Protein, Muscle & Women: New Science on Menopause & Body Composition - Dr. Arny Ferrando
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Release Date: 02/02/2026
Monday Special AMA #22: Fat Loss, Protein & PSMF — Your Top Questions Answered (Part 2 of 2)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In Part 2 of this AMA, Vanessa answers your most asked questions on protein, fat loss, muscle, and metabolism — including digestion issues, emotional eating, protein myths, and how to optimize your intake for better body composition results. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! If you’ve been struggling to hit your protein targets, wondering about protein powders vs amino acids, or trying to optimize fat loss while preserving lean mass, this episode breaks it all down in a clear, actionable way....
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Secrets of Popular Diets: Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) — Calories, Macros & the High-Protein Advantage for Fat Loss & Muscle
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the fasting mimicking diet (FMD) — including the exact calories, macros, and protein intake used in the research — and compares it to higher-protein fat loss approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF) days. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! You’ll learn what the science actually shows about fat loss, lean mass preservation, and autophagy, and why emerging human data suggests that energy restriction — not protein suppression — may be the...
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Special AMA #22: Fat Loss, Protein & PSMF: Answering Your Top Questions (Part 1 of 2)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this AMA episode, Vanessa answers your questions on fat loss, protein intake, PSMF, keto, pregnancy nutrition, and muscle preservation. Topics include perimenopause fat loss, protein timing, ketosis myths, GLP-1 considerations, and how to structure high-protein days for body recomposition. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! If you’ve been struggling with fat loss — especially during perimenopause — or wondering how to structure your protein intake for better results, this episode breaks...
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New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance (Explained, Dr. Andrew Koutnik Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa breaks down a groundbreaking new study on carbs, fat loss, metabolism, and performance — and what it means for high protein, low carb, and ketogenic approaches. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! Vanessa breaks down one of the most important conversations on fat loss, metabolism, and performance with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. In this episode, she unpacks why fat loss isn’t about eating less — it’s about controlling hunger — and how the combination of high protein and ketosis can make fat...
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Groundbreaking New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance | Dr. Andrew Koutnik
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Why protein + ketones reduce hunger, how fat-adapted athletes perform without carbs, and what this new study reveals. Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most controversial and important new papers in metabolism and sports nutrition with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. From fat loss to performance, this conversation challenges long-held beliefs about protein, carbohydrates, ketosis, and metabolic flexibility—and what actually drives results. If...
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Can You Lose Fat Eating MORE Calories? Shocking Protein Studies Explained (Dr. Jose Antonio Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! What if eating more protein — even more calories — didn’t cause fat gain? What if it did the opposite instead? In this episode, Vanessa recaps her conversation with sports nutrition researcher Dr. Jose Antonio, whose groundbreaking studies on protein overfeeding found that people consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain fat — and in some cases lost more body fat. Vanessa breaks down the science behind why protein behaves differently...
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More Protein, More Fat Loss? | Dr. Jose Antonio
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa sits down with sports nutrition scientist Dr. Jose Antonio, one of the world’s leading researchers on protein metabolism and body composition. Dr. Antonio is widely known for his groundbreaking protein overfeeding studies, which found that participants consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain body fat — and in some cases actually lost more fat — even while eating more calories. In this conversation, Vanessa and Dr. Antonio explore the fascinating metabolic reasons why protein behaves differently in the body, including its...
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Hormones, Fasting & Fat Loss: Dr. Jason Fung Recap
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! In this episode, Vanessa Spina breaks down the biggest insights from her recent conversation with Dr. Jason Fung, one of the leading voices in fasting and metabolic health. The episode also covers fasting strategies, emerging research on protein-supported fasting approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF), the benefits and limitations of GLP-1 medications, and why women often experience increased fat gain during perimenopause. Vanessa explains the...
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The NEW Era of Fasting: PSMF vs Water Fasting & The 3 Types of Hunger | Dr. Jason Fung
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Jason Fung, author of , to unpack the hormonal science behind fat loss — and how fasting may be entering a new era. They start with the three types of hunger and why obesity is not simply about willpower, but disrupted hormonal signaling. We break down insulin’s role in fat storage, obesity, and how ultra-processed foods blunt satiety hormones. Vanessa and Dr. Fung also discuss how protein, fiber, and fat affect hunger very differently than refined carbohydrates — and why a calorie is not metabolically neutral. Then they shift to fasting. Dr....
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6 Fat Loss Secrets from Elite Athletes: Why They Don’t Diet, Eat More Protein & Time Carbs
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
What do elite athletes do differently when it comes to fat loss? In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the most surprising takeaways from her conversation with sports dietitian Emily Mitchell, who has worked with professional teams including UCLA Athletics, the LA Galaxy, the Clippers, and the Buccaneers. While many people think getting lean requires constant dieting, eliminating carbohydrates, and pushing through hunger, elite athletes often take a completely different approach. Vanessa explores six of the most powerful fat loss strategies used by elite performers — including why many...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa Spina welcomes back leading muscle metabolism researcher Dr. Arny Ferrando for a deep dive into protein, muscle, and women’s physiology across the menopause transition.
Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at timeline.com/vanessa
They explore why perimenopause represents a critical turning point for whole-body protein balance, how muscle loss accelerates during midlife, and why protein quality, dosing, and movement become essential for preserving lean mass and metabolic health. Dr. Ferrando also shares insights from forthcoming research comparing animal-based and plant-based proteins, and explains why muscle is the body’s primary survival tissue during stress and aging.
This conversation delivers clear, evidence-based strategies for improving body composition, fat loss, and long-term health in women. Topics include:
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Why menopause changes protein utilization and muscle retention
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Perimenopause as a muscle-critical intervention window
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Protein intake vs. protein optimization
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Essential amino acids (EAAs): when supplementation is useful
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Muscle loss, fat gain, and metabolic slowdown in midlife
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Why muscle preservation matters more than scale weight
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The role of circulation, blood flow, and resistance training
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Fat loss without muscle loss: what the science shows
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GLP-1 weight loss drugs and concerns around lean mass loss
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Emerging research on beef-based vs. plant-based proteins for women
Dr. Arny Ferrando is a world-leading researcher in human protein metabolism, muscle physiology, and aging. His work has helped define how amino acids, protein intake, and exercise influence muscle preservation, recovery, and metabolic health across the lifespan.
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The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.