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Everybody knows exercise is good for us but why? And why doesn't my food tracker balance my calories even when I weigh my food and use a power meter and heart rate monitor to track energy usage? Do I really have to step on a scale everyday to know if I am eating too much? And how can I tell if I'm eating too little to build muscle and to avoid bone and immune function issues down the road?



Today on episode 132 I am joined by Hari Mix, a Stanford University PhD and the Founder and CEO of Calorify, an emerging technology company providing athletes and sports teams with the world's most accurate measurement of energy expenditure, powered by doubly labeled water. Only by accurately measuring metabolic activity can athletes and everyday people know if we are consuming too much or too little food to power our athletic pursuits and the bodily functions that repair our bodies and keep us healthy for a long time.



Hari Mix explains that professional athletes are shifting from "how little can I eat and still perform" to "how much can I eat to perform better", and he walks us though what is known about these complicated and vexing questions about balancing calories in vs. out, and why exercise is not a great tool for losing weight.



The image below is a weak illustration of the idea that your metabolism changes in response to changes in energy availability / left over after exercise. It works both ways: too little available energy will turn down metabolic rate while too much energy availability will turn up the metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of energy usage is indicative of bodily function activity level: energy surplus: growing muscles and bones and other organs, energy shortage: scavenging of old and damaged proteins in muscles, bones, immune cells, etc. (autophagy, mitophogy):







Related info and episodes:




Episode 131 - Supplement Quality & Efficacy



Episode 129 - Bone Health



Example Calorify report



Metabolism by Age chart (full image)




More Hari Mix & Calorify info:




Exercise Paradox article by Dr Pontzer



calorify.com




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Fullscript for WiseAthletes



I think it is clear that nutritional supplements are a useful and medically legitimate way for me to meet my nutritional needs and support my efforts to be a strong athlete for a long time. Yet, the question of which nutritional supplements to buy turns out to be much more complicated than it appears … my conversation today will make that challenge less overwhelming. 



If you have ever dared to wonder if that nutritional supplement you have been taking for the last year with no or little effect really contains the real botanical or amino acid or whatever you wanted and expected, then you have already realized you have no idea and no way to find out. 



Sure, you can use 3rd party services like ConsumerLab but that can’t tell you if the bottle in your hand is the same as the one they tested.  So what is a wise athlete to do?



Today on episode 131 I am interviewing Dr Jeff Gladd who is a medical doctor with his own clinic and the chief medical officer of Fullscript, a wholesale nutritional supplement fulfillment service serving over 6 million patients through 100,000 healthcare providers. Dr Gladd knows the ins and outs of the nutritional supplement business, and he shares his tips for how to find brands and to source product that provides the best chance of having the purity and potency you and I seek.   And he also shared his advice on specific supplements for the older athlete. 



And be sure to explore the WiseAthletes Fullscript site where you can see for yourself if the product selection and pricing is as good as the quality control offered by FullScript. I am no longer buying from Amazon as I have done for years. It's time for me to make sure I am getting the purity and potency I need. 



Bullet points:




Navigate the nutritional supplement industry by focusing on quality first and then cost. A quality product in your hand can only come through quality control maintained throughout the manufacturing and distribution process...any step along the way with a company you can't trust and that hasn't been checked by 3rd party certifiers means you don't know what you are getting.



Start with goals: what are you trying to accomplish: (1) do everything you can through lifestyle improvement, (2) then turn to supplements to fill in gaps: start at the top...what are the most important things to address, (3) don't take 25+ supplements...take 5-6 high quality nutritional aids that you can expect to work, and then test to be certain, (4) move onto the next thing to address.



Certifications available: Certified Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, cGMP, NSF, Kosher Check, Certified Vegan, Certified Halal. UL, Informed-Choice, Informed-Sport, Friend of the Sea, Certified B Corporation, Non GMO Verified, USP, USDA Organic, GOED, IFOS, ISO, Certified Organic, Certified B Corporation®, NSF Certified for Sport, MOSA Certified Organic, QAI, Homeopathic, Clean Label Project™, MSC Fish, 1% For The Planet, Non-GMO, NSF Certified, Halal, Keto Certified, Plant-Based Certified



Allergen indicators. Animal product free, Artificial color free, Artificial flavor free, Artificial preservative free, Artificial sweetener free, Casein free, Corn free, Crustacean/shellfish free, Dairy free, Egg free, Fish free, Gluten free, GMO free, Grain free, Grass-fed, Hydrogenated oil free, Hypoallergenic, Keto friendly, Kosher, Mustard free, Organic, Paleo friendly, Peanut free, Preservative free, Rice free, Salicylate free, Salt free, Sesame free, Soy free, Starch free, Sugar free, Tree nut free, Wheat free, Whey free, Yeast free








Related info:



As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeffrey

25% or Higher Savings on Supplements for WiseAthletes



Breathing is the essence of life. Yet lung function declines as we age. The chemicals and small particles breathed into our lungs leave a mark and reduce lung function, a little here and a little there. But we can slow the decline, and we can even recover lost function with targeted effort. Do you know how to protect and strengthen your lungs?



Today I am joined by MeiLan K. Han, MD, a pulmonologist and the Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan, and a national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Dr Han is also the author of Breathing Lessons ... a rallying cry for lung health. With the authority that only a practitioner and medical researcher can deliver, Dr Han reveals the latest scientific thinking about the leading respiratory risks — including indoor and outdoor pollution, smoking and vaping, and wildfire smoke during outdoor exercise — and offers practical advice on how to protect the lungs.



Listen in to learn about treating your lungs well and maintaining or recovering effortless breathing as you age.



Related info and episodes:




Episode 103 - Nitric Oxide w/Beth Shirley



Episode 50 -- Breathing is a Skill w/ George Dallam, PhD



Air Quality Index info




More Dr MeiLan K. Han info:




DrMeilanHan.com



Dr Meilan Han on X (Twitter)



Breath Lessons book on Amazon



Dr Melan Han website



@meilanhan on both Instagram and Facebook




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If you are enjoying WiseAthletes, a great way to support the show is by leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts. It only takes a minute and helps more people find the episodes.



And, checkout the discount codes provided by show guests who offer unique products that I or Glen use. Click here: DISCOUNTS

25% or Higher Savings on Supplements for WiseAthletes



This is part 2 of my bone health exploration, and this time the question is what should I do if I have osteoperosis? Is it game over? No. Absolutely not. But you will need to work hard to recover the bone health you lost.



Doug Lucas, DO, Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Anti-Aging Specialist, will give you insight into the lifestyle, nutrition, testing, and medical solutions for Osteoporosis management and yes, possibly, even reversal. Avoiding pharmaceuticals if at all possible.



Dr Doug Lucas is a double board certified physician specializing in optimizing healthspan and bone health. Seven years after completing his training at Stanford and starting his career as an orthopedic surgeon Dr Doug left the traditional medical model to pursue a second fellowship and board certification in anti-aging and regenerative medicine and achieve the status of fellow in Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine.



Dr Doug has gone on to build a team of experts to help optimize patient's health and help them to live better, longer. The vision has come to fruition with 100s of patients seeing success by reversing chronic diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes but also by improving energy, performance and vitality.



Bullet points




Layers for building health…start at the foundation and build up….



Lifestyle (sleep, diet, stress mgmt., activity, sunshine, social, spiritual)…lots of these things can be done together…time efficiency is important.Keys to get right:  enough protein, enough calcium, the right dairy (A1 vs A2 casein) if possible?  Fermented …full fat is better?  a calm immune system, the right exercise/activity, sleep, stress mgmt

stuff to avoid:  alcohol, salt, caffeine, fasting, yo-yo dieting, HPF highly processed food…antibiotics?  Proton pump inhibitors?  NSAIDs (aspirin?)





Supplements based on need, which means testing (how do you test?  Anything beyond the standard panels?  How do you assess status or need?  I’m used to my doctors who say anything in the “normal range” is good enough…what other biomarkers do you use….BP, RHR, …any functional markers like grip strength or balance?



Other related to testingWhat about allergies?  I’ve heard food allergies are an issue but is it the same for airway allergies like pollen or dust creating histamines?  Do antihistamines help?Melatonin?  Help with sleep and bones?What about non-chemical interventions?  Red/NIR light, UVB lamps, vibration plates, etc.



Hormone optimization  — lifestyle then replacement based on real need.  But hormones affect more than bone….right?  Estrogen is the key for bone health?  How do men get enough estrogen for bones?



Peptides – gray area….is this an area people should be careful about?  Stuff you can get online…can you trust it?



Pharma – medications tend to be very powerful and have side effects.  Anything common that you find contributed to the bone health issues?  How do you deal with polypharmacy issues….accumulation of drugs taken forever?



Longevity interventions?  Off-label?  Optimization of biomarkers vs. “normal range”?   (rapamycin?  MB?  ….a long list of off-label medications found to extend healthspan and lifespan in mice:  acarbose, metformin (when combined with rapa), SGLT2 inhibitors (canagliflozin)…and others.




Related info and episodes:

25% or Higher Savings on Supplements for WiseAthletes



Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, as we learned in high school biology. What's emerging from science more recently is how unhealthy mitochondria are at the heart of many diseases, and even shows up in our daily lives as feeling chronically fatigued or having brain fog. Improving mitochondrial function is at the heart of everything we do for athletic performance, health, and athletic longevity. Heck, mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the 12 hallmarks of aging...so what can we do?



Today I am speaking with Dr. Scott Sherr who says "he is a conductor of all things optimal health & performance"....he says everything he does for his patients...whatever their issues are...is usually aimed at improving mitochondrial dysfunction. Dr Sherr is not just a medical doctor …his unique background has led him to build a medical practice combining the best of traditional and alternative medicine.



Dr. Scott Sherr is a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician and a specialist in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).  His clinical practice includes Health Optimization Medicine as its foundation plus an integrative approach to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, trargeted supplementation, synergistic new & ancient technologies, and more.  He is the perfect doctor to speak to the Wise Athletes podcast.



But there is still more.  Dr. Scott is also the COO of Smarter Not Harder, the company behind Troscriptions, a line of unique supplements to optimize brain and body energy production and to relax and calm when needed.  And, as you will soon hear, Dr Sherr is the person who convinced me to try Methylene Blue, which has served to banish afternoon brain fog from my life.



Bullet points (from Smarter Not Harder's THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO METHYLENE BLUE)




THE MAGIC HAPPENS AT LOW DOSES



At low doses (3mg/kg), Methylene Blue (MB) is called an electron cycler. It acts as an electron donor to the electron transport chain in your mitochondria, increasing ATP production.



MB also works as an acceptor of free electrons from reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (i.e. it works like an antioxidant...one as powerful as vitamin C or glutathione, in fact). There are very few compounds that cycle electrons (i.e. donates and accepts them) as effectively as MB.



MB also increases the cytochrome oxidase (complex IV) function in your mitochondria and drives increased glucose consumption. The latter occurs because, when the mitochondria are making more energy, they need more substrate to supply electrons to the electron transport chain.



While increasing glucose consumption and energy production, MB also increases the supply of NAD+.



At 2mg/kg, MB causes the release of nitric oxide and the dilation of blood vessels so that more oxygen-rich blood flows to the area of increased glucose consumption.



MB can bypass potentially dysfunctional mitochondrial complexes I and II. This is why MB works to reverse or compensate for mitochondrial damage.



MB concentrates in tissues with the most mitochondria (e.g. the brain where it readily crosses the blood-brain barrier) the heart, muscles, the liver, and kidneys.



But...at moderate doses (3mg to 10mg/kg in most studies), MB becomes an electron donor and a pro- oxidant that facilitates the generation of singlet oxygen and peroxide radicals, especially in the presence of certain spectrums of light. This is likely the way MB works in septic shock (via nitric oxide synthase inhibition) and possibly in cancer treatment.



Moderate doses c

25% or Higher Savings on Supplements for WiseAthletes



The surprising truth is that bone health is one of the key levers of health and longevity for men and women. Bone health is a driver AND a symptom of overall health that declines steadily past the age of 30. Yet, it is slow to give us feedback on our mistakes...it is a lagging indicator that is hard to fix once low bone density and/or quality have arrived. Do. Not. Let. It. Happen. I used to think I didn't need to worry about my bone health because I was a strong and active athlete my whole life. But I was wrong. Osteoporosis afflicts 50% of all women and 20% of all men, including life-long athletes who "did everything right".



Today, on episode 127, I am joined by Dr. R. Keith McCormick to talk about Great Bones. Dr McCormick was an Olympic athlete who discovered 1st hand how "doing everything right" does not keep you safe from osteoporosis. His journey from Olympic athlete to bone fractures from osteoporosis at 45 years old, and back to competitive athlete at 69 years old has informed his deep knowledge about losing and regaining bone health. In his book, Great Bones, Dr McCormick explains not just the fundamentals of osteoporosis and the mechanics of bone loss and regaining skeletal health, but also what you and I can do to slow the decline in bone density and quality so we can keep our bone great bones well into our 60s, 70s, and beyond. In our chat today, Dr McCormick share a little of this knowledge with us.



This episode is a bit long and we get into the weeds but there is important information shared all the way to the end.  Take your time, and get to the end. You will learn a ton about the hows and whys about having great bones. And how to avoid weak bones and fractures and the fear of fractures that may come for you if you are not careful. I can promise you that I am being careful starting now.







Bullet points




Bone health is a symptom and a driver of overall health



Bone health drugs can buy time if you've fallen too far, but they are not a long term solution. Don't need them..



Bone breakdown and bone building is an all the time thing, just like muscle; if either breakdown or buildup gets out of wack you lose the balance and you lose bone density and quality.



You have to signal to the body that you need strong bone. But you also need the substrates to build bone AND a clear signaling to the bone stem cells (immune system issues, inflammation issues, fat cells in bone marrow, etc)



For Great Bones, you need:





1.2g/kg/day of high quality protein (collagen is good but doesn't count toward protein intake). Can take leucine and alpha ketogluterate to boost anaerobic effect of protein 



Low chronic inflammation; over-active immune system is bad for bone (watch gluten and dairy). Also, long cardio sessions increase inflammation which is bad for bone.



Frequent high impact activity (2x/day for 30 minutes is ideal); resistance exercise is the key



A healthy gut for absorption of nutrients & avoiding immune system over-activation: lots of fiber, digestive enzymes (acidic digestion), herbs: berberine (good for gut and for bone)



Sufficient nutrients, including calcium (not carbonate; 150-200mg a few times a day), magnesium (not carbonate); keep sodium in check; watch iron



Get enough Vit D (test for 40-60 nanograms/ml; commonly 1000-5000iu/day) and Vit K (1 & 2 MK- 4&7). Omega 3 are helpful.





Healthy s