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Summary of Transcript:
Peter Etia, the host of the Drive Podcast, interviews Don, who grew up on a farm in Illinois and studied biochemistry and nutrition. Don’s mentor encouraged him to pursue a PhD in nutritional biochemistry, which he did at the University of Minnesota. Don’s underlying philosophy of nutrition is that it is focused on two tissues: the brain and skeletal muscle. He believes that if these two tissues are healthy, a person will live a good life and that nutrition should be tailored around this idea. Don believes that muscle serves two functions: mobility and metabolism, and that blood glucose and lipids levels are heavily dependent on muscle metabolism. He also argues that chronically elevating insulin leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
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Summary of Description:
In this episode, Peter Attia interviews Don Layman, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Don discusses the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, essential amino acids, animal versus plant protein, protein quality, absorption rates, ideal timing of protein intake, protein utilization in adolescents and older adults, and the role of protein in fat loss. He also shares results from his clinical trials and offers insights into the influence of industry funding on nutrition studies.
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The Role of Dietary Protein in Muscle Protein Synthesis
Don Layman, professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has spent the past 40 years researching the relationship between dietary protein and muscle protein synthesis. In this episode of The Peter Attia Drive, Don explains the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, the essential amino acids, and the nuances of animal versus plant protein. He provides insights for determining protein quality, absorption rates, and how to best track your intake. Don also shares results from his clinical trials, including how a high-protein diet fared in terms of fat loss, and explains the differences in protein utilization between adolescents and adults.
The Basics of Protein and Amino Acids
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle and other body tissues. Don explains that there are nine essential amino acids, which are those that the body cannot make and must be consumed through food. He also discusses the importance of leucine, lysine, and methionine, three essential amino acids that have been found to have a special role in muscle protein synthesis.
Animal Versus Plant Protein
Don explains the differences between animal and plant proteins and how to determine the quality of each. He also discusses the vital role of ruminant animals in the production of quality protein. Additionally, he provides insights into how the protein needs and impacts of dietary protein differ for a 16-year old compared to a 65-year old.
Timing Protein Intake Around Training
Don provides an overview of the ideal timing of protein intake in relation to resistance exercise, how protein should be distributed among meals, and how limitations in protein utilization per sitting can impact those practicing time-restricted eating. He also explains the role of leucine in fatty acid oxidation by muscle and how a high-protein diet fared in terms of fat loss in his clinical trials.
Conclusion
Don Layman’s decades of research into the role of dietary protein in muscle protein synthesis has shaped his thinking around protein, muscle, anabolic factors, metabolism, and more. He provides an in-depth look into the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, the essential amino acids, and the differences between animal and plant proteins. Additionally, he provides insights into the ideal timing of protein intake in relation to resistance exercise and how to best track your intake.
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Don Layman is a Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has spent the past 40 years investigating the role of dietary protein in muscle protein synthesis. In this episode, Don describes how his decades of research have shaped his thinking around protein, muscle, anabolic factors, metabolism, and more. He explains the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein: what it is, how it came about, and how it should serve only as a guide for the minimum protein necessary for survival rather than as an optimal level of protein intake. He provides an overview of the essential amino acids, explains the nuances of animal versus plant protein, and provides insights for determining protein quality, absorption rates, and how to best track your intake. He discusses the ideal timing of protein intake in relation to resistance exercise, how protein should be distributed among meals, and how limitations in protein utilization per sitting can impact those practicing time-restricted eating. Additionally, Don shares results from his clinical trials, including how a high-protein diet fared in terms of fat loss, and explains the differences in protein utilization between adolescents and adults and how the problem of reduced efficiency of protein utilization in older adults can be overcome.
We discuss:
0:00:00 – Intro
0:00:08 – Don’s background: from growing up on a farm to studying nutritional biochemistry
0:04:39 – Don’s philosophy on nutrition, muscle, and metabolism
0:18:10 – The controversial relationship between saturated fat and atherosclerosis
0:26:30 – The basics of protein and amino acids
0:33:46 – Origin and limitations of the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein intake
0:43:44 – Protein sources: determining quality, absorption rates, and how to track intake
0:51:35 – Leucine, lysine, and methionine: three important essential amino acids
0:57:35 – The vital role of ruminant animals in the production of quality protein
1:04:55 – The differing needs and impacts of dietary protein for a 16-year old compared to a 65-year old
1:12:50 – Consequences of protein deficiency in childhood
1:19:50 – Muscle protein synthesis: ideal timing, small meals vs. big meals, and more
1:27:51 – Protein needs of children
1:33:07 – How important is timing protein intake around training?
1:37:27 – The role of leucine in fatty acid oxidation by muscle
1:41:07 – High protein diets for fat loss: Results from Don’s clinical trials
1:55:24 – Influence of industry funding on nutrition studies
2:01:26 – Don’s thoughts on plant-based and synthetic “meats”
2:10:05 – Problems with epidemiological studies of dietary protein
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About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 45 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).
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