Muscle is not for bodybuilders anymore. Instead muscle (not the big, bulky stuff, but the tight, toned lean stuff) is now heavily correlated with everything from anti-aging to cognitive performance to metabolism and beyond. So it's pretty darn important, even if you have no desire to strut in a Speedo on muscle beach.

But have you ever wondered how fast you lose muscle when you stop working out? How about how muscle you can expect to lose when you age? The best way to maintain muscle? From cutting-edge NASA research on maintaining maximum muscle as you age to the surprising nutrients that have been proven by science to keep muscle on your body as long as possible, you're about to discover all these answers and much more in today's podcast. My guest in today's episode, Alex James Ritson, is currently finalizing a Master's degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Middlesex University in London, is co-owner of Lean Body Performance, an online nutrition and training coaching company and is very well-versed in a particular area of interest that he has: how protein intake affects lean muscle preservation. During our discussion, you'll discover:

-What exactly happens to your muscle when you are "bed-bound" or unable to exercise... -How fast you lose muscle and how fast you lose strength when you quit working out (you'll be surprised!)... -The actual cellular mechanisms behind muscle loss... -Exactly how much muscle you lose as you age, and the latest research that shows how you can slow down that muscle-loss process... -Specific activities that have been shown maintain muscle that don't involve lifting weights... -The top specific supplements or nutrients that stave off muscle loss when you can't exercise... -The fascinating lessons we can learn from astronauts and space research when it comes to maintenance of muscle.... -How to strike a balance between anti-aging, longevity and protein restriction and not losing too much muscle... -And much more!

Resources from this episode: -Compex for electronic stimulation 10-15 minutes per day -Kaatsu occlusion training -2-3g leucine per day -10-20g essential amino acids per day -10g creatine monohydrate per day -3g HMB per day -800-1000IU Vitamin D3 per day -3g fish oil per day -Infrared sauna -This article on a new NASA exercise device for muscle maintenance -Live strong and prosper: the importance of skeletal muscle strength for healthy ageing. -Nutritional strategies to attenuate muscle disuse atrophy. -Essential amino acid and carbohydrate supplementation ameliorates muscle protein loss in humans during 28 days bedrest. -Influence of concurrent exercise or nutrition countermeasures on thigh and calf muscle size and function during 60 days of bed rest in women. -Case-Study: Muscle Atrophy and Hypertrophy in a Premier League Soccer Player During Rehabilitation From ACL Injury. -Fish oil supplementation suppresses resistance exercise and feeding‐induced increases in anabolic signaling without affecting myofibrillar protein synthesis in young men. -Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans. -Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on lean body mass during 10 days of bed rest in older adults.

Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Alex or me? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply!

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