Five Things Every Athlete Needs to Do to Succeed

Feb. 17, 2017

An interesting scientific paper we've read with actionable advice.
Nonsense we read/heard this week and why it's nonsense.
Something awesome we read/listened to this week and why it's awesome.

I was inspired to record this podcast by a discussion that took place on the Lower Insulin Facebook group. I love the conversation that goes on over there, but like many of debates we see around the Internet, the conversation is somewhat one-dimensional. Low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein, intermittent fasting and you'll be okay. After working with close to 1,000 athletes to improve their health, performance and longevity, we know that's not always true, and we’re confident that a complete solution must give consideration to everything we outline in this episode.

The five things (in no particular order):

1. Eat a minimally processed diet food free of added sugar and vegetable oils (processed fats).

Because processed foods:

Are less nutrient-dense.
Are designed to make you overeat.
Increase insulin responses due to processing.
Alter the gut microbiota unfavourably.
Translocate endotoxins such as LPS across the gut wall. This induces inflammation and hyperinsulinaemia.
Induce leptin and insulin resistance centrally which leads to overeating.

2. Get sufficient sleep and Sunlight!

3. Appropriately manage stress, social connectedness and purpose. Consider stress of dieting.

4. Move like a human, i.e. walk, stand, and occasionally lift heavy things.

5. Consider magnesium and zinc deficiency (especially in athletes).

If you’re an athlete and you’re doing all of the above (and I mean doing not knowing) and you’re still not meeting your goals then we should talk! Book a free consultation online.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Dr Tommy Wood, MD, PhD:

[00:00:34] Tommy's PhD defence.

[00:04:32] Low Carb Breckenridge 2017.

[00:04:43] Dr Jeffry N. Gerber, MD, FAAFP.

[00:06:07] LPS (endotoxin) translocation across the gut wall.

[00:07:28] Coronary artery calcium score, see The Widowmaker movie.

[00:09:12] Functional Blood Chemistry Presented by: Dr Bryan Walsh.

[00:10:32] Lower Insulin Facebook group.

[00:11:49] Minimally processed diet free of added sugar and processed fats.

[00:15:46] The gut microbiome, insulin and leptin resistance.

[00:16:11] Emulsifiers.

[00:16:47] Gluten, dairy, soy and eggs.

[00:18:06] Food sensitivity testing.

[00:19:14] Podcast with Dr Ellen Langer, PhD: How to Think Yourself Younger, Healthier, and Faster.

[00:19:58] ALCAT and MRT food sensitivity tests.

[00:22:21] Nutrition, Paleolithic. "A consideration of its nature and current implications." New England Journal of Medicine 312.5 (1985): 283-9.

[00:22:35] Sleep.

[00:25:33] Podcast: How to Get Perfect Sleep with Dr Kirk Parsley, MD.

[00:26:51] Breaking the vicious sleep cycle.

[00:27:08] Podcast with Dr Chris Masterjohn, PhD: Why We Get Fat and What You Should Really Do About It.

[00:27:20] Photoperiod: go the fuck outside already.

[00:28:43] F.lux et al.

[00:29:01] Yoon, In-Young, et al. "Luteinizing hormone following light exposure in healthy young men." Neuroscience letters 341.1 (2003): 25-28.

[00:30:57] Stress.

[00:31:09] Podcast with Dr Bryan Walsh: Social Isolation: The Most Important Topic Nobody is Talking About.

[00:32:05] Purpose.

[00:35:54] Sir Ken Robinson, PhD: books and TED Talk.

[00:36:34] Book: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Dr Robert M. Sapolsky, PhD.

[00:38:20] Headspace, Calm.

[00:39:30] Movement, especially walking.

[00:40:34] Podcasts with Katy Bowman and Dr Kelly Starrett.

[00:41:02] Getting a dog.

[00:43:07] Ivor Cummins: magnesium and zinc deficiency.

[00:44:31] Highlights email sign-up.

[00:47:38] Testing. See podcast with Dr Bill Shaw: Surviving in a Toxic World: Nonmetal Toxic Chemicals and Their Effects on Health.

[00:48:17] Podcast with Todd Becker: Getting Stronger.

[00:48:36] Smoke from wood stove.

[00:49:12] Advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

[00:49:49] Allostatic load.

[00:50:11] Vlassara, Helen, et al. "Oral AGE restriction ameliorates insulin resistance in obese individuals with the metabolic syndrome: a randomised controlled trial." Diabetologia 59.10 (2016): 2181-2192. And Uribarri, Jaime, et al. "Restriction of advanced glycation end products improves insulin resistance in human type 2 diabetes." Diabetes care 34.7 (2011): 1610-1616.

[00:52:34] Helko Vario 2000 Heavy Log Splitter (maul).

[00:53:30] Podcast with Joshua Fields Millburn: Love People and Use Things (Because the Opposite Never Works).

[00:53:36] The Fireplace Delusion by Sam Harris. Naeher, Luke P., et al. "Woodsmoke health effects: a review." Inhalation toxicology 19.1 (2007): 67-106.

[00:53:59] Carmella, Steven G., et al. "Effects of smoking cessation on eight urinary tobacco carcinogen and toxicant biomarkers." Chemical research in toxicology 22.4 (2009): 734-741.

[00:55:33] Tommy's personal blog. Trumble, Benjamin C., et al. "Age-independent increases in male salivary testosterone during horticultural activity among Tsimane forager-farmers." Evolution and Human Behavior 34.5 (2013): 350-357.

[01:00:43] Personal care products, see the EWG’s Skin Deep database.

[01:01:36] Stool testing.

[01:01:47] GI-MAP.

[01:02:43] Blastocystis parasite blog.

[01:03:20] Rajič, Borko, et al. "Eradication of Blastocystis hominis prevents the development of symptomatic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a case report." The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 9.07 (2015): 788-791.

[01:05:31] Doctor's Data test.

[01:05:40] Cyclospora parasite.

[01:06:52] Jones, Kathleen R., Jeannette M. Whitmire, and D. Scott Merrell. "A tale of two toxins: Helicobacter pylori CagA and VacA modulate host pathways that impact disease." Frontiers in microbiology 1 (2010): 115.

[01:08:22] Biocidin liquid.

[01:09:18] Book a free consultation.

[01:10:47] If I don’t have the answer, then Tommy will, and if he doesn’t then someone I’ve interviewed will, so if you work with me you know you’re going to get fixed no matter what.