#205 - Energy balance, nutrition, & building muscle | Layne Norton, Ph.D. (Pt.2)

Drive with Dr. Peter Attia

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways Big reasons weight loss efforts might be failing: (1) Your wearable is probably not accurately tracking the actual calories burned during exercise; (2) People notoriously underreport energy/calorie intake (not intentionally, we often skip the handful of nuts or berries, but it all adds up); (3) Food labels are allowed up to 20% errorA calorie is a calorie, it’s a scientific measure of energy – but all sources of calories are not created equalPeter’s rule of thumb: never do two bad things back to back – if you miss exercise today, be sure to exercise tomorrow; if you eat a cheat meal, make your next meal betterIf you want to lose weight specifically, you will need to do some form of restriction on time or calories – could be calories, fat, carb, unprocessed food, fasting, etc.The best diet is the one you can stick to! A lot of weight loss is really reprogramming habits and behaviors, more than any specific dietary dogmaYou need to exercise! If you are focusing on cutting carbs and food restrictions, you are stepping over dollars to pick up penniesProtein and calories are the most important things to consider in your diet – how you distribute carbohydrates and fat should be based on what you can adhere to and tolerateWork your muscles to the full range of motion to maximize hypertrophyTraining frequency is more of a tool to distribute volume than it is a hypertrophy stimulusSupplementing for hypertrophy training: whey, creatine monohydrate, maybe citrulline – you can skip BCAAs as long as you’re getting high-quality protein in your dietProtein powder red flags: (1) Stay away from companies pitching “proprietary blends”; (2) Make sure brand isn’t nitrogen spiking (don’t want glycine on the label); (3) Watch out for unrealistic claims or “most anabolic” type marketing

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Layne Norton holds a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences and is a physique coach, natural bodybuilder, and previous guest on The Drive. In the first half of this episode, Layne dives deep into the topic of energy balance, including the role that macronutrients and calories play in weight loss. He describes how many people struggle with tracking food and calories on their own across a variety of diets and how all of this can impact nutritional habits and behaviors. In the second half of the episode, Layne discusses the importance of protein and weightlifting for improving one’s body composition and increasing muscle mass. He explains how he would prescribe different training and nutrition programs for two hypothetical clients—a 50-year-old female who is entering menopause and wants to improve her health, and a 40-to-50-year-old male who wants to maximize muscle mass. Additionally, Layne discusses a number of supplements that could potentially benefit a training program including whey protein, branch chain amino acids, creatine, nitric oxide boosters, and more.

We discuss:

Defining energy balance and the role of calories [2:30]; Defining a calorie, whether they are all created equal, and how much energy you can extract from the food you eat [8:00]; Factors influencing total daily energy expenditure [12:15]: The challenge of tracking energy expenditure accurately, and the thermic effect of different macronutrients [23:30]; Challenges of sustained weight loss: metabolic adaptation, set points, and more [34:45]; Weight loss strategies: tracking calories, cheat meals, snacks, fasting, exercise, and more [40:45]; Sitting in discomfort, focusing on habits, and other lessons Layne learned as a natural bodybuilder [52:15]; Commonalities in people who maintain long-term weight-loss [1:01:15]; Does a ketogenic diet result in greater energy expenditure? [1:03:15]; The metabolic benefits of exercise, muscle mass, and protein intake [1:15:00]; The impact of lean muscle and strength on lifespan and healthspan [1:20:00]; Hypothetical case study #1: Training program for 50-year-old female [1:27:45]; Muscle protein synthesis in a trained athlete vs. untrained individual following a resistance training program [1:31:30]; Protein and amino acids needed to build and maintain muscle mass [1:37:15]; Nutrition plan for the hypothetical 50-year-old woman starting to build lean muscle [1:42:45]; Dispelling myths that excess protein intake increases cancer risk through elevations in mTOR and IGF [1:55:30]; Hypothetical case study #2: Training program for a 50-year-old, trained male wanting to increase muscle mass [2:04:00]; Maximizing hypertrophy while minimizing fatigue—is it necessary to train to muscular failure? [2:11:30]; Ideal sets and reps for the hypothetical 50-year-old male interested in hypertrophy [2:16:15];   Maximizing hypertrophy by working a muscle at a long muscle length [2:22:15]; Recommended lower body exercise routines and tips about training frequency [2:24:00]; Nutrition plan for the hypothetical 50-year old male wanting to add muscle [2:29:00]; Cycling weight gain and weight loss when building lean muscle mass, and expectations for progress over time [2:33:30]; Supplements to aid in hypertrophy training [2:38:30]; More.

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