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)
Topic Glycation and your bones and muscles: why bone density scans miss the real story of fracture risk and how sugar crosslinks collagen to make bones brittle and muscles stiff, weak, and slow to repair — accelerating sarcopenia and frailty even when scans look normal. Summary Paul Reynolds, biomedical scientist and Professor of Cell Biology, reveals how glycation quietly sabotages the two tissues that keep you upright and mobile in this eye-opening episode of the College of Glycation. Bone strength is not the same as bone density: mineral provides stiffness, but collagen acts as the flexible “rebar” that absorbs impact. Glycation creates random AGE crosslinks like pentosidine that weld collagen strands together, turning tough, energy-absorbing bone into rigid, brittle material that snaps under force. This explains the diabetes paradox — people with type 2 diabetes fracture at much higher rates (especially at the hip) despite normal or even high bone mineral density, because AGEs accumulate and bone turnover slows; tools like FRAX systematically underestimate their risk. The same chemistry hits muscle: glycation stiffens the collagen matrix that transmits contractile force, while persistent RAGE signaling impairs satellite cell repair and drives muscle atrophy. Studies link higher AGE levels to weaker grip strength and greater sarcopenia risk in older adults, with frailty emerging as the visible end stage of brittle bones plus poorly repairing muscle. Practical countermeasures are empowering and synergistic: control blood sugar to slow glycation at the source, eat sufficient high-quality protein (needs rise with age to support repair), and prioritize resistance training, which strengthens both bone and muscle while improving glucose control in a virtuous cycle. Skin autofluorescence offers a noninvasive way to measure tissue AGE burden. Your skeleton and muscles are living, collagen-rich tissues that sugar can quietly sabotage, but the same habits that protect your metabolism also keep you strong, mobile, and unbroken for decades. References and more For complete show notes and references, we invite you to become an Insider subscriber. You'll enjoy a weekly newsletter, premier early access to College of Glycation episodes with full reprints of cited publications, a dedicated College of Glycation question portal with live recorded answers, Paul's Weekly Research Review Podcasts, and more. Learn more: paulreynoldsphd.com Translation Notes You can click the gear icon at the bottom of this video to auto-translate captions. For example, to translate into French, select Subtitles, choose Auto-Translate, then first choose English, then choose Auto-Translate again, then choose French. Timestamps 0:00 Intro: glycation in bones & muscles 0:32 Bone strength ≠ density (DEXA blind) 1:52 Collagen rebar glycated by AGEs 3:49 Non-enzymatic crosslinks (pentosidine) 5:54 AGEs make bone brittle 6:33 Diabetes high BMD but high fractures 8:36 Sugar sabotages bone collagen 9:18 Muscle matrix stiffens 10:37 RAGE overactivation drives wasting 12:04 AGE-RAGE impairs repair 13:27 Sarcopenia accelerated by AGEs 15:30 Frailty from glycated tissues 17:20 Control glucose + protein + train NOTE The information presented is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Paul Reynolds is a biomedical scientist and professor of cell biology, not a licensed clinician. Always seek the advice of your own qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. #BoneHealth #Sarcopenia #Osteoporosis #Pentosidine #FractureRisk #AGERAGE #insulinresistance #Glycation #AGEs #inflammation #OxidativeStress #ROS #Redox #CollegeOfGlycation #Ketodiet #LowCarb #InsulinResistance #HealthyAging #SugarDamage #HealthyLiving #KetoDiet #LowCarb #HealthPodcast #AntiAging #Nutrition #BiomedicalScience #BloodSugar #Wellness #HealthTips #SciencePodcast #HealthyEating #CellularHealth #Keto #KetoCommunity #HealthEducation Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://unicity.link/121f260bfe Yerbe mate with a special formulated Balance fiber: https://ufeelgreat.com/c/PaulReynolds Full Metabolic System storefront: https://shop.unicity.com/paulreynolds Paul’s favorite source for clean, earth-sourced essentials such as salt, electrolytes, 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)