Episode 30: Protein Metabolism, Muscle Signaling, and Sustained Military Operations with Dr. David Church

In this episode of the Science & Chill podcast, I interview Dr. David Church.

Dr. Church is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where his work involves many topics but primarily a focus on using stable isotope tracers to understand protein metabolism within the body. As you’ll hear in the episode, Dr. Church has an extensive training background in physiology; from strength and conditioning and sports science to specific pathways involved in muscle signaling. We cover many of these topics in this interview. We cover some of the basics around protein — what are amino acids, what is muscle protein synthesis, and what influences whether we build up or break down muscle? David even touches upon some long-held myths surrounding protein like the optimal dose and whether the “anabolic window” really exists. 

We also discuss muscle catabolism — what happens to skeletal muscle when the body is in a state of extreme stress; things like aging, extreme burn injury, and sustained military operations. Dr. Church recently published a paper discussing potential countermeasures that military and other organizations may be able to make use of to prevent muscle breakdown in states of extreme metabolic stress.

Links

- Follow Dr. Church on Twitter (@DrMyohead)

- Dr. Church's UAMS profile

- List of Dr. Church's publications (Google Scholar)

- Stefan Pasiako's Lab ( U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine)

- USARIEM Military Performance Division

- USARIEM Military Nutrition Division

Podcast links

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