The Science of Eating for Health, Fat Loss & Lean Muscle | Dr. Layne Norton

(instrumental music) Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science, and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today my guest is Dr. Layne Norton. Dr. Norton is one of the foremost experts in protein metabolism, fat loss, and nutrition. He did his degrees in biochemistry and nutritional sciences, and is considered one of the world experts in understanding how we extract energy from our food, and how exercise and what we eat combine to impact things like body composition and overall health. Today we discuss an enormous number of topics under the umbrella of nutrition and fitness, including for instance, what is energy balance? That is, how do we actually extract energy from our food? We also discuss the somewhat controversial topic of artificial sweeteners, whether or not they are safe or not, and whether or not they are an effective tool for weight loss and particular for people suffering from obesity and different types of diabetes. We also talk about gut health, that is the gut microbiome, and how it's impacted by food and how it can actually impact the metabolism of the foods that we eat. We also discuss fasting or so-called intermittent fasting or time-restricted feeding, what it does and what it does not do in terms of how effective it is for weight loss, and perhaps even for health and longevity. We also talk about protein, and define very clearly how much protein each and all of us need depending on our daily activities and life demands. We discuss the various types of diets that you've probably heard about, including ketogenic diets, vegan diets, vegetarian diets, and pure carnivore diets as well as more typical omnivore diets, and how to make sure that you get all of the essential amino acids that are critical for healthy weight maintenance, weight loss, or directed muscle gain. We also talk about supplements, in particular the supplements for which there is an immense amount of science pointing to their safety and efficacy for fitness and for overall body composition. What I'm sure will become clear to you as you hear Layne talk about each and every one of these topics is that he has an incredible ability to both understand the mechanistic science but also the real-world applications of the various discoveries that are made in particular papers, and in particular, in the randomized control trials. That is, when a given scientific hypothesis has been raised, he's extremely good at understanding why it was raised, but also at evaluating whether or not it works in the real world, which is what I believe most everybody out there is concerned with. I think this is one of the things that really distinguishes him from the other voices in the nutritional landscape. I assure you that by the end of today's discussion, you will have a much clearer understanding about what the science says about nutrition, about fitness, and about how different diets and fitness programs combine to achieve the results that you want. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science, and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink with everything you need and nothing that you don't. That means it contains sodium, potassium, and magnesium, the so-called electrolytes, but no sugar. As you may have heard me discuss before on this podcast, every cell in our body, and in particular cells within our brain, the so-called neurons or nerve cells, critically rely on the presence of electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, in order to function properly. I myself am a big believer in consuming electrolytes any time I've been sweating a lot, so that could be after or during exercise, or after doing the sauna. So by drinking electrolytes in the form of LMNT electrolyte mix, I'm able to replenish those electrolytes and maintain mental clarity and energy throughout the day. LMNT contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium. If you'd like to try LMNT, you can go to drinklmnt, spelled L-M-N-T, dot com/huberman to get a free sample pack with your purchase. Again, that's drinklmnt.com/huberman to get the free sample pack. Today's episode is also brought to us by ROKA. ROKA makes eyeglasses and sunglasses that are of the absolute highest quality. The company was founded by two all-American swimmers from Stanford, and everything about ROKA eyeglasses and sunglasses were designed with performance in mind. I've spent a lifetime working on the biology of the visual system, and I can tell you that your visual system has to contend with an enormous number of challenges in order for you to see clearly, for instance when you move from a sunny area to a shady area and back again, whether or not you're looking at something up close or off into the distance. ROKA understands the biology of the visual system, and has designed their eyeglasses and sunglasses accordingly so that you always see with perfect clarity. ROKA eyeglasses and sunglasses were initially designed for activities such as running and cycling, and indeed they are very lightweight. Most of the time I can't even remember that they're on my face they're so lightweight. But the important thing to know about ROKA eyeglasses and sunglasses is that while they can be used during sports activities, they also have a terrific aesthetic and they can be used just as well for wearing to work or out to dinner, et cetera. If you'd like to try ROKA eyeglasses and sunglasses, you can go to ROKA, that's R-O-K-A dot com, and enter the code Huberman to save 20% off on your first order. Again, that's ROKA, R-O-K-A, dot com, and enter the code Huberman at checkout. Today's episode is also brought to us by InsideTracker. InsideTracker is a personalized nutrition program. They analyze the data from your blood and DNA to help you better understand your body and help you reach your health goals. Now, I've long been a believer in getting regular blood work done, for the simple reason that many of the factors that impact your immediate and long-term health can only be analyzed with a quality blood test. One of the major issues with a lot of blood and DNA tests out there, however, is that you get information back about levels of hormones, levels of lipids, levels of metabolic factors, but you don't know what to do about that information. With InsideTracker, they have a easy-to-use platform that allows you to assess those levels and then determine what sorts of behavioral changes, nutritional changes, maybe even supplementation changes you might want to make in order to bring those numbers into the ranges that are optimal for you.If you'd like to try InsideTracker, you can go to insidetracker.com/huberman to get 20% off any of InsideTracker's plans. Again, that's insidetracker.com/huberman to get 20% off. The Huberman Lab Podcast is now partnered with Momentous Supplements. To find the supplements we discuss on the Huberman Lab Podcast, you can go to livemomentous, spelled O-U-S, livemomentous.com/huberman. And I should just mention that the library of those supplements is constantly expanding. Again, that's livemomentous.com/huberman. And now for my discussion with Dr. Layne Norton. Layne, Dr. Norton, thank you so much for being here. This is a long time coming, and I have to say, I'm really excited because I've seen you in the social media sphere. I've also listened to a number of your other podcasts. And as a fellow PhD scientist, I feel a great kinship with you. I know you have tremendous experience in, in fitness and nutrition, a number of areas. We also got a lot of questions from our audience, and I'm really looking forward to talking with you today.