Iron Culture: Ep. 236 - Muscle Fiber Types & Training Explained (feat Andy Galpin)

Ep. 236 - Muscle Fiber Types & Training Explained (feat Andy Galpin)

Aug 21, 2023

Dr. Andy Galpin, world leading muscle fiber researcher, is back on Iron Culture! Dr. Galpin is not only a researcher, but a sports scientist and coach working with some of the most prominent elite athletes in the world, and an excellent science communicator. So, it was a privilege to have him on to talk Muscle fiber typing; because everyone talks about it, but very few people get it right when they do. Should you train differently if you’re predominantly a fast or slow twitch lifter? Can slow and fast fibers convert into one another? How do we measure the fiber composition of muscles? Are fast twitch fibers stronger than slow twitch? Can you produce fiber-type specific hypertrophy? Why are exercise science classes still teaching things about muscle fiber types that were shown to be wrong decades ago? What is on the horizon in this area of research? All of these questions are answered in this highly educational episode!

00:00 Welcoming back Dr Andy Galpin to the Iron Culture Joe Rogan experience and the muscle biopsy procedure

10:14 History of the muscle biopsy

14:03 (re)Introducing Dr Andy Galpin

Iron Culture Ep. 20 – The Problem With #Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHf0QG1Nw_0&t=1s

19:14 The different function of muscles and fiber types

30:50 Fiber type profiling and the methodological limitations

39:21 Science communication and the defensible and indefensible reasons for the perpetuation of muscle fiber myths

52:22 The multinucleated cell and limitations of current research methods

1:09:44 The history of fiber typing and new methods

1:31:46 Practical takeaways for coaches

1:44:15 Andy’s coaching philosophy and determinants of performance

1:52:08 Closing out and where to find Andy