Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

In this episode, I answer your questions on nutrition, hydration, and recovery in our second audience Q&A. I start with what I call the 90%: the principles nearly every effective nutrition plan shares, from food quality and caloric balance to fiber targets, vegetable volume, color variety, and liquid calories. I then cover the four elements of fueling around training, glucose, amino acid availability, hydration, and GI distress, including the Galpin Equation for fluid intake during exercise. I walk through the three-step process I use to coach nutrition, which begins by adding nutrients rather than restricting them, and I explain when body recomposition is possible, what the protein data actually support, and why strength training is a bigger signal for muscle growth than protein. I close with what separates high performers from everyone else: energy management. This episode is for anyone who wants the fundamentals before the fine-tuning.

Show notes: https://www.performpodcast.com/episodes/fundamentals-of-nutrition-hydration-performance-fueling

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Core Tenets of Nutrition

(00:00:09) Audience Q&A, 5 Question Categories

(00:03:57) The 90%; Food Quality & Whole Foods

(00:07:12) Caloric Balance, Under- vs Over-Fueling

(00:08:53) Protein Priority; Carbohydrate & Fat Balance

(00:10:46) Fiber, Soluble vs Insoluble; Daily Target

(00:12:10) Tool: Half Your Plate Vegetables; Color Variety

(00:14:35) Raw vs Cooked, Antioxidants vs Minerals

(00:17:00) Liquid Calories, Hidden & Intentional Use

(00:19:48) Sustainability, Meal Frequency & Timing

(00:21:13) Food Safety, Allergies & Environmental Pollutants

(00:23:15) Refueling & Hydration, 4 Elements; Carbs During Training

(00:26:13) Muscle as a Carbon Sink; Glucose Storage

(00:29:27) Amino Acids; Does Protein Timing Matter?

(00:30:54) Hydration, Tool: Half Body Weight in Ounces

(00:32:14) Tool: Galpin Equation; Electrolytes

(00:33:28) Tool: Post-Workout Rehydration, 125% Rule

(00:35:18) GI Distress, Carbs Per Hour; Training Your Gut

(00:39:17) Coaching Nutrition, Tool: Add Before Subtracting

(00:40:04) Reframing "Bad" Foods; Crowding Out

(00:44:19) Tool: 3 Steps, Deficiencies, Amounts, Fine-Tuning

(00:45:49) Body Recomposition, Muscle Gain in a Deficit

(00:47:49) Body Fat Thresholds; 5-10% Surplus or Deficit

(00:48:50) 3,500 Calories Per Pound of Fat, Small Deficits

(00:50:39) Energetics of Muscle vs Fat, High Investment

(00:52:49) Protein for Muscle Gain, 1.6 vs 2.2 g/kg

(00:54:07) Is vs Ought; Protein in a Caloric Deficit

(00:58:08) Strength Training as the Biggest Signal; 30-Gram Myth

(01:01:27) What Separates High Performers?

(01:02:37) Energy Management, Calories, Recovery & Emotion

(01:04:50) Energy in Sport, Veterans & Strategy

(01:05:45) Tool: Run Your Own Energy Inventory

(01:07:31) Recap & Closing

Disclaimer & Disclosures
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In this episode, I answer your questions in the first-ever open Q&A on Perform, working through the five themes that came up most. I start with how I think about training for longevity—why being well-rounded and resilient matters more than chasing any single marker like grip strength or VO2 max. From there, I break down the basics of training for muscle, strength, and fat loss, including the simple rules I use for each: the 72-hour rule for hypertrophy, the 3-to-5 rule for strength, and the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for fat loss. I then walk through my exact process for program design, what "functional" training really means, and where AI is actually useful—and where it falls short—for your health and performance. This one is for anyone who wants a clear, practical foundation for building their own training.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction: The First-Ever Perform Q&A

(00:02:48) Training for Longevity & Resilience

(00:05:52) Grip Strength & VO2 Max: Proxies vs. Real Targets

(00:12:51) Muscle vs. Strength vs. Fat Loss

(00:14:10) Building Muscle: Mechanical Tension & the 72-Hour Rule

(00:19:54) Progressive Overload

(00:22:39) Training Strength as a Skill

(00:26:45) The 3-to-5 Rule for Strength & Power

(00:30:10) Fat Loss & the 5-4-3-2-1 Rule

(00:36:48) Program Design: The Modifiable Variables

(00:38:07) Frequency, Exercise Choice & Order

(00:45:24) Intensity, Volume & Rest Intervals

(00:48:52) Predicting Problems in Your Program

(00:50:24) Functional Training & Movement Quality

(00:59:12) Stretching, Flexibility & Lengthened Partials

(01:03:26) AI in Health & Performance

(01:09:10) Recap & Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer & Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mike Roberts, Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University, and one of the most respected muscle physiologists, to explain how muscle actually grows. Mike shares that mechanical tension—not hormones, metabolic byproducts, or muscle damage—is the primary driver of hypertrophy. We cover why testosterone and androgen receptors don't necessarily predict muscle growth, what separates high responders from low responders, and how these “low responders” should train to best get results. We also work through training volume, load versus reps, lengthened partials, aging and anabolic resistance, and the interference effect between strength and endurance training. If you want to understand the real science of building muscle, this conversation is for you.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

Trumed: https://truemed.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:15) How Muscle Grows

(00:17:39) What Drives Growth: Tension, Stress & Damage

(00:24:08) Responders vs. Non-Responders

(00:29:54) Hormones, Receptors & Genetics

(00:48:01) Cell Signaling, mTOR & Myostatin

(00:56:32) Can Some People Not Grow Muscle?

(01:01:34) Training Volume for Hypertrophy

(01:08:34) Loads, Reps & Stretch Under Load

(01:17:13) Range of Motion, Partials & Hyperplasia

(01:31:31) Injury, Unloading & Muscle Banking

(01:39:32) Muscle Memory: Detraining & Retraining

(01:47:42) Aging, Menopause & Anabolic Resistance

(02:01:21) Concurrent Training & the Interference Effect

(02:08:54) How to Combine Strength & Cardio

(02:24:03) Strength Training & Mitochondria

(02:25:21) Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer & Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I tackle muscle asymmetries and imbalances — when the differences between your two sides help you, when they hurt you, and what to actually do about them. I move past the popular "10% rule" and walk through my three I's framework: how to investigate asymmetries across morphology (muscle size and shape), quality (fat infiltration inside the muscle), and functionality (strength, power, and movement); how to interpret the data using context rather than blanket numbers; and how to intervene with a practical five-step correction program built around unilateral training and plyometrics. I cover testing tools from tape measures to MRI, the research on grip-strength asymmetry and aging, and why lower-body asymmetries warrant more attention than upper-body ones. This is for athletes, coaches, and anyone who moves and wants to reduce injury risk or perform at their best.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:02:30) The Three Types: Morphology, Quality, Function

(00:09:09) Laterality: Skill vs. Force Dominance

(00:13:21) Why Asymmetries Develop

(00:19:47) The Bilateral Force Deficit

(00:24:43) Investigate: How to Measure Asymmetries

(00:29:27) Morphology: Tape Measures to MRI

(00:30:41) Tissue Quality & Fat Infiltration

(00:36:21) Functionality: The Unlimited Field of Tests

(00:42:30) Interpret: When Do Asymmetries Matter?

(00:43:25) Muscle Size: Is the Asymmetry Even Real?

(00:51:02) Push vs. Pull & the Limb-Length Myth

(00:58:44) Movement Screens & the FMS

(01:01:30) Strength, Power & Injury Risk

(01:04:25) Grip Strength Asymmetry & Aging

(01:09:46) Symmetrical Sports & the Energy Leak

(01:15:53) Red, Yellow, Green: The Real Thresholds

(01:19:35) Intervene: Correcting Asymmetries

(01:20:46) Why Plyometrics Work Best

(01:23:50) The Five-Step Correction Program

(01:31:59) The Volume Game

(01:33:50) Resources & Final Takeaways

Disclaimer & Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to examine what the science says about female-specific training and nutrition. We discuss why so little research has historically focused on women, what makes menstrual cycle research so difficult and expensive to run, and what her own dissertation found when she measured muscle protein synthesis across cycle phases. Dr. Colenso-Semple explains the real hormone fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, why testosterone matters far less for women's muscle than people assume, and why men and women gain strength and size at the same relative rate at any age, including through menopause. We also cover low energy availability, scientific literacy, and how to figure out what works for you. This episode is for anyone, coach or lifter, trying to separate evidence from misinformation in women's fitness.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform

Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Lauren Colenso-Semple

(00:01:51) The Lit Review That Never Was

(00:07:01) Why Women Got Bad Training Advice

(00:11:23) Individualization & Where Sex Actually Ranks

(00:21:09) Estrogen, Rodent Models & the Anabolic Myth

(00:34:52) Hormones Across the Menstrual Cycle

(00:45:18) The Myth of the Textbook 28-Day Cycle

(00:51:41) Why Female Research Is So Hard

(00:57:55) Inside Lauren's Dissertation: Tracers & Biopsies

(01:06:10) Strength, Power & Hypertrophy: No Phase Effect

(01:14:13) The Real Role of Testosterone & Menopause

(01:23:36) Becoming a Better Consumer of Science

(01:50:10) Low Energy Availability & RED-S

(01:57:30) Advice for the Average Woman

Disclaimer & Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices