Staying fit can become more challenging as you enter your 40s, when natural biological changes begin to affect muscle mass, metabolism and more.

A massive Swedish study that tracked participants for nearly 50 years found that fitness, strength and muscle endurance begin declining around age 35. But the study also found that adults who became active later in life improved their physical performance by 10%.

Michael Ormsbee, director of the Florida State University Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM), is one of the nation’s top nutrition experts. He has appeared in numerous interviews sharing his expertise on topics that range from nighttime pre-sleep feeding strategies, the importance of protein, maximizing human performance, metabolic health and more.

Ormsbee says people don’t need to abandon workout routines that served them well in their 20s and 30s. They simply need to adjust them as they age.

“I don’t think you need a completely different playbook. You just need to be a little smarter about how you apply it,” Ormsbee said. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they must train harder as they get older. In my experience, most people in their 40s are not overtrained. They’re under-recovered.”

The key, Ormsbee said, isn’t doing more. It’s recovering better and being more intentional about the habits that support long-term strength and health.

“Recovery starts to matter more,” Ormsbee emphasized. “Your body can absolutely adapt and get stronger, but you must give it the resources to do that. The fundamentals really don’t change. Strength training is still one of the best things you can do. Aerobic fitness is still incredibly important. Protein still matters. Sleep is still king.”

Media interested in interviewing ISSM Director Michael Ormsbee about ways to stay fit through your 40s and later may reach out to him via email at mormsbee@fsu.edu.

Michael Ormsbee, FSU Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine Director, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Does your body require a different type of training/dietary regimen as you age in your 40s?

What changes is how intentional you must be. If you’re sleeping six hours a night, skimping on protein, always rushing from one thing to the next, and trying to train like you did at 25, eventually that’s going to catch up with you. I’d rather see someone train consistently, recover well and stay healthy for years than go all out for a few months and end up injured or burned out.

What would be three of the most critical pieces of advice for those looking to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle in their 40s?

First, make recovery part of the plan. Exercise is the stimulus. Recovery is where your body actually adapts. Everyone wants to know about the latest recovery gadget, but the biggest wins are still the basics. Get enough sleep. Eat enough calories and protein. Stay hydrated. Plan recovery weeks when needed. Keep moving on your off days. Manage stress. Those simple habits consistently outperform the flashy stuff.

Second, don’t stop lifting weights. As we get older, maintaining muscle becomes one of the most important things we can do for our health. Muscle supports metabolism, bone health, physical function, and helps you stay active as you age. You don’t have to train like a competitive athlete, but you should challenge your muscles a few times each week. It’s one of the best investments you can make in your future. You don’t stop moving because you get old, you get old because you stop moving.

Third, stop chasing perfection and focus on consistency. Health is built from what you do most of the time, not what you do once in a while. You don’t need the perfect workout or the perfect diet. You need habits you can stick with for years. A few quality workouts each week, enough protein, good sleep, and staying active will beat the all-or-nothing approach every time.

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Millions of consumers look to social media for advice on weight management. In 2025, the “protein craze” is generating the most buzz for diet seekers, young and old.

According to the Mayo Clinic, protein should account for 10% to 35% of your calories, with calorie intake based on factors like age, weight, activity level and more. The New York Times recently created a “protein calculator” to allow users to discover their recommended totals based on federal guidelines.

As a result of the diet’s popularity, food companies have responded with protein-packed items ranging from shakes, candy, pancake mixes and more. Influencers on social media apps like Instagram offer high-protein recipes that rack up millions of views, bringing more ideas and engagement to users’ feeds.

Florida State University’s Michael Ormsbee is the director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine. Among his many areas of research is the role of macronutrient ingestion on fat metabolism and performance, focusing on how protein factors affect body development.

He has appeared in television interviews, popular health and sciences podcasts and other media to weigh in on nutrition advice backed by his research.

“A high-protein diet offers several evidence-based advantages, especially for individuals interested in improving body composition, strength and metabolic health,” Ormsbee said. “Unlike many trendy diets that restrict certain food groups or rely on unsustainable practices, a higher protein intake supports muscle retention during weight loss, enhances satiety and can help preserve resting energy expenditure.”

Media interested in expert guidance on the popularity of high-protein diets can reach out to Professor Ormsbee at mormsbee@fsu.edu.

Michael Ormsbee, graduate program director and director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

One of the most common protein-packed items is protein powder. How essential is it when it comes to fulfilling your daily intake?
“Protein powder is convenient and practical, especially for people with busy schedules, higher protein needs or limited appetite. That said, it’s a tool, not a necessity. You can absolutely meet your protein needs through whole foods, but powders make it easier to hit targets. In the context of a well-balanced diet, protein supplements are safe, effective and well-supported by research, but they’re best thought of as an option, not a requirement.”

 Are there any risks when it comes to consuming too much protein?
“For healthy individuals, consuming a high-protein diet — even well above the recommended daily allowance — has not been shown to cause harm to kidney or liver function. This is a common myth that’s been debunked by many clinical studies. In fact, even very high protein intakes (3–4 g/kg/day) are safe for trained individuals. That said, although recently controversial, people with pre-existing kidney disease should work with a health care provider. Keep in mind that excessive reliance on protein at the expense of other nutrients (like fiber, healthy fats or carbs for performance) could compromise diet quality.”

 Why have high-protein diets become so popular?
“They’ve gained popularity because they work. People experience tangible benefits like increased satiety, better body composition and improved performance. There’s also been a shift in public understanding thanks to better education, strong science communication and professional organizations that have helped dispel myths. High-protein diets appeal across goals — whether you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle or age well — and they’re relatively easy to adopt without eliminating entire food groups. In short, they deliver results, and the science backs them up.”

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Two far-reaching and highly impactful North Florida entities joined forces Tuesday in a panel discussion that explored how their partnership will help improve health care across North Florida and South Georgia.

Members of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM) at Florida State University and Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC) shared their expertise, knowledge and vision for improving quality of care.

The discussion was a strong nod to what the FSU Health initiative is all about: bold innovation aimed at improving health care throughout the region.

“This group represents the best of what can happen when academic research and private practice collaborate,” said College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean Damon Andrew during his introductory remarks.

The four-member panel included TOC CEO Mike Boblitz, ISSM Director Mike Ormsbee, FSU and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Chief Clinical Research Officer Joe Frascella, and Assistant Director of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Research at ISSM and research scientist at TOC Emilie Miley.

Throughout the hour-long talk, the panelists discussed how their partnerships benefit all parties. For example, TOC’s base of highly skilled clinicians will be able to lean on research coming from FSU’s ISSM program, made possible by the important joint hire of Miley.

TOC has been serving the needs of its patients for 50 years, but Boblitz still felt there was more that could be done with educational research. He wanted research that could innovate and create, expanding the clinic’s quality of care even more.

In Boblitz’s office is a map of the locations of TOC’s patients over the years, stretching from Panama City to Perry and across South Georgia. The clinic’s impact has been felt region-wide, taking care of roughly 270,000 patients.

As Ormsbee explained from FSU’s perspective, one glaring omission from ISSM’s portfolio was orthopedics. FSU’s cadre of researchers had no access to the clinic populations that TOC has. With the large base that TOC serves, the opportunity to partner with the clinic and provide it with crucial data was too good to pass up.

“We were thinking about ‘How do we grow this to a place that’s not only recognized regionally, but nationally and hopefully internationally?’” Ormsbee said. “We were brainstorming ideas on how to really ramp up orthopedics and a partnership with TOC was the most logical step that came to mind.”

Frascella explained the FSU Health initiative and how partnerships are a crucial part of that work.

“What’s critical from the point of view of FSU Health is really developing an ecosystem,” Frascella said. “This collaboration and partnership exemplify what we’re trying to accomplish with this new enterprise of FSU Health, where we’re building researcher and clinician partnerships.”

Panelists discussed the wide-ranging impact of their work. For example, TOC works with 41 high schools and multiple universities, another example of its massive reach. ISSM’s research is used by Division 1 athletes, weekend warriors, older adults and others.

“When people hear ‘human performance’ initially, they think athletes,” Ormsbee said. “However, we take a much broader view to what human performance actually means. For ISSM, we look at performance for clinical populations, people recovering from anything — aging, different conditions that may impact individuals. I think all of our lanes with clinical sports science, sports psychology, orthopedics, etc. — all of those things can impact human performance.”

For Miley, she wants to make sure her research addresses the needs of all populations.

“Within this partnership, we have a big focus on athletics and younger populations,” Miley said. “But the partnership can grow outwards to other populations — lower socioeconomic statuses, groups of patients that TOC sees in the South Georgia and North Central Florida Region — and then bringing in more partnerships and research to help those populations that sometimes can be underserved.”

As the discussion closed, the panelists restated their shared belief in the promise of FSU Health and its positive impact.

“I think the ripple effect from growing what we’re starting here in research to eventually helping the student population is going to be massive,” Ormsbee said.

“I think this is the starting point of realizing we need to bring all this together, with the same agenda and the same purpose,” Boblitz said. “I think the future could be really powerful.”

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As part of the burgeoning FSU Health initiative, Florida State University’s Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM) and the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC) have jointly hired a new research scientist to bridge the gap between clinicians and researchers.  

Emilie Miley will start as assistant director of orthopedics and sports medicine research at ISSM on Aug. 5. Her role is funded by both TOC and FSU Health, reflecting the integrated efforts to enhance health outcomes in North Florida through innovative research. 

Miley, a National Athletic Trainer’s Association certified athletic trainer, brings more than 10 years of experience in sports medicine and orthopedics research. She most recently served as clinical research coordinator in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine. 

 “I am excited to be a part of this interdisciplinary team of orthopedic physicians and clinical researchers to advance knowledge of patient care,” Miley said. “I am passionate about supporting health care providers in producing the best patient-centered approach possible through the lens of research. This position will allow me to leverage my strengths as a clinician-researcher to drive research initiatives to optimize health care.” 

 The strategic partnership between FSU Health, ISSM, and TOC aims to bridge the gap between clinical practice and academic research, ultimately providing a more robust health care system for the residents of North Florida. 

 Miley will lead research projects aimed at improving health care outcomes in orthopedic medicine and sports science, working closely with world-class orthopedic physicians and clinical researchers. 

Prior to her role at the University of Florida, Miley served as an assistant professor of kinesiology and athletic training at Charleston Southern University while providing outreach athletic training services to local high schools throughout her career.  

 She earned her doctorate in athletic training from the University of Idaho and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in athletic training from Indiana State University. She also has a doctorate in education from University of Idaho with a specialization in psychometric analysis of patient-reported outcomes. 

Miley joins a team of researchers and affiliates at the ISSM focused on advancing knowledge in performance nutrition, sports science and athletics research, clinical research, sport psychology and orthopedic sports medicine.  

 The ISSM, established in 2010 alongside TOC as its founding partner, serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research. Other collaborative partners include the FSU College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; FSU Athletics; the FSU College of Medicine; and Nike. 

 “I’m excited to welcome Dr. Emilie Miley to FSU,” said Michael Ormsbee, director of the ISSM and professor at the FSU College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. “She brings impressive expertise and dedication to advancing healthcare outcomes in orthopedic care and sports medicine. She will be instrumental in spearheading innovative research projects that align with our mission at ISSM and the missions of TOC and FSU Health.” 

 TOC has a long-standing partnership with FSU that includes hosting more than 120 medical students over the past decade, providing team physicians for all FSU athletic programs for the last 50 years. The collaboration has led to numerous successful research initiatives. 

 “The addition of Emilie Miley affords TOC the ability to rapidly accelerate innovations in orthopedics and make care better than ever for our 270,000 patients,” TOC CEO Michael Boblitz said. “I’m so happy to have Dr. Miley as part of our team.” 

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In a groundbreaking study conducted by Florida State University, wearable technology has emerged as a potential game-changer in the early detection of COVID-19 among NCAA Division I female student-athletes.  

The research by FSU Professor Michael Ormsbee, Assistant Athletic Director of Sport Performance Elisa Angeles and doctoral candidate Liliana Rentería in the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM) focused on the use of WHOOP bands, which use optical sensors to measure and predict how fast your heart beats, how often you breathe, how you sleep and then use that information to calculate your strain and recovery.    

The ISSM research team, which works closely with athletes, monitored 113 NCAA Division I female student-athletes in soccer, golf, softball, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball and tennis. The athletes were equipped with WHOOP bands over a 10-month period, from August 2020 to May 2021.  

The project started when Angeles, who is also the associate director of Athletics Research for ISSM, noticed changes in what her student-athletes’ WHOOP bands were recording. There were several examples where Angeles suspected something based on the data, said Ormsbee, director of the ISSM. 

“One day, after reviewing recovery data and noticing a clear outlier and suspected potential COVID infection, Angeles immediately consulted with Sports Medicine staff to urgently send the student-athlete for testing and quarantine,” Ormsbee said. “At that point in time, that student-athlete just arrived at a team function/watch party for the Olympics. Sure enough, she tested positive for COVID. However, because of the swift identification and action, no additional team members were contact-traced or quarantined, and no additional team or staff members contracted COVID via that event.” 

The WHOOP band monitoring allowed the researchers to establish baseline levels for heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate (RHR), respiratory rate (RR) and recovery. Researchers observed how the student-athletes’ metrics changed in the days leading up to a positive COVID-19 test and saw that respiratory rate increased three days before a positive test. 

Of the student-athletes monitored, 33 eventually tested positive for COVID.  

RHR and HRV, on the other hand, did not show significant changes until one day before the positive test.  

Recovery, a metric often tracked by athletes, didn’t significantly change until the day of the positive COVID-19 test, making it less effective as an early detection tool.  

As a result, the researchers recommend using an elevated RR as the primary alert for a possible COVID-19 infection.  

The study underscores the importance of educating athletes and coaching staff about the significance of monitoring RR, HRV, RHR and recovery throughout the season to ensure early detection and timely intervention in cases of infection, the researchers said.

“Because athletes work in such close quarters, transmission of disease is very easy and it’s important to try and mitigate the spread, so you don’t lose a decent portion of the team for games or practice,” said Rentería, the study’s lead author. “This means less chance of spreading COVID to other individuals across the board — not just fellow athletes, but friends and family too.”   

Rentería said she thinks wearable technology will play a significant role in health monitoring beyond athletics and COVID-19.  

“We already see wearable technology being implemented in some doctors’ offices, which is great,” she said. “I think we will see a lot more of this in the upcoming years, which will help doctors get a better picture of what each individual’s normal metrics are, as everyone is a little different. This way people are able to notice deviations from their own normal, which may indicate something is wrong before symptoms become too severe.”  

Learn more at Discovery Days event

Ormsbee, Angeles and Scott Trulock from FSU Athletics and will talk about their journey to enhance the student-athlete experience and how their approach has become a model for achieving precision health through technology and data analytics at a Discovery Days event from 12-1 p.m. on Oct. 3 in Miller Hall at Doak Campbell Stadium. Pre-registration is required.  

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