Maximizing Muscle Gain and Fat Loss: Evidence-Based Strategies | Alan Aragon | The Proof EP #296

Looking to lose weight and gain muscle with science-backed insights? Tune in to Episode #296 with nutrition researcher Alan Aragon to unpack the nuances of achieving optimal body composition. You'll gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively use nutrition – balancing calories, protein, fats, carbohydrates, and even alcohol – to enhance your physique.

👇 Visit The Proof website for the full show notes and supporting studies. 👇

Alan Aragon is a highly esteemed nutrition researcher and educator with over three decades in the field. As a trailblazer in evidence-based nutrition for the fitness industry, Alan's work has profoundly influenced nutrition and exercise practices. His extensive experience includes authoring the influential monthly research review (AARR) and co-authoring seminal works in sports nutrition. With his deep understanding of diets and body composition, Alan offers invaluable insights for anyone looking to optimize their fitness and health through scientifically grounded nutritional strategies.

In this episode, discover the crucial role of resistance training, the importance of supplementation, and the myths around fasting and keto diets in muscle building and weight loss. Alan's expertise will empower you with practical, science-backed strategies for sustainable body composition changes, whether you're looking to lose weight, build muscle, or both.

We discuss:
0:00:00 - Introduction
0:03:34 - How Alan Aragon's Passion for Fitness Shapes His Evidence-Based Approach
0:07:32 - Debunking the Anabolic Window: Fact or Fiction?
0:12:28 - Impact of Meal Timing on Body Composition: A Scientific Analysis
0:22:51 - Comparing Fasted vs. Fed Resistance Training for Muscle Growth
0:25:38 - Understanding Amino Acids in Muscle Protein Synthesis
0:32:16 - Protein Needs Across Ages: A Comprehensive Guide
0:39:16 - Evaluating Amino Acid Supplementation at Varied Protein Intakes
0:41:53 - Calculating Optimal Protein for Different Age Groups and Body Weights
0:47:33 - Linking Protein Intake with Body Recomposition: A Scientific Perspective
0:59:32 - Methods to Determine Your Fat-Free Mass Accurately
1:03:24 - Muscle Building: Ketogenic Diet vs. High Carbohydrate Diet
1:09:23 - Energy Balance vs. Carbohydrate-Insulin: Diet Models Explored
1:15:00 - Keto Adaptation and Insulin's Role in Weight Loss Explained
1:24:53 - Investigating the Rise in Overweight and Obesity Since the 1960s
1:32:20 - Optimal Fat Loss Strategies: A Science-Based Step-by-Step Guide
1:40:50 - Does Starvation Affect Metabolic Rate? Scientific Insights
1:48:58 - Integrating Fasting into Your Weight Loss Strategy
1:54:40 - Personalising Diet Plans: The Flexibility of Dieting
1:57:13 - Protein Intake and Longevity: Finding the Optimal Balance
1:59:47 - Soy Protein: Health Benefits and Controversies
2:09:42 - Protein Sources and Their Impact on Cardiometabolic Health
2:17:04 - Tailoring Weight Loss Programs for Maximum Satiety and Effectiveness
2:24:40 - Examining the Safety of Intermittent Fasting for Women's Hormonal Health
2:32:31 - Effective Supplements for Enhancing Body Composition
2:38:14 - Alcohol's Impact on Body Composition: Key Facts You Should Know
2:46:08 - Conclusion and Key Takeaways from Our Fitness Science Discussion

Connect with Alan Aragon:

If you have any additional questions you would like answered in the future, let me know in the comments.

Sponsors:

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Watch the episodes on YouuTube or listen on Apple/Spotify.
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[TheAlanAragon]

Big thanks to Simon for having me on the podcast & doing such a stellar job of hosting the interview — and thanks to all of you here for tuning in.👍🏼

[WhiteNorthStar]

This video is THE most useful, science-backed, up-to-date, and content-rich information I've ever seen. So actionable, PHENOMENA! I've watched and read countless hours of fitness diet content, this is the best :)

[tempmiller]

I'm a 66 year old female under 20% body fat with osteoporosis, that was a on a very low protein diet for a year and realized I lost a LOT of muscle. Just walked an hour a day. Skinny but weak. Started reading about osteo-sarcopenia which is scary. Started resistance training and increased protein. I want and need to 'wring every drop out of the towel' while I can and put as much muscle on now. Trying to maximize my weight training and if I'm going to work out hard I want to wring a much out of my nutrition as I can. But seems no studies on training and nutrition in post-menopausal women.

[danielagerazo]

Alan is incredible! One of my favorite interviews so far with fantastic information!
Thank you Simon, you’re awesome :)

[MattPack]

Great freaking questions!! Loved this interview and should be a mandatory listen for the entire population tbh. These concepts should also be taught in school to prevent disease and to help curb the obesity epidemic.

[allenallen]

One of the best Interviews I’ve seen on these topics. Thank you!!!!

[joe]

“Get them both right” yes, and don’t forget the third and possibly fourth steps of muscle synthesis. Sleep and stress management. You need the stimulus (resistance training), the raw materials (protein), the actual building (sleep), and if you’re chronically stressed the best results will not come forward

[RobertaMelati]

As always, Simon giving us the best 2hours and several minutes ❤ amazing conversation.

[jacquigreen]

Thank you for this excellent and comprehensive interview. As an older woman I am very concerned about optimizing my lean muscle. I read a lot about this topic, and this interview puts the information together in a very practical way.

[erickfernando]

Alan, thanks for being real and down to earth, much love to your family 🙌

[davidtravel]

You know this guy know his subject by how many times he say i dont know or this is" a grey area".... Very informative. Good job both❤
watched at x1.25 🤭

[joe]

Zach Bitter is probably the most misunderstood endurance athlete ever! I was beyond interested in how he performs at an elite level at ultra distances, so I started watching interviews with him to get a better idea of his approach. Drum roll please!!!! He is only low carb in his off season. When he’s in a training block, he eats carbs for performance. When he’s competing, guess what, he eats carbs! His method of “low carb” is basically metabolic flexibility, so he is an efficient fat and carb burner, which reduces his overall reliance on carbs during races. So he consumes 60g of carbs per hour during races, compared to less fat efficient athletes that are aiming for 90g carbs per hour during the race. Hardly low carb, but still interesting

[AGBRADFORD]

This was a great interview. Alan seems to hit the nail on the head about people being affected by alcohol differently. Literally, two of the BLUE ZONE areas, namely Italy and Japan, both have red wine and sake in the diet. These are fermented products and therefore may account for some of their benefit to centennials well into their 100's and who are both cognitively strong who also do daily exercise. With a poor liver -- which would directly impact food intake -- it would be impossible to accomplish at their age when most of their cohort are wheelchair bound. The other topic addressing increased weight gain in America and Australia which weren't mentioned, were the impact of preservatives in "developed" countries -- their increase and over use since the 1970's doesn't stop there. Restaurants and chains also put in additives and thickening agents into simple dishes like vegetable soups and cafes often offer deli sandwiches (its meat being the most carcinogenic of all processed meats, with the most preservatives). This is different from dried and smoked thinly sliced meats. Both have a different affect on the body and appear in the diets (with alternative preparations) in BLUE ZONES. It's important to remember that chemicals aren't detectable, but are unavoidable in just about every purchase -- a huge issue. And the diets of "blue zone" populations, including Costa Rica, the Caribbean as well as Italy and Japan, may be working in conjunction with lesser preservatives in foods as well as fermented beverages (microbiome supporting, possibly) when looked at from a moderate intake perspective. These were the only areas that seemed to begin using "selective information" or "incomplete comparisons" that weakened the arguments of the interview at some point.

[gailhumiston]

It's good to hear the descriptions of sample subjects of each study, since research on young males (and females) who are in their peak muscle-bulding years are not generalizable to post-menopausal women who are in their peak fat-building years. Researchers need to go off campus to recruit subjects if they want to have more generalizable findings.

[BostjanBavcon]

Alan is THE MAN. Long time fan, been following him since T Nation days.

[wallyrbc]

When Alan said there’s no downside to consuming too much protein, I thought of Dr. Gregor and those who similarly feel too much protein can cause cancer. Chris McAskill seems to agree with this opinion, someone I respect. But I respect many others, including Alan in this interview!

[hamakua]

At what level of protein intake do you need to worry about the kidneys. For future podcasts. Thanks.

[LilyDream]

I purchased plant protein powder while the show was going on, lol. I'm obese looking to retain as much lean mass as I can while losing weight. Thank you for the informative discussion!

[azdhan]

Great video. Many thanks for this Simon. As a side note without seeing any research on this, I have heard that one long term potential issue with long tem keto is the development of glucose intolerance. That means if you ever fall off the keto wagon and start consuming much more carbs beyond the acceptable keto carb threshold, you are more likely to become insulin insensitive which can have downstream effects on increasing your risk of accelerating insulin resistance, prediabetes, and T2D. That totally defeats the purpose of why most people would monkey around with a keto diet. Also Layne Norton has pointed out that semaglutide dramatically increases insulin, but successfully causes far loss when used to treat obesity, totally debunks the carb-insulin model of fat gain. And from what I understand such a low carb diet could potentially be detremental to your gut microbial health given that it could dramatically undermine fibre intake and starve important gut microbes. As you already know Simon, of paricular concern here is if you starve Akkermansia muciniphila of food, it will cannibalize your gut lining, which can lead to leaky gut.

[karenbush]

Excellent information here…I especially appreciate the discussion of soy for women. So important that people know it’s healthy in organic form.