The Science of Fat Loss & Muscle Retention — Dr. David Church on Protein Timing, EAAs, and Creatine
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa Spina
4.5 • 758 Ratings
🗓️ 27 October 2025
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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In this masterclass episode, Vanessa sits down with Dr. David Church, one of the most exciting young researchers in protein metabolism and a mentee of Dr. Arny Ferrando and Dr. Robert Wolfe. Together, they break down the latest science on protein timing, distribution, and supplementation — and how to apply it to achieve fat loss, preserve muscle, and enhance cognition.
You'll learn:
• How stable isotope tracer studies work and what they reveal about muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
• The minimum protein per meal needed to trigger muscle growth and repair — and whether you can hit it with two meals a day.
• The truth about intermittent fasting and muscle preservation — what happens to MPS in 2-meal and 1-meal-a-day patterns.
• Why older adults and women over 40 face anabolic resistance and how EAAs (essential amino acids) can help overcome it.
• What happens when you double your protein intake from 0.8 g/kg to 1.6 g/kg — and why distribution may matter less than total intake.
• The surprising power of small doses of EAAs in muscle maintenance and cognitive support.
• Why creatine is foundational for women, including new research showing benefits for brain health and sleep deprivation.
• How to optimize body recomposition — burning fat while protecting lean mass — even during calorie restriction.
• The difference between supplemental vs. replacement nutrition, and why EAAs work for older adults with low appetite.
• The synergy of protein + resistance training + sleep + activity in driving sustainable fat loss.
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Dr. Church also shares his own daily stack — including why he takes 20 g of creatine per day and combines it with EAAs for energy, cognition, and recovery — plus his favorite high-protein meals for busy days.
If you've ever wondered how to burn fat efficiently while protecting every gram of muscle, this episode is packed with evidence-based takeaways you can implement right away.
Mentioned in this Episode:
• Puori Creatine + – clean, third-party-tested creatine monohydrate with taurine
• Essential amino acids for older adults and women facing anabolic resistance
• Stable isotope tracer studies — how we truly measure MPS
• Protein targets: 1.6–2.4 g/kg depending on activity and energy restriction
• Pre-sleep protein and its impact on overnight MPS and metabolic rate
Get delicious high protein meal recipes! Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @ketogenicgirl
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Follow @optimalproteinpodcast on Instagram to see visuals and posts mentioned on this podcast.
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The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Optimal Protein Podcast. I'm Vanessa Spina. |
| 0:03.7 | Hello, my friends. Welcome back to the optimal protein podcast. I'm your host, Vanessa. |
| 0:08.1 | And today I'm thrilled to be joined by Dr. David Church, one of the rising leaders in protein metabolism research. |
| 0:17.6 | Dr. David Church completed his postdoctoral work under the mentorship of world-renowned |
| 0:23.7 | scientists, Dr. Arnie Ferando, and Dr. Robert Wolfe at the University of Arkansas for Medical |
| 0:29.8 | Sciences, where he specialized in using stable isotope tracer methods to study muscle protein |
| 0:35.7 | turnover. His work has already produced multiple |
| 0:39.2 | groundbreaking clinical trials, including recent studies on protein timing, distribution, |
| 0:45.4 | and essential amino acid supplementation in aging populations. Now, in today's episode, we dive |
| 0:52.0 | into the cutting edge of protein science. |
| 0:55.4 | How stable isotope tracers work, what they actually are, and what we can learn about them |
| 1:02.3 | in terms of muscle building, the minimum per meal protein thresholds needed to stimulate |
| 1:08.7 | muscle protein synthesis or muscle growth, how intermittent fasting |
| 1:12.9 | or eating two meals per day can be optimized for preserving lean mass. We delve into fat loss |
| 1:19.7 | and how much protein you need to be eating every single day if you are cutting weight or |
| 1:25.6 | if you are losing fat, how to optimize your body recomposition. |
| 1:30.6 | So you maximize fat loss while protecting your muscle. |
| 1:33.8 | And we also talk about anabolic resistance in older adults and his research findings, |
| 1:40.1 | the surprising power of small doses of essential amino acids and whether or not protein alone |
| 1:46.3 | can drive meaningful body recomposition even without intense training so if you have ever wondered |
| 1:53.3 | how to maximize fat loss while protecting as much of your muscle as possible this episode is |
| 1:59.4 | packed with evidence-based strategies that you can start |
... |
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