Hi,

I've had a lot of conversations lately with athletes looking to lose weight. I want to clarify something: for an athlete, the goal is not weight loss.

You want to become leaner. That may mean you need to lose weight, but it equally means you don't want to lose strength. Lean body mass is the goal here, not just a number on a scale.

You can't talk about weight loss without considering GLPs. I could write a whole email on what you should be doing if you're taking a GLP, but the short list: more protein daily (more than you think you need), and 100% you should be taking SwissRX Synthesis to help preserve muscle during weight loss. That's how you get leaner, not just lighter.

Whether you're on a GLP or not, if you want to get leaner, you can follow what I've done the past year. It has worked for me at the age of 50, when gaining strength and getting leaner is supposed to be next to impossible. The secret is not just what you take. It's also how you adapt your training. In my experience, these work hand in hand, and you see much faster and bigger results when you combine both.

First, let's talk about adjusting your training. You can buy the stack of products below and keep doing what you're doing now and they will work over time. But if you can also add short, high intensity training at least 3 days a week, you will see results much faster.

The key for me was switching from long, slow training to shorter, higher intensity workouts. This triggers a hormonal response, growth hormone and adrenaline, that long steady-state cardio simply doesn't. In fact, long steady-state can actually work against you when it comes to getting leaner. 30 minutes of real intensity outperforms 3 hours on the bike for body composition for me at age 50.

Two approaches that work:

EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute): Pick 5 exercises. Do them 6 times through. Work for 30-40 seconds, rest for 20. Repeat. Example Hyrox-style circuit: ski erg, row, wall ball, lunges, burpees. This is metabolic conditioning that builds muscle and burns fat at the same time.

Interval Cardio: Go hard for 2 to 3 minutes. Rest 2 minutes. Work up to doing this 8 to 10 times. That's it.

The training creates the stimulus. The stack supports your body's adaptation, losing fat and building strength at the same time. Here's what I take.

The Stack:

- Cowboy Colostrum
- More Protein (daily habit)
- SwissRX Synthesis (if you only take one thing, take this)
- Creatine (split dose)
- Maui Nui Velvet Antler

Here's the breakdown on each one.

1. Cowboy Colostrum

Colostrum is the first food any mammal receives. First-day milking from grass-fed U.S. cows, full-fat and unstripped so the bioactives stay intact. 3g per serving where most competitors give you 1g.

Why it matters for this stack: colostrum contains IGF-1 and IGF-2, growth factors that support lean muscle development. IGF-1 shifts your metabolism toward fat burning during exercise. It also repairs your gut lining, which means better nutrient absorption from everything else you're taking. If your gut isn't working, nothing else works as well as it should.

Five flavors. Over 4,000 five-star reviews.

2. More Protein (daily habit)

More protein just helps you get leaner. Simple as that. One protein supplement every day. The added benefit is it satiates your appetite, so you end up eating fewer carbs and calories overall without even thinking about it.

My three favorites right now:

Arrae Clear Protein+ - A clear, light protein that goes down easy. Raspberry Yuzu flavor. Not a heavy shake. $3 per single serving, $59 for 20 servings.

Feed Lab Whey Protein - Our house protein. Vanilla or Chocolate. Clean, simple, best value on the site. $33 for 20 servings.

SUPA Power Protein Shots - Liquid shots you can grab and go. No mixing. $5 each or $30 for a 6-pack.

3. SwissRX Synthesis — $49.95 / 30 servings

If you only take one thing from this email, take this.

Synthesis is powered by PeptiStrong, a peptide derived from fava bean protein, discovered by an Irish biotech company using AI. Oral, 100% sports-legal, NSF Certified for Sport.

What it does: activates the mTOR pathway, the master switch for muscle protein synthesis. In clinical trials: 54% faster recovery, 47% reduction in training fatigue. Also reduces the catabolic enzymes that break down muscle after hard sessions and enhances mitochondrial function.

This is especially relevant after 35, when recovery becomes the limiting factor. You can train as hard as you want. If you can't recover from it, it doesn't count.

I'll be honest: Synthesis shocked me. I dropped 8 percentage points of body fat while building strength I hadn't seen in years. Recovery I didn't think was possible at 50.

Timeline: improved recovery within 2 weeks. Strength breakthroughs in a month. Visible body composition changes in a month or two.

4. Creatine (the dose strategy matters)

You probably know creatine is the most well-researched supplement on the planet. Here's the part most people miss: split the dose.

3-5g in the morning. Then another 3-5g later in the day using creatine chews. This keeps phosphocreatine stores topped up throughout the day, not just around training. That includes your brain. Creatine has real cognitive benefits, and splitting the dose keeps those levels steady.

5. Maui Nui Velvet Antler — $99 / 30 servings

Here's where the stack comes full circle. Your HIIT training already triggers acute growth hormone spikes. Velvet antler supports that same hormonal pathway from the supplement side.

Maui Nui's velvet antler is wild-harvested from Axis deer on Maui. It's the only truly wild-harvested source on the market. It contains natural growth factors including IGF-1, which works in concert with growth hormone to drive muscle protein synthesis and fat metabolism. This has been used for centuries specifically for strength, vitality, and anabolic support.

The stack angle: HIIT spikes growth hormone acutely. Velvet antler supports the GH/IGF-1 axis from the supplement side. Synthesis activates mTOR. Colostrum brings additional IGF-1. Together, they create a complete growth signal that no single product can deliver on its own.

Honest note: we don't carry a lot of Maui Nui Velvet Antler. It may sell out, but you can back order it. We will get more in quickly.

The bottom line

The training creates the demand. The stack supports the response. Synthesis is the anchor. Colostrum and velvet antler feed the growth signal. Creatine keeps the energy system full.

I didn't expect these results at 50. I'm sharing them because I think a lot of people have accepted a decline that isn't inevitable. A plan exists. You just have to follow it.

- Matt

Founder
The Feed