Building and maintaining muscle mass is one of the most important (yet underappreciated) components of overall health and longevity. Having sufficient muscle mass plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, resiliency and recovery, and so much more. On this episode of The Model Health Show, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is back to discuss the amazing benefits of having adequate muscle mass on your frame. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a board-certified family medicine and fellowship-trained physician in nutritional sciences and geriatrics. She is also the author of the new book, Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well. Dr. Lyon is a subject-matter expert and educator in the practical application of protein types and levels for health, performance, aging, and disease prevention.

In this interview, Dr. Lyon is sharing the science behind how building muscle influences our health outcomes. You’re going to learn how skeletal muscle impacts everything from your metabolism to your immune system and your longevity. We’re also having powerful conversations about teaching your children to take care of their bodies, simple ways to optimize muscle mass, and the empowering truth about earning muscle. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is passionate about sharing the value of building muscle for long-term health, and I hope this interview inspires you to reap the benefits of earning muscle!

In this episode you’ll discover:

• How loss of muscle mass impacts morbidity and mortality rates.
• Why obesity is a side effect of unhealthy skeletal muscle.
• The connection between muscle mass, the immune system, and hormones.
• What myokines are, and the role they play in immune health.
• How your muscles function as a metabolic sink.
• The main site for glucose disposal in the body.
• What happens when muscle is infiltrated with fat.
• The definition of obesogenic sarcopenia.
• How muscle protein synthesis can be blunted.
• Why skeletal muscle is a nutrient sensing hormone.
• How sleep deprivation can impact your ability to increase muscle mass.
• What it means to live a muscle-centric life.
• The minimum amount of resistance training you should incorporate into your routine.
• How your muscle mass impacts your quality of life as you age.
• The connection between testosterone levels and muscle.
• How children can reap the benefits of resistance training.
• Two simple ways to optimize muscle mass.
• How much protein your body needs.
• The history of dietary guidelines in the US.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

• Onnit.com/model -- Save an exclusive 10% on performance supplements & tools!
• DrinkLMNT.com/model -- Get a FREE sample pack with any order!
• EatSmarterCookbook.com -- Order your copy today!
• Forever Strong by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
• 4 Overlooked Exercises That Will Make You Fitter – Episode 714
• Connect with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Website / Podcast / Newsletter / Instagram / YouTube

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Thank You to our Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by Onnit. Obviously real food sources, dense protein sources of real food are critical, but sometimes we're not getting in the adequate amount of protein that our bodies need to get the results that we want. And so a lot of folks look to protein supplements, and there are a ton of protein supplements available on the market today, from plant source to animal source. But the vast majority of clinical evidence supporting the benefits of using a protein supplement are from studies done on whey protein. A randomized double-blind study published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that overweight test subjects who are instructed to consume whey protein daily for 23 weeks, lost more body fat, had greater loss in waist circumference and had a greater reduction of circulating ghrelin levels. That is our major hunger hormone, compared to test subjects who were taking soy protein or an isogenic carbohydrate drink. What's really interesting about this study is that the test subjects were not instructed to make any other dietary or lifestyle changes, they just started losing more belly fat by adding in whey protein. That's really something remarkable to pay attention to, and by the way whey protein is not a new invention, Socrates the father of modern medicine utilized whey protein, it was called serum, in their particular dialect, of course, but effectively that's what the translation is. So this has been around for a very long time and it's the most science-backed form of protein, so whatever protein you subscribe to, just make sure you get the best quality possible. And you're gonna find the best quality possible whether it's grass-fed whey protein or a plant-based protein from Onnit, go to onnit.com/model, that's onnit.com/model. And you will find the highest quality protein supplements in the world. Onnit is a health and human performance focused company that even puts their supplements through clinical trials, through randomized controlled trials to see their efficacy. So they're going above and beyond, go to onnit.com/model, check out their grass-fed whey protein, it's amazing and of course, if you're subscribed to a plant-based protocol their plant-based protein is just the best, it just is. My oldest son actually he utilizes it, it's his favorite protein when he's doing a plant-based protocol, some people just their body jives better with certain things and we have to honor that. But we wanna have delicious experiences and we wanna have things that taste good and also feel good in our bodies. So Onnit is that deal check them out, go to onnit.com/model

This episode is brought to you by LMNT. Neuroplasticity, the ability of the human brain to grow and adapt and evolve and really to unlock our superhuman capacity is driven by our experiences, our practices, our activities, but also our nutrition. Fascinating new research published in the journal Neuron found that magnesium, this key electrolyte is able to restore critical brain plasticity and improve overall cognitive function. Again, neuroplasticity is the ability of our brain to change and adapt. Now, this is one key electrolyte, but it works in tandem with other electrolytes like sodium. Sodium is critical for maintaining proper hydration of the human brain. If you didn't know this, the human brain is primarily made of water. We're talking somewhere in the ballpark of 75, upwards of 80% water. It's so important because just a small decrease in our body's optimal hydration level, what's noted in the data, just a 2% decrease in our baseline hydration level can lead to dramatic cognitive decline, helping to sustain and maintain proper hydration levels in the brain. Sodium is critical in that. And also researchers at McGill University found that sodium functions as a "off on switch" for specific neurotransmitters that support our cognitive function and protect our brains from numerous degenerative diseases. Right now, the number one electrolyte company in the world is delivering a gift for new and returning customers with each purchase of LMNT. That's LMNT, the number one electrolyte in the market. No binders, no fillers, no artificial ingredients, no crazy sugar and sweeteners. My friend's son was just over at our house and my son, my oldest son Jordan, was training them, taking his teammates through some workouts. And we opened the freezer and there's a bottle of Gatorade, that's a bottle of Gatorade in our freezer. And my wife's like, whose is this? 'Cause we know we don't roll like that. We don't mess with the gators. All right. We don't mess with the Gatorades. And we knew who it was, it was one of his friends. And he came in, he's like, well, at least this is the no sugar kind. And then I go through some of the ingredients with him and I find those curve balls of like, here's where they're sneaking in these artificial ingredients and things that the human body has no association with. But you know, he's taken a step in the right direction by, by being in our environment. So, you know what I did? I put the LMNT in his hand. Alright, make sure that he's got the good stuff, the very best stuff. And also this is backed by peer-reviewed data in a huge body of evidence. When we're talking about the folks at LMNT, that's LMNT. Go to drinklmnt.com/model and you're going to get a special gift pack with every purchase, whether you're a new or previous customer to LMNT. So again, this is a brand new opportunity, free gift pack with every purchase over at LMNT. Go to drinklmnt.com/model.