Show Notes
Lauren shares that the New York Post contacted her about the viral claim that "women can't do pull-ups," which opens a discussion of the data behind it and the factors that go into training for a pull-up. After a detour into "skeleton news" (the first confirmed death by trebuchet), they turn to the headlines: viral Christian men-only gyms, and the growing trend of health-tracker jewelry like smart rings and earrings. The back half leans into the science stories. They look at a conference abstract on AI photo-based calorie tracking and how well these apps estimate calories from a meal, followed by an extended discussion of a Cell Press review on protein intake, aging, and longevity, and how to interpret research drawn from cells, flies, and rodents. They wrap with listener mail — a hippo-themed follow-up to last episode's carnivore-diet segment, and a question about yoga, flexibility, and the claims that surround it, ending on the backstory of Joseph Pilates.
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Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review
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Chapters 0:00 Intro & the "women can't do pull-ups" story 6:11 Skeleton news: death by trebuchet 13:27 Christian men-only gyms go viral 20:51 Health-tracker jewelry gets fancy 33:48 Can AI photos count your calories? 44:00 Does less protein slow aging? 1:04:05 Listener mail 1:08:30 Yoga claims based on science and/or tradition 1:15:45 Wrap-up
More from Front Page Fitness
Trexler and Lauren open with the White Monster Americano and a riff on navigating international coffee vocabulary. From there into the headlines: Shane Gillis’s SNL gym joke and a discussion of gym attire and etiquette; the “ZYN-ification of wellness” and the wave of caffeine, melatonin, vitamin, and even teeth-whitening pouches, and whether the delivery format does anything; a New York Post “30-second arm curl test” said to predict how well you’ll age; and a longer segment on whether Smith machine squats are dangerous, prompted by a viral post about an IFBB pro’s spinal cord injury, which rolls into a listener question about buttwink — what it is and when it actually matters — before they wrap up.
Welcome to a (rare) pre-recorded episode of FPF! We'll be back to live episodes starting next week - Wednesday, Oct 14 at 5:30 pm eastern time.
In today’s episode, Drs Eric Trexler and Lauren Colenso-Semple tackle a mix of fitness and wellness claims. They start with a myth-busting look at “runner’s waist” and why running won’t accidentally build bulky obliques. They then unpack misleading muscle-versus-fat health messaging, explain why smartwatch calorie-burn estimates aren’t useful for guiding diet decisions, and take a nuanced look at ashwagandha, covering the evidence, supplement quality, possible interactions, and liver-safety concerns.
Today's episode outline was generated (almost) entirely by listeners. Topics include the first new cat species in over a century, new words added to the dictionary, a particularly gross controversy in Hyrox, more drivel about micromanaging blood glucose, updated testosterone screening guidelines in the US Military, a question about weight gain during vacation, and much more.Join us for a live recording of Front Page Fitness at 5:30 pm eastern time!Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Reviewmassresearchreview.comChapters00:00 Intro02:02 New words in the dictionary06:57 Discovery of a new wild cat species in Bolivia14:16 Fecal controversy in Hyrox30:18 Reversing pre-diabetes during menopause44:37 Pentagon's new guidelines on testosterone screening55:07 Listener question about vacation weight gain
Today's opening chatter is all about lobster rolls. After that, Lauren and Eric get into this week's headlines. They start with a National Geographic piece on seven science-backed ways to curb appetite without weight-loss drugs, working through the individual tips and the "glucose goddess" framing of natural GLP-1 claims, fiber, and ultra-processed foods. That leads into a broader conversation about the longevity and "optimization" content culture. Two walking headlines follow: one on a walking habit said to boost longevity, and one on the "lymphatic walking" trend and claims about flushing toxins. A listener question from CJ covers the U.S. Army's switch from height-to-weight tables to a waist-to-height ratio for body composition, and its new Army Fitness Test (deadlift, hand-release push-ups, sprint-drag-carry, plank, two-mile run). They close with a listener question from Nicole on the minimum weekly cardio and strength needed to stay healthy on a tight schedule.