<p><strong>Jim Kean</strong></p> <p>Jim Kean is the CEO of National Pro Grid League (NPGL) and founder of WellnessFX.</p> <p>In this podcast Rhonda and Jim discuss the quantified self movement and the importance of measuring biomarkers more than once, the gut's role in cholesterol and serotonin in the gut versus in the brain, about the role of exercise in preventing neuroinflammation and the effects of overtraining on sex hormones.</p> <p>We also chat a bit about the psychology of constructing a new, non-gender segregated, team spectator sport and bringing it to market, the factors that separate a professional spectator sport from any other form of entertainment: including patriotism, justice, and vicariousness, the mathematical nature of the sport and the floor coach's role in monitoring athletes before they start "redlining," how NPGL teams may find new ways to tune their gameplay and find an edge on the competition in the future by stepping up the use of more advanced athlete-level analytics.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>In this episode, we discuss...<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong></p> <ul> <li class="p1"><strong>(00:00)</strong> Introduction</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(01:11)</strong> Optimizing performance and health has become more accessible<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></li> <li class="p1"><strong>(07:18)</strong> Frequent blood tests helped Jim find his optimal level of Vitamin D</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(09:45)</strong> Jim's habits for optimizing insulin sensitivity and lean body mass</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(11:06)</strong> Exercise reduces inflammation caused by kynurenine</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(12:16)</strong> Exercise increases BCAA uptake by muscle, increasing serotonin in the brain</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(13:33)</strong> Jim Kean introduces the book, Grain Brain</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(14:32)</strong> Dysfunctional insulin receptors are found in Alzheimer's disease</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(16:11)</strong> Endotoxin reacts with LDL cholesterol to form heart disease-promoting foam cells</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(19:09)</strong> How you make a successful sport</li> <li class="p1"><strong>(29:13)</strong> What is overtraining in cross-fit and what are the consequences?</li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you're interested in learning more, you can read the <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/jim-kean">full show notes here</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">straight to your inbox weekly:</span> <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A's with Rhonda and more:</span> <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor</span></a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Prioritize Insulin & Muscle Mass
Focus on maintaining insulin sensitivity and lean muscle mass throughout life, as these are fundamental for overall health, mobility, circulation, and brain function, and help mitigate risks like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
2. Track Biomarker Trends Regularly
Regularly quantify your health markers, such as through blood tests every three to four months, to understand trends over time rather than relying on single data points, which can be misleading due to temporary states like stress or inflammation.
3. Minimize Toxin Exposure
Actively decrease your cumulative biological load of toxins and heavy metals by maintaining a clean environment, removing shoes indoors, and being mindful of cleaning products and personal care items.
4. Limit Simple Sugars/Carbohydrates
Avoid consuming simple sugars and carbohydrates, as they can impair cognitive function and lead to inflammation, which damages the gut barrier and contributes to issues like insulin resistance and neuroinflammation.
5. Advanced Cholesterol & Inflammation Markers
Evaluate cardiovascular health by measuring the APOA/APOB ratio and inflammation markers like homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP), as these provide a more comprehensive picture than just LDL levels.
6. Find Optimal Vitamin D Level
Determine and maintain your individual optimal vitamin D level (e.g., around 50 ng/mL as an example from the speaker), as both excessively high and low levels can increase inflammation.
7. Check Hormones for Overtraining
Athletes should monitor reproductive hormones, such as testosterone, to detect signs of overtraining, as hormone crashes can significantly impair performance and recovery.
8. IRS-1 Test for Alzheimer’s Risk
Consider measuring the IRS-1 blood biomarker, as an inactive form is a 10-year predictor of Alzheimer’s disease, providing a critical window for dietary and lifestyle interventions.
9. Targeted Athlete Fueling & Recovery
Develop specific nutritional strategies for “in-race prep and fueling and recovery” during intense, short-burst competitions, and use separate supplementation for recovery during regular training periods.
10. Use Bioharnesses for Athlete Monitoring
Coaches and athletes in high-performance sports should consider using bioharnesses to measure real-time physiological data like respiration and heart rate, helping to manage athlete workload and prevent “red-lining” during competition.