Whey, Leucine & the Science of Staying Strong with Dr. Emily Lantz

Send us Fan Mail In episode #197 host Kyla Channell is joined by Dr. Emily Lantz, assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, for a practical conversation about how muscle responds to age, disuse, sleep loss, and protein intake. The episode focuses on what actually helps preserve or rebuild muscle, especially in middle-aged and older adults, aging women, and athletes recovering from inactivity or injury. **KEY TAKEAWAYS** - Muscle loss can happen quickly during inactivity, especially in older adults. - Whey protein appears useful in disuse situations because of its high quality and easy absorption. - Protein quality matters, not just total grams. - Plant-based eating can absolutely work, but it often requires more planning to hit protein and amino acid needs. - 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal is a practical target for many active adults. - Leucine is helpful, but not a stand-alone solution. - Resistance training remains the strongest signal for building or maintaining muscle. *Please note that this podcast is created strictly for educational purposes and should never be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.* **ABOUT DR. EMILY LANTZ:** Dr. Emily Lantz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences and Health Behavior in the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Biochemistry from Iowa State University, a PhD in Nutrition Science from Purdue University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in skeletal muscle metabolism from the Division of Rehabilitation Science University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Lantz’s research interest broadly focuses on two main themes: i). the effects of physical inactivity on skeletal muscle mass and functional capacity in middle-aged and older adults, with an emphasis on aging women and ii). the application and mechanism of action of amino acid and protein consumption on acute markers of anabolism e.g., muscle protein synthesis. **FOLLOW DR. EMILY LANTZ:** - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-arentson-lantz-phd-6166a914 - **Web:** https://www.utmb.edu/shp/employees/directory/profile/faculty-staff/lantz-ejlantz - **Google Scholar:** https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=xS8g2z0AAAAJ **FREE RESOURCES** - **Recovery Protocol Download:** https://mailchi.mp/nutritional-revolution.com/recovery-protocol - **Protein Targets Cheat Sheet:** https://mailchi.mp/nutritional-revolution/protein-targets **MENTIONED** - Leucine partially protects muscle mass and function during bed rest in middle-aged adults: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4733256/ - The effects of bed rest on cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta-analysis: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/EP092944 - Protecting Skeletal Muscle with Protein and Amino Acid during Periods of Disuse: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4963880/ - Muscle Protein Synthesis Response to Whole-Foods and Free-From Essential Amino Acids: An Exploratory Analysis: https://cdn.nutrition.org/article/S2475-2991(25)02068-2/fulltext - The Protein Playbook: David Church Explains Muscle Health for Athletes (NR Episode #170): https://nutritional-revolution.com/podcasts/the-protein-playbook-dr-david-church-explains-muscle-health-for-athletes/ - Meals Containing Equivalent Total Protein from Foods Providing Complete, Complementary, or Incomplete Essential Amino Acid Profiles: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39396760/ - The anabolic response to a ground beef patty and soy-basd meat alternative: a randomized controlled trial: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11600063/ - Essential Amino Acid Density: Differences in Animal and Plant-Based Dietary Patterns: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349824241\Essential\Amino\Acid\Density\Differences\in\Animal-\and\Plant-Based\Dietary\Patterns\Designed\for\Older\_Women **TIMESTAMPS** 00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Emily Lantz and her research focus 02:24 - Her research arc: aging, disuse, protein quality, and sleep 04:37 - Sleep loss and reduced muscle protein synthesis 06:33 - Midlife muscle loss and sex differences across aging 08:30 - How much muscle older adults lose during seven days of bed rest 10:03 - Whey protein during bed rest and faster strength recovery 14:58 - What protein quality means and how it is measured 18:32 - Plant proteins, amino acid pairing, and meal timing questions 21:46 - Satiety, meal volume, and the challenge of plant-based protein targets 24:45 - Beef vs soy-based meat alternatives and muscle protein synthesis 27:35 - Protein dose response and the 25 to 30 gram per meal target 30:19 - Distributed protein intake vs skewed intake across the day 31:47 - Where extra protein goes and a realistic approach to eating 34:10 - Leucine, branched-chain amino acids, and why leucine alone is limited 35:43 - The leucine dose used in the bed rest study 36:53 - Do older adults need more leucine or just more protein overall? 39:47 - What Dr. Lantz is working on next: sleep, midlife women, and cardiometabolic health 41:13 - Protein strategies for injured athletes with immobilized limbs 43:27 - Two truths and a lie reveal 44:10 - The James Webb telescope story 45:24 - The two continents Dr. Lantz has not visited yet 46:17 - Where to find Dr. Lantz and her publications **MORE NR** - Apply to work with Kyla → https://p.bttr.to/3ZrwzcF - Use code NEWPOD10 for 10% off our meal plans → https://nutritional-revolution.com/products/ **CONNECT**  - Instagram → www.instagram.com/nutritionalrevolution - Sponsorship inquiries → [kyla.c@nutritional-revolution.com](mailto:kyla.c@nutritional-revolution.com) - Interested in having your biomarkers or nutrigenomics checked? 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