The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, discusses how grow-finish pigs respond to high soybean meal diets. He explains the initial drop in feed intake, changes in backfat, later adaptation, energy efficiency, amino acid utilization, and the rise in nitrogen excretion at higher inclusion levels. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

“Once they got adapted to the diet, they can handle higher levels of inclusion of soybean meal.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University whose work focuses on swine nutrition, ingredient characterization, energy metabolism, caloric efficiency, and applied data analysis. With more than 15 years of experience in swine production across Latin America, Gustavo also brings expertise in environmental control, performance evaluation, barn ventilation, and grow-finish housing. Learn more from Gustavo Lima on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (02:02) Introduction
• (03:07) Soybean meal inclusion
• (04:17) Research hypothesis
• (07:00) Energy efficiency
• (09:09) Nitrogen excretion
• (10:02) Practical advice
• (11:24) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

- DietForge

- Gilt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Astrid Pilgård Rasmussen, PhD student in Animal Science at Aarhus University, discusses berry pomace as a feed ingredient for newly weaned pigs. She explains how berry byproducts may support gut health, oxidative stress response, diarrhea outcomes, and growth performance while fitting circular use of local resources. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Berry pomace is the byproduct we have left after juice production from berries."

Meet the guest: Astrid Pilgård Rasmussen is a PhD Student in Animal Science at Aarhus University, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. Her PhD work focuses on feeding strategies to mitigate oxidative stress and improve gut health in weaned pigs as part of the PIG PARADIGM Project. Learn more from Astrid Rasmussen on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms!

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:43) Introduction
• (02:49) What berry pomace is
• (04:50) Trial design in weaned piglets
• (05:38) Oxidative stress and diarrhea findings
• (06:55) Palatability and growth performance
• (08:05) Biomarkers and microbiome
• (08:55) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

* Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Theo van Kempen, an independent consultant with extensive swine nutrition and product development experience, explains how refeeding syndrome can affect newly weaned piglets. He discusses phosphate depletion, edema, intestinal health, oxygen delivery, and high-glycemic nursery diets, and presents nutritional strategies designed to reduce postweaning challenges. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

“Refeeding syndrome develops when feeding resumes after fasting, creating an acute phosphate deficiency as metabolism rapidly accelerates and cellular phosphate requirements increase.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Theo van Kempen holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of Illinois and has extensive experience in swine nutrition, digestive health, nutrient management, and feed product development. His career includes academic research at North Carolina State University and leadership positions in animal nutrition R&D. He currently works independently in product development, including nutraceutical and nutritional innovation. Listen to Dr. Theo van Kempen on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms!

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:27) Introduction
• (02:55) What refeeding syndrome is
• (03:44) Fasting and phosphate loss
• (04:31) High glycemic diets and insulin
• (06:27) Health consequences
• (10:12) Low glycemic nursery diets
• (11:57) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- DietForge

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- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Emiline Sundman, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Iowa State University, discusses nutritional and environmental enrichment strategies for nursery pigs. She explains how enrichment influences feeding behavior, pig welfare, and early health indicators while addressing performance outcomes and commercial feasibility. Learn how feeder behavior could support earlier health detection. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Enrichment can improve pig welfare even when it does not translate into better performance."

Meet the guest: Dr. Emiline Sundman is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Iowa State University. Her work examines animal welfare through behavioral and epidemiological approaches. She earned a PhD in Population Sciences in Animal Health and a master's degree in Animal Physiology with an ethology focus from Iowa State University. Her master's research explored biologically relevant environmental enrichment to improve swine livability.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:35) Introduction
• (02:50) Enrichment study design
• (05:18) Performance results
• (06:35) Welfare implications
• (08:21) Commercial feasibility
• (10:09) Feeder behavior and health
• (11:24) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- DietForge

- Gilt

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Brian Kerr, Research Animal Scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, explains how lipid quality influences swine nutrition. He addresses key factors such as fatty acid profiles, free fatty acids, oxidation, digestibility, and their effects on feed intake and pig performance. Practical quality control strategies can help producers evaluate fat sources and maintain nutritional value. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research articles:

Aldehydes are key for assessing dietary lipid oxidation and subsequent effects on pig growth performance

Effects of peroxidized soybean oil on growth and energy digestibility in broilers

"Oxidized fat can lower feed intake through aldehydes that change odor and taste, ultimately reducing pig growth performance in commercial systems."

Meet the guest: Dr. Brian Kerr is a Research Animal Scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. His work in swine and poultry nutrition examines lipid quality, fat digestibility, oxidation products, and the influence of feed ingredients on animal performance. Learn more from Dr. Brian Kerr on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:41) Introduction
• (02:31) Lipid quality factors
• (03:56) Free fatty acids
• (06:41) Feed intake effects
• (08:41) Quality control
• (10:01) Future lipid research
• (11:28) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- Barentz

- DietForge

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- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Felix Njeri, PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, discusses alternative protein ingredients for nursery pigs. He explains why fiber, antinutritional factors, processing method, and protein structure affect digestibility, nutrient availability, and piglet performance. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Cold pressing preserves the native protein structure, while heat and solvent extraction can reduce solubility and limit nutrient availability."

Meet the guest: Felix Njeri is a PhD candidate in Monogastric Nutrition at the University of Guelph. His work focuses on protein evaluation, feed formulation, feed enzymes, nutrient utilization, and strategies that improve protein and energy efficiency in poultry and swine systems while reducing nitrogen losses. Learn more from Felix Njeri on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:24) Introduction
• (02:33) Nursery insights
• (04:32) Fiber effects
• (06:58) Sunflower processing
• (08:24) In vitro testing
• (10:09) Validation steps
• (12:40) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

* Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

- DietForge

- Gilt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Charlotte Lauridsen, Professor and Head of the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Aarhus University, discusses nutritional immunology in pigs. She explains how oxidative stress, inflammation, immune activation, gut microbiota, early feeding strategies, and biomarkers can help producers better understand and manage pig health. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Dietary strategies can help prevent oxidative stress and inflammation from getting out of control while supporting immune cell function."

Meet the guest: Dr. Charlotte Lauridsen is Professor and Head of the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Aarhus University. Her work focuses on nutritional immunology, including how fatty acids, vitamins, oxidative stress, inflammation, gut microbiota, and early-life nutrition influence sow and piglet health. She previously served as senior researcher, section leader, and professor at Aarhus University, and also held professor roles at Aalborg University. Learn more from Dr. Charlotte Lauridsen on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:36) Introduction
• (02:10) Guest background
• (03:14) Oxidative stress
• (05:31) Inflammation control
• (09:20) Immune diet tools
• (11:55) Biomarker use
• (14:40) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- DietForge

- Gilt

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anastasia Vlasova, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, explains how nutrition shapes the gut microbiome and immune responses in pigs. She discusses gnotobiotic piglet models, diet-driven microbiome diversity, fiber and protein balance, and how nutritional programs may influence pathogen load and disease severity. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Nutrition is the main driver of microbiome development, composition, and immune function in swine production systems."

Meet the guest: Dr. Anastasia Vlasova is an Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, where her work focuses on rotavirus and coronavirus pathogenesis, epidemiology, virology, and swine models for infectious disease research. She holds a DVM and PhD and has over 20 years of experience at Ohio State studying host, pathogen, microbiome, and immunity interactions. Learn more from Dr. Anastasia Vlasova on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:35) Introduction
• (03:55) Piglet models
• (06:54) Nutrition effects
• (08:41) Fiber diversity
• (11:24) Pathogen load
• (11:40) Diet responses
• (12:51) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- Gilt

- DietForge

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Kynna Crawford, Graduate Research Assistant at South Dakota State University, discusses how Plackett-Burman designs can help screen nursery diet ingredients for early post-weaning feed intake. She explains why low intake after weaning contributes to stress and mortality, how screening trials can evaluate multiple ingredients in a single study, and how the approach can support both research and commercial nursery nutrition decisions. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"A single screening trial can help identify which nursery ingredients deserve deeper research for early post-weaning feed intake."

Meet the guest: Kynna Crawford is a Master's student in Animal Sciences at South Dakota State University, where her work focuses on swine nutrition and nursery pig management. Her research examines strategies to alleviate weaning stress, including dietary approaches and screening tools to identify ingredients that may promote early feed intake. Learn more from Kynna Crawford on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:43) Introduction
• (02:16) Research background
• (03:23) Weaning stress
• (04:56) Study design
• (07:19) Main effects
• (09:28) Industry applications
• (11:49) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

* Kemin

- Barentz

- Gilt

- DietForge

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Daniel Brugger, Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki, continues the discussion on precision trace mineral nutrition for swine. Building on the previous episode, he explains the practical barriers to implementation, including research gaps, the lack of reliable biomarkers, feed-mixing limitations, genetic considerations, and the reasons why micronutrients are the next frontier in sustainable pig nutrition. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Microminerals represent the next major opportunity for improving sustainable swine nutrition through greater feeding precision and better scientific understanding."

Meet the guest: Dr. Daniel Brugger is Associate Professor of Companion and Monogastric Production Animal Nutrition at the University of Helsinki, where he leads the Helsinki Monogastric Nutrition Lab. His research focuses on sustainable nutrition for pigs, including trace elements, nutritional physiology, feed ingredients, and environmental sustainability. Listen to The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast featuring Dr. Daniel Brugger on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:22) Introduction
• (01:42) Research gaps
• (02:57) Biomarker challenges
• (04:22) Feed technology
• (04:43) Outdated requirements
• (06:28) Genetics comparison
• (09:04) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin

* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

- Gilt

- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

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