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.
All content for Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin is the property of Scicomm Media and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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.
Avoid Fitness Plateaus, Overtraining & Mis-Timed Performance Peaks
Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
2 hours 5 minutes
8 months ago
Avoid Fitness Plateaus, Overtraining & Mis-Timed Performance Peaks
In this episode, I discuss training plateaus, overtraining, and peaking (aka “tapering”) to help you train smart for your goals and effectively use rest to maximize performance.
I discuss training plateaus, the underlying molecular mechanisms that cause plateaus, and how to overcome plateaus by targeting systems and nutrition-based approaches. I describe how overtraining reduces performance, which molecular biomarkers to measure to determine if you are overtrained, and how to recover from overtraining. I also explain how to use peaking (tapering) to significantly enhance performance, when to place a taper relative to competition, and how to effectively taper by reducing volume and increasing rest days.
I explain multiple causes and solutions for diminished performance and describe tracking options for measuring your health, fatigue, and performance. Listeners will learn how high-performance athletes, down to general exercisers, should measure, monitor, and intervene in plateaus, overtraining, and taper effectively.
Access the full show notes for this episode at performpodcast.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/perform
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform
Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform
Vitality Blueprint: https://vitalityblueprint.com/perform
Renaissance Periodization: https://rpstrength.com/perform
Timestamps
00:00:00 Plateau, Peaking & Overtraining
00:03:57 Sponsors: LMNT & AG1
00:07:26 “Stress is Stress,” Training & Inactivity
00:11:13 3 Scenarios for Plateau, Peaking & Overtraining
00:15:43 Physiological Passport, Personal Variation
00:20:45 Data Collection & Personal Load
00:23:54 Tool: Minimal Viable Solution & Tracking
00:28:00 Sponsor: Eight Sleep & Momentous
00:30:45 Identifying Plateau: Muscle Growth Plateau, Newbie Gains
00:36:41 Overcoming Plateau: Targeting Systems, Plateau Possible Mechanisms
00:46:46 Overcoming Plateau: Nutrition, Protein
00:53:19 Sponsor: Vitality Blueprint & Renaissance Periodization (RP)
00:56:48 Identifying Overtraining vs. Functional & Non-Functional Overreaching
01:04:33 Reduced Performance, Fatigue & Molecular Biomarkers
01:10:40 Blood Biomarkers, Protein Status Markers
01:17:45 Peaking (Tapering) & Performance
01:27:04 Tool: Effectively Taper; Volume & Intensity
01:33:38 Taper & Biomarkers, Testosterone
01:36:34 Tools: Taper Styles; Rest Days, Taper Variables; Individual Variability
01:45:05 Speed, Team Sports, Skills, Endurance & Taper
01:48:35 High-Performance Athletes & Tracking, Human Digital Twin
01:54:17 Tool: Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Respiratory Rate
02:00:31 Tool: Acute & Chronic Actions; Caffeine, Carbohydrates
02:04:18 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Perform Newsletter, 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.
