Listen Here:
For a full list of apps, go here. Or simply search “Sigma Nutrition” in your app of choice. Or listen directly on the Sigma website here.
Introduction
Energy expenditure is one of the most fundamental yet often misunderstood aspects of human physiology. A central question is whether there is a ceiling to how many calories we can burn, and what happens when activity levels approach that limit. Grasping these dynamics is essential for health professionals and researchers, as energy balance directly influences body weight regulation, metabolic health, and athletic performance.
Emerging research shows that our bodies regulate calorie burn not in a fixed manner, but through adaptation and compensation, revealing that the “calories in vs. calories out” model is far more dynamic than it may first appear.
In this episode, we revisit key insights from experts such as Dr. Herman Pontzer, Dr. Brent Ruby, Dr. Mark Hopkins, Dr. Eric Trexler, and Dr. Chris Melby. These perspectives cover how the body adapts to different levels of physical activity, the metabolic adjustments during weight loss (often called adaptive thermogenesis), and the concept of energy flux in weight maintenance.
- [03:36]Contrained model of energy expendiure
- [12:33]What is the ceiling of human energy expenditure?
- [13:05]Reconciling energy intake and expenditure
- [13:32]Variability in metabolic rates
- [15:16]Adaptive thermogenesis and weight loss
- [18:37]Metabolic adaptation explained
- [31:51]Energy flux and weight maintenance
The Hosts
Click through to your app of choice to listen and subscribe:
“The team at Sigma Nutrition put out consistently reliable, accurate, accessible, and practical information for professionals and laypeople alike.
In the vast world of health and fitness media, Sigma is one of the only resources that I trust and can recommend with full confidence.”
“Sigma Nutrition has such an impressive depth of knowledge across the nutrition sciences, and few podcasts are also this consistently entertaining.
In addition to asking such on point questions, Danny gives their guests free range to dive into the most interesting aspects of their research.
The whole Sigma Nutrition team bring brilliant background and color to the topics they cover, and I leave every episode learning something new.”
Related Resources
Latest evidence-based insights from our nutrition science team
Introduction to this Episode
Seed oils have recently become a hotly debated topic in nutrition, fueled by sensational claims on social media. In this episode, the central theme is examining whether seed oils are truly harmful or if they’ve been unjustly demonized. The discussion tackles prevalent claims – that seed oils drive inflammation, oxidation, and chronic disease – and compares them against the current scientific evidence.
This is highly relevant to nutrition science and clinical practice today, as many patients and practitioners are encountering conflicting information about vegetable oils. By exploring the origins of seed oils, their biochemical effects, health outcome data, and the misinformation ecosystem, the episode aims to clarify how omega-6 rich seed oils fit into a healthy diet and what evidence-based guidelines say
