Are you doing everything “right”—training consistently, eating healthy, staying active—but still feeling weaker, slower, or struggling to recover?
You are not alone.
In this episode of The Coach Debbie Potts Show, I sit down with endurance coach, author, and aging athlete expert Joe Friel to discuss what really changes after 50 and what athletes need to do differently to maintain strength, muscle, metabolism, and performance as they age.
Because healthy aging is not simply about exercising more.
It is about creating the right signals for adaptation.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why muscle loss accelerates after 50 • Why many endurance athletes accidentally train themselves into breakdown • How strength training should change as we age • The importance of recovery, sleep, and capacity building • Why maintaining muscle is critical for metabolism and longevity • How protein, fueling, and training need to evolve after 50 • Why “normal aging” may not be the goal
One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation:
You are not normal. And maybe you should not want to be.
- Going to bed early.
- Protecting recovery.
- Prioritizing sleep.
- Saying no to late-night activities so you can wake up feeling strong and energized.
These habits may not be normal—but they may help create an extraordinary future version of yourself.
If your goal is to become stronger, healthier, and more resilient as you age, this episode is for you.
Learn more about coaching, metabolic testing, and The FutureYou Blueprint at:
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Educational only. Partner with a qualified practitioner—especially if you’re on medications, have gallbladder disease, significant anemia, active IBD, are pregnant, or have complex conditions.
