What happens to your muscles when you exercise in a calorie deficit? In this episode of We Do Science, I’m joined by Dr José Areta, Associate Professor in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University, to explore how muscle responds when energy intake is reduced—and why muscle size is only part of the picture.

José takes us through his research examining five days of low energy availability alongside aerobic exercise in men. Looking beyond body weight and lean mass, his team tracked changes in individual muscle proteins to understand how the muscle was adapting.

We discuss what they found, including changes in proteins involved in energy production, and explore the distinction between muscle quantity and quality. We also consider how the body prioritises energy, the role of protein intake, and the relevance of these findings to athletes managing their body composition.

Throughout, we address the study’s limitations and why short-term changes shouldn’t be taken as evidence that prolonged energy restriction improves performance. For practitioners, coaches, athletes and students, this conversation offers a closer look at the relationship between nutrition, exercise and muscle adaptation.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and José’s background

06:43 Understanding energy availability

11:40 Why study muscle during an energy deficit?

22:23 How the body prioritises energy

35:36 The study: diet, exercise and muscle measurements

45:02 Key findings: hormones and muscle adaptation

51:06 Short-term versus prolonged energy restriction

54:27 The roles of protein and exercise

1:04:03 Main takeaways

Connect with Jose:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jose_l_areta/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-areta-8671738a/

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.laurentbannock.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock

Subscribe to We Do Science for more conversations on the science and practice of performance nutrition.

Is more protein always better? In this episode of We Do Science, I’m joined by Professor Nick Burd to explore protein nutrition, muscle adaptation and why the amount of protein we eat is only part of the story.

Returning to the podcast after six years, Nick shares insights from his research at the University of Illinois into protein metabolism and the food matrix: how a food’s structure and surrounding nutrients influence the way our bodies respond to it. From eggs and salmon to whey and casein, we examine what we can learn from studying whole foods alongside isolated proteins and supplements.

We discuss the difference between maximal and optimal protein intake, why muscle protein synthesis shouldn’t automatically be equated with muscle growth, and how protein strategies may differ between strength and endurance athletes. We also explore anabolic resistance, muscle quality and the questions researchers are still working to answer.

Whether you’re a sports nutrition practitioner, coach, athlete or student, this conversation offers a closer look at how to interpret protein research and apply it in practice, with a reminder of the central role of consistent exercise in supporting muscle adaptation.

Subscribe to We Do Science for more conversations on the science and practice of performance nutrition.

Connect with Nick:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasburd/

Connect with Laurent:

Substack: https://substack.com/@laurentbannock

Website: https://www.laurentbannock.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock

Chapters:

01:59 Protein, the food matrix and the questions ahead

03:03 Nick’s background and research

06:25 A career investigating protein metabolism

09:03 Making sense of muscle protein synthesis

12:28 Muscle remodelling versus muscle growth

14:30 How protein research shapes recommendations

16:52 Understanding the protein RDA

23:21 Individual responses and personalised nutrition

25:36 Maximal versus optimal protein intake

29:59 Food first, supplements and questions about timing

31:42 Strength versus endurance athletes

33:20 Looking beyond total protein intake

35:29 Understanding the food matrix

36:08 Lessons from eggs, salmon and minced meat

41:54 Whey, casein and attempts to improve the response

46:58 Exercise, protein and anabolic resistance

50:45 Anabolic resistance in different populations

54:45 Muscle size, strength and quality

59:52 Are we too focused on protein quantity?

On this episode of We Do Science, Dr Laurent Bannock welcomes back Dr Dana Lis, registered dietitian and performance nutrition practitioner, alongside chef and nutritionist Nicki Strobel, to discuss their paper Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling, part of the UCI Sports Nutrition Project.

Drawing on years of experience in elite cycling, Dana and Nicki explain how the culinary nutrition team of nutritionists, chefs and soigneurs turns evidence into food riders will actually eat across Grand Tours, Classics and training camps. The conversation covers the chef–nutritionist relationship, on-bike fuelling, menu planning around stage demands, and how power meter data, doubly labelled water and continuous glucose monitors inform daily decisions.

Laurent, Dana and Nicki also discuss educating riders in a decentralised sport, building buy-in across the team, planning for illness, crashes and kitchens without power, and where the journey from science to plate most often breaks down. With lessons that apply well beyond cycling, this episode offers sports nutritionists, chefs, coaches, students and athletes a practical look at how performance nutrition is delivered in the real world.

Subscribe for more conversations exploring the science and practice of sports nutrition.

Read the paper:

Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling

https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/36/3/article-p335.xml

Connect with Dana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dana-lis/

Connect with Nicki:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-strobel-44b41347/

Connect with Laurent:

Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@laurentbannock⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentbannock/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock⁠

Website: ⁠⁠https://www.laurentbannock.com

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:13 Welcoming Dana and Nicki to We Do Science

04:31 Bridging the gap between science and practice

06:35 Dana's background and career

10:08 Nicki's journey from Michelin-star chef to pro cycling

15:20 How the Plate to Performance paper came about

20:38 Why chefs and nutritionists need a shared language

23:18 Cooking on the road: chefs, hotels and logistics

26:27 Prioritising nutrition interventions

28:41 The chef–nutritionist relationship

33:12 On-bike nutrition and the role of soigneurs

38:02 Keeping the evidence intact across the team

42:01 Planning menus around race demands

45:15 Day types, fuelling time points and daily adjustments

49:56 The data behind fuelling decisions

52:55 Energy availability and RED-S in the field

56:16 Turning precise numbers into real meals

59:36 Rider education in a decentralised sport

1:04:06 Building rider buy-in

1:07:11 Working through the rider's support network

1:11:04 Establishing yourself in a new team

1:15:25 When things go wrong on the road

1:17:26 Planning for illness and injury

1:22:09 Where the science breaks down in practice

1:24:47 What Dana and Nicki have changed their minds on