#101 Dr. Andy Galpin: The Optimal Diet, Supplement, & Recovery Protocol for Peak Performance

In this episode, Dr. Andy Galpin, a renowned expert who has coached Olympians, world champions, and professional athletes across major sports, breaks down exactly how to leverage these critical elements to meaningfully enhance your results. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:01) Eating to perform vs. eating to live longer—do you have to choose? (08:20) Training fasted—are the mitochondrial benefits worth it? (14:53) What should you eat before early-morning strength training? (16:52) Why nutrient timing isn't critical for the average exerciser (18:44) Is intermittent fasting killing your gains? (29:24) Carbs before resistance training—fuel or fluff? (31:07) Endurance fueling strategies—what actually works? (36:02) When is post-exercise carb intake truly essential? (37:35) Game day fueling—how to get it right (40:25) Carb supplements vs. whole foods—what do elite athletes actually eat? (43:18) Rethinking fat intake for exercise performance (46:14) Metabolic flexibility—how the term got hijacked (50:39) The real test of metabolic health—why skipping a meal shouldn't break you (51:55) Are anaerobic and aerobic systems truly separate? (55:56) Does protein timing really matter? (58:27) Whole foods vs. protein powders (1:03:21) Fat timing—overlooked or irrelevant? (1:04:48) The truth about seed oils and saturated fat (1:09:43) Magnesium—who actually needs to supplement? (1:11:43) The problem with magnesium blood tests (1:13:01) Why the magnesium RDA might not be enough (1:13:54) Magnesium citrate, glycinate, or threonate—does it matter? (1:15:55) Do magnesium supplements really aid recovery? (1:18:35) Omega-3 supplementation—is the AFib risk real? (1:22:10) Can omega-3s prevent muscle loss during inactivity? (1:26:14) Why "performance anchors" matter more than supplements (1:30:47) Iron deficiency—the hidden performance killer? (1:33:42) Does caffeine before workouts increase fat burning? (1:35:29) Caffeine cycling—smart strategy or outdated myth? (1:38:45) Can music measurably enhance workout performance? (1:39:57) Rhodiola rosea—fatigue fighter or placebo? (1:44:38) Beetroot, citrulline, arginine—do nitric oxide boosters work? (1:55:07) Beta-alanine—why the tingles might be worth it (2:01:05) Is 5g of creatine really enough? (2:02:18) Sodium bicarbonate—effective fatigue buffer or GI nightmare? (2:04:36) Can you trust what's in your pre-workout supplement? (2:06:54) Is too much caffeine killing your performance gains? (2:07:41) Can antioxidants blunt exercise performance? (2:08:40) High-dose vitamin C—immune protection or adaptation killer? (2:15:12) Do anti-inflammatories sabotage your gains? (2:17:38) Tart cherry juice—recovery aid or overhyped? (2:21:04) Is glutamine the immune booster athletes need? (2:29:11) Can collagen actually strengthen tendons? (2:33:26) Does glucosamine chondroitin actually help joints? (2:34:28) What really happens during recovery—signaling vs. inflammation (2:37:25) The most important recovery metric (2:39:05) How increased blood flow accelerates muscle repair (2:43:55) Why persistent soreness might mean your fascia's at fault (2:47:02) Can compression boots genuinely speed recovery? (2:47:56) Can simply soaking in water accelerate recovery? (2:51:13) When is sauna a better choice than extra miles? (2:53:12) Can localized heat preserve muscle during downtime? (2:54:31) Cold immersion timing—muscle recovery vs. blunting gains (3:01:16) Why pre-bed cold exposure might improve sleep (3:04:31) Heart rate variability vs. resting heart rate (3:12:45) Why respiratory rate predicts stress better than resting heart rate (3:16:57) Are you overtrained—or just overreached? (3:21:41) Hormones and overtraining—what's the real link? (3:25:48) Does training harder mean you need more sleep? (3:27:54) How to know if you're getting enough sleep (3:31:17) Sleep trackers (3:33:10) Hydration timing—the key to uninterrupted sleep? (3:34:54) Why your wind-down index matters (3:36:02) Is your bedroom's CO₂ buildup sabotaging your sleep? (3:39:40) Are nasal allergies quietly wrecking your recovery? (3:41:23) Sleep hacks—what actually works? Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes are available by clicking here