Skinny Is Where You Go to Die: Muscle Power & Myokines for Ageing Women with Dr. Paul Taylor

Your muscles aren't just for moving — they're an endocrine organ, releasing hundreds of signalling molecules called myokines every time you contract them. Dr. Paul Taylor breaks down the science of myokines, why muscular power (not just strength) is the strongest predictor of how long you'll live, and why the pursuit of "skinny" is costing women their healthspan.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Death by Comfort: How Modern Life Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It by Dr. Paul Taylor
• The Hardiness Podcast with Dr. Paul Taylor
• Dr. Paul Taylor's website
• Frank W. Booth et al., "Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases", Comprehensive Physiology, 2012
• Physical Activity Patterns and Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Hunter-Gatherers, Hadza hunter-gatherer study using continuous heart-rate monitoring
• Ultra-Processed Food Exposure and Adverse Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review of Epidemiological Meta-Analyses, The BMJ, 2024
• Mark Seery, "Challenge or Threat? Cardiovascular Indexes of Resilience and Vulnerability to Potential Stress in Humans", University at Buffalo
• COSMOS-Mind: Effects of Cocoa Extract and a Multivitamin on Cognitive Function, randomized clinical trial in older adults
• Biosphere 2: Calorie Restriction and Physiologic, Hematologic, Hormonal, and Biochemical Changes
• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Cold Water Exposure with Professor Mike Tipton, The Hardiness Podcast
• Muscle Power Versus Strength as a Predictor of Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2025

BIO
Dr. Paul Taylor is a Psychophysiologist, with a PhD in Psychology, separate master's degrees in Exercise Science and Nutrition and a postgraduate qualification in Neuroscience. As Director of Paul Taylor Consulting, he has conducted published research that shows that his programs have proven benefits for increasing hardiness, cognitive function and employee wellbeing, whilst reducing burnout across multiple industries. More at paultaylor.biz/about

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TOPICS COVERED

• Myokines: what they are and how muscle contraction releases them
• Muscle as an endocrine organ/exercise as medicine
• The molecule of hope (irisin) and the myokine-brain connection
• Being sedentary as "an active depressant"
• Muscular power vs. strength vs. size for longevity
• Two major waves of aging (40-44 and 60) and accelerated muscle loss
• Sarcopenia, falls risk, and mortality in older adults
• Hormesis and the case for reintroducing discomfort (Death by Comfort)
• Cold plunge and cortisol: debunking the myth for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women
• Cortisol response vs. threat response vs. challenge response
• Chronic stress, amygdala hypertrophy, and frontal lobe shrinkage
• Ultra-processed foods and the 80/20 rule
• Protein requirements in perimenopause and menopause (1.6-2g/kg body weight)
• Debunking low-protein "longevity diet" claims and Blue Zone research
• Grip strength, VO2 max, and muscular power hazard ratios vs. smoking risk

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