#101 Dr. Andy Galpin: The Optimal Diet, Supplement, & Recovery Protocol for Peak Performance

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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