Protein grams don't tell the full story. In this episode, Vanessa Spina is joined by Paul Moughan, a world authority on protein quality and amino acid digestibility, to explore why fat loss can stall and muscle can be lost — even on a high-protein diet.

Dr. Moughan, a Distinguished Professor at Massey University and architect of DIAAS, explains why protein absorbed and delivered to muscle matters more than protein consumed.

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You'll learn:

• Why identical protein intakes can produce very different body composition outcomes
• How low-quality protein may drive hunger and muscle loss during dieting
• Why protein grams on labels are misleading for fat loss and recomposition

This episode isn't about eating more protein — it's about eating protein that actually counts.

👉 Subscribe, rate, and review the Optimal Protein Podcast to support the show and help bring you more evidence-based conversations on fat loss, protein, and muscle-centric nutrition.

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Get delicious high protein meal recipes! Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @ketogenicgirl

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Follow @optimalproteinpodcast on Instagram to see visuals and posts mentioned on this podcast.

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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.

Start of Arny Ferrando's episode recap is at 14:00 minutes.

In today's Friday solocast, Vanessa Spina recaps her recent interview with Arny Ferrando, one of the world's leading experts on human muscle protein metabolism — and explains why fat loss problems are often muscle problems in disguise.

The episode opens with two brand-new studies that challenge common fat-loss assumptions, including new findings on hydration and body fat loss, and surprising research linking resistance training with intelligence and cognitive performance.

From there, Vanessa distills the most important insights from her conversation with Dr. Ferrando, including why simply eating less often backfires, how aging and hormonal changes impair muscle metabolism, and what most people misunderstand about protein needs, circulation, and metabolic slowdown.

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• Why a basic habit most people overlook can quietly stall fat loss

• How strength training affects far more than muscle and appearance

• Why eating less often worsens metabolic adaptation over time

• What actually changes in muscle as we age — especially in women

• Why protein intake becomes more important, not less

• The missing link between circulation, amino acids, and body recomposition

🔬 Studies Mentioned

• Water intake and body fat loss (PubMed ID: 39585691)

• Resistance training and intelligence (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025)

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Vanessa discusses how using the Tone Device is a proxy for fat loss and autophay on Protein Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) days! 👉 Use code VANESSA for 20% off HERE

Get my free NEW high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook

Free high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook

👤 Connect with Vanessa:

• Instagram: @ketogenicgirl

📱 Follow @ketogenicgirl for the latest studies and strategies on fat loss and protein optimization

📸 Follow @optimalproteinpodcast for episode visuals and updates

💬 Join the Facebook group: Optimal Protein Podcast Community

🎙 The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only and not nutritional or medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making major dietary or lifestyle changes.

In 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.

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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:

• Why menopause changes protein utilization and muscle retention

• Perimenopause as a muscle-critical intervention window

• Protein intake vs. protein optimization

• Essential amino acids (EAAs): when supplementation is useful

• Muscle loss, fat gain, and metabolic slowdown in midlife

• Why muscle preservation matters more than scale weight

• The role of circulation, blood flow, and resistance training

• Fat loss without muscle loss: what the science shows

• GLP-1 weight loss drugs and concerns around lean mass loss

• 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.

👉 Subscribe, rate, and review the Optimal Protein Podcast to support the show and help bring you more evidence-based conversations on fat loss, protein, and muscle-centric nutrition.

Get 20% off the Tone Device to try on a PSMF Day! Shop the collection HERE and use the code VANESSA

Get delicious high protein meal recipes! Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @ketogenicgirl

🔴 Tone LUX Red Light Therapy Get 20% off the Tone LUX Crystal Red Light Therapy collection including the Crystal Mask and accessories the with the code VANESSA HERE

Follow @optimalproteinpodcast on Instagram to see visuals and posts mentioned on this podcast.

Link to join the Facebook group for the podcast

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.