The College of Glycation is an educational video series dedicated to helping viewers understand one of the most critical and often overlooked processes in human biology: glycation. Led by Dr. Paul Reynolds, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at Brigham Young University, this series explores how sugar interacts with proteins and fats in the body, forming harmful compounds called Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). These compounds accelerate aging, contribute to chronic diseases, and play a key role in metabolic dysfunction. Each video is designed to break down complex topics into clear, practical insights. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, student, or simply someone seeking to improve your health, this series will give you a deeper understanding of the biological roots of inflammation, insulin resistance, and cellular damage—and what you can do to address them.
Curated by: PaulReynoldsPhD (74 videos)
In this essential episode of the College of Glycation series, Dr. Paul Reynolds, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, explores the musculoskeletal system—an organ system central to movement, metabolic health, and aging. Continuing the series’ systematic approach, Dr. Reynolds first establishes how skeletal muscle, bone, and connective tissues function under healthy conditions, then reveals how glycation and chronic inflammation progressively disrupt their structure and function, driving frailty, insulin resistance, and degenerative disease. The episode also examines bone as a dynamic, metabolically active tissue and explains how glycation of long-lived collagen compromises bone quality rather than bone density. Dr. Reynolds details how AGE-mediated collagen cross-linking makes bone more brittle, impairs osteoblast function, enhances osteoclast activity, and increases fracture risk in diabetes—often despite normal bone mineral density. Similar glycation-driven stiffening and loss of elasticity in tendons, ligaments, and joint cartilage explains the increased risk of tendon rupture, frozen shoulder, and osteoarthritis seen in metabolic disease. Drawing from mechanistic and clinical research, this episode explains how AGE accumulation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation degrade muscle strength, bone resilience, and joint integrity over time. The lecture highlights the critical interaction between muscle and bone through mechanical loading and shows how glycation disrupts this relationship, accelerating both muscle loss and skeletal fragility. Dr. Reynolds also emphasizes why exercise—particularly resistance training—acts as one of the most powerful interventions against glycation by improving glucose control, preserving muscle mass, stimulating bone remodeling, and reducing AGE accumulation. Topics Covered -Skeletal muscle structure and contraction physiology -Muscle as the body’s primary glucose sink -Insulin signaling, GLUT4 transporters, and insulin resistance -AMPK activation and insulin-independent glucose uptake -Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in muscle -Bone composition, remodeling, and mechanotransduction -Collagen structure and vulnerability to glycation -AGE-mediated collagen cross-linking and bone fragility -Sarcopenia, frailty, and metabolic aging -Tendon, ligament, and joint degeneration in diabetes Timestamps 0:32 – Muscle, collagen, and metabolic significance 1:13 – Definition of glycation and AGEs 1:53 – Fructose and long-lived proteins 2:34 – Skeletal muscle structure & contraction 3:17 – Muscle as the primary glucose sink (GLUT4) 4:00 – Metabolic flexibility & AMPK 4:45 – Bone as a dynamic tissue 5:32 – Bone cell types & remodeling 6:16 – Lifelong bone turnover 6:56 – Collagen structure & glycation vulnerability 7:41 – Insulin resistance in muscle 8:25 – Inflammation, sarcopenia, and muscle loss 9:50 – Mitochondrial dysfunction 10:37 – Bone brittleness & abnormal cross-linking 11:18 – Bone quality vs density 12:05 – Imbalanced bone remodeling 12:53 – Tendon & ligament damage 13:37 – Cartilage glycation & osteoarthritis 15:01 – Muscle–bone interaction & frailty cycle 15:45 – Exercise as intervention 16:26 – Exercise and glucose control 17:11 – Practical movement advice 17:50 – Summary of systemic effects 18:35 – Recovery through exercise & glucose control 19:15 – Metabolic and musculoskeletal health connection Whether you’re studying physiology, managing metabolic disease, or seeking to understand aging at a cellular level, this episode reveals how glycation quietly degrades muscle, bone, and connective tissue—and why preserving musculoskeletal health is essential for long-term metabolic resilience and independence. About Dr. Paul Reynolds Dr. Reynolds is a biomedical scientist and professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, known for translating complex cellular mechanisms into clear, mechanistic insights. His College of Glycation series helps students and lifelong learners understand how glycation and inflammation drive chronic disease across organ systems. #MuscleHealth #BoneHealth #Sarcopenia #Osteoarthritis #Glycation #AGEs #InsulinResistance #MetabolicHealth #HealthyAging #CollegeOfGlycation #BiomedicalScience #HealthEducation Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://ufeelgreat.com/usa/en/c/C63EE3 Paul’s favorite source for clean, earth-sourced essentials such as salt, elecrolytes, hydration, pre-workout and more. Go to https://redmond.life and use PAULSALT for 15% discount. Paul’s favorite exogenous ketones: A high-quality option is the NSF-certified goBHB from Clean Form Nutrition, where you can use the code Paul10 for a 10% discount: https://cleanformnutrition.com/products/go-bhb Paul’s favorite allulose source: https://rxsugar.com (discount: PAUL20) Paul’s favorite health check-up for men or women: https://blokes.co/DRPAUL (discount: DRPAUL for 50% off of labs and smart supplements and 15% off all other products)