The Importance of Weight Training, Protein, and Muscle

Mark Hyman

Jun 30, 2025

Episode description

Muscle plays a powerful role in keeping us healthy and living longer, but most people start losing it after age 30—and that loss can drive chronic disease and early aging. The good news is that strength training and eating enough protein can help prevent this decline, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of issues like diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and depression. Muscle isn’t just for movement—it acts like an organ, releasing special compounds called myokines that fight inflammation and support everything from brain function to hormone balance. Resistance training also boosts mood, sharpens memory, strengthens immunity, and supports better sex hormone levels as we age. To get the most out of it, aim for strength training two to four times a week, and make sure you're getting enough high-quality protein—especially at your first and last meals of the day.

In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, why strength training, muscle, and protein intake are vital for a healthy metabolism, hormones, longevity, and much more.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is board certified in family medicine and completed a combined research and clinical fellowship in geriatrics and nutritional sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

She completed her undergraduate training in nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois. Dr. Lyon is a subject-matter expert and educator in the practical application of protein types and levels for health, performance, aging, and disease prevention. She has continued to receive mentorship from Dr. Donald Layman, Ph.D., over the course of two decades to help bring protein metabolism and nutrition from the bench to the bedside.

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%.

Full-length episodes can be found here:

Why Weight Training Is Key to Longevity & Fighting Chronic Disease

Top Muscle Health Secrets to Boost Longevity and Reverse Aging

How To Get More Protein In Your Diet

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Choose resistance training over therapy for depression relief

A comprehensive review in the British Medical Journal found resistance training offered the biggest benefit for depression, proving as or more effective than counseling or medication.

#depression

#exercise

Choose regeneratively raised meat for enhanced omega-3s and nutrients

Regeneratively raised meat, like that from the company Force of Nature, is superior as it contains higher levels of omega-3 fats, minerals, and antioxidants.

#nutrition

#omega-3

Increase protein intake to combat anabolic resistance in aging

As you age, you develop anabolic resistance, meaning you need more protein—around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight—to stimulate muscle growth effectively.

#aging

#protein

Increase contact points to enhance exercise intensity

When you increase the points of contact during an exercise, such as having your back and feet supported, you can train the target muscle with greater intensity.

#exercise

#muscle

Prioritize high ground activity for serious muscle growth

For serious muscle growth, prioritize stable, machine-based exercises with multiple points of contact, which is called 'high ground activity,' over less stable movements.

#exercise

#muscle

Incorporate exercise snacks to combat sedentary lifestyle effects

Exercise snacks are isolated, vigorous exercise bouts of less than a minute, like 10-20 air squats, performed periodically to offset the negative effects of sitting all day.