How Much Protein a Runner Really Needs: Dr. Robert Wolfe

As runners, we think about how to fuel properly. That includes
carbohydrate and protein, but what about essential amino acids?
How do they help us optimize our nutrition to become the best
runners we can be?


Dr. Robert Wolfe, Ph.D, is here to talk as both a scientist and a
runner. As the director of the Center for Translational Research
on Aging and Longevity at the University of Arkansas, he focuses
his research on the regulation of muscle metabolism. His research
publications have been cited an impressive 75,000+ times, and he
shares how amino acids might be able to help your performance and
recovery.


Dr. Wolfe has also been running for 60 years and has run an
amazing 62 marathons under 2:30 in his lifetime!
Coach Claire talks to him about his running career, how to stay
young and healthy, what happens in the body when we run, and how
our food can help us before, during, and after the run. 


Dr. Wolfe also shares his thoughts on the importance of keeping a
consistent exercise routine as we age, so there’s definitely a
lot of great food for thought in this episode!


 


Dr. Wolfe’s undergraduate studies were at the University of
California, Berkeley, and he completed his Ph.D. degree at UC
Santa Barbara’s Institute of Environmental Stress. Dr. Wolfe
served as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School for nine
years. Prior to accepting his current position in 2006, he was at
the UT Medical Branch at Galveston, where he held the John H.
Sealy Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research and was Chief of
the Metabolism Unit at Shriners Burns Hospital. 


Dr. Wolfe has received a number of awards and invited
lectureships in recognition of his work. He received the Herman
Award from the American Society of Clinical Nutrition for his
career contributions. He has published over 452 peer-reviewed
research articles, 126  review articles, three books,
including the major reference source in the field of stable
isotope tracer methodology and has 5 patents. His papers have
been cited 50,663 times (h index= 122), and 16,423 (h index =65)
since 2011. Dr. Wolfe has been funded continuously by the NIH for
his entire career and frequently held two NIH grants per year as
Pl.


The focus of Dr. Wolfe’s research is on the regulation of muscle
metabolism, particularly as affected by aging and stressors such
as injury, sepsis and cancer. His research has been performed
largely in human patients and normal volunteers. Dr. Wolfe has
developed models using stable isotopes to quantify a variety of
metabolic processes in human subjects including the oxidation and
production of fatty acids, various aspects of carbohydrate
metabolism, and the rates of muscle protein synthesis, breakdown,
and the transport of amino acids between blood and muscle tissue.
Dr. Wolfe is the Director of the Center for Translational
Research in Aging and Longevity at the Reynolds Institute on
Aging.






 


Questions Bob is asked: 


 


3:33 Before we talk about the science of exercise metabolism, I
want to hear about your running journey. You’ve been a runner for
over 50 years with 62 marathons under 2:30. Can you tell us a
little bit about what your story is and how you started?


 


5:15 I can’t imagine that every single run was super fun, so I
would love to talk about what your training was like, how you
trained for marathons and what are the key ingredients in the
recipe for a marathon?


 


8:06 How old were you when you did your last sub-2:30 marathon?


 


8:59 As far as fueling goes, what does an endurance athlete need
before, during, and after exercise?


 


12:09 What are amino acids?  What are the different kinds
(essential, branched chain, etc)? And how are they used in the
body?


 


14:56 When we’re eating enough dietary protein, does that mean we
are automatically eating enough of the essential amino acids that
we need?


 


16:53 What is the optimal amount of essential amino acids we as
individuals need?


 


18:44 Obviously protein requirements are going to be different
for an endurance runner and a bodybuilder, right?


 


22:51 Is the purpose of taking amino acid supplements to get
everything you need for optimum performance without having to eat
more food?


 


25:24 Is there a limit to how much amino acids the body can
absorb at one?


 


27:55 Does the body have a way of storing essential amino acids?


 


29:22 If you take in too much essential amino acids, do you just
excrete it?


 


29:44 How are the amino acids from the Amino Company produced?


 


32:09 How do you use amino acid supplements? Do you take it
before your run, after, or even during?


 


36:40 When you are taking amino acids during exercise, do they
activate hormones in your body?


 


41:00 Does your company have an amino acid formulation to help me
with my insomnia too?


 


41:41 Besides leading the Amino Company, you are also the
director of the center for translational research on aging and
longevity at the University of Arkansas. So what's the secret to
staying youthful and vital as we age?  


 


43:39 Do older athletes have an advantage when it comes to
longevity and aging?  






Questions I ask everyone:


 


45:32 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you started
running, what advice would you give?


 


47:02 What is the greatest gift running has given you?


 


47:54 Where can listeners connect with you?


 
Quotes by Bob:

 


“Generally speaking, I think the protein aspect of the diet is
extremely important but as far as dietary protein, when you’re
eating as many as 4 or 5,000 calories a day, even a low protein
diet is going to provide enough dietary protein to meet your
protein requirements.” 


 


“It’s important to understand that the dietary requirements are
telling us not only how much protein we should eat, but how much
of each individual essential amino acid we should eat, are
predicated on the baseline amount we need to avoid deficiency.
And so the key aspect, what we’ll talk about with specific amino
acid supplementation, is that for optimal physical functioning,
particularly with stress like exercise training, that the
baseline amount of essential amino acids that you need to avoid
deficiency is really not optimal.”


 


“One of the things that obviously we’re trying to do is with
running is to improve muscle function and muscle strength without
increasing muscle bulk because it’s just extra weight.”


 


“The thing which is obvious when you see a lot of older people is
that ability to function physically is really the primary
determinant of quality of life. If you can’t get up out of a
chair then medical costs and everything else go out the window,
but just being able to do the activities you like is so
important.”






Take a Listen on Your Next Run


 


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Mentioned in this podcast:

The Amino Company


The Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity |
UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging


Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community 


RunnersConnect Facebook page


RunnersConnect Retreats


Email Coach Claire


 


Follow Bob on:


Email Dr. Wolfe






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