Show Notes
In this episode, Drs Eric Trexler and Lauren Colenso-Semple begin with an extended rant about the state of science publishing & communication. From there it's a tour through the week's health headlines which include public debates about potential side effects of hormonal birth control, the "you're moving wrong" pain-and-posture fearmongering, a confused New York Post piece treating teen creatine use as a gateway drug, and a list of "parenting mistakes that shorten your kids' lives," among others.
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Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review. Mostly because Lauren and Eric co-own it.
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Chapters 0:00 - Intro rant about science communication & scientific communication on social media 22:08 - Headlines begin: birth control & the nocebo effect 34:20 - Fear of moving "wrong" 46:23 - Creatine as a gateway drug 55:11 - 5 "parenting mistakes that shorten your kids' life" 1:10:53 - Cats, birds & dirty windows 1:13:02 - Wrap-up & sign-off
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.