WEBVTT
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00:00:40.949Hey y'all, and welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast.
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00:00:47.349I'm Coach Chris Newport, and this week I'm bringing back one of my all-time favorite conversations.
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00:00:48.869My interview with Dr.
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00:00:52.789Yale Jaffey, the creator of the 3x4 genetic test.
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00:00:57.909I'm replaying it because the question we dug into is more relevant now than ever.
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00:01:01.670How do you know what actually works for your body?
00:01:01.829 -->
00:01:03.829There's so much advice out there.
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00:01:06.709More zone two training, eat more protein, try this supplement.
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00:01:08.310This food is a superfood.
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00:01:13.430And the truth is, what works beautifully for one athlete can do absolutely nothing for another.
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00:01:19.349Your genetics are one piece of the puzzle, and Yale explains it better than anyone.
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00:01:23.269All right, let's dive into my conversation with Yale Jaffe.
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00:01:26.069All right, welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast.
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00:01:32.949I am your host, Chris Newport, and I am here with a returning guest, Yale Jaffey from 3x4 Genetics.
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00:01:39.109I'm so excited to have you back because your first podcast we had with you was extremely popular.
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00:01:41.030So welcome back to the show.
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00:01:42.149Thanks, Chris.
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00:01:43.030Great to be back.
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00:01:47.989I enjoyed the first one, and I have no doubt we'll we'll have another same good time this time.
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00:01:48.709Awesome.
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00:01:49.189Yeah.
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00:01:56.069So today is all about genetics and performance, genetics and training.
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00:02:09.110So I want you to go through, if you would please walk us through your report and how it gives us information about our propensity for fitness, our ability to recover.
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00:02:11.349So walk us through that if you will.
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00:02:13.110Okay, great.
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00:02:13.909Thanks, Chris.
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00:02:29.509I'm just thinking, as you're speaking, I'm thinking, you know, one of the problems in genetic testing is that a lot of companies will the way they'll answer your question right now is they'll go straight to a genetic test report called DNA fitness or DNA sport.
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00:02:35.829Um, in the same way that they would go to, for example, wait and go DNA diet.
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00:02:42.789So I just want to, I just want to step back for a minute because we've done things a little bit differently, and there's a really good reason why we've done.
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00:02:49.909So if you'll just give me that, I just want to explain why I'm not going to answer specifically about recovery and injury.
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00:02:53.109I am going to get there, but I want to take a step back.
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00:03:07.189So the way that the body works, because when we think about performance, performance is relevant to us, whether we're an elite, um, Olympic um level um athlete, whether we're recreational athlete.
00:03:07.669 -->
00:03:12.549And in fact, it's performance is relevant to us even when we don't talk about athletics.
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00:03:24.469And we're talking about getting out of bed in the morning, looking after our children, getting them to school, making school lunches, performing our work, kind of keeping our energy levels up, having good relationships.
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00:03:31.430So performance is actually one of the absolute keys to optimal kind of health and productivity.
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00:03:34.069So just want to put that in context.
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00:03:48.789So when we built the 3x4 report, we wanted to not only focus on the specifics of athleticism, which we'll talk about with VO2 Max and fitness, but we wanted to think like, what are the where does it begin?
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00:03:50.549Where does it start?
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00:04:04.229Because if you don't, if you don't go to right to the root of things, in this case, which is cell function, it doesn't matter what your genes say about how powerful you are, or about how fast you can run, how far you can run.
00:04:04.469 -->
00:04:13.990So the way we built the report is that we always start at what we call the cellular level, which deals with things like inflammation, oxidative stress, methylation, detoxification.
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00:04:23.990And if these processes in our body are not working absolutely optimally, it doesn't matter how good your genes are in terms of power training, for example, right?
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00:04:25.350So I wanted to put that in colour.
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00:04:30.149The second level that we look at is around what we call systems.
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00:04:45.029In systems, we we look at things like glucose and insulin, hormones, cognitive function, so kind of brain felt, the ability to keep our minds clear and thinking clearly as much as we possibly can.
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00:04:48.149And we look at things even like collagen and joints.
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00:04:55.590So again, I hope when you hear me say this, you're really thinking to yourself, well, of course, all of that's important when I think about performance.
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00:04:57.909I mean, glucose and insulin, right?
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00:05:04.230How can anybody function optimally without having what we call glucose and insulin homeostasis?
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00:05:05.909That beautiful balance, right?
00:05:06.070 -->
00:05:09.750How can we function optimally if our hormones are not in balance?
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00:05:18.950How can we, again, cognitively, we know that mental performance or cognitive function is as important in sports performance as physical performance?
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00:05:25.189So I'm probably telling you all things that you know, but I just really want to kind of bring it back to this.
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00:05:35.669Um, we talk about cardiovascular systems, which again, so much of training, especially our cardiovascular training, is how good is our our vascular health?
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00:05:39.830How how wholesome and strong are those blood vessels that we have?
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00:05:42.149Our blood pressure, blood plotting.
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00:05:50.629And then eventually we get down to what we call the energy systems, which is how do I consume calories?
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00:05:53.029What drives me to consume calories?
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00:05:54.470How do I store calories?
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00:05:55.909How do I burn calories?
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00:05:57.909And we could talk about that a little bit later.
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00:06:05.189But again, every part of being an elite athlete or a recreational athlete is what is the kind of food that I'm eating?
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00:06:06.870How much do I need to eat?
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00:06:07.830How do I store it?
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00:06:09.189How do I burn it up?
00:06:09.429 -->
00:06:18.470And of course, we deep dive into different nutrients, so different vitamins, and we look at things like iron and we look at things like choline, B6, B12, right?
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00:06:19.750Vitamin D.
00:06:20.389 -->
00:06:23.429But then we get to talk about this idea of activity.
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00:06:35.590And we call it activity because we don't want to pigeonhole anyone and say, well, this is only for the elite athletes, or this is only for the people who are interested in getting off the couch and starting to walk around around the block.
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00:06:44.070And then when we look at activity, we break it up because there's so many different things we want to understand about uh training and fitness.
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00:06:46.070Can I just carry on?
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00:06:47.029Shall I carry on?
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00:06:50.149Insulin, do you want to ask me or should I dive into activity?
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00:06:51.830No, certainly dive into it.
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00:07:03.110As you're talking and just making me think of all the things you're mentioning, there's probably been some sort of ergogenic aid, um, either legally or illegally, uh, presented for that.
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00:07:07.509Like people have used insulin as a doping uh mechanism, you know, it's a good thing.
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00:07:09.350Right, it's an antibiotic steroid, right?
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00:07:11.429We've got it's an antibiotic steroid.
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00:07:16.710Yeah, we've got these, you know, take this athletic multivitamin and you're gonna be better.
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00:07:18.309So yeah, please continue.
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00:07:19.750And cognitive function, right?
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00:07:19.990Right.
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00:07:22.389Cognitive function is an ecogenic aid.
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00:07:23.990I mean totally.
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00:07:25.110So we could that's interesting.
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00:07:25.909We could talk about that.
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00:07:26.149Yeah.
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00:07:28.470And I went, we can talk about this interesting thing around.
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00:07:29.590Remind me that we come back.
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00:07:31.509Yeah, yeah, we're gonna be here all day.
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00:07:39.990When we when we've done genetics on some, and I'm just telling you so we don't forget about it because I want to talk about activity.
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00:07:52.629Some of the greatest when we've like tested like um Olympic level athletes, we often find in the cognitive um um mood some really interesting addiction genes.
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00:07:59.509Which is interesting you say that because we're just finishing up the Olympics right now, and there's such a focus on mental health.
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00:08:00.389Mental health.
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00:08:02.549So let's wow, let's come back to it, all right?
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00:08:05.029Because I'll talk about I've got to start here.
00:08:05.269 -->
00:08:10.789Yeah, sometimes okay, when those genes are actually even more powerful than the activity genes.
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00:08:11.990All right, we're gonna come back to it.
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00:08:12.230Yes.
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00:08:15.509All right, so what are what do we look at in genetics of activity?
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00:08:18.389So let's start off with the key the first concept.
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00:08:24.629The first concept is is the idea of um fitness potential, what we call training response.
00:08:24.789 -->
00:08:31.750In fact, we could call it all kinds of things training response, fitness potential, or we could use the word VO2 max.
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00:08:41.590What we're trying, what we understand about this is no matter who you are, you're born with a baseline potential, right?
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00:08:48.629So most athletes are born an Olympic athlete, right?
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00:08:51.830So you have to be born with a baseline.
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00:09:15.669That means that when we take a whole bunch of us at the age of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, right, before we started our Olympic training, and we measured that baseline, whether it's VO2 max or it's um lactate threshold, all those different physiological ideas, you're going to see a difference in those that have that increased genetic potential.
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00:09:20.149That means when they start their training, they're ready ahead of the game.
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00:09:26.949So there's for some of us, when we start training for a marathon, we start with two kilometers, then four, then five, then 10.
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00:09:40.549And we have to take our time and increase, and because our adaptation to that high distance, that greater um oxygen requirement, um, that greater muscle contract, all those things is slower.
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00:09:46.309And there's others who just fly for those, but like they started like 10Ks, and 10 cases they're like little trot.
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00:09:49.509So already we have a baseline potential.
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00:09:53.669And then as we train, all those things are going to improve.
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00:09:59.110Our lactic threshold, our VO2 max, all of those things are gonna improve.
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00:10:06.549Now, how much those things will improve will depend on our genetic potential or our training response.
00:10:06.870 -->
00:10:22.389So I can, if I started at the same level as Olympic athlete, which clearly I don't, and I did the same training as them, they would improve so much more doing the same training as I'm doing because of their genetics.
00:10:22.629 -->
00:10:29.189So we can so the the great thing is, is we don't need to be Olympic athletes to improve.
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00:10:36.870So if you're just like me, who I call myself a committed recreational athlete, um, I'm never podium, right?
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00:10:39.110But I am a very committed recreational athlete.
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00:10:44.389So I start on a baseline that's not very, very low, but it's kind of average.
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00:10:49.110And then I do all this amazing training, which I choose to do based on my genetics.
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00:10:50.230We can talk about that.
00:10:50.469 -->
00:10:56.549And I see an improvement in my VO2 max, I see an improvement in my 5K time, I see an improvement in my swimming times.
00:10:56.789 -->
00:11:07.589The great thing about genetics is we always improve on our baseline, but our genetics gives us some idea of where we started and where we can finish.
00:11:08.389 -->
00:11:14.789So that is the concept of training response, often has potential, but it's relevant for every one of us.
00:11:14.949 -->
00:11:15.269Okay.
00:11:15.669 -->
00:11:18.789We just want to be realistic that we're not gonna podium, right?
00:11:18.949 -->
00:11:19.269Right.
00:11:19.669 -->
00:11:20.309Yeah.
00:11:20.709 -->
00:11:32.789I think that's interesting how um how uh in the way that I use this is that there are so many different people who have very specific like training windows, you know.
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00:11:39.990Oh, you need 12 weeks to train for a half marathon, you need 20 weeks to train for a marathon, you need six months to train for an Iron Man.
00:11:40.309 -->
00:11:48.549And the way I interpret that is we all need a little bit of a different amount of time to train for these things based on our baseline.
00:11:49.269 -->
00:11:54.230That that's exactly well, you did it much better and much quicker than I did, but that's exactly the idea.
00:11:54.469 -->
00:12:05.509This idea that there's a training, a training program for a specific distance is insane because we are so different genetically in how we're going to respond to that training load.
00:12:05.829 -->
00:12:07.829Okay, so exactly as you described it.
00:12:08.389 -->
00:12:11.350And this is obviously personalized medicine right there.
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00:12:12.149Yes, okay.
00:12:12.389 -->
00:12:13.029Love it.
00:12:13.429 -->
00:12:15.429So let's talk about the next thing.
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00:12:17.750Um, let's talk about injury.
00:12:18.709 -->
00:12:28.309So some of us doing the same training program are more likely to become injured, even though we're doing the same training.
00:12:28.389 -->
00:12:30.389And we might be doing everything right.
00:12:30.709 -->
00:12:38.149We can do some functional training, strength training, cardio training, and yet we're all becoming we're getting injured.
00:12:38.309 -->
00:12:49.829And when I talk about injury, I often talk about those kind of collagen injuries, ACL, Achilles, um, you know, like the planter, like the ones that that really kind of set it back, set us back six months, right?
00:12:50.069 -->
00:12:53.189More tater cuff, perhaps more itises and something.
00:12:53.589 -->
00:12:56.309Well, other it's yes, which tells you something already, right?
00:12:56.469 -->
00:12:59.029The itises have usually got inflammation in their word.
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00:12:59.509Yeah.
00:12:59.750 -->
00:13:06.709So so why are some of us more prone to injury than others?
00:13:06.949 -->
00:13:10.389So injury is an um an interesting idea.
00:13:10.469 -->
00:13:19.029The the two key concepts that surfine injury, just to simplify, because obviously always more complicated, is the concept of oxidative stress and inflammation.
00:13:19.269 -->
00:13:25.829So when we exercise and we train, these are two of the processes that get, or I could say, ignited.
00:13:26.230 -->
00:13:30.149Because inflammation is a natural response to training.
00:13:30.389 -->
00:13:32.870Because training is actually pro-inflammatory.
00:13:33.029 -->
00:13:35.350Exercise is pro-inflammatory.
00:13:35.909 -->
00:13:38.949But in a healthy way, up to a certain level.
00:13:39.029 -->
00:13:51.829So that pro-inflammatory response we get from exercise is actually really healthy for our bodies until we're training a high amount, and then it becomes too much of a load, too much of a load of inflammation.
00:13:52.149 -->
00:14:03.909And inflammation and what we call oxidative stress, which is the kind of creation of all these free radicals in our body, again, a very normal, healthy, and natural process until we have too much of it.
00:14:04.069 -->
00:14:05.429And the two of them work together.
00:14:05.589 -->
00:14:09.429The more oxidative stress we have, the more inflammation we have, and vice versa.
00:14:09.669 -->
00:14:26.069And when we get too much of these two processes happening, and we don't, the body isn't able to resolve it, bring down the inflammation, bring down the oxidative stress, we increase our injury risk, and that's usually when we see an injury happening.
00:14:26.469 -->
00:14:32.389So, how how we are able to manage inflammation and oxidative stress is based on a whole lot of things.
00:14:32.549 -->
00:14:37.110It's based on our training load, what are we, what is the training we're doing, and how much are we doing?
00:14:37.350 -->
00:14:43.990It's based on how much recovery time, and we'll talk about recovery time just now, how much recovery time.
00:14:44.309 -->
00:14:49.909And it's based on our nutrition, because nutrition aids those processes a great deal.
00:14:50.149 -->
00:14:54.069And very, very much based on our genetics, on our genes.
00:14:55.029 -->
00:15:06.709So if we can understand our genetic susceptibility to injury risk, we can make some really good decisions with our coaches and our nutritioners.
00:15:07.029 -->
00:15:10.629We can plan our training very differently.
00:15:10.949 -->
00:15:19.990The difference between kind of the load, high load, and then kind of a lower load, days off and rest days, and of course, functional training.
00:15:20.149 -->
00:15:32.870If we have a sense as well of where those weaknesses are, as you say, the itis is, what is the functional training we can do to strengthen our body in those places to be able to prevent those injuries from happening?
00:15:33.110 -->
00:15:41.589So, you know, the runner who only runs, we've all made that mistake and never does any other training other than running, is almost invariably going to get those those injuries.
00:15:41.829 -->
00:15:45.909But some will take three years to get the injury and some will take 20 years to get the injury.
00:15:46.069 -->
00:15:48.870So, how do we how do we minimize that injury risk?
00:15:49.029 -->
00:15:51.909So that's that's the concept of injury.
00:15:52.709 -->
00:15:55.029Very genetic, very, very genetic.
00:15:55.189 -->
00:15:59.509And then the next one, which is very, very closely associated, is recovery.
00:16:00.069 -->
00:16:05.669So I'm one of those people who cannot train six days a week at a high load.
00:16:05.990 -->
00:16:08.389And if I do, a whole lot of stuff's all happening.
00:16:08.469 -->
00:16:11.189One is that I am become very susceptible to injury.
00:16:11.429 -->
00:16:17.509The other thing is my energy levels after a cut after a certain amount of time will just dip.
00:16:18.230 -->
00:16:21.750So I cannot sustain such a high intensity of training.
00:16:21.990 -->
00:16:31.029So I've discovered for myself that I need to take a certain number of rest days, or very important, putting very low load days.
00:16:31.110 -->
00:16:32.149That's quite a mouthful.
00:16:32.309 -->
00:16:36.549So really, if I have a very intense training day, then the next day I have to have a load day.
00:16:36.949 -->
00:16:38.629But we're not all the same.
00:16:38.870 -->
00:16:43.750And so being able to understand how much recovery time you need.
00:16:43.829 -->
00:16:45.429And I know there's a lot of apps.
00:16:45.589 -->
00:16:49.429I'm got my aura ring on, which gives me a lot of insight into recovery.
00:16:49.509 -->
00:16:57.829Um, the work, uh the garment, they're all giving insight, but you cannot only have that insight without having the insight of genetics as well.
00:16:58.469 -->
00:16:58.629Okay.
00:16:59.750 -->
00:17:01.029Does that does that make sense?
00:17:01.509 -->
00:17:03.189Mic drop, by the way.
00:17:04.549 -->
00:17:11.910So, and the reason why I say that is because our population in particular is a slave to their watch.
00:17:12.150 -->
00:17:20.470And whether it's a their garment or their aura ring, or I had one gal, in fact, who had multiple devices and she had like data overload.
00:17:20.630 -->
00:17:22.390She was so stressed out about it.
00:17:22.710 -->
00:17:25.990This device is telling me this from recovery, and this device is telling me this.
00:17:26.230 -->
00:17:31.990I said, you need to just you need a data detox, like just let it go, right?
00:17:32.230 -->
00:17:40.069So, um, and this concept of increased recovery, and it's okay to not have to train all the time.
00:17:40.230 -->
00:17:41.589In fact, it's a benefit to you.
00:17:41.750 -->
00:17:49.590It's a benefit because we know that the true growth and the strength and the fitness comes in the off day, not the training day.
00:17:49.830 -->
00:17:52.950And that's still really hard to get through to athletes, right?
00:17:53.110 -->
00:17:54.230So I'll tell you a great story.
00:17:54.310 -->
00:18:00.950We have um in my team at 3x4, we have two extraordinary athletes and they both go to World Champ's triathlon.
00:18:01.110 -->
00:18:19.670They both like world-class triathletes, and they both follow the same training, they're the same age, and they both did the same event, and they both um got the same training program from um, I won't mention the brand, but from one of the elite training organizations that, you know, there's training programs, yeah.
00:18:19.910 -->
00:18:20.950Lots of data, right?
00:18:21.350 -->
00:18:23.670And it runs off the runs off the garment.
00:18:24.310 -->
00:18:24.630Okay.
00:18:25.269 -->
00:18:33.430So what happens is they're going to world champs and they're getting super close and they the load is going up and up and up and up.
00:18:33.750 -->
00:18:39.830One of them is doing beautifully, and everything's going, and the other one gets injured like three weeks before world champs.
00:18:40.470 -->
00:18:45.029Same training program, same age, same recovery days, same everything.
00:18:45.190 -->
00:18:45.750Why?
00:18:45.990 -->
00:18:54.870Well, when she joined the company, the first thing we did was we did a genetics, and we're like, oh my god, her recovery was completely different from the other one.
00:18:55.110 -->
00:18:59.029She needed so much more recovery than the other one did.
00:18:59.350 -->
00:19:12.710So even just basing it off the data of HRV and heart rate was not enough because the genetics for her, she needed that more time off.
00:19:13.110 -->
00:19:21.029And since she's been able to do that and actually kind of go back to her training program and saying, I'm not, I'm actually not, I'm not doing it.
00:19:21.190 -->
00:19:22.710I know I need a day off.
00:19:22.870 -->
00:19:29.269Um, has has changed everything for her in terms of performing better and also less injury, obviously.
00:19:29.590 -->
00:19:30.630That's fantastic.
00:19:30.950 -->
00:19:34.870That was something I learned about myself too in my um in my report.
00:19:34.950 -->
00:19:37.750I was like, oh man, this is why I need so much sleep.
00:19:37.830 -->
00:19:42.630This is why I'm sore when the person next to me is not sore and we've done the same exact thing.
00:19:42.950 -->
00:19:46.550So, you know, uh, I'm not gonna hobble through life anymore.
00:19:46.870 -->
00:19:47.830No, no, we're not.
00:19:47.910 -->
00:19:49.670We're not gonna beat ourselves up and I'm the same.
00:19:49.750 -->
00:19:57.190Like I just come to terms with um, and I do use my aura and I do use my garment, but I also have I have my genetic information.
00:19:57.269 -->
00:20:00.790So I take all of that and kind of put it in together.
00:20:00.870 -->
00:20:05.029And now suddenly I really have, I mean, that is that is true insight, right?
00:20:05.190 -->
00:20:12.710And that's as you as a practitioner working with working with your athletes, you now have this other layer of insight, which which is incredible.
00:20:12.950 -->
00:20:13.350Right.
00:20:13.590 -->
00:20:14.070Awesome.
00:20:14.310 -->
00:20:14.950All right, okay.
00:20:15.029 -->
00:20:20.070So we've done our adaptation or fitness potential, injury, recovery, where where to next?
00:20:20.230 -->
00:20:23.110Now we're going to talk about endurance and power.
00:20:23.430 -->
00:20:27.910And I'm not going to talk about them separately because actually we shouldn't talk about them separately, right?
00:20:28.070 -->
00:20:28.310Okay.
00:20:28.390 -->
00:20:28.550Yeah.
00:20:28.790 -->
00:20:30.550So, okay, so here's going to be another.
00:20:30.710 -->
00:20:35.350So initially, when I started in genetics, I spoke about them separately.
00:20:35.590 -->
00:20:50.230And I said, when I look at your genes, I look at your endurance potential, I look to see how how far and long you can go, whether it's running or cycling or swimming or walking or hiking, how long can you go?
00:20:50.390 -->
00:20:54.790And I want to see what your potential is to be able to do long distance.
00:20:55.590 -->
00:21:02.870This, I just have to say here that this doesn't mean that that there's some people who can do long distance and there's others who can't.
00:21:03.110 -->
00:21:04.390That's absolutely not okay.
00:21:04.470 -->
00:21:08.550Trust me, if I can run marathons, any common run marathons.
00:21:08.870 -->
00:21:13.750It's the ease with which we can do endurance training.
00:21:13.990 -->
00:21:18.070How naturally and genetically we suited to be able to go along.
00:21:18.150 -->
00:21:24.150So, how much training did I have to do for a marathon compared to someone else who has better endurance genes than I do?
00:21:24.310 -->
00:21:29.190And how they manage to get to that marathon distance easier with less effort and less training.
00:21:29.269 -->
00:21:30.230That's that's the difference.
00:21:30.390 -->
00:21:34.390Not that someone shouldn't run marathons or shouldn't do 100 milers.
00:21:34.790 -->
00:21:35.910We can do everything.
00:21:36.150 -->
00:21:37.430It's just the ease, right?
00:21:37.509 -->
00:21:38.470And that's why I wanted to.
00:21:38.870 -->
00:21:49.110And then separately, I would look at your power genetics and I'd say, oh wow, your power genes are telling me that if you go into a gym and as you said, lift heavy things, right?
00:21:49.509 -->
00:21:54.630You are gonna see a great responsiveness in your muscle mass and strength.
00:21:54.950 -->
00:21:59.350So going to a gym, lift heavy things, you're gonna see muscle growth.
00:21:59.509 -->
00:22:04.150So you're gonna and and an improvement in your strength.
00:22:04.310 -->
00:22:05.750And this isn't true of everyone.
00:22:05.830 -->
00:22:13.029So we know from the research that you can they took like army recruits, because you can do any research in army recruits, so they don't have a choice, right?
00:22:13.190 -->
00:22:15.190And they put them through this training program.
00:22:15.509 -->
00:22:20.710And the first training program was cycling every day, like hours on end.
00:22:20.950 -->
00:22:26.470And they measured um muscle efficiency, which is more an endurance trait.
00:22:26.950 -->
00:22:34.870And they found that some of them improved hugely with, I mean, it was an incredible training load, and others barely changed their muscle efficiency at all.
00:22:35.590 -->
00:22:37.509And they did the same, a similar study.
00:22:38.070 -->
00:22:43.509They put a whole lot of army recruits into a weight training program with reps.
00:22:43.990 -->
00:22:51.430And they got some of them that their muscle mass growth, their measured muscle mass growth was incredible difference.
00:22:51.590 -->
00:22:58.550And others that even though they were training with weights every single day for like 12 weeks, they experienced no muscle mass growth.
00:22:58.710 -->
00:23:07.190So we know that there is a huge difference between how we respond to that kind of endurance style cardio training versus the power training.
00:23:07.509 -->
00:23:12.390So when I started out in genetics, like 20 years ago, I had this idea that there were two different things.
00:23:12.550 -->
00:23:25.269But what I've come to learn from our team is that you've got to think of it as not even as a spectrum, but as something that is inherent in us, that we have both of these things.
00:23:25.830 -->
00:23:28.550And they sit, they both sit within us.
00:23:28.710 -->
00:23:29.910And you can have both.
00:23:30.070 -->
00:23:32.390You don't ever have to be one or the other.
00:23:32.630 -->
00:23:36.790You don't have to be an endurance person or a power person.
00:23:36.870 -->
00:23:39.269This isn't like a binary conversation, right?
00:23:39.430 -->
00:23:45.670It's about how do those that endurance and power potential sit with us.
00:23:46.310 -->
00:23:58.230And then what we try and do is find what is the activity that best matches that interplay between power and endurance.
00:23:58.710 -->
00:24:02.470Not I have to choose power or I have to choose endurance.
00:24:02.870 -->
00:24:11.509Because we might find, you know, that if you've got great genes for both power and endurance, you're gonna be in, you're gonna win like marathons, right?
00:24:11.670 -->
00:24:13.750Because you can go far and you can go fast.
00:24:14.310 -->
00:24:20.630But if you're like super powerful but non-endurance, you might want to do like 5K triathlon, like sprint triathlon.
00:24:21.029 -->
00:24:25.590So it's not about letting our genes decide what we want to do.
00:24:25.750 -->
00:24:27.509We should decide what we want to do.
00:24:27.670 -->
00:24:28.710What do we love?
00:24:28.950 -->
00:24:31.110What is our friends and our family doing?
00:24:31.269 -->
00:24:32.470What do we dream about doing?
00:24:32.630 -->
00:24:34.550Do we want to run the New York marathon?
00:24:34.710 -->
00:24:38.470And then we should say, what are the genes that I'm working with?
00:24:38.950 -->
00:24:40.950And how are they going to get me there?
00:24:41.830 -->
00:24:51.670I'm glad you mentioned that our genes aren't necessarily deciding our sports for us because so much of whether an athlete or not, you still have to enjoy it, right?
00:24:51.750 -->
00:24:53.590We want to get out there and get moving.
00:24:53.750 -->
00:25:02.790And uh uh especially in the realm of the fitness enthusiast or perhaps somebody who's wanting to um maybe lose weight, they're kind of willing to do whatever.
00:25:03.029 -->
00:25:07.430But if they don't like that whatever, they're not gonna stick with it.
00:25:07.750 -->
00:25:17.350So I'm I'm glad and in fact, I mean, the prime like one of the greatest reasons for for doing exercise is is for for stress and mental mental health.
00:25:17.509 -->
00:25:29.830So if you're choosing an activity because um all your friends are doing it, because it's the latest craze, and um it it's like like the high-intensity uh workouts, like craze.
00:25:29.990 -->
00:25:32.950I don't know if we're still in it, but it was huge here.
00:25:33.029 -->
00:25:35.590And we just all we saw was like a lot of injury.
00:25:35.910 -->
00:25:47.750But um it was the same thing, it was like we need to connect, like exercise and fitness needs to be driven by our lifestyle and our stress and and how that works for us.
00:25:48.150 -->
00:25:53.590And then we and then we decide because exercise is always gonna be amazing for us.
00:25:53.830 -->
00:26:01.350So we must figure out what is the thing that makes me happy, and then we'll apply the performance, and then we'll apply the genes, and then we'll apply the nutrition.
00:26:01.590 -->
00:26:04.470But what's gonna make us happy has to be the first question.
00:26:04.630 -->
00:26:07.110And then we'll say, okay, I love running.
00:26:07.269 -->
00:26:08.630Running makes me happy.
00:26:08.870 -->
00:26:15.110And then we'll say, all right, let's look at your genes, let's look at your lifestyle, let's look at how much time you have available to train.
00:26:15.269 -->
00:26:19.190And then we'll say, okay, you know, it's only realistic to focus on running a 10K.
00:26:19.590 -->
00:26:27.190And maybe we can focus a little bit about running a fast 10K because you seem to have a really good power, power genes that would really allow you to.
00:26:27.350 -->
00:26:40.790So I think it's really important that we don't start with, as you said, like start with the the the the sport and then try to fit everything else in, but rather start with what is what is it that you want to do, and then we'll make it work, well, especially you in your practice.
00:26:41.029 -->
00:26:48.150You'll make it work with what you have available, but don't be driven either by um the sport or by your genes.
00:26:48.390 -->
00:26:50.310Neither of them should make your decision for you.
00:26:50.550 -->
00:26:51.990Yeah, and I I love that.
00:26:52.150 -->
00:27:01.590I'm glad you I'm glad you uh really hammered that home because I know so many people are very into uh whether it be Iron Man Trathlon or Ultra.
00:27:01.830 -->
00:27:06.310It's like let's go longer because it's harder and it's a bigger challenge.
00:27:06.390 -->
00:27:09.110But is that the right thing to do?
00:27:09.269 -->
00:27:17.430I I'm I'm a big proponent for some of the shorter uh shorter stuff and you know, like sprint trathlons, Olympics, five Ks, 10Ks.
00:27:17.750 -->
00:27:18.870Why not work on that?
00:27:19.029 -->
00:27:22.950And sometimes there's not as much glory in that, but maybe yeah, you're you're saying that.
00:27:24.470 -->
00:27:25.590You know, the Iron Man jacket?
00:27:25.670 -->
00:27:29.029Oh, yes, and the hat, yeah, and the shoes, and the bag.
00:27:29.269 -->
00:27:30.710It's all about the swag.
00:27:30.870 -->
00:27:32.870And it's all about the swag, right?
00:27:32.950 -->
00:27:34.870It's like 20 years later, I'm still wearing my own.
00:27:35.029 -->
00:27:35.670Okay, no, sorry.
00:27:35.750 -->
00:27:37.029Stop me now, stop me now.
00:27:37.190 -->
00:27:40.070But but I but I I I mean that's exactly it, you know.
00:27:40.230 -->
00:27:43.430And it and you know, exercise is for life.
00:27:43.750 -->
00:27:52.470And and so, like, what is the thing that I can do for the next, I always say like so five years ago I I switched a lot of my training to swimming.
00:27:52.630 -->
00:27:55.990This is like, what is the thing that I can do for the next 30 years?
00:27:56.070 -->
00:27:59.910Like when I'm in my 80s, what is the thing I want to be doing?
00:28:00.150 -->
00:28:01.910I want to be swimming when I'm 80.
00:28:01.990 -->
00:28:04.070And I knew that my body could do that.
00:28:04.470 -->
00:28:09.990That that because of you know, the my genes and injury potential and recovery, like so.
00:28:10.070 -->
00:28:11.830For me, like, what are we, what can we do?
00:28:11.910 -->
00:28:13.590And also what fit in my lifestyle?
00:28:13.750 -->
00:28:24.710You know, what is so I always say, like, I always say, why is why is this genetic report helpful for people who aren't elite athletes who don't train 10 to 15 hours a week or 20 hours a week, whatever it is.
00:28:24.950 -->
00:28:35.670It's like if you've only got three hours a week to train, which for most, if you're a parent and you have a job, like three hours is like probably what you're gonna get, you know, I mean in a good week, right?
00:28:36.310 -->
00:28:38.550Then what am I gonna do with my three hours?
00:28:38.790 -->
00:28:49.509And so I said, like the great thing about genetics is like if I've only got three hours, let's have a look how to use those three hours to the best, best potential for you.
00:28:49.830 -->
00:28:50.550I love it.
00:28:50.710 -->
00:28:51.910That's awesome.
00:28:52.150 -->
00:28:54.950Um, I know we were gonna talk about mood.
00:28:55.190 -->
00:28:55.509Yes.
00:28:55.750 -->
00:28:57.190Shall we revisit that?
00:28:57.430 -->
00:28:58.070Yes, we can.
00:28:58.230 -->
00:28:58.390Okay.
00:28:59.509 -->
00:28:59.750Yeah.
00:28:59.990 -->
00:29:01.750It is okay.
00:29:01.910 -->
00:29:04.550So there's a couple of interesting ways to look at it.
00:29:04.630 -->
00:29:06.070So the first interesting thing about mood.
00:29:06.150 -->
00:29:08.070So when we let's define what mood means.
00:29:08.310 -->
00:29:17.110So we know that especially now, COVID times, the amount of anxiety and depression we're seeing is unprecedented.
00:29:17.430 -->
00:29:25.350I mean, it was always it was a big thing problem before, but it's it's it's it's another pandemic, really, of mentally health.
00:29:25.509 -->
00:29:28.470And and children, grown-ups, everyone.
00:29:28.710 -->
00:29:37.110And so we're talking a lot about mood, and mood is driven by what we call neurotransmitters, which are brain messages.
00:29:37.590 -->
00:29:41.670And these brain messages get regulated by a whole lot of things.
00:29:41.750 -->
00:29:58.230So it could be by stress in our environment, by trauma, uh, relationships, connection with other humans, um, but it also they also get impacted by um nutrition, what we eat, and they definitely, definitely get impacted by exercise.
00:29:59.029 -->
00:30:35.029So what uh what we uh have observed, and it's anecdotal, but I'm pretty sure it's in the literature if I looked hard enough for it, is that when we see some I've I've some really elite athletes that are doing, especially like not that just the insurance of like Iron Man, but are doing the like 30-day multi-stage kind of thousand-mile crossing a country kind of endurance events, or in in my world of swimming, like swimming the Yangtze River, you know, and we do their genetics.
00:30:35.190 -->
00:30:45.590What is really interesting is we do not find extraordinary performance genes in there, and every time it happens to me, I'm like, oh no, come, you're joking.
00:30:45.750 -->
00:30:56.710Like, really, I expected like best power, the best injurance, and I'm not seeing them, but what I do find is a lot around mood and behavior.
00:30:57.029 -->
00:31:01.830And these genes impact things like anxiety, depression.
00:31:02.470 -->
00:31:04.870They impact addiction behavior.
00:31:05.110 -->
00:31:16.790Now, addiction behavior is driven by hormones and chemicals in our brain, where we seek things in our life that make our hormones go up or down in a certain way.
00:31:16.950 -->
00:31:19.110We call them like reward-seeking behavior.
00:31:19.269 -->
00:31:21.350And there's you can choose your poison.
00:31:21.430 -->
00:31:32.870So it can be drugs, recreational drugs, it can be food, as in binge eating, overeating, carbohydrates and sugars, it can be gambling, it can be sex, but and it can be exercise.
00:31:33.029 -->
00:31:35.910And we know that exercise addiction is real.
00:31:36.710 -->
00:31:40.390And exercise drives these hormones in the same way.
00:31:40.550 -->
00:31:46.870Now, the interesting thing is when we see these, um, they're called the dopamine receptors, and there's a couple of genes that we look at.
00:31:47.029 -->
00:32:06.630And when we test these athletes that don't necessarily come out with these extraordinary gene in activity, but come up with a lot around mood and behavior that they are looking for a substance that will, or behavior that will drive their hormones to make them feel better.
00:32:07.509 -->
00:32:13.110And instead of choosing cocaine, they choose training and exercise.
00:32:14.070 -->
00:32:22.870And so often in the greatest athletes, you get a combination, and it's OCD behavior as well, by the way, a lot of OCD behavior.
00:32:23.190 -->
00:32:37.110And so, in the greatest athletes we see, we see this combination of great performance genetics, but also some of this driven by mood to use their training to make themselves feel better.
00:32:37.190 -->
00:32:40.390So they're getting a huge amount of reward and good feelings.
00:32:40.550 -->
00:32:46.310And always say, if you're gonna choose a poison, then I think exercise is a great choice, you know, like much better choice.
00:32:46.550 -->
00:32:59.590So the other interesting thing is we see, and for example, cold water swimming, cold water long-distance swimming, a lot of people who have bipolar OCD, anxiety, or depression are drawn to cold water swimming.
00:33:00.310 -->
00:33:10.630And part of that is because of what the cold immersion in the water does to their nervous system, to the parasympathetic and the and the sympathetic nervous system.
00:33:11.029 -->
00:33:13.590It actually almost acts like a meditation.
00:33:13.750 -->
00:33:19.990It makes them calmer, makes their heart rate go down, it all their stress hormones are decreased.
00:33:20.310 -->
00:33:26.790So exercise is so interesting because it's not just about this muscle performance.
00:33:26.950 -->
00:33:36.150You know, it's this really interesting world of stress and trauma and brain messages, and yeah, I think probably enough for that.
00:33:37.350 -->
00:33:41.910Oh no, that was that was brilliant and so interesting to listen to.
00:33:42.230 -->
00:33:49.990Very briefly, will you touch on dopamine and and what that is all about and how dopamine is one of the big drivers, yeah.
00:33:50.070 -->
00:33:52.630So dopamine is a feel-good hormone.
00:33:53.029 -->
00:33:57.910And so we want we we want dopamine because it makes us feel good.
00:33:57.990 -->
00:33:58.310Yeah.
00:33:58.550 -->
00:34:14.710So when we eat um certain foods, like uh the high the refined carbohydrates slice of chocolate cake, we actually um increase our dopamine in our body through you you've obviously all heard of serotonin and dopamine, they're all related to each other.
00:34:15.190 -->
00:34:24.550But there's other ways we can drive dopamine, as I just spoke about, like exercise, and there's certain drugs obviously that you take, pharmaceutical drugs that you take, which increase dopamine.
00:34:24.949 -->
00:34:29.829But there are genes that change the way dopamine is metabolized in our body.
00:34:29.909 -->
00:34:36.630So I mentioned DRD, DR, the DRDs, there's DRD2, three, and four, which are the dopamine receptor genes.
00:34:36.789 -->
00:34:44.389But there's also another very famous gene called COMT, which is probably the most, one of the best research genes in the literature.
00:34:44.550 -->
00:34:56.309And COMPT is directly impacting um what all dopamine, serotonin, noradrenin, all of these, all of these brain messages.
00:34:56.549 -->
00:35:17.670And so what we see who people in people who have this Compt variant, right, because that's what we're testing for, like a spilling change in your DNA, we see that they're more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and other mood disorders, and to look for behaviors that try to compensate for that.
00:35:17.829 -->
00:35:22.230And often in my world, it lands up being um eating behavior.
00:35:22.710 -->
00:35:32.469So I am really driven to eat sugars, refined carbohydrates, because they have a really great impact on trying to increase my dopamine.
00:35:32.789 -->
00:35:47.269But the great news is we can use other techniques like exercise, um, meditation, cold water immersion to try and manage dopamine without using medication and without using uh um carbohydrates and sugar.
00:35:47.589 -->
00:35:52.309I also hear that as being um, it's not just about willpower.
00:35:53.109 -->
00:35:53.429No.
00:35:53.750 -->
00:35:58.230So that brings us to kind of the world of weight management and genetics.
00:35:58.309 -->
00:36:09.509Is is it's not about it's the idea that willpower is like what stands between us being either a pro-athlete or being slim, is from like the 1970s.
00:36:10.230 -->
00:36:14.949That that when when people didn't lose weight, it was like, oh, you've got no willpower.
00:36:15.109 -->
00:36:24.469And we all beat we're beating ourselves up and saying, Oh, I'm a terrible person, I've got no willpower because I can't follow this 400-calorie barely eating diet plan.
00:36:25.190 -->
00:36:34.549So, genetics is such a driver of what we eat and how we eat and when we eat, right?
00:36:35.109 -->
00:36:38.149So some of us are very driven to snack.
00:36:38.469 -->
00:36:40.309That isn't lack of willpower.
00:36:40.629 -->
00:36:43.349A lot of that is driven by our genetics.
00:36:43.909 -->
00:36:49.029Some of us, when we see food, when we see a buffet of food, are very driven to eat.
00:36:50.069 -->
00:36:53.989Um, without a sense of fullness, that is driven by genetics.
00:36:54.230 -->
00:36:59.989That's not, oh, I'm a really greedy, greedy is the other word that I hate to use around food.
00:37:00.230 -->
00:37:02.309Greedy person because I just keep on eating.
00:37:02.549 -->
00:37:07.349Appetite, satiety, how hungry I feel, is very driven by genetics.
00:37:07.429 -->
00:37:11.349How food tastes to me, it tastes different to me than it does to you, Chris.
00:37:11.509 -->
00:37:16.389When I eat a plate of broccoli, I'm tasting my broccoli very differently from you.
00:37:16.710 -->
00:37:20.309When I eat sugar, I'm actually tasting it very differently from you.
00:37:20.789 -->
00:37:24.309So all these things are influenced.
00:37:24.389 -->
00:37:32.149And so, and and of course, when I exercise, so when I exercise and I do the same amount of kilometers, let's talk about just running kilometers.
00:37:32.309 -->
00:37:33.509So easy.
00:37:33.829 -->
00:37:37.349And I'm consuming exactly the same amount of calories as you are.
00:37:37.670 -->
00:37:40.549How come you're losing weight and I'm not?
00:37:40.789 -->
00:37:42.710Is it because I haven't got willpower?
00:37:42.949 -->
00:37:44.309No, absolutely not.
00:37:44.389 -->
00:37:53.589It's because genetically, my way my body metabolizes calories and stores calories and burns them up and moves them around my body is different.
00:37:53.829 -->
00:38:02.389So, this idea of willpower and greedy belongs in the 1970s and should be left there because what we need to understand is again, personalized nutrition.
00:38:02.549 -->
00:38:03.670Why are we different?
00:38:03.909 -->
00:38:05.509How do we respond differently?
00:38:05.670 -->
00:38:13.349And how can we build a diet and lifestyle and training program for a person with that kind of deep insight of who they are?
00:38:13.989 -->
00:38:15.509I have chills.
00:38:17.109 -->
00:38:19.349This is just, yes, so fascinating.
00:38:19.509 -->
00:38:30.149So let's let's circle back to the performance part because I know that I wanted to touch on certain SNPs as it relates to um nutrients, methylation, even caffeine, B12, some of those things.
00:38:30.309 -->
00:38:33.429So uh Yeah, take your pick.
00:38:33.589 -->
00:38:35.909Where do you want to do we want to start on caffeine?
00:38:35.989 -->
00:38:36.789Since that's one of the things that we're gonna do.
00:38:36.869 -->
00:38:39.109Well, we can talk about caffeine because it's great performance.
00:38:39.269 -->
00:38:39.509Yeah.
00:38:39.750 -->
00:38:46.629And I just I just want to say though that um none of these things that you mentioned are driven by one gene, right?
00:38:47.029 -->
00:38:55.190So even caffeine is not even though caffeine doesn't have a lot of genes that influence it, none of the things you mentioned are driven by one gene.
00:38:55.349 -->
00:38:56.710So I'll mention some SNPs.
00:38:56.789 -->
00:38:59.190Yep, but a SNP is a gene variation, right?
00:38:59.269 -->
00:39:00.309So it's a spinning gen.
00:39:00.789 -->
00:39:04.309If you don't want to, don't, because you know a lot of people are like, what is a SNP?
00:39:05.829 -->
00:39:06.629Yeah, that's what I was like.
00:39:06.789 -->
00:39:08.149A SNP is a gene variant, right?
00:39:08.230 -->
00:39:11.109It's just a spelling change in our DNA, completely normal.
00:39:11.269 -->
00:39:16.710We've all got three to four million of them in our DNA, and it's what makes us respond to the world differently.
00:39:16.869 -->
00:39:18.069It's what Chris and I do.
00:39:18.149 -->
00:39:23.670We look at a genetic report, we're reading these gene variants, these SNPs, to understand who you are, right?
00:39:23.750 -->
00:39:25.589So that's kind of SNP 101.
00:39:25.909 -->
00:39:27.349So let's talk about caffeine.
00:39:27.429 -->
00:39:28.629So caffeine is fascinating.
00:39:28.869 -->
00:39:33.909Caffeine was a banned substance, it was regarded as an ergogenic aid, right?
00:39:35.109 -->
00:39:49.269And the reason being that caffeine has an impact not only on physiology, on our body, it actually kind of uncouples some fatty acids and gets fatty acids into the system to burn up energy, but it affects brain.
00:39:49.429 -->
00:39:53.670Your brain, like really, as you know, that's why we drink caffeine, right?
00:39:53.750 -->
00:39:58.389You get that kind of so it has been regarded for a very long time as an ergogenic aid.
00:39:58.710 -->
00:40:03.429The problem is that genetically we metabolize caffeine differently.
00:40:03.509 -->
00:40:18.629And I'm sure everyone that's into this knows that because they know that they know someone who has like a double espresso before they go to bed and sleeps through the night, and they know someone who has like one coffee in the morning and is like all shaky and restless and can't focus.
00:40:18.869 -->
00:40:28.069So everyone knows that they make their coffee decisions when they go to the coffee shop in the morning based on their um reaction to caffeine.
00:40:28.309 -->
00:40:30.949Now we can habituate caffeine and we do.
00:40:31.109 -->
00:40:39.750So the more caffeine you do you drink, you can actually get better at being able to use it in the body, but there's still like a baseline of how we respond.
00:40:39.829 -->
00:40:51.029So I've I can habituate myself from having one coffee, which is probably what I should be on, to having two coffees, which is what I do, because I do that every day and eventually my body kind of gets used to it.
00:40:51.109 -->
00:40:52.549But I could never have more than two.
00:40:52.710 -->
00:40:55.269I would be shaky and all over the place.
00:40:55.509 -->
00:40:58.309So in sports performance, capping does a similar thing.
00:40:58.469 -->
00:41:09.190The problem is they set this limit in the um banned substances to say that I think it was like the equivalent caffeine of three to four cups of coffee a day is a banned substance, right?
00:41:09.509 -->
00:41:22.949And then we had this extraordinary athlete, Ilana Mayer, in South Africa, world-class athlete, who was found to have higher amounts of caffeine in her system than the three to four cups.
00:41:23.190 -->
00:41:27.429And she swore that she had not had more than three to four cups.
00:41:27.509 -->
00:41:33.269In fact, she had had about two cups, and that there was no ways that she had more than three to four cups, and that was something wrong.
00:41:33.429 -->
00:41:39.029But the blood tests showed that she had this higher amount of the caffeine metabolite in her body.
00:41:39.429 -->
00:41:42.469This was quite some time ago, probably about 10 years ago.
00:41:42.629 -->
00:41:47.269And of course, subsequently, what we've understood is that we metabolize caffeine differently.
00:41:47.509 -->
00:41:51.349So some of us, like me, are called slow metabolizers.
00:41:51.509 -->
00:41:58.949So I drink my coffee, break it down into my caffeine metabolites, and it stays in my body for a long time.
00:41:59.190 -->
00:42:06.869And it doesn't, you can't see my hands, but it doesn't rise very high in my blood, but it rises up slowly and it goes a long time.
00:42:07.029 -->
00:42:16.549So the caffeine will stay long in my blood, which means if I have a second cup of coffee an hour later, I'm going to be loading up a lot of caffeine, which is why I'm going to start feeding that.
00:42:16.789 -->
00:42:20.789Others, super good, we call them fast metabolizers.
00:42:20.869 -->
00:42:22.469They have their cup of coffee.
00:42:22.710 -->
00:42:26.549The enzyme that breaks down caffeine works really super fantastic.
00:42:26.710 -->
00:42:32.149The amount of caffeine going into your blood goes up very, very quickly, but then comes down.
00:42:32.309 -->
00:42:34.230And then you're ready to have your next cup of coffee.
00:42:34.309 -->
00:42:38.629So obviously, what happened with Ilana Mayor is she was like me, a slow metabolizer.
00:42:38.789 -->
00:42:43.750So even though it wasn't three to four cups, it stayed in her body for a very long time.
00:42:44.069 -->
00:42:50.549And when they tested her, it was still in her body, even though in someone else it would have come out of her system.
00:42:50.710 -->
00:42:58.549And it's one of the reasons why caffeine's been taken off the band list, is because you cannot assign this three to four cups.
00:42:58.869 -->
00:43:00.069Because for who?
00:43:00.389 -->
00:43:02.949So, unless we start doing genetic testing, it's not about it.
00:43:03.509 -->
00:43:13.349Anyway, so the other part of the story is depending on your genes, will depend on how you misuse now this legal caffeine ergogenic aid.
00:43:13.589 -->
00:43:25.750Because if you're like me and I'm running a half marathon, I want to make sure that the caffeine is at its peak in my system when I need it most, which is probably into like the 15Ks, right?
00:43:25.829 -->
00:43:28.86910, 15 Ks, which is when I really start needing it.
00:43:29.190 -->
00:43:38.869So if I have my caffeine, like as I start the race, it's probably only going to really peak when I'm finished my race.
00:43:38.949 -->
00:43:42.789But if I have it like an hour before, it'll probably peak.
00:43:43.029 -->
00:43:52.549So we need to think carefully about if you take, if you're a fast metabolizer and you take your caffeine an hour before, by the time you start running, like it's gone, right?
00:43:52.710 -->
00:43:53.909You're not going to benefit from it.
00:43:54.069 -->
00:44:03.509So understanding the genetics of how we metabolize these nutrients is so helpful in performance training to be able to maximize how we use nutrition.
00:44:03.589 -->
00:44:11.589I mean, caffeine is the most obvious one, but it's certainly not the only one to be able to really maximize how we utilize these nutrients.
00:44:11.909 -->
00:44:12.469Awesome.
00:44:12.629 -->
00:44:14.230Great explanation there.
00:44:14.629 -->
00:44:15.509Fantastic.
00:44:15.829 -->
00:44:22.710So let's um, I know more of a specific nutrient as it relates to uh performance or are B vitamins.
00:44:22.869 -->
00:44:27.509So I feel like that touches into you know our ability to methylate and it's fine.
00:44:27.909 -->
00:44:29.589So yeah, can you can you talk about that?
00:44:29.750 -->
00:44:32.149And so methylation, it's just understand methylation.
00:44:32.309 -->
00:44:34.710Methylation is one of the worst things to try and explain.
00:44:35.029 -->
00:44:37.670Methylation is like it's okay.
00:44:37.989 -->
00:44:39.029I love that we have an Olympics.
00:44:39.190 -->
00:44:41.029I can use all my Olympic analogies, right?
00:44:41.269 -->
00:44:44.469It's the four, it's like the four times 100-meter relay.
00:44:44.549 -->
00:44:44.629Yeah.
00:44:44.789 -->
00:44:50.549And there's these four extraordinary specimens of humans running really fast, and they've got to hand over this baton.
00:44:51.109 -->
00:44:56.149Now, this baton is this process of running around the track doing a relay is methylation.
00:44:57.269 -->
00:45:05.589Because we have these processes in our body that are responsible for building new DNA in our body and repairing old DNA.
00:45:06.629 -->
00:45:10.789And in fact, if you think of those two processes, it's our whole neurological function.
00:45:10.869 -->
00:45:13.909All our nerve function is run on that basis.
00:45:14.230 -->
00:45:25.509So we need to pass this baton, which is called a methyl group, from one molecule to the next molecule, which hands the baton to the next molecule.
00:45:25.589 -->
00:45:43.829And if we drop this baton, or we're not carrying the baton with us, our ability to create healthy DNA and healthy cells and to repair damaged DNA, which is completely normal, completely normal to have damaged DNA, especially in athletes, we are not going to be able to repair them.
00:45:43.909 -->
00:45:46.949And that is the process of methylation, is the baton.
00:45:47.190 -->
00:45:55.829Now, in order to carry this methyl baton, to make sure that we're keeping these processes functioning optimally, we need B vitamins in our diet.
00:45:56.149 -->
00:46:00.710B vitamins support this relay race to be able to happen.
00:46:00.869 -->
00:46:05.670So we're talking about folate, we're talking about choline, vitamin B2, B6, B12.
00:46:05.909 -->
00:46:14.230But remembering that genetically, our genes impact how efficient we are at metabolizing and using these kinds of nutrients.
00:46:14.389 -->
00:46:20.710So for some of us, we might need some more folate, some more B12, some more choline.
00:46:21.109 -->
00:46:26.789So to optimize methylation, we want to have the best, best battery and relay team.
00:46:27.029 -->
00:46:44.949We want to make sure that we have the optimal amount of B vitamins in our diet to ensure that this process of running around and passing the baton, making new DNA, repairing old DNA, keeping our nerves sending their message around is happening optimally.
00:46:45.109 -->
00:46:52.149And that's another thing we test in the report is how well do I metabolize and process these B vitamins?
00:46:52.389 -->
00:46:55.190Do I need greater amounts in my diet?
00:46:56.069 -->
00:46:56.710Fantastic.
00:46:57.109 -->
00:46:57.589I love the image.
00:46:57.909 -->
00:46:59.349But you've never heard that analogy, right?
00:46:59.429 -->
00:46:59.509Yeah.
00:47:00.389 -->
00:47:01.750But that was so perfect before.
00:47:01.989 -->
00:47:05.989Yeah, with the Olympics going on and the and the baton and the methyl group.
00:47:06.230 -->
00:47:06.949I love it.
00:47:07.269 -->
00:47:20.069Um so talk a little bit about like quality of vitamins too, because this is one of those, and I know this is a little bit of a right turn, but um, this is one of my personal pet peeves.
00:47:20.149 -->
00:47:25.269Uh oh, yeah, you know, I grabbed the thing off the grocery store shelf, and that that's that's right.
00:47:25.349 -->
00:47:27.509It said athletic nutrients or whatever.
00:47:27.670 -->
00:47:29.269I I that's good, right?
00:47:29.349 -->
00:47:30.549That I'm helping myself.
00:47:30.710 -->
00:47:36.149I have a rule with my patients like if you can grab it off the grocery shelf, you shouldn't.
00:47:36.309 -->
00:47:41.190Like if they're selling it off a grocery shelf, you shouldn't be buying it.
00:47:41.509 -->
00:47:44.789This is a real case of cheap is expensive, you know.
00:47:45.190 -->
00:47:49.429So there is such a difference in quality of supplements.
00:47:49.509 -->
00:48:03.349So I'm not like take a thousand supplements, but if you're gonna take supplements, take the right supplements, which again we use genetics to try to help us decide what are the best supplements, and take the highest, highest quality supplement you can afford.
00:48:03.509 -->
00:48:08.710Because the active we want those ingredients in those supplements to be active ingredients.
00:48:09.029 -->
00:48:10.710We know exactly what they need to do.
00:48:10.789 -->
00:48:12.469We're not plugging holes.
00:48:12.869 -->
00:48:15.429We want those supplements to do something in the body.
00:48:15.509 -->
00:48:20.629They're switching on genes, they're switching on enzymes, they are making things happen.
00:48:20.710 -->
00:48:31.349And if you're not taking a quality supplement that has an active ingredient, you're whatever that cheap supplement is that you bought, no matter how cheap it was, it's a total waste of your money.
00:48:31.509 -->
00:48:33.589You might as well have just thrown that down the trash.
00:48:33.750 -->
00:48:40.549So rather take fewer supplements of higher quality than what we call practitioner grade supplements.
00:48:40.629 -->
00:48:47.909And there are some brilliant ones in the market and work with a practitioner who is able to tell you which supplements to take.
00:48:48.069 -->
00:48:50.869I always say like three to five, three to five.
00:48:50.949 -->
00:48:53.029Like, try not go over that five.
00:48:53.349 -->
00:48:57.989You normally never get away with less than three, but I really try not to go over that five, right?
00:48:58.149 -->
00:49:04.389And let me think very carefully of the best quality and the best supplement to get the best outcome.
00:49:04.549 -->
00:49:10.069But if you can pick it up off a grocery shelf, you should not you shouldn't be using it.
00:49:10.549 -->
00:49:11.909What about Amazon?
00:49:12.069 -->
00:49:13.829Another one of my pet beams.
00:49:14.869 -->
00:49:21.429You know, hard for me to say because I don't know what's available on Amazon because I'm I'm too far away.
00:49:21.509 -->
00:49:23.829But I'm guessing it's the same as a grocery shelf.
00:49:23.909 -->
00:49:25.509It's just an online grocery shelf, right?
00:49:25.750 -->
00:49:25.989It is.
00:49:26.149 -->
00:49:30.629So I'm I've seen, I mean, I've seen what they're selling, they sell like a genetic test in Amazon.
00:49:30.710 -->
00:49:32.069It's the same thing, right?
00:49:32.230 -->
00:49:43.989Like the difference between going to you as a practitioner and getting a practitioner grade genetic test and having that conversation with you so that we can really curate a personalized program is the same as going to Amazon.
00:49:44.149 -->
00:49:48.309So I love Amazon, but not not for my health, not for this, for my health.
00:49:48.549 -->
00:50:04.549Um I I wish people knew how much time I spent looking for the right combination of supplements that not only will they be compliant with, but will be the highest priority for their health needs and also be affordable.
00:50:04.789 -->
00:50:09.670So I I I really put a lot of it, it's not a cookie cutter type of thing.
00:50:09.829 -->
00:50:11.670And I sometimes I wish people knew that.
00:50:11.829 -->
00:50:16.949And they're like, oh, well, I can get the same thing on Amazon, or I'm like, no, no, I agree with you.
00:50:17.029 -->
00:50:21.190It's one of the toughest parts of being back because there's so many products out there.
00:50:21.429 -->
00:50:35.670Um, I mean, there are some good companies now that are helping, but the supplement industry is a money-making industry, so you have to be so so you need someone like you, Chris, to be able to interpret it and analyze it and evaluate it.
00:50:35.750 -->
00:50:38.069As a consumer, you don't stand a chance.
00:50:38.309 -->
00:50:39.989You're just up against marketing.
00:50:40.069 -->
00:50:41.909Yeah, you don't stand a chance.
00:50:42.230 -->
00:50:51.429You need a practitioner to wade through that industry and find you the best value, best quality active ingredient supplement.
00:50:51.829 -->
00:50:57.429And if you're not, if you're not having someone help you make those decisions, you're probably wasting your money.
00:50:57.670 -->
00:51:03.989And remember that even the poorest quality supplements are doing something to your body, just probably not what you want them to be doing.
00:51:04.629 -->
00:51:05.509I love that.
00:51:05.750 -->
00:51:09.829Um, so I think that's a great way to kind of put a bow on it.
00:51:09.909 -->
00:51:24.710So, Yale, if you had two or three things that people can walk away with from what we've talked about today, whether it be related to performance or supplements or training, um, what would be what would be those things?
00:51:25.029 -->
00:51:38.949Okay, first thing is despite everything we've said, make sure that whatever exercise or activity you do, you love it and it fits your your family and your lifestyle.
00:51:41.269 -->
00:51:46.389Performance, second thing, performance isn't something that is owned by elite athletes.
00:51:46.629 -->
00:51:52.549It's relevant to all of us who have jobs and families and make school lunch and do carpal.
00:51:53.429 -->
00:51:57.750Um, and it works both on a physical and and and a cognitive and a mental level.
00:51:57.829 -->
00:52:02.069Like we're all looking to be the best performance we can be.
00:52:02.789 -->
00:52:07.829And I always add this one in because I can't help myself, is like cold water swimming.
00:52:09.109 -->
00:52:11.190I thought you were gonna do the broccoli sprouts again.
00:52:11.429 -->
00:52:16.309I know, but I I if I if I had to do four, I would do I had to choose between broccoli and cold water.
00:52:16.629 -->
00:52:17.670Okay, okay, fair enough.
00:52:18.549 -->
00:52:29.190Cold water swimming for mental benefits, physical benefits, connecting with nature, connecting with other humans, being being in water.
00:52:29.429 -->
00:52:31.989You cannot you cannot be in it for health benefits.
00:52:32.230 -->
00:52:33.269Fantastic.
00:52:33.589 -->
00:52:36.149Yeah, yeah, Al Jaffee from 3x4 Genetics.
00:52:36.230 -->
00:52:37.989Thank you so much for joining us.
00:52:38.469 -->
00:52:39.190Thanks, Chris.
00:52:39.349 -->
00:52:40.389As always, so much fun.
00:52:40.629 -->
00:52:41.190Fantastic.
00:52:41.269 -->
00:52:41.509Yeah.
00:52:41.589 -->
00:52:55.109And if you are interested in getting this test, um, check us out at the enduranceedge.com and we will get you understanding your blueprint, understanding your body, and what are the best choices for your health.
00:52:56.309 -->
00:52:57.670So fantastic.
00:52:57.829 -->
00:53:00.949And thank you all for yes, thank you all for listening.
00:53:01.109 -->
00:53:05.109Yale, thank you again, and we will catch you on the next episode.
00:53:05.349 -->
00:53:07.429I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Yale.
00:53:07.989 -->
00:53:17.109One of my biggest takeaways is that understanding your body can help you make more confident decisions about your training, nutrition, recovery, and long-term health.
00:53:17.349 -->
00:53:20.389And you don't have to wait until something goes wrong to start paying attention.
00:53:20.629 -->
00:53:32.149If you're someone who wants to keep doing the things that you love, whether it's racing triathlons, running, cycling, hiking, or just staying strong and active as you get older, I've got something pretty cool for you.
00:53:32.389 -->
00:53:42.710We just created a free quiz called What's Your Endurance Longevity Score to help you take a closer look at where you are right now and what you may want to focus on next.
00:53:42.949 -->
00:53:48.629Head to the enduranceedge.com forward slash quiz for the short three minute quiz.
00:53:48.789 -->
00:53:52.949Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch you next time on the Find Your Edge podcast.
