises “Aging” Injury & Illness Yo-Yo dieting (30% of weight loss comes from lean mass but weight regain is nearly 100% fat) Excessive endurance exercise  Intermittent fasting and extended fasting Losing muscle mass leads to less space to put the excess calories eaten. Now the extra calories have to go to fat storage which eventually becomes dysfunctional and inflammatory. This inflammatory state accelerates the muscle and bone loss, as well as the diseases of “aging”.  Solution Resistance training is key: 3 full body sessions per week Metabolic conditioning: HIIT (“talk test” & “high exertion”) two 30 (maybe 45 minutes) minute sessions per week (3 / week of only doing 2 resistance training session per week Some endurance exercise is okay but do less low intensity if exercise time is constrained. Dr Loh says 1 slow endurance exercise day per week Mobility day — no exercise for except mobility work Protein: 120-150g per day divided into 30-35g per meal. Animal sources.  Don’t skip meals. Breakfast protein is important to break the catabolic  Sleep is critical. Work on circadian rhythm. Muscle builds during sleep. Low sleep makes hunger worse.  High BP that is resistant to medication means sleep apnea is a likely problem.  Creatine can help Fish oil is good Stay away from antioxidants right after workouts; wait 6 hours after workouts  Related info and episodes: Episode 132 | Measuring Metabolism Episode 129 | Optimal Human & Bone Health Episode 127 | Great Bones More Dr Vyvyane Loh info: tulaversity.com - Dr Loh's Coaching platform vyvyanelohmd.com - Dr Loh's website Dr Loh's podcasts -- for medical professionals and laypeople who want details Courses/info-metabolic-health-practitioner-certification-program-level-1 Dr Loh's YouTube Channel - for laypeople Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the show. Thanks.

Pro Level Supplements for WiseAthletes Should I take TRT? Should my testosterone be higher? I've been thinking about testosterone for 15 years, and of course the issue goes way beyond athletic performance enhancement ... wise athletes have serious questions about testosterone's impact on health and longevity. We all want to be better athletes, to be stronger and recover like we used to. Is there a way to boost testosterone that gives me all the benefits of getting back to my youthful levels of testosterone without injuring my ability to be a strong and healthy athlete throughout a long life? To answer those questions and more, on Episode 134 I am rejoined by Rick Cohen MD, a longevity and hormone health expert who works with athletes of all ages to find a safe and sustainable path to being the strong athlete we all want to be. Bullet points On one hand, there’s the TRT advocates who say “everyone should have 1000 ng/dl testosterone”…”don’t let your doctor scare you”….these guys usually also say ..”come to my low-T clinic”….or “buy my testosterone book”…These guys focus on making HIGH T a badge of honor and promote “testosterone envy”… But just as annoying is the old school doctor who says…aging is natural, and falling sex hormones is a normal part of the life trajectory that everyone goes through.  People need to get used to these changes.  See a psychiatrist if you need help.  This group deals in fear… talks about getting cancer and losing natural testosterone production Testosterone Envy is bogus:  Higher T is not better unless it is too low.  Too high is not healthy but too low is also bad. Each man has a T level that suits his body.  The body works hard to maintain the “right” level of sex hormones (symptoms tell the story better than blood tests).  But current T level is affected by two overlapping buckets of issues:  (1) health status (chronic inflammation, low mitochondrial function) and modern life issues (constant stress, sedentary lifestyles, nutrient shortages, medicines) Adding in TRT creates a lot of side effects that have to be worked out plus it is a lifetime commitment to continuing it because the body will stop making its own T.  This should be the action of last resort, not the first or second action The body knows what to do….i just need to make myself as healthy as possible, and not screw up the program by not providing enough of the right nutrients and stimulus for my body to recognize that a “strong Joe” amount of testosterone is warranted. Get sleep, move, lift heavy things, get off of toxic foods, don't over-train...quick fixes. Lifting heavy and sprinting are the big levers. Fasting all the time isn't a good idea, but periodic fasting can fit into a good overall program of repeating cycles of growth and repair Traditional low testosterone symptoms: falling asleep after dinner, no sex drive, no motivation to exercise, losing muscle mass, no morning wood. Low T is the warning light that something is wrong. You have to fix the problem to signal the body to go back to making a desirable level of testosterone. Sometimes people need a short treatment of medication to stimulate natural T production to boost motivation and mood so that they can do what is needed to do to increase testosterone production back to normal without drugs. Enclomiphene. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Supplements mentioned: Akarkara root, Pine pollen, Tongat Ali Do not take iron supplements. Donate blood to keep iron from getting too high. Related info and episodes: Episode 96 | Longevity Medicine w/Daniel Tawfik & Rick Cohen MD Episode 67 | Hormone Health w/Dr Kyle Gillett Episode 63 | Boosting Testosterone Right w/ Dr Rick Cohen More Dr Rick Cohen info: Pure Clean Performance website: Lab Assessments & Supplements Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes.

WiseAthletes Fullscript Store Gut health is all the rage now but it is so complicated and everybody has a different solution…from eating lots of fiber to eating only meat to taking probiotics.  How can we figure out what to do?  Is improved athletic performance possible from gut health? Today in episode 133 I am joined by Ross Pelton, the Natural Pharmacist who recently published a paper on the microbiome theory of aging in the medical journal Integrative medicine.  Ross shares his deep knowledge about improving gut health and also his knowledge about an emerging topic for me….postbiotics which are beneficial substances made by bacteria that our bodies rely upon and respond well to when we do have an optimal gut.  We’ve all heard of SCFA (short chain fatty acids), well that is only one of many substances made by bacteria in a healthy gut but now are available in supplement form to help us all get our gut back on track.  Ross works with Dr Ohhira's Probiotics & Postbiotic Metabolites which are available in the Wise Athletes Fullscript store if you’d like to check it out. Ross shares several medical studies using Dr Ohhira's including one with athletes that showed significant increases in vo2max and lactate threshold.....legal doping! Paper: The Microbiome Theory of Aging, January 2023 Link to get free copy of book: Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics & Postbiotic Metabolites Ross's website: naturalpharmacist.net

Hari Mix, Founder and CEO of Calorify and a Stanford PhD, sheds light on the evolving landscape of metabolism and nutrition. He reveals why many athletes are moving from restriction to strategic fueling for optimal performance. Mix discusses the pitfalls of traditional calorie tracking and introduces cutting-edge methods like doubly labeled water for accurate energy measurement. He also uncovers the complexities of calorie impact on health and the critical danger of underfueling, particularly in sports, while addressing age-related metabolism myths.

Fullscript for WiseAthletes I think it is clear that nutritional supplements are a useful and medically legitimate way for me to meet my nutritional needs and support my efforts to be a strong athlete for a long time. Yet, the question of which nutritional supplements to buy turns out to be much more complicated than it appears … my conversation today will make that challenge less overwhelming.  If you have ever dared to wonder if that nutritional supplement you have been taking for the last year with no or little effect really contains the real botanical or amino acid or whatever you wanted and expected, then you have already realized you have no idea and no way to find out.  Sure, you can use 3rd party services like ConsumerLab but that can’t tell you if the bottle in your hand is the same as the one they tested.  So what is a wise athlete to do? Today on episode 131 I am interviewing Dr Jeff Gladd who is a medical doctor with his own clinic and the chief medical officer of Fullscript, a wholesale nutritional supplement fulfillment service serving over 6 million patients through 100,000 healthcare providers. Dr Gladd knows the ins and outs of the nutritional supplement business, and he shares his tips for how to find brands and to source product that provides the best chance of having the purity and potency you and I seek.   And he also shared his advice on specific supplements for the older athlete.  And be sure to explore the WiseAthletes Fullscript site where you can see for yourself if the product selection and pricing is as good as the quality control offered by FullScript. I am no longer buying from Amazon as I have done for years. It's time for me to make sure I am getting the purity and potency I need.  Bullet points: Navigate the nutritional supplement industry by focusing on quality first and then cost. A quality product in your hand can only come through quality control maintained throughout the manufacturing and distribution process...any step along the way with a company you can't trust and that hasn't been checked by 3rd party certifiers means you don't know what you are getting. Start with goals: what are you trying to accomplish: (1) do everything you can through lifestyle improvement, (2) then turn to supplements to fill in gaps: start at the top...what are the most important things to address, (3) don't take 25+ supplements...take 5-6 high quality nutritional aids that you can expect to work, and then test to be certain, (4) move onto the next thing to address. Certifications available: Certified Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, cGMP, NSF, Kosher Check, Certified Vegan, Certified Halal. UL, Informed-Choice, Informed-Sport, Friend of the Sea, Certified B Corporation, Non GMO Verified, USP, USDA Organic, GOED, IFOS, ISO, Certified Organic, Certified B Corporation®, NSF Certified for Sport, MOSA Certified Organic, QAI, Homeopathic, Clean Label Project™, MSC Fish, 1% For The Planet, Non-GMO, NSF Certified, Halal, Keto Certified, Plant-Based Certified Allergen indicators. Animal product free, Artificial color free, Artificial flavor free, Artificial preservative free, Artificial sweetener free, Casein free, Corn free, Crustacean/shellfish free, Dairy free, Egg free, Fish free, Gluten free, GMO free, Grain free, Grass-fed, Hydrogenated oil free, Hypoallergenic, Keto friendly, Kosher, Mustard free, Organic, Paleo friendly, Peanut free, Preservative free, Rice free, Salicylate free, Salt free, Sesame free, Soy free, Starch free, Sugar free, Tree nut free, Wheat free, Whey free, Yeast free Related info: As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeffrey Gladd advises on company and product direction with the perspective of integrative and family medicine. In 2010, Dr. Gladd opened GladdMD Integrative Medicine, blending health-promoting care with high access technology. In 2011, he created and launched the web’s first nutrient depletion tool, www.mytavin.com. Dr. Gladd is a sought after speaker in his field, speaking at TEDx and being featured in various industry publications. Dr. Gladd has been featured in: Blog Talk Radio: Interview with Hello Health Customer Dr. Gladd Business People Magazine: Creating a Culture of Health RETHINKing Healthcare: Fort Wayne TEDx talk The Future of Medicine: Functional Forum Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes.

Fullscript for WiseAthletes Breathing is the essence of life. Yet lung function declines as we age. The chemicals and small particles breathed into our lungs leave a mark and reduce lung function, a little here and a little there. But we can slow the decline, and we can even recover lost function with targeted effort. Do you know how to protect and strengthen your lungs? Today I am joined by MeiLan K. Han, MD, a pulmonologist and the Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan, and a national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Dr Han is also the author of Breathing Lessons ... a rallying cry for lung health. With the authority that only a practitioner and medical researcher can deliver, Dr Han reveals the latest scientific thinking about the leading respiratory risks — including indoor and outdoor pollution, smoking and vaping, and wildfire smoke during outdoor exercise — and offers practical advice on how to protect the lungs. Listen in to learn about treating your lungs well and maintaining or recovering effortless breathing as you age. Related info and episodes: Episode 103 - Nitric Oxide w/Beth Shirley Episode 50 -- Breathing is a Skill w/ George Dallam, PhD Air Quality Index info More Dr MeiLan K. Han info: DrMeilanHan.com Dr Meilan Han on X (Twitter) Breath Lessons book on Amazon Dr Melan Han website @meilanhan on both Instagram and Facebook Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes. And, checkout the discount codes provided by show guests who offer unique products that I or Glen use. Click here: DISCOUNTS

Fullscript for WiseAthletes This is part 2 of my bone health exploration, and this time the question is what should I do if I have osteoperosis? Is it game over? No. Absolutely not. But you will need to work hard to recover the bone health you lost. Doug Lucas, DO, Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Anti-Aging Specialist, will give you insight into the lifestyle, nutrition, testing, and medical solutions for Osteoporosis management and yes, possibly, even reversal. Avoiding pharmaceuticals if at all possible. Dr Doug Lucas is a double board certified physician specializing in optimizing healthspan and bone health. Seven years after completing his training at Stanford and starting his career as an orthopedic surgeon Dr Doug left the traditional medical model to pursue a second fellowship and board certification in anti-aging and regenerative medicine and achieve the status of fellow in Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine. Dr Doug has gone on to build a team of experts to help optimize patient's health and help them to live better, longer. The vision has come to fruition with 100s of patients seeing success by reversing chronic diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes but also by improving energy, performance and vitality. Bullet points Layers for building health…start at the foundation and build up…. Lifestyle (sleep, diet, stress mgmt., activity, sunshine, social, spiritual)…lots of these things can be done together…time efficiency is important.Keys to get right:  enough protein, enough calcium, the right dairy (A1 vs A2 casein) if possible?  Fermented …full fat is better?  a calm immune system, the right exercise/activity, sleep, stress mgmt stuff to avoid:  alcohol, salt, caffeine, fasting, yo-yo dieting, HPF highly processed food…antibiotics?  Proton pump inhibitors?  NSAIDs (aspirin?) Supplements based on need, which means testing (how do you test?  Anything beyond the standard panels?  How do you assess status or need?  I’m used to my doctors who say anything in the “normal range” is good enough…what other biomarkers do you use….BP, RHR, …any functional markers like grip strength or balance? Other related to testingWhat about allergies?  I’ve heard food allergies are an issue but is it the same for airway allergies like pollen or dust creating histamines?  Do antihistamines help?Melatonin?  Help with sleep and bones?What about non-chemical interventions?  Red/NIR light, UVB lamps, vibration plates, etc. Hormone optimization  — lifestyle then replacement based on real need.  But hormones affect more than bone….right?  Estrogen is the key for bone health?  How do men get enough estrogen for bones? Peptides – gray area….is this an area people should be careful about?  Stuff you can get online…can you trust it? Pharma – medications tend to be very powerful and have side effects.  Anything common that you find contributed to the bone health issues?  How do you deal with polypharmacy issues….accumulation of drugs taken forever? Longevity interventions?  Off-label?  Optimization of biomarkers vs. “normal range”?   (rapamycin?  MB?  ….a long list of off-label medications found to extend healthspan and lifespan in mice:  acarbose, metformin (when combined with rapa), SGLT2 inhibitors (canagliflozin)…and others. Related info and episodes: Episode 127 on Great Bones w/Dr Keith McCormick More Dr Doug Lucas info: Link to FREE Bone Foundations course (you'll have to share contact info) Optimal Bone Health website Optimal Bone Health youtube channel Optimal Human Health -- Doug Lucas bio Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes. And, checkout the discount codes provided by show guests who offer unique products that I or Glen use. Click here: DISCOUNTS

Fullscript for WiseAthletes Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, as we learned in high school biology. What's emerging from science more recently is how unhealthy mitochondria are at the heart of many diseases, and even shows up in our daily lives as feeling chronically fatigued or having brain fog. Improving mitochondrial function is at the heart of everything we do for athletic performance, health, and athletic longevity. Heck, mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the 12 hallmarks of aging...so what can we do? Today I am speaking with Dr. Scott Sherr who says "he is a conductor of all things optimal health & performance"....he says everything he does for his patients...whatever their issues are...is usually aimed at improving mitochondrial dysfunction. Dr Sherr is not just a medical doctor …his unique background has led him to build a medical practice combining the best of traditional and alternative medicine. Dr. Scott Sherr is a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician and a specialist in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).  His clinical practice includes Health Optimization Medicine as its foundation plus an integrative approach to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, trargeted supplementation, synergistic new & ancient technologies, and more.  He is the perfect doctor to speak to the Wise Athletes podcast. But there is still more.  Dr. Scott is also the COO of Smarter Not Harder, the company behind Troscriptions, a line of unique supplements to optimize brain and body energy production and to relax and calm when needed.  And, as you will soon hear, Dr Sherr is the person who convinced me to try Methylene Blue, which has served to banish afternoon brain fog from my life. Bullet points (from Smarter Not Harder's THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO METHYLENE BLUE) THE MAGIC HAPPENS AT LOW DOSES At low doses (<3mg/kg), Methylene Blue (MB) is called an electron cycler. It acts as an electron donor to the electron transport chain in your mitochondria, increasing ATP production. MB also works as an acceptor of free electrons from reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (i.e. it works like an antioxidant...one as powerful as vitamin C or glutathione, in fact). There are very few compounds that cycle electrons (i.e. donates and accepts them) as effectively as MB. MB also increases the cytochrome oxidase (complex IV) function in your mitochondria and drives increased glucose consumption. The latter occurs because, when the mitochondria are making more energy, they need more substrate to supply electrons to the electron transport chain. While increasing glucose consumption and energy production, MB also increases the supply of NAD+. At <2mg/kg, MB causes the release of nitric oxide and the dilation of blood vessels so that more oxygen-rich blood flows to the area of increased glucose consumption. MB can bypass potentially dysfunctional mitochondrial complexes I and II. This is why MB works to reverse or compensate for mitochondrial damage. MB concentrates in tissues with the most mitochondria (e.g. the brain where it readily crosses the blood-brain barrier) the heart, muscles, the liver, and kidneys. But...at moderate doses (3mg to 10mg/kg in most studies), MB becomes an electron donor and a pro- oxidant that facilitates the generation of singlet oxygen and peroxide radicals, especially in the presence of certain spectrums of light. This is likely the way MB works in septic shock (via nitric oxide synthase inhibition) and possibly in cancer treatment. Moderate doses can be useful for addressing infections or other acute injuries, but shouldn't be taken for long periods of time THE TOP 8 BENEFITS OF LOW DOSE METHYLENE BLUE MB donates electrons at the electron- transport chain (ETC) and increases ATP production. This effect can occur in the presence or absence of oxygen (works even at high altitude!). MB enhances the function of cytochrome oxidase (complex IV), making it work faster and more efficiently. This leads to increased oxygen consumption and increased ATP production, especially in the most metabolically active cells, like nerve cells in memory regions of the brain. MB stimulates glucose metabolism in conditions with and without oxygen + increases the amount of NAD + produced by mitochondria. The greater amount of NAD+, the younger your cells remain/become due to sirtuin activation. MB may function as a cholinesterase inhibitor, increasing the amount of acetylcholine available, a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for arousal, attention, memory, and motivation. MB, combined with certain spectrums of light, are synergistic in mitochondrial activation AND may be anti-infective against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. MB functions as a powerful antioxidant as it scavenges the mitochondria and cytosol for free electrons to accept and neutralize. On the macro level, this is how MB is neuroprotective and may reverse skin, brain, heart, and other damage. In red blood cells, MB changes the configuration of the iron (heme) in hemoglobin, the molecule in a red blood cell that carries oxygen. This improves the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin, which leads to increased ATP production from the ETC. MB also has mood-lifting effects, functioning as a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. Inhibiting MAO prevents monoamine neurotransmitter breakdown (dopamine, melatonin, and serotonin) which leads directly to increases in these neurotransmitters. USE WITH CARE Methylene Blue has been used for over a hundred years and, when used with care, is an extremely safe compound. However, it can cause toxicity at high doses (>3mg/kg), and even at lower doses toxicity can occur if used at too high a dose in this range or for too long. Also, combining Methylene Blue of any dose with SSRIs, SNRIs, or other drugs that prevent serotonin reuptake (including psychedelics) may cause serotonin syndrome. Do not use methylene blue with these types of medications. Methylene Blue is also not safe if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or nonhuman It is also not safe if you have G6PD deficiency Related info and episodes: Episode 121 | Recovery for Performance Longevity | Brian MacKenzie of ShiftAdapt Anti-Aging Potentials of Methylene Blue for Human Skin Longevity Article on Uses for Methylene Blue. Paper on Methylene Blue Wikipedia on Methylene_blue Hallmarks of Aging (including Mitochondrial Dysfunction) More Dr Scott Sherr info: Dr Sherr on X (Twitter) Troscriptions website Dr Scott Sherr on Instagram Hyperbaric Medical Solutions website Dr Scott Sherr website Want to support the show? If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes. And, checkout the discount codes provided by show guests who offer unique products that I or Glen use. Click here: DISCOUNTS