Get ready for the ULTIMATE masterclass on protein as I host my mentor & PhD advisor, Dr. Donald Layman on the podcast. Not only did Dr. Layman help mentor me through my PhD and shape my rigorous thinking as a scientist, he is also one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. Like me, his Bachelors was in Biochemistry and PhD in Nutritional Science. This uniquely positioned him to understand the deep mechanisms and biochemistry underlying metabolic pathways, while also having a fantastic understanding of how these mechanisms play out on a whole body level.
Dr. Layman has published hundreds of peer reviewed journal articles, and many of his graduates have gone on to make big impacts in Academia & Industry, including: Drs Josh & Tracey Anthony, Dr. Jamie Baum, Dr. Suzanne Devkota, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, & more. Last year, Dr. Layman was presented with the American Society for Nutrition’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his incredible body of work.
You do not want to miss this deep dive into all things protein with one of the GOATs of Protein and Nutrition.
Dr. Donald Layman Interview Questions and Citations
How did you get interested in this field?
How much protein should we be targeting per day?
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults (1.6g/kg protein appears to cap out gains)
- A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults (1.6g/kg protein appears to cap out gains)
- Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men (Study showed 20g maximized MPS but the group getting 40g protein still had higher rates of MPS but it did not reach statistical significance)
- Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass increase: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Increasing protein may increase lean mass up to 3.5g/kg)
How much does distribution matter?
- Meal Distribution of Dietary Protein and Leucine Influences Long-Term Muscle Mass and Body Composition in Adult Rats
- Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults
- Effect of breakfast protein intake on muscle mass and strength in adults: a scoping review
How about protein quality & plant vs animal?
- Effect of Plant Versus Animal Protein on Muscle Mass, Strength, Physical Performance, and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- My thesis on protein quality
How do protein needs vary across age?
- The effect of age on protein synthesis and ribosome aggregation to messenger RNA in rat liver (Ribosome number decreases with age, affecting protein synthesis)
- Anabolic signaling deficits underlie amino acid resistance of wasting, aging muscle
- Amino acid ingestion improves muscle protein synthesis in the young and elderly
- Aging is associated with diminished accretion of muscle proteins after the ingestion of a small bolus of essential amino acids
How is protein synthesis regulated at the cellular level?
Why doesn’t supplementing with Leucine/BCAA build muscle?
- Effects of leucine on in vitro protein synthesis and degradation in rat skeletal muscles
- Leucine supplementation enhances skeletal muscle recovery in rats following exercise
- Leucine content of dietary proteins is a determinant of postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in adult rats
- The leucine content of a complete meal directs peak activation but not duration of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in rats
- The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance
Carnivore & fiber?
