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Health & FitnessFitnessScience

Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

Scicomm Media

This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.

I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.

With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.

While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one. 

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  • 26 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 2 hr 14 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • Wednesday · 2 hr 19 min

    How to Get Faster (Acceleration, Deceleration, Agility & Strength) | Les Spellman

    In this episode, I speak with Les Spellman, one of the most in-demand speed coaches in the world, who has trained more than 100 NFL athletes and worked with elite performers across football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and track. We discuss whether you can actually make people faster, what speed really means beyond a 40-yard dash time, and why the fastest athletes are not always the most successful on the field. Les explains his car analogy for speed (engine, brakes, and steering), how the density of a sport shapes its speed demands, and the key differences among linear speed, change of direction, and agility. We break down why deceleration is one of the most overlooked and high-force qualities in sport, how cutting angles change the braking demand, and why agility ladders miss the mark. Les also dismantles the “stay low” cue for acceleration, explains the four sprint archetypes (bounders, drivers, spinners, and bouncers), and shares how he uses the weight room to train high, fast, and slow force. We also cover session design and rest intervals, how often to hit near-maximal speeds, his post-game blood flow restriction (BFR) recovery protocol, when kids should start speed training, how speed development differs between girls and boys, and practical ways adult and endurance athletes can get faster. This episode is for any athlete, coach, or parent who wants to understand how speed is built and how to train it safely and effectively. Show notes: https://www.performpodcast.com/episodes/les-spellman-how-to-get-faster Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin David: https://davidprotein.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Can You Make People Faster? (00:05:45) 40-Yard Dash Benchmarks by Position (00:07:30) Sponsor: Momentous (00:08:57) Defining Speed & Whether a Fast 40 Translates to the Field (00:13:43) Engines, Brakes & Steering: How Sport Shapes Speed (00:20:05) Training Speed for Court vs. Field Sports (00:24:03) Lessons Learned: Speed, Capacity & Conditioning (00:28:03) Aerobic Work, Post-Game BFR & Recovery Basics (00:35:39) Linear Speed, Change of Direction & Agility (00:41:14) Agility Ladders, Deceleration & Injury Risk (00:50:04) Sponsor: David (00:51:26) Early vs. Late Deceleration & Cutting Angles (01:00:02) Agility vs. Change-of-Direction Drills; Drill Progressions (01:06:51) Youth Athletes, General Preparation & Free Play (01:10:22) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (01:11:54) Fast vs. Quick, False Steps & the “Stay Low” Myth (01:23:40) Stride Length vs. Frequency & Sprint Archetypes (01:34:49) Sponsor: LMNT (01:36:10) Lifting Weights for Speed: High, Fast & Slow Force (01:44:31) Plyometrics, Session Design & Rest Between Sprints (01:54:01) How Strong Is Strong Enough? (01:56:57) Sprinting Injury Risk & Max-Speed Dosing (02:01:39) Youth Speed Training: When to Start & What to Avoid (02:07:03) Speed Development in Girls vs. Boys (02:10:05) Getting Faster as an Adult or Endurance Athlete (02:14:09) Advice for Young Coaches Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • #64
    October 14 · 1 hr 41 min

    Boosting Testosterone & Understanding Your Testosterone Levels (Aging, Muscle Growth & Nutrition)

    In this episode, I explore testosterone and performance, building on my conversation with Dr. Ben House to take a closer look at how nutrition, metabolic health, and aging affect your hormones. I explain why excess body fat and underfueling can both suppress testosterone, how aggressive dieting differs from a modest calorie deficit, and what research suggests about hormone recovery after refeeding. I examine emerging findings on testosterone and aging, why metabolic health matters, and how total testosterone, free testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) can tell different stories. I also discuss the Defense Health Agency’s new testosterone guidelines for male service members, the importance of repeat testing, and what to consider before starting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), including fertility and ongoing monitoring. We then look at testosterone’s role in muscle growth, why normal hormone levels and brief post-exercise increases do not reliably predict training results, and what androgen receptors can and cannot explain. I also discuss practical considerations for protein intake, anabolic resistance, and strength training as you age. This episode is for anyone who wants to better understand their hormone health and make more informed decisions about nutrition, training, and testosterone. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Testosterone & Performance (00:06:37) Low Testosterone: Lab Results, Symptoms & Obesity (00:13:31) Underfueling, Calorie Deficits & Low Testosterone (00:23:05) Testosterone Recovery: Refeeding, Sleep & Stress (00:30:11) Testosterone & Aging: The Role of Metabolic Health (00:44:39) New Testosterone Guidelines & Accurate Testing (00:50:42) TRT: Safety, Fertility, Treatment Targets & Benefits (01:00:01) Daily Testosterone Rhythms & Testing Time (01:03:37) Total vs. Free Testosterone: Understanding SHBG (01:13:12) Does Higher Testosterone Mean More Muscle Growth? (01:21:46) Androgen Receptors & Individual Training Responses (01:25:12) Aging, Anabolic Resistance & How Much Protein You Need (01:34:53) Strength Training With Age & Final Takeaways Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 30 · 2 hr 41 min

    Testosterone Explained (Low T, Muscle Growth, Aging & TRT) | Dr. Ben House

    In this episode, my guest is Dr. Ben House, a nutritional scientist who has spent nearly two decades working with elite athletes and professional sports teams. We take a detailed look at testosterone, what your lab results can and cannot tell you, and why a higher number does not automatically mean better health or more muscle. Ben explains total and free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and how testing methods, sleep, hydration, meals, and the timing of your blood draw can affect the result. We examine research on testosterone and muscle growth, why population averages can obscure individual differences, and how metabolic health complicates the story of testosterone and aging. We also discuss obesity, low energy availability, dietary fat, carbohydrates, micronutrients, and recovering after a calorie deficit. Ben shares his approach to investigating low testosterone, the importance of informed consent before testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), and the distinction between restoring normal levels and using higher doses for performance or physique goals. We finish with lessons from professional sports on managing training loads, fueling, sleep, and recovery. This episode is for anyone who wants to better understand hormone testing, support long-term performance, and make more informed decisions about testosterone. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Ben House: Testosterone, Health & Performance (00:03:51) Personal Baselines & Normal Testosterone Ranges (00:12:00) Total vs. Free Testosterone: SHBG & Albumin (00:17:49) Accurate Hormone Testing: Methods, Timing & Measurement Error (00:23:36) Daily Testosterone Fluctuations & Why Repeat Tests Matter (00:29:33) High SHBG: Interpreting Lab Ranges in Context (00:32:08) TRT: Informed Consent & Finding the Cause of Low Testosterone (00:35:04) TRT Monitoring: Hematocrit, Lipids, Estradiol & Heart Health (00:43:38) Natural Testosterone Production, Testicular Atrophy & Stopping TRT (00:48:11) The Brain–Testicle Hormone Axis & Training with Low Testosterone (00:55:16) Calorie Deficits, Body Recomposition & Testosterone (01:00:44) Does Higher Testosterone Predict More Muscle Growth? (01:15:03) Obesity, Leptin & Low Testosterone (01:22:45) Is Testosterone Declining Across Generations? (01:29:52) Testosterone & Aging: The Role of Metabolic Health (01:39:44) Low Testosterone Symptoms & Looking Beyond Fatigue (01:44:54) Supplements, Weight Loss, Refeeding & Sleep (01:53:14) Micronutrients, Metabolic Health & GLP-1 Medications (01:57:45) Training Stress, Underfueling & Overlooked Medical Causes (02:03:33) Getting Too Lean: Energy Availability & Hormone Recovery (02:10:19) Dieting Too Hard? Symptoms, Tradeoffs & Individual Responses (02:15:19) Refeeding: Dietary Fat, Carbohydrates & Changes in Scale Weight (02:21:22) Professional Athletes: Training Loads, Fueling & Recovery (02:28:38) Better Recovery: Trust, Sleep & Low-Intensity Movement (02:34:27) TRT vs. Higher-Dose Use: What Cardiovascular Research Actually Shows Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 22 · 1 hr 12 min

    The Fundamentals of Training for Muscle, Strength & Longevity

    In this episode, I answer your questions in the first-ever open Q&A on Perform, working through the five themes that came up most. I start with how I think about training for longevity—why being well-rounded and resilient matters more than chasing any single marker like grip strength or VO2 max. From there, I break down the basics of training for muscle, strength, and fat loss, including the simple rules I use for each: the 72-hour rule for hypertrophy, the 3-to-5 rule for strength, and the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for fat loss. I then walk through my exact process for program design, what "functional" training really means, and where AI is actually useful—and where it falls short—for your health and performance. This one is for anyone who wants a clear, practical foundation for building their own training. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction: The First-Ever Perform Q&A (00:02:48) Training for Longevity & Resilience (00:05:52) Grip Strength & VO2 Max: Proxies vs. Real Targets (00:12:51) Muscle vs. Strength vs. Fat Loss (00:14:10) Building Muscle: Mechanical Tension & the 72-Hour Rule (00:19:54) Progressive Overload (00:22:39) Training Strength as a Skill (00:26:45) The 3-to-5 Rule for Strength & Power (00:30:10) Fat Loss & the 5-4-3-2-1 Rule (00:36:48) Program Design: The Modifiable Variables (00:38:07) Frequency, Exercise Choice & Order (00:45:24) Intensity, Volume & Rest Intervals (00:48:52) Predicting Problems in Your Program (00:50:24) Functional Training & Movement Quality (00:59:12) Stretching, Flexibility & Lengthened Partials (01:03:26) AI in Health & Performance (01:09:10) Recap & Closing Thoughts Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 24 · 1 hr 39 min

    Identify & Fix Muscle Imbalances & Injury Risks 

    In this episode, I tackle muscle asymmetries and imbalances — when the differences between your two sides help you, when they hurt you, and what to actually do about them.

  • June 10 · 2 hr 8 min

    Female Training, Hormones & Nutrition: Fact vs. Fiction | Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to examine what the science says about female-specific training and nutrition. We discuss why so little research has historically focused on women, what makes menstrual cycle research so difficult and expensive to run, and what her own dissertation found when she measured muscle protein synthesis across cycle phases. Dr. Colenso-Semple explains the real hormone fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, why testosterone matters far less for women's muscle than people assume, and why men and women gain strength and size at the same relative rate at any age, including through menopause. We also cover low energy availability, scientific literacy, and how to figure out what works for you. This episode is for anyone, coach or lifter, trying to separate evidence from misinformation in women's fitness. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Lauren Colenso-Semple (00:01:51) The Lit Review That Never Was (00:07:01) Why Women Got Bad Training Advice (00:11:23) Individualization & Where Sex Actually Ranks (00:21:09) Estrogen, Rodent Models & the Anabolic Myth (00:34:52) Hormones Across the Menstrual Cycle (00:45:18) The Myth of the Textbook 28-Day Cycle (00:51:41) Why Female Research Is So Hard (00:57:55) Inside Lauren's Dissertation: Tracers & Biopsies (01:06:10) Strength, Power & Hypertrophy: No Phase Effect (01:14:13) The Real Role of Testosterone & Menopause (01:23:36) Becoming a Better Consumer of Science (01:50:10) Low Energy Availability & RED-S (01:57:30) Advice for the Average Woman Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • #22
    April 1 · 1 hr 43 min

    How to Build a Strong Core & Abs

    In this episode, I break down everything you need to know to build a strong core and better-looking abs — and explain why most people are training them wrong.

  • #18
    Mar 26, 2025 · 1 hr 57 min

    Dr. Allison Brager: Improve Sleep Efficiency & Resilience

    In this episode, my guest is Dr. Allison Brager, Ph.D., an active-duty Army neuroscientist whose research focuses on physiological resilience in extreme stress environments such as Antarctica and outer space.

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes