This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
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This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
In this episode, I discuss the essential role of skeletal muscle in health and performance. I explain what skeletal muscle is made of, how it works, and its role as an integral organ system for physical and mental health. I explain how to focus on skeletal muscle quantity (total muscle) and muscle quality (functionality, speed, power, strength) to ensure you function and perform at the highest levels.
I explain the difference between slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers and why skeletal muscle is uniquely adaptable to exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle factors. I also explain why resistance training becomes increasingly critical for healthy aging and disease prevention.
I explain how to use the "Three Is" of investigate, interpret, and intervene to determine if you have enough muscle, if it's functioning well, and protocols to improve muscle quality and quantity. Listeners of this episode will understand why skeletal muscle is so essential to care for and how to enhance muscle quantity and quality to optimize physiology, performance, and longevity.
Access the full show notes for this episode, including referenced articles and additional resources, at performpodcast.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Skeletal Muscle
00:04:06 Sponsors: Absolute Rest & Momentous
00:07:20 Quantity & Quality; Organ System; Health & Performance
00:12:58 Plasticity, “Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good”; Muscle Types
00:15:46 What is Muscle?, Muscle Fibers, Tendon
00:21:37 Muscle Fiber Number, Hyperplasia, Anabolic Steroids, Age
00:24:03 Myonuclei & Adaptability
00:26:27 Muscle Fiber Types, Variable Muscle Functions
00:32:24 Fiber Type & Lifestyle Factors
00:34:54 Sponsors: David Protein & AG1
00:37:37 Age & Muscle Loss, Slow vs. Fast-Twitch Fibers; Motor Units
00:46:36 Muscle Size vs. Muscle Strength, Quantity vs. Quality
00:50:56 Investigate: Muscle Quantity, Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI)
00:56:21 FFMI, Elite Athletes, Muscle Mass
01:00:59 Muscle Asymmetry; Too Much Muscle Possible?
01:03:49 Interpret: Muscle Mass, FFMI Calculations & Percentiles
01:09:28 Tool: Intervene - Increase Muscle Mass, 72-Hour Rule
01:15:27 Sponsors: Maui Nui & Renaissance Periodization
01:17:51 Investigate: Muscle Quality & 4 Movement Principles
01:23:34 Muscle Quality & 3 Performance Principles
01:26:42 Interpret: Muscle Speed, Age
01:32:45 Muscle Power, Vertical Jump, Broad Jump
01:36:17 Muscle Strength, Powerlifting Elite, Bench Press, Leg Press, Grip Strength
01:44:05 Increasing Strength, Improve Health & Longevity
01:46:44 Tool: Intervene - Improve Muscle Quality, 4 Training Principles, 3-to-5 Rule
01:53:56 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media
Disclaimer & Disclosures
Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
