Welcome to the commune podcast. My name is Jeff Krasno. Today we're exploring the importance of muscle and muscle mass.

There is so much more to building and maintaining muscle than simply looking buff. So beyond aesthetics,

healthy muscle mass is a key component to longevity. And here's a few reasons why. Now, our muscle

tissue is very metabolically active. It burns more calories at rest compared to, let's say, fat tissue.

The translation there is that the more muscle you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate will be.

You'll essentially be burning more calories even when you're just sitting around.

And that's really helpful for healthy weight management. Now beyond basal metabolic rate, muscle tissue plays an integral role

in glucose metabolism. Now muscle is basically a glucose vacuum. It sucks up sugar from your blood. And in this way,

maintaining muscle mass aids in regulating blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of insulin

resistance and diabetes. Now, muscle health also correlates to bone health.

Resistance training, which helps build and maintain muscle mass, also strengthens bones.

That's right. Bones aren't not this docile dead tissue. They're alive and they can be strengthened. This is crucial

for preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures and bone-related conditions

that can creep up later in life. Strong muscles also provide support and stability for our joints, which can alleviate

stress and reduce the risk of joint-related issues, such as osteoarthritis. So in summary, muscle

may very well be the key to healthy aging. Now, today's episode is a series of excerpts from two

conversations I've had recently with two experts on the topic of the importance of maintaining

healthy muscle mass. Now, first up is physician and author Dr. Gabrie Gabriel Lyon. She explains why our so-called

obesity epidemic is really a mid-life muscle crisis. She discusses her new book Forever

Strong and her philosophy around muscle-centric medicine, emphasizing the importance of muscle in weight loss,

body recomposition, and life expectancy.

So without further delay, here's Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

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