#101 Dr. Andy Galpin Shares the Full Nutrition & Supplement Protocol He Gives Pro Athletes

FoundMyFitness

Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

Fitness, Depression, Foundmyfitness, Timferriss, Sleep, Diet, Longevity, Ketosis, Rhondapatrick, Kevinrose, Domdagostino, Health, Sauna, Nutrition, Medicine, Fasting, Healthspan, Mattwalker, Coldexposure, Lifeextension, Health & Fitness, Exercise

4.8 • 5.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 231 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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Nutrition, supplementation, and recovery are foundational for enhancing exercise performance, but their full potential often remains untapped. In this episode, Dr. Andy Galpin, a renowned expert who has coached Olympians, world champions, and professional athletes across major sports, breaks down exactly how to leverage these critical elements to meaningfully enhance your results.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(05:01) Eating to perform vs. eating to live longer—do you have to choose?
(08:20) Training fasted—are the mitochondrial benefits worth it?
(14:53) What should you eat before early-morning strength training?
(16:52) Why nutrient timing isn't critical for the average exerciser
(18:44) Is intermittent fasting killing your gains?
(29:24) Carbs before resistance training—fuel or fluff?
(31:07) Endurance fueling strategies—what actually works?
(36:02) When is post-exercise carb intake truly essential?
(37:35) Game day fueling—how to get it right
(40:25) Carb supplements vs. whole foods—what do elite athletes actually eat?
(43:18) Rethinking fat intake for exercise performance
(46:14) Metabolic flexibility—how the term got hijacked
(50:39) The real test of metabolic health—why skipping a meal shouldn't break you
(51:55) Are anaerobic and aerobic systems truly separate?
(55:56) Does protein timing really matter?
(58:27) Whole foods vs. protein powders
(1:03:21) Fat timing—overlooked or irrelevant?
(1:04:48) The truth about seed oils and saturated fat
(1:09:43) Magnesium—who actually needs to supplement?
(1:11:43) The problem with magnesium blood tests
(1:13:01) Why the magnesium RDA might not be enough
(1:13:54) Magnesium citrate, glycinate, or threonate—does it matter?
(1:15:55) Do magnesium supplements really aid recovery?
(1:18:35) Omega-3 supplementation—is the AFib risk real?
(1:22:10) Can omega-3s prevent muscle loss during inactivity?
(1:26:14) Why "performance anchors" matter more than supplements
(1:30:47) Iron deficiency—the hidden performance killer?
(1:33:42) Does caffeine before workouts increase fat burning?
(1:35:29) Caffeine cycling—smart strategy or outdated myth?
(1:38:45) Can music measurably enhance workout performance?
(1:39:57) Rhodiola rosea—fatigue fighter or placebo?
(1:44:38) Beetroot, citrulline, arginine—do nitric oxide boosters work?
(1:55:07) Beta-alanine—why the tingles might be worth it
(2:01:05) Is 5g of creatine really enough?
(2:02:18) Sodium bicarbonate—effective fatigue buffer or GI nightmare?
(2:04:36) Can you trust what's in your pre-workout supplement?
(2:06:54) Is too much caffeine killing your performance gains?
(2:07:41) Can antioxidants blunt exercise performance?
(2:08:40) High-dose vitamin C—immune protection or adaptation killer?
(2:15:12) Do anti-inflammatories sabotage your gains?
(2:17:38) Tart cherry juice—recovery aid or overhyped?
(2:21:04) Is glutamine the immune booster athletes need?
(2:29:11) Can collagen actually strengthen tendons?
(2:33:26) Does glucosamine chondroitin actually help joints?
(2:34:28) What really happens during recovery—signaling vs. inflammation
(2:37:25) The most important recovery metric
(2:39:05) How increased blood flow accelerates muscle repair
(2:43:55) Why persistent soreness might mean your fascia's at fault
(2:47:02) Can compression boots genuinely speed recovery?
(2:47:56) Can simply soaking in water accelerate recovery?
(2:51:13) When is sauna a better choice than extra miles?
(2:53:12) Can localized heat preserve muscle during downtime?
(2:54:31) Cold immersion timing—muscle recovery vs. blunting gains
(3:01:16) Why pre-bed cold exposure might improve sleep
(3:04:31) Heart rate variability vs. resting heart rate
(3:12:45) Why respiratory rate predicts stress better than resting heart rate
(3:16:57) Are you overtrained—or just overreached?
(3:21:41) Hormones and overtraining—what's the real link?
(3:25:48) Does training harder mean you need more sleep?
(3:27:54) How to know if you're getting enough sleep
(3:31:17) Sleep trackers
(3:33:10) Hydration timing—the key to uninterrupted sleep?
(3:34:54) Why your wind-down index matters
(3:36:02) Is your bedroom's CO₂ buildup sabotaging your sleep?
(3:39:40) Are nasal allergies quietly wrecking your recovery?
(3:41:23) Sleep hacks—what actually works?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're diving deep into the science of nutrition,
0:04.4	supplementation, training, and recovery for peak athletic performance and longevity.
0:09.7	And joining me is Dr. Andy Galpin. Dr. Galpin is a professor and director of the Human Performance
0:15.1	Center at Parker University. He bridges the gap between rigorous laboratory research and
0:20.0	practical real-world strategies,
0:22.1	coaching elite athletes, Olympians, and everyday fitness enthusiasts alike.
0:26.6	His research explores the nuances of how training, nutrition, and targeted supplementation
0:31.3	interact to drive strength, endurance, and optimal recovery.
0:35.3	In this wide-ranging conversation, Andy and I unpacked several critical topics, including
0:40.9	nutrition for performance and longevity.
0:43.7	Are these goals fundamentally at odds or can they coexist?
0:47.4	We explore strategies for balancing immediate athletic goals with long-term health.
0:52.7	Fasted training and time-restricted eating. Who should train fasted?
0:56.5	When might skipping breakfast enhance or impair your results? We discuss his latest research on
1:02.1	fasting, training timing, and body recomposition. Carbohydrates, fat, and protein, what truly
1:08.8	matters when fueling performance, recovery or endurance, and
1:12.5	what's just noise.
1:13.9	We break down macro timing, the reality behind carb loading and the nuances of protein intake
1:19.0	beyond standard guidelines.
1:21.9	Supplements that actually move the needle.
1:24.0	Andy shares practical insights into creatine, caffeine, beta alanineroot juice, rhodiola, and other performance enhancers, including optimal dosages, timing strategies, and which supplements might actively hinder your progress.
1:38.7	Recovery science made practical. We dissect the science behind cold water immersion, sauna, compression therapies, and
	...

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