Sigma Nutrition Radio (Danny Lennon)

Dr. Tobias is a nutrition and obesity epidemiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She received doctoral and postdoctoral training from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, under mentor Dr. Frank B. Hu.

Dr. Tobias is co-Instructor of Nutrition Epidemiology with Dr. Walter Willett and faculty member at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Her epidemiologic research focuses on identifying lifestyle risk factors and underlying mechanisms related to obesity and its major chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Dr. Tobias is currently the Academic Editor for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Show notes at sigmanutrition.com/episode386

Simone is an Intuitive Eating Counsellor, currently finishing MSc Nutrition and Behaviour at Bournemouth University. She is also a PhD Counselling psychology candidate. Her academic research area is body image and adaptive eating, and she practices as a therapist in the field of nutrition, chronic dieting, body image and eating disorders.

In This Episode We Discuss
The scale of the problem of negative body image
Tying appearance to self-worth & personal identity
External drivers of negative body image
Root causes of obesity
Why “self-responsability” isn’t helpful at scale
Steps in modifying body image
Self-talk: moving from negative to neutral to positive
Can non-weight loss interventions improve health to the same degree as those that lead to weight loss in “at risk” groups (e.g. those with diabetes or with obesity)?

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode284/

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Dr. James Morton is a Professor of Exercise Metabolism at Liverpool John Moores University. He has an extensive list of published peer-review research in high impact journals, as well as being deeply involved in the highly-regarded sport science and nutrition programs at LJMU.

James was Head of Nutrition at Team Sky (now Team Ineos) during a period where the team captured 5 Tour de France titles. Previously, Dr. Morton worked as head performance nutritionist at Liverpool Football Club. He also also worked with professional and amateur boxers.

Show Notes: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode286/

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Episode 170: Aadam Ali of Physiquinomics is on to discuss his personal diet experiements, what he learnt and some philosophies on nutrition and training.
Aadam writes fitness-related content over at his site Physiqonomics. He writes about his philosophies on nutrition, training and all things physique related. He also self-experiments with different approaches and reports the results. These have included periods of time eating various iterations of a ketogenic diet, employing extended fasts, using time-restricted feeding and more. He has also written content for various other reputable sites including Strengtheory. Aadam also works one-to-one with coaching clients who want to improve their physique.

Links: 

• Go to episode page
• Receive Danny's free emails
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium

About This Episode:

Trevor received a PhD in Biochemistry from the Univerisity of Arizona at the age of 23. Previous to that he completed his undergraduate degree whilst still in high school.

He currently is the owner of Trevor Kashey Nutrition, where he works with an array of different people. Previous to that he was an owner of Relentless Dietetics.

Trevor has competed in strongman and bodybuilding in the past, and has been the nutrition consultant to many athletes in those sports and other strength-based sports.

Trevor is a lover of learning, science and critical thinking.

Questions Answered in This Epsiode:

1. [02:16] How would you implement a calorie surplus for “bulking” in healthy trainees without compromising their health markers?
2. [15:25] If you were to advise someone with a heavy workload and busy schedule on how to establish the 80/20 of a healthy lifestyle, what would you tell them?
3. [24:36] Is coconut oil good or bad? What about claims that it cures cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc.?
4. [33:25] In the circumstance in which an individual has a normal ApoB yet an elevated LDL particle number, which value is more representative of risk?
5. [41:39] Should you supplement in order to reach 100% of RDA for micronutrients?
6. [46:35] Are raw oats a good ingredient to add to smoothies? Do they need to be cooked?
7. [51:58] Is there any research supporting whether or not diet really impacts oral thrush?
8. [55:21] Is there any benefit to supplemental collagen?

Note: This is a Premium-exclusive “ask me anything” episode. You can access the full episode as a Premium subscriber. Join here.

The relationship between coffee and health is complex, encompassing areas like blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, anxiety, and depression. Coffee has an interesting nutrient profile and contains diverse bioactive compounds that influence metabolism.

Coffee has a potential impact on cardiovascular disease risk, with mechanisms that highlight potential benefits and some concerns. There may be an impact on blood pressure and blood lipid, but there are important nuances to this.

Some research suggests that moderate intake may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with some mechanisms proposed for the observation. 

Coffee’s effects on anxiety, depression, and sleep are common talking points and worthy of addressing. The context of the consumption and the individual in question will dictate the likely effects. Ultimately, coffee’s effects on health are influenced by various factors, warranting personalized approaches to consumption.

In this episode, Simon Hill puts some questions to Danny Lennon about the impact of coffee on our health.

Links:

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• Simon's website: The Proof

How to Build a Career in Nutrition Coaching
For some reason enough people have seemingly deemed me to be “successful” enough to ask me for advice about starting a career in nutrition, usually via some version of one of the following questions:

What nutrition course do you suggest I do?
What qualifications do I need to work as a nutritionist?
I’m a personal trainer/coach, what is the best way to improve my nutrition knowledge and/or my reputation as a nutrition coach?
I currently work in a different field but want to transition to a career in nutrition. How should I go about this? Is it possible?
I’d like to work in sports nutrition. How do I go about this?
So the plan is to address these questions comprehensively in this guide. Which should hopefully help those of you who have similar questions. So let’s get started!

Dr. Kathryn Bradbury, PhD is a researcher at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her research has focused on examining the role of diet in the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases.

Dr. Bradbury spent 5 years in the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. There, she worked as a nutritional epidemiologist on large cohort studies, including the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), and the UK Biobank.

She also has expertise in traditional and web-based dietary assessment methods, nutritional epidmiology (including prospective analyses of large cohort studies), biomarkers of nutritional status (including folate), blood lipids, the role of diet in the development of gastrointestinal cancers, and vegetarian nutrition.

Show Notes: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode346

Our 200th episode is a special and unique one with an in-depth panel discussion on the topic of saturated fat. On the panel are Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, Stephen Guyenet PhD, Chris Masterjohn PhD and Brad Dieter PhD.
The Panellists

1) Dr. Spencer Nadolsky

Dr. Nadolsky is a a board certified family and obesity medicine physician. He is known for being extremely passionate about using exercise and lifestyle interventions as medicine, where possible. Dr. Nadolsky runs an online clinic, SteadyMD.com, where he can help patients all over America. He is also the author of The Fat Loss Prescription.

2) Stephan Guyenet, PhD

Stephan is an obesity researcher, neurobiologist, and author. In addition to his research, he enjoys synthesizing and communicating science for a general audience over at his hugely successful blog. Stephan has a BS. in biochemistry (University of Virginia) and a PhD in neurobiology (University of Washington). He recently published the fantastic book ‘The Hungry Brain’, which dives into the causes of obesity from the perspective of overeating and related brain chemistry.

3) Chris Masterjohn, PhD

Chris has a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut. He was formerly an Assistant Professor of Health and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College. Chris currently writes detailed nutritional science articles on his blog chrismasterjohnphd.com and hosts a podcast, Mastering Nutrition.

4) Brad Dieter, PhD

Brad holds a PhD. in exercise physiology from the University of Idaho. Brad has also done research training as a fellow in biomedical research, examining how nutrition and metabolism influence disease. Brad also runs Science Driven Nutrition, an online platform that aims to spread evidence-based nutrition information.

In This Episode We Discuss:

Differences between different SFA’s (butyric vs. lauric vs. myristic, etc.)
Benefits of consumption of SFA-containing foods?
Effects at cellular level: ease of storage, oxidation proneness of different fatty acid types, role in cell membrane
Effect of SFA on LDL-C & LDL-P (and hence CHD risk)
Effect of SFA on blood lipids
Effect of SFA (and/or total dietary fat) on food intake: effect on satiety? palatability?
Reducing SFA: If lowering SFA intake, how much does the replacing nutrient make (MUFA vs. PUFA vs. CHO vs. PRO)
Food sources/Delivery method: Isolated SFA intake (e.g. spoonfuls of coconut oil) vs. SFA packaged alongside other nutrients/fibre and phytonutrients (e.g. some oil drizzled on a salad)
Practical Implications: Is there a best target intake range of SFA for health?
Is there an “optimal” ratio of SFA:MUFA:PUFA?
Are current nutritional guidelines for SFA intake suitable? (The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat.)

Sigma Seminar: http://sigmanutrition.com/seminar2017/

Episode 160: Danny discusses tools that have been invaluable to him in life across 5 categories: non-nutrition books, tracking, creation, living life and asking yourself questions.

Episode 146: Answering a listener question: “I have a sugar addiction. Every time I quit, I get sucked right back in a few months later and gain 10 lbs. What can you say to help me, besides "stop eating sugar?”

I discuss carbohydrates with Brian St. Pierre  of Precision Nutrition. Everything from intakes for different people, sources, requirements for different athletes and how to periodise intake for your goals.

Links:

• Go to episode page (w/ resources)
• Get Danny's weekly emails
• Subscibe to Premium

Description:

Understanding the concept of an “exposure” is a critical aspect to nutrition science literacy. The ‘exposure of interest’ refers to the variable or factor that is being studied to determine its relationship with a particular health outcome.

For example, in a study examining the relationship between diet and heart disease, the exposure of interest may be a particular nutrient or food group, such as saturated fat or red meat consumption.

But when reading research we need to be able to critically examine the levels of an exposure and ask were these suitable for the research question at hand.

For example, is there a sufficiently wide contrast in the exposure between the groups being compared? How do the reported levels of intake relate to what we know about this exposure from the wider literature?

Much has been made of the many ’null’ associations found in nutrition epidemiology. But in many cases, these may be accounted for by looking at the exposure contrast or absolute intakes in those studies. Something we referred to as “null by design”.

In this episode, Danny and Alan go through the most crucial aspects to understand about the exposure of interest in nutrition, hopefully leading to an enhanced understanding of interpreting nutrition research.

Omega-3 fatty acids have long been associated with various health outcomes. A type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in various plant foods such as flax seeds or chia seeds. Other omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found typically in marine food sources such as oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel) and algae. And while higher intakes of such foods have shown benefit, there has been some confusion over the benefit of such nutrients due to some large omega-3 supplementation trials reporting null findings.

So what should we make of the current evidence base? Does supplementation lead to heart disease risk reduction or not? Do we need direct sources of EPA and DHA in the diet? Does ALA have unique benefits? What is an omega-3 index and why is it important?

In this episode, fatty acid expert Dr. Bill Harris dives into each of these questions and clarifies what the current evidence tells us about the effect of these fatty acids on our health.

Overview:

• 04:02 - Fatty acid definitions/subtypes
• 09:14 - Omega-3 status & the Omega-3 Index (O3I)
• 20:03 - Omega-3 supplementation trials for CVD
• 41:15 - DHA, brain health, cognition in later life, development, etc
• 49:45 - Should we be concerned about omega-6 fatty acids?

Show note available at: sigmanutrition.com/episode432/

Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium here: sigmanutrition.com/premium/

Episode 83: Shawn Wells discusses the good and bad of the supplement industry, red flags when it comes to selecting supplements, markers of good products and the importance of gut health.

Richard Nikoley of FreeTheAnimal.com is on the show talking about the problems with dogmatic view around low-carb, ketogenic and Paleo diets. We also discuss the importance of the microbiome and the emergence of resistant starch and prebiotic fiber as a means to imrpove gut health.

Note: Contain explicit language.

Episode 138: Sports dietitian and PhD candidate Dana Lis discusses some new research examining the potential for acute low-FODMAP diets to help alleviate GI symptoms in athletes

Dana is a well-known sport dietitian with broad experience at the Professional, Olympic, National and International levels. Her passion for high performance sport nutrition has provided her the honor of working with several world-class athletes, achieving top performance; including helping Canada's athletes win Olympic medals at London 2012 and Sochi 2014.

As a registered dietitian and graduate of the renowned IOC diploma in sport nutrition, she is currently completing PhD research investigating the effects of gluten-free and acute low FODMAPs diets on gastrointestinal health and inflammation in endurance athletes.

David Zeevi is an independent research fellow at Rockefeller University in New York. His current work focuses on developing computational methods for studying microbial ecology in the human gut and in the marine environment, and its contribution to human and environmental health.

Previously he completed his PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel under Prof. Eran Segal, studying the human microbiome and its effect on host health and personalized nutrition. He was lead author on two important studies to come from the lab, published in Nature and Cell respectively.

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode298/

Links:

• Go to episode page (with study links)
• Subscribe to PREMIUM
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• Sigma's Recommended Resources

About This Episode:

The field of research exploring sex differences in exercise response has yielded intriguing findings, shedding light on the complex interplay between biology, physiology, and training adaptations.

One of the fundamental areas of investigation pertains to sex disparities in strength, power, and hypertrophy. Historically, it’s been well-established that males, on average, exhibit greater absolute strength and muscle mass compared to females. This discrepancy often traces its roots back to inherent physiological distinctions.

However, when it comes to responses to strength and hypertrophy training, the narrative becomes more nuanced. Research indicates that, when individuals of both sexes follow matched resistance training protocols, the relative improvements in strength and hypertrophy are quite similar.

So, do women need to be trained differently than men? The answer, it appears, is not as much as one might assume. The principles of progressive overload, specificity, and other training fundamentals remain constant. While individualization is key, the idea of drastically distinct training guidelines based on sex lacks compelling empirical support.

The guest in this episode, Dr. David Nolan, is a researcher in the area of sex differences in exercise response, and has looked at the influences of menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use in female athletes on their performance.

In this episode, we discuss the research to date, and what this means practically for athletes and coaches.

There have been many claims made about the benefits of a detoxification "protocol" or "plan", based on specific dietary and supplemental regimens. Many of the arguments propose that many things we come into contact with are toxins and they can accumulate and compound in effect over time, causing a range of issues. Therefore, by removing these toxins (via a “detoxification protocol”), we can have better health.

And indeed it is well known that there are a large number of toxins in the environment, many of which can potentially be deleterious to health. And it also known that many nutrients are involed in processes of the body's detoxification pathways.

However, is there any evidence that a detoxification diet, plan or "protocol" improves health? Is there any reason to suggest targeting certain nutrients or supplements leads to "better detoxification"? And do we need to avoid non-organic food, toothpaste and non-stick frying plans in avoid to avoid these toxins? This Quack Asylum episode evaluates these claims.

Study notes available at sigmanutrition.com/detox/

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Brianna Stubbs, PhD

In 2016 Brianna completed her PhD in Metabolic Biochemistry at Oxford University. She also became a World Champion rower as part of the GB Rowing Lightweight Women's four person crew, and won 3 other World Rowing Championships medals. She has published peer-reviewed studies looking at ketone metabolism, ketone ester supplementation in athletes and effects of ketones on appetite.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Brianna's background as an elite-level rower
• Her PhD research on ketone metabolism
• Misconceptions about ketones (both endogenous and exogenous)
• Ketogenesis: why do we make ketones?
• Brianna's study examining effect of ketone ester supplementation on appetite and ghrelin levels
• Who needs to even know their ketone concentration?
• Ketone supplements: glycogen sparing or glycogen impairing?
• Effect of ketone supplementation on fuel selection in endurance athletes
• Potential for supplementation: where is the area we will most likely see some benefit?
• Limitations of current literature base

Nick Hiebert writes about nutrition science on his site The Nutrivore, as well as exclusive, comprehnsive posts on his Patreon page. He is the creator of the "Nutrient Density Cheat Sheet", a nutrition ranking tool for hundreds of whole foods. 

Nick has a deep interest in a host of nutrition science topics, from nutrient density to saturated fat & cardiovascular disease. He does a lot of deep analysis of raw data and has published some independent meta-analyses on his site. 

Show notes can be found at sigmanutrition.com/episode360

Links:

• Go to episode page
• Subscribe to PREMIUM
• Receive Danny's weekly email
• Twitter: @NutritionDanny
• Instagram: @dannylennon_sigma

About This Episode:

Note: This is a Premium-exclusive episode, so in order to listen to the full episode you’ll need to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium. 

Low-carbohydrate diets come with a list of reported benefits, and research does show benefit for a number of different outcomes. However, many influencers and advocates of low-carb diets routinely add commentary that is misleading, incorrect, and possibly dangerous. This has led to us highlighting such incorrect information on this podcast before and pushing back against central claims of the “big names” in the “low-carb community”.

However, low-carbohydrate diets can indeed be a viable dietary pattern for people who wish to consume a healthy diet… provided they meet a few criteria. In other words, it is possible to consume a low-carb diet that still largely fits in with the evidence we have on healthy dietary patterns.

In this episode, Danny discusses what health outcomes may result from low-carb diets, and what distinguishes a “healthy low-carb diet” from an “unhealthy low-carb diet”. This includes some pragmatic tips for nutritionists, health professionals and consumers, who are choosing to use a low-carbohydrate diet.

Prof. Barry Popkin is the W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a nutrition and obesity researcher at the Carolina Population Center and is the director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Obesity at UNC.

He developed the concept of the Nutrition Transition, the study of the dynamic shifts in dietary intake and physical activity patterns and trends around obesity and other nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCD). Prof. Popkin is involved now in work on program and policy design at the national level to improve the average diet at the population level.

He has published more than 545 journal articles, and is one of the most cited nutrition scholars in the world, with more than 90,000 citations.

Show notes available at sigmanutrition.com/episode380

Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, DO is on the show talking about lifestyle medicine, using evidence in practice, how to think about carbs and dietary fat.

Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is an family physician who specializes in weight loss (bariatric medicine) and cholesterol (lipidology).

Links:

• Episode page with resources
• Subscribe to PREMIUM
• MASS Research Review

About This Episode:

Metabolic adaptation refers to the process by which the body adjusts its metabolism in response to changes in energy intake or body mass. This adjustment can occur in both directions, meaning that the body can increase or decrease its energy expenditure in response to changes in energy intake or body weight.

When someone consumes fewer calories than their body requires for energy, the body will respond by slowing down its metabolism to conserve energy. This can make it harder to lose weight and maintain weight loss over time. Conversely, when someone consumes more calories than their body needs, the body will increase its metabolic rate in order to burn off the excess energy.

There are several open debates in science about metabolic adaptation, including the actual magnitude of it, its relevance to weight loss, what measurement methods should be used, and the mechanisms underlying the contributory factors.

Some people have framed metabolic adaptation as so significant that it makes weight loss attempts futile. While others, including in research, have referred to metabolic adaptation as an “illusion”. So what do we actually know about this concept and what is the pragmatic significance of it?

To discuss the nuances of the topic, Alan and Danny are joined by Dr. Eric Trexler, who has published on this topic and has followed recent publications closely.

About The Guest:

Dr. Eric Trexler is Director of Education at Stronger By Science, where he co-hosts the SBS podcast. He also is one of the four contributors to the MASS Research Review.

Eric has a prolific background in exercise science research, with more than 30 publications to his name by the time he completed his PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Links:

• Episode page
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• Live Event: London, UK
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About This Episode:

Does sodium lead to calcium losses? Do high-salt diets harm bone health? At what thresholds could there be an impact? Does any of this change our recommendations around salt/sodium intake?

Thanks to Sigma Nutrition Premium subscriber Kate Wall for submitting a question in the member’s area that inspired this episode.

Kate asks: “Salt can impact calcium excretion in the urine and it is said that a high salt diet can increase risk of osteoporosis as it draws calcium from the bone and excretes it. How much of an impact does dietary salt intake actually have on bone health and how high would salt intake have to be for this to be a concern? Obviously high salt intakes are not something to aim for in general, but just wondered if this was a mechanism that could remove meaningful amounts of calcium in a way that I should be advising around this in those that we work with as nutritional professionals. Thanks!”

So in this episode, Danny and Alan look at some of the evidence in this area to see if there are impacts that have pragmatic implications for nutrition and medical professionals, as well as health-concious people.

In this episode Alan and Danny discuss the role of cholesterol in the body and claims that are made suggesting low levels of blood cholesterol are harmful to health.

Starting with the premise that cholesterol is an important molecule in the body and plays a role in many processes, discussed are two related claims:

1. we should avoid low cholesterol levels as it can harm our health
2. elevated levels of cholesterol may actually be protective against disease or mortality.

The episode also critiques claims about cholesterol being “conditionally essential” and that low LDL-C/ApoB increases risk of mortality, cancer and infection.

Show notes at sigmanutrition.com/episode424/

Today's Topic in Focus: Omega-3 Supplementation & Heart Disease [01:52] 

"I Have a Question!" [66:30]: UK government obesity plan. 

Quack Asylum [87:00]:
Is a gram of PUFA in chicken worse than 250g of sugar from honey? Carnivore cannibalism! 

Random Recommendations [94:20] 

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode348/

Richard Nikoley is the man behind the blog Free the Animal, which as of 2016, contains over 4,000 posts and 100,000 comments from readers. He has written about his learnings on health, diet, and lifestyle.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Discussions around ketosis
• Calorie-deficit induced ketogenic diet vs. nutritional ketosis at calorie balance
• Anti-lipolytic nature of ketones
• Inaccurate claims about ketosis and ketogenic diets
• Hierarchy of factors influencing body composition

Episode 113: A collection of the best guest answers to the question "if you could advise people to do one thing each day that would improve their life in some aspect, what would that one thing be?".

Sleep is one of the most critical yet often overlooked components of health, performance, and overall well-being. Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can disrupt circadian rhythms, impair glucose metabolism, and alter hunger signals, leading to increased food intake, reduced insulin sensitivity, and other undesirable outcomes.

In this episode, we bring together expert discussions from some of the leading researchers in sleep science, to explore what defines high-quality sleep, the mechanisms behind sleep regulation, and the factors that influence sleep-wake cycles, from light exposure to psychological stress.

Timestamps

Note: Full episode only available on Sigma Nutrition Premium.

• [02:14] The importance of sleep duration and timing
• [05:32] Exploring sleep intensity and architecture
• [07:50] Defining good quality sleep
• [12:46] The two process model of sleep regulation
• [19:06] What is sleep?
• [24:47] Socioeconomic factors and sleep
• [34:30] The impact of blue light on sleep
• [47:10] Wake drive and sleep pressure
• [52:44] Stress, anxiety, and sleep
• [58:27] Common sleep disorders
• [01:06:26] Sleep and eating behavior

Related Resources

• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Episodes referenced:
  • 38: Dan Pardi, PhD
  • 316: Michael Grandner, PhD
  • 209: Amy Bender, PhD
  • 433: Greg Potter, PhD
  • 328: Meeta Singh, MD
  • 536: Ian Dunican, PhD
  • 61: Kirk Parsley, MD

Episode 179: Patterns that I've recognised and traits that are common to the best people in evidence-based nutrition and fitness.

John is Senior Lecturer in Elite Performance at the Institute of Coaching & Performance at the University of Central Lancashire. He has published a long list of peer-reviewed work, notably on stress and periodization, and is well known for questioning conventional dogmas withing strength & conditioning literature and practice.

John’s career within sport has been relatively varied, having experienced life as an international competitor, coach, sports scientist and strength and conditioning specialist. He has been the head of S&C at UK athletics, a S&C coach to Olympic medallists & world champions, as well as working with teams at both Rugby & Soccer World Cups.

In This Episode We Discuss
Issues translating research into practice
How is a critical thinking mindset fostered/developed/trained?
Scepticism vs. nihilism
Cognitive bias: pitfalls for coaches or practitioners

SNR LIVE: sigmanutrition.com/snr-live/

In a world flooded with information, discerning fact from fiction in fitness and nutrition has never been more challenging—or more important. The rise of social media and democratized science has given everyone a platform, but not all voices are equal.

How do we navigate a landscape where influencers with massive followings wield the same credibility as seasoned experts? Why do pseudoscientific trends gain traction while nuanced evidence gets lost in the noise?

In this episode we also dive into the evolution of coaching, examining how the obsession with quantifiable metrics has shifted the focus away from human connection. How can professionals balance the drive for scalable success with the need for meaningful client relationships? And what lessons can we draw from decades of shifts in the fitness industry to stay resilient amid rapid societal and technological changes?

Timestamps

• [04:33] Eric’s personal journey and influence
• [06:08] Evolution of bodybuilding coaching
• [10:32] Challenges in interpreting scientific research
• [17:35] Historical trends in diet and nutrition
• [25:49] Information overload and misinformation
• [43:07] Understanding fractional counting in hypertrophy
• [44:24] Challenges in communicating scientific concepts
• [47:27] The psychology of persuasion
• [49:07] The role of marketing in science communication
• [54:46] Balancing data and intuition in coaching
• [01:03:59] Navigating the future of nutrition coaching
• [01:08:34] Building trust and connection with clients

Related Resources

• Go to episode page
• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Dr. Helms’ MASS Research Review is a monthly publication that includes easy-to-read breakdowns of the latest training and nutrition research

Episode 148: This was a round-table discussion with the Sigma Nutrition & Performance team, hosted and produced by Human Performance Advancement.

Dr. Rebecca Leech is a Registered Nutritionist and Nutritional Epidemiologist, based at Deakin’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition.

Rebecca has a PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology, and in 2018, was awarded an Alfred Deakin Medal for her doctoral thesis, which examined adults’ eating patterns and their associations with diet quality and obesity.

Her postdoctoral research, extends on this, and applies novel analytic approaches to understand determinants of food intake at eating occasions and the role of eating patterns in cardiometabolic health in adults.

Dr. Leech is funded by an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship and received category 1 funding from the National Heart Foundation (NHF) Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2019.

Show notes: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode345/

Douglas Kalman, PhD is the performance nutritionist for the Blackzillians team based in  Florida. He is also an academic and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1) has emerged as a hot topic in health and nutrition discussions, often linked to longevity, cancer risk, and metabolic health.

On one hand, IGF-1 is essential for growth, repair, and metabolic regulation; on the other, it is sometimes associated with disease processes, including cancer and cognitive decline.

For those intrigued by the intersection of nutrition, biomarkers, and disease prevention, IGF-1 offers an opportunity to explore how science grapples with these complexities.

Claims about manipulating IGF-1 through dietary changes — whether by reducing protein or adopting fasting protocols — are common. But does the evidence support these claims?

If you’re curious about IGF-1 and the relationships between diet, disease, and healthy aging, in this Premium-exclusive episode Danny and Alan discuss this fascinating topic.

To listen to the full episode, subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium

Timestamps

• [02:21] IGF-1 and Diet: Examining the Relationship
• [09:15] IGF-1 as a Biomarker: Challenges with Sensitivity and Specificity
• [11:54] IGF-1 and Cancer Risk: Insights and Complexities
• [25:51] IGF-1 in Aging: Cognitive Function and Longevity Considerations
• [43:38] Key Takeaways: IGF-1, Diet, and Practical Advice

Related Resources

• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Murphy et al., 2020 – observational and Mendelian randomization analyses

Episode 158: Alex Ritson dives into the metabolic adaptations that occur with dieting (and overfeeding), the implications of this for the dieter and how this can explain the differences between individuals in their response to a diet.

This episode brings you a “debate” between Danny Lennon and Dr. Jackson Peos on the utility of intuitive eating. Specifcally, they make a case for and against, respectively, for the position: “Intuitive eating can be recommended eating approach for those with fitness and/or physique goals”.

This episode is a Premium-exclusive episode, so you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber to listen to the full discussion but you can hear a preview here.

Links:

• Subscribe to Premium
• Live event: London, UK - March 2023
• Buy UEBC 22 Replay

Episode 111: Grace Liu, PhD discusses some of her work in creating a better microbiome composition in clients through diet, supplementation and testing.

Grace's training includes 4 years in plant biology, bachelor degree in nutritional science and a doctorate in pharmacy.

While her expertise is in the pharmaceutical world, Grace explores the various scientific, nutritional, and pharmacological ins-and-outs of optimal health. Much of her work is focused on looking at the gut microbiome.

Grace runs TheGutInstitute.com

Episode 172: Ben Esgro returns to give more philosophical thoughts on training, powerlifting, achievement and much more.
Ben is the founder and COO of De Novo Nutrition. The company has both consulting and supplement branches, based on objective science and ethical practice. Ben is a registered dietitian (RD), as well as having a Masters in Nutrition and Exercise Science (MS) from Marywood University. He has over 6 years experience of coaching and programming for individuals all the way from general population folks all the way up to elite competitors, such as IPF Worlds 2015 93kg silver medalist Layne Norton. In addition to being a highly-regarded coach, he is also an accomplished competitor as both a USBF Pro Qualified Natural Bodybuilder and an internationally qualified IPF powerlifter.

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It's never been more popular to be seen as "evidence-based" as a fitness professional. And indeed evidence-based practice has been seen as the best way to arrive at coaching decisions. But is "evidence-based practice" actually what fitness professionals are doing? Is it even attainable for most coaches? Does it create a burden on them? Does it even matter if you're actually reading reserach or not? What makes for a competent personal trainer?

In this episode, Jacob Schepis is on the show to discuss all these questions and to discuss how he feels evidence-based practice fits within a framework of coaching and coach development.

Show notes can be found at sigmanutrition.com/episode427/

Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition PREMIUM to receive Premium-only episodes, bonus segments, and detailed study notes for each episode.

Michael (Mike) C. Zourdos, Ph.D, CSCS: Mike is an Assistant Professor in Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University with a specialization in strength and conditioning and skeletal muscle physiology. He earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from The Florida State University (FSU) in 2012 under the guidance of Dr. Jeong-Su Kim.

Prior to attending FSU Mike received his B.S. degree in Exercise Science from Marietta College and M.S. in Applied Health Physiology from Salisbury University. At Marietta Mike lettered in soccer for four seasons and captained the squad in his final two. While at Salisbury he also served as the graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for all sports teams.

Further, Mike served as the Head Powerlifting Coach of FSU’s 2011 and 2012 state championship teams and currently serves as FAU’s Head Coach in addition to being a faculty member. Mike’s research focuses on optimizing periodization and program design methods, along with improving training efficiency, and examining skeletal muscle adaptations and the inflammatory response to exercise.”

This line of high performance research is currently ongoing in the FAU ‘Muscle Lab.’ His best powerlifting competition lifts include a 230.0kg (507lbs.) raw squat as an 83kg lifter. Finally, Mike is recently married to Dr. Catherine Coccia, Ph.D., R.D., and Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Florida International University (Miami, FL).

Papers Discussed in this Episode

Paper 1: Fink et al., 2017 - Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength

Paper 2: Murlasits et al., 2017 - The physiological effects of concurrent strength and endurance training sequence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hugh is currently with the English Institute of Sport working as the Performance Psychologist to the British Weightlifting team. Hugh worked with these lifters in the lead-up to the most recent Olympic Games in Rio 2016.

Hugh has a MSc. in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. And is accredited by The Irish Institute of sport, the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES), and the British Psychological Society.

Hugh has also worked with high-level athletes across a number of other sports, including All-Ireland winners, World Champions & Olympians.

In This Episode We Discuss
Misconceptions among athletes as to the role of sport psychology
False consensus bias
Pseudoscience in psychology vs. evidence-based practice
Enhancing athlete confidence
Model of perceived demands, perceived resources and perceived importance
Achieving optimal arousal for performance: how psyched up should you get?
Differences in external factors in competition vs. training
Why being positive when setting goals can actually be a bad thing!

europeanpowerliftingconference.com

Over the past couple of decades, renowned researcher Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge has uncovered fascinating links between how we sleep and what we eat, revealing how these two lifestyle factors influence energy balance, cardiovascular health, and metabolic function.

In this episode we’ll explore Dr. St-Onge’s findings on sleep regularity and its association with reduced mortality risk, providing actionable insights for optimizing your lifestyle. With a focus on combining rigorous methodologies and controlled dietary interventions, her research sheds light on the complex mechanisms connecting sleep, diet, and metabolic health.

Timestamps:

• [03:39] Dr. St-onge's academic journey and evolution of her research interests
• [07:03] Overcoming methodological challenges in sleep and nutrition research
• [10:20] The importance of sleep regularity for health
• [15:44] Exploring the bidirectional connection between diet and sleep
• [23:40] Unpacking the mechanisms linking diet to sleep quality
• [37:33] Practical recommendations for optimizing sleep and diet

Links:

• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Article: How Sleep & Nutrition Interact – Alan Flanagan, PhD
• Go to episode page

Kevin Boehnke is a researcher at the University of Michigan, in the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. His current research focuses on therapeutic applications of illicit or semi-licit substances (cannabis, psychedelics). His goal is to rigorously assess appropriate use of these substances and to help address the public health harms caused by their criminalization.

Carrie Cuttler is an Assistant Professor at Washington State University. Her research at the Health and Cognition Laboratory there focuses on elucidating the potentially beneficial and detrimental effects of chronic cannabis use and acute cannabis intoxication. Her recent work has focused on examining links between cannabis use and mental health (e.g., ADHD, PTSD, OCD, depression, anxiety).

Show notes available at sigmanutrition.com/episode420/

This episode is one of our Premium-exclusive AMA (ask me anything) episodes, where we answer questions submitted by Premium subscribers.

To listen to the full 90 minute episode, you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber and access the episode on the private Premium feed.

Otherwise, you can hear a preview of the episode here.

Full List of Questions:

1. [01:50] How should one interpret the systematic reviews done by Hooper et al that report no association between modification or reduction of saturated fat intake with cardiovascular mortality, total mortality, non-fatal MI?
   
   
2. [22.10] Given most people don’t meet them, are public health targets for fruit and vegetables too high?
   
   
3. [29.10] What is the role of homocysteine in heart disese? Is it causal?
   
   
4. [40:45] Monounsaturated Fat: Good, Bad or Indifferent?
   
   
5. [50:13] Is there evidence to suggest an upper limit for BMI, where even individuals with a ‘healthy’ body composition would be at elevated risk?
   
   
6. [59:32] Where does the current research stand on the impact of diet on brain health?
   
   
7. [01:08:48] Based on recent findings, do we have to throw out previous research on diet’s impact on the gut microbiome?

Prof. Chris Packard holds an Honorary Professorship of Vascular Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow. Over his career, Professor Packard has focussed on two aspects of atherosclerosis research, lipoprotein metabolism and how it is affected by diets and drugs, and large-scale clinical trials of lipid lowering agents. He is acknowledged as one of the leading researchers in the world in this field.

Show notes available at sigmanutrition.com/episode381

Links:

• Episode page with related links
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Receive Danny's free weekly email

Description:

Substantial evidence shows that a high intake of saturated fat in the diet has the potential to significantly raise LDL-C and ApoB-containing lipoproteins in many people, and in turn increase their risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

However, people may raise what seems to some contradictory evidence, or what is sometimes thought of as a paradox: the impact of full-fat dairy on CVD risk.

This paradox arises because given the saturated fat content of full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, we typically don’t see the same impact on blood lipid profiles. In addition, epidemiology can often show such foods in a favourable light. And the dairy fat story gets more interesting when we look at evidence showing there is a huge difference in the impact of consuming different dairy foods (e.g. butter vs cheese/yogurt).

So this leads to many questions that people rightly ask, which we aim to address in this episode. Questions such as:

• Why doesn’t increased dairy consumption lead to same increases in CVD risk as other saturated fat sources?
• Do results from full-fat dairy studies prove that saturated fat isn’t a problem?
• What is it about cheese/yogurt that makes it different to butter?
• How do low-fat and full-fat dairy compare?
• Diets including/excluding dairy: how to compare?

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Never before has there been greater access to information about nutrition and health. But never before has there been such a low barrier to being seen as an “expert”. There are large numbers of people getting information from, and basing their health decisions on, people who don’t have direct expertise in the field in which they are talking about.

Moreover, some promote the lack of domain expertise as a feature, not a bug. They claim that those that were conventionally seen as domain experts are either brainwashed, lazy in their thinking, or outright corrupt. And the solution is instead to look to those with a fresh perspective that can illuminate us on the “truth”.

In this episode, Alan and Danny discuss this “death of domain expertise”, how it plays out online, and its ramifications for people’s ability to get good information.

This is a Premium-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access the transcript, you must subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium.

Links: 

• Episode page
• Subscribe to Premium

Professor Louise Burke has been one of the most highly respected and accomplished sports nutrition researchers over several decades. She has been the head of sports nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) for nearly 30 years, publishing a vast number of important, novel and high-quality papers in the sports nutrition field.

Professor Bourke’s research interests lie in nutritional intervention strategies for sporting performance. The goal of Louise’s research is to find practical nutrition strategies that athletes and coaches can use to achieve optimum performance. Often this will involve examining metabolism during and after exercise to discover how complex systems work.

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode282/

Links:

• Subscribe to Premium (15% off this week!)
• Download detailed study notes and episode transcript
• Go to episode page

About This Episode:

“Personalized nutrition” has been promoted as an approach that will improve people’s health by prescribing them specific dietary recommendations based on their own genetic and phenotypic data.

The premise is that given we each respond differently to foods, having general dietary recommendations may be doing many people a disservice. And by using an array of personal data, it is now possible to give unique diets that improve health.

The early and interesting findings of research in this area was met with much fanfare, and indeed, many companies are now offering commercial direct-to-consumer services based on genetic and physiological testing, followed by “personalized” dietary prescription. Such testing may include genetic tests, microbiome testing, glucose monitoring data, and more. This data is then fed into machine learning algorithms to prescribe dietary recommendations.

However, do the marketing claims match the current evidence? Does the “proof” it works that is often cited, actually back up the claims? Do personalized nutrition diets actually lead to improved health outcomes over generic, conventional dietary recommendations? Do personalized nutrition diets lead to better outcomes than standard dietetic/nutrition practice?

To answer these questions, we go through the main studies cited in favor of personalized nutrition being superior to typical dietary advice, and see if they indeed support the claims.

So is personalized nutrition superior to standard dietary advice? Let’s find out…

Note: This was originally a Premium-exclusive episode. If you’d like to get more episodes like this, subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium.

Episode 109: Ben Esgro of De Novo Nutrition discusses the complexity of physiology, how using science can be abused and the pitfalls of silver bullet theory.

Links:

• COURSE: Applied Nutrition Literacy
• Episode page

About This Episode:

Navigating the vast landscape of research literature, particularly in the realm of nutrition science, presents numerous challenges for readers seeking to extract meaningful insights.

Before diving into research papers, individuals should have a precise understanding of the specific questions they seek to address. Without this clarity, there is a risk of wasting time on irrelevant studies or misinterpreting findings.

Furthermore, the selective approach to sourcing research is crucial. With countless studies available, employing heuristic strategies to filter out irrelevant ones and prioritize those aligned with research goals is essential.

Effectively reading nutrition studies requires a nuanced understanding of statistical concepts and methodologies used in various studies. Developing this understanding can be challenging, especially for individuals without a background in statistics or research methodology.

• How can individuals effectively navigate the vast volume of research literature to find studies relevant to their interests or research objectives?
• What are some common pitfalls to avoid when reading and interpreting nutrition science research?
• What role do external influences, such as media coverage or recommendations from experts, play in shaping perceptions of research findings?
• Are there specific strategies or tools that people can use to streamline their research process and optimize their time spent reading research papers?

In this episode, we discuss all these issues.

Course syllabus: Applied Nutrition Literacy

Dr. Mario Kratz is a clinical researcher in the areas of nutrition, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease, with more than 20 years of experience running clinical studies in a variety of populations. He is a former research associate professor at the University of Washington in the departments of Medicine and Epidemiology. And is also formerly an Associate Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington state.

You can find the show notes at sigmanutrition.com/episode408/ or you can support the show on patreon.com/sigmanutrition/

Links:

• Show notes page (incl. study links & related episodes)
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Live event in London, UK

About this episode:

Over the past decade, the increasing uptake and acceptance of the Nova food processing classification system has placed focus on one of the categories in Nova; ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are products created from deconstructed (and recombined) food components, usually with the goal of creating a highly palatable, convenient, and profitable product. This typically means such products are high in nutrients of content (e.g. sugar, sodium, saturated fat, etc.). But in addition, they have other characteristics that may make them detrimental to health, particularly when they replace unprocessed or minimally processed foods in the diet.

There is now clear evidence showing that when such products make up a large proportion of the diet, such a dietary pattern has negative health effects. However, there are still many unanswered questions and many debates within nutrition science about how to best classify UPFs, to what degree they need to be limited, whether some can be beneficial, and what to do with policy going forward.

To offer one perspective on this issue, Associate Professor of Food Politics and Policy at the University of Melbourne, Dr. Gyorgy Scrinis, is on the podcast to discuss his work in the area.

While we have discussed the problem of reductionism in nutrition science previously on the podcast, Dr. Scrinis’ use of the term ‘reductionism’ does differ a bit from the way others use the term. For example, he suggests that nutrition science has been too reductive even at the food-level and dietary-pattern level.

His work on ultra-processed foods and the Nova classification system has attempted to understand the technological and corporate character of ultra-processed foods, the power of food corporations, and how food corporations shape and capture nutrition science for the purposes of promoting and defending their products.

Short mini-episode from Danny on the concept of how to be wrong and how to critisize arguments without being a "hater".

Multivitamin and multimineral supplements have long been a topic of both scientific inquiry and public debate. While they are often marketed as convenient solutions for achieving nutritional adequacy, their true value remains contentious.

Are these supplements essential insurance policies against nutrient deficiencies, or are they merely expensive placebos?

Importantly, how should we weigh their potential benefits against the lack of robust evidence for long-term health outcomes such as reduced mortality or chronic disease risk? These questions demand a nuanced exploration, grounded in the context of specific populations and individual needs.

Ultimately, the role of multivitamin supplements cannot be assessed in isolation but must be viewed through the lens of context and specificity. How do we balance the biological plausibility of benefits against the variability of individual diets, the presence of fortification policies, and the challenges of achieving dietary adequacy in certain life stages?

These considerations invite a more thoughtful and less binary discussion about whether, when, and for whom multivitamins are a worthwhile addition to the diet.

Timestamps

• [00:22] The debate on multivitamins: worthless or beneficial?
• [00:53] Rationale behind multivitamin use
• [04:04] Modern nutritional adequacy and multivitamins
• [07:10] Evidence supporting multivitamin use
• [23:39] Long-term health outcomes and multivitamins
• [41:43] Cognitive outcomes
• [50:18] Pregnancy and multivitamin use

Related Resources

• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Shaun Ward Article: Multivitamin Madness: There’s More to Life than Death
• Studies mentioned:
  • MacPherson et al., 2013 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
  • Jenkins et al., 2021 meta-analysis
  • COSMOS trial – Vyas et al., 2024 analysis of three substudies
  • Loftfield et al., 2024 – Multivitamin Use and Mortality in 3 Cohorts
  • Blumberg et al., 2017 nutritional adequacy paper

Dr. Nathan Bryan, PhD is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Bryan has been involved in nitric oxide research for the past 18 years and has made many seminal discoveries in the field. He was the first to demonstrate and discover an endocrine function of nitric oxide via the formation of S-nitrosoglutathione and inorganic nitrite.

Dr. Bryan obtained his doctoral degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport where he was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research. He pursued his post-doctoral training as a Kirschstein Fellow at Boston University School of Medicine in the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. After a two year post-doctoral fellowship, in 2006 Dr. Bryan was recruited to join faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston by Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., 1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology.

Show notes at sigmanutrition.com/episode419/

Carl Juneau, PhD is an exercise scientist with a PhD in physical activity epidemiology. He is also the founder of the Dr. Muscle app.

In This Episode We Discuss

• Theory of effective reps
• Influence of mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress on hypertrophy
• Does metabolic stress really cause hypertrophy? Or is it just a by-product of mechanical tension?
• Methods to make use of a higher number of effective reps: rest-pause, myo-reps, drop sets, etc.
• Exercise selection for such methods
• Role of rest intervals: the U-shaped curve developed by Carl Juneau and James Krieger
• How strategies change with experience level

Links:

• Go to episode page (with further resources)
• Subscribe to PREMIUM
• Get Danny's weekly email, the Sigma Synopsis

About This Episode:

While it has long been acknowledged that high intakes of saturated fat can increase risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to their impact on blood lipids, there are some who question the association between saturated fat and heart disease.

Specifically, they may state that the evidence for this association is weak or non-existent, typically by pointing to some commonly cited studies that show null associations between saturated fat and CVD outcomes.

On this basis, they may conclude that there is no basis to aim to limit saturated fat intake to current recommended levels or that reducing saturated fat intake will not actually improve health outcomes.

In this episode, Alan and Danny look at the four most commonly cited publications showing a null association, highlighting some key issues. Beyond that, they look at a number of other lines of evidence on saturated fat that allows one to come to a confident answer on this question.

So does reducing saturated fat intake to recommended levels actually reduce heart disease risk? Let’s discuss…

Alex Viada of Complete Human Perforamnce discusses energy systems, benefits of concurrent training, how to program it correctly, and nutritional/hydration considerations for endurance athletes.

Go to episode page

Marty Kendall is the man behind the Optimising Nutrition blog and creator of the Nutrient Optimiser. On the show we discuss energy density, nutrient density and insulin load.

To see if you qualify for a special life insurance quote due to being health conscious, then go to healthiq,com/sigma

Links:

• Go to episode page
• Subscribe to PREMIUM
• Receive Danny's free weekly email

Description:

Blood glucose responses play a crucial role in maintaining good health, and any abnormalities in glucose regulation can lead to several chronic conditions. Diabetes is one such disease that results from a lack of insulin production or the body’s inability to use insulin effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels.

There has been debate about what exactly constitues a “healthy” and “unhealthy” blood glucose response. While it is suggested that unhealthy blood glucose responses are characterized by erratic and unpredictable “spikes” in blood glucose levels, sometimes vague terminology leads to people worrying about normal blood glucose responses. This may be particularly related to the increasing prevalence of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices that allow individuals to track their glucose levels in real-time. While these devices can be helpful for people with diabetes to manage their glucose levels, they can also lead to unnecessary concern and anxiety about small, normal glucose elevations.

In recent years exciting advances have been made in diabetes remission research. And off the back of that, more research has looked at various dietary interventions that could either directly impact remission, or act as an adjuct to other interventions.

In this discussion with Dr. Nicola Guess, we discuss a range of topics related to glycemia, diabetes, and diet. This includes the potential for high-protein interventions, what utility CGMs actually have, what to make of diabetes remission trials, and future directions for the field.

Co-founder and director of Examine.com, Kamal Patel, is on the show to discuss research methodology, how to think about research, the hierarchy of evidence and how we can use all this to decide what potential diet and supplement decisions we can take.

Show notes

When it comes to health engagement, Dr. Bobinet has 5 words of advice: be caring, authentic, and useful. As the CEO-founder of engagedIN, Kyra devotes her life to helping people crack the code of how, what, and especially, WHY we engage.

Kyra has founded several healthcare start-ups, spanning behavior health, population health, and mobile health. She has designed behavior change programs, big data algorithms, billion dollar products, mobile health apps, and evidence-based studies in mind-body and metabolic medicine. All of her designs, whether for at-risk teens or seniors, are rooted in the belief that true caring is our greatest value.

Dr. Bobinet teaches at Stanford School of Medicine on patient engagement and empowerment, and health design with Dr. Larry Chu, founder of MedicineX. She has studied in Dr. BJ Fogg’s Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford, whom she credits as the founder of “behavior design”.

Dr. Bobinet received her Masters in Public Health at Harvard University, specializing in Healthcare Management, Technology-enabled Behavior Change, and Population Health Management. She received her medical degree from the UCSF School of Medicine.

In This Episode We Discuss
What design thinking is, in relation to behaviour change
Not letting a failure/lack of progress lead to abandonment of trying
Modifying eating habits and behaviours
Dealing with deeply embedded “programs” that subciously affect our ability to change
Negative self-image in the fitness industry
Motivation in the behaviour change process
Those who self-doubt what they can achieve: “oh other people can do that, but I wouldn’t be able to”
.

ATTEND SIGMA NUTRITION RADIO LIVE: sigmanutrition.com/snr-live/

Episode 142: Sigma Nutrition coach Gar Benn discusses how to effectively troubleshoot your dietary approach, evaluating how to improve a diet and effively programming nutrition and training to get optimal results.

Gar is a strength coach and nutritionist. He is the owner of City Gym, a strength training facility and powerlifting club based in Limerick, Ireland. Gar is also a coach for Sigma Nutrition, where he has been doing some amazing work with our online coaching clients.

Danny and Alan take a look at the evidence on weight loss maintenance, answer a question about ApoE4, and admit another nonsensical claim into the quack asylum. In this episode:

[02:56] Today's Topic in Focus: Weight Regain vs Weight Loss Maintenance

[58:56] I Have a Question!: "How does the ApoE4 allele affect lipid metabolism? And how should someone structure their diet around having one or both alleles due to it resulting in higher LDL-C than someone without the gene?"

[63:09] Quack Asylum: Irish doctors gives nonsensical and harmful nutrition recommendations.

[76:35] Random Recommendations

Show notes: sigmanutrition.com/episode352

Episode 149: Mike Israetel, PhD discusses the hierarchy of nutritional factors that have an affect on health, how this differs from just body composition goals and how to avoid getting married to any one diet method.

Mike Israetel is currently a professor of Exercise Science at Temple University in Philadelphia, as well consulting nutritional and training for elite strength and combat athletes around the world. Mike is the head science consultant for Renaissance Periodization, where he has authored and co-authored a number for books. He has a PhD in Sport Physiology from East Tennessee State University, and on the sporting side has experience as a competitive powerlifter, grappler and bodybuilder.

In this episode we discuss:

• Hierarchy of nutrition factors that impact health
• Evidence-base on dietary fat, saturated fat, grains and other nutrients
• The false idea that "restriction is bad"
• Pointless arguments over terms like "clean eating" and "junk food"
• How to better communicate ideas to the general population without making them over-simplistic

Episode 151: How to periodize nutrition for a combat sport athlete through understanding the 4 phases of nutrition they transition through.

Dr. Bryan Chung, MD and PhD researcher, talks about evidence-based fitness, problems with the fitness and nutrition industry, the issue of calories, metabolic advantages of certain diets, psychology of dieting and game-changing research on the relevance of muscle protein synthesis as a proxy measure for hypertrophy.

Links:

• Go to episode page
• Subscribe to Premium
• Join the Sigma email list
• Go to our recommended resources

About This Episode:

Have you ever wondered how exercise affects our appetite and energy intake? While we know that single bouts of exercise can create a short-term energy deficit, do they also influence our hunger levels? And what about long-term exercise training? Could it modify our appetite in ways that help us better control our weight?

Recent research suggests that exercise may indeed play a role in appetite regulation. Could exercise modify the subjective and homeostatic mediators of appetite in ways that enhance our feelings of fullness after a meal?

One of the most fascinating aspects of this research is the variability in responses between individuals. Why do some people experience changes in appetite and energy intake after exercise, while others don’t? Could factors like adiposity, sex, or habitual physical activity levels play a role?

In this episode, Dr. James Dorling of the University of Glasgow helps us delve into the evidence surrounding how factors like adiposity, sex, and habitual physical activity modulate our responses to exercise in terms of appetite, energy intake, and appetite-related hormone responses.

About The Guest:

Dr. James Dorling is a lecturer in Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow. Dr. Dorling’s research is broadly focused on three areas: (1) the impact of nutrition and physical activity interventions on obesity-related endpoints and biomarkers of aging; (2) the regulators of appetite and eating behaviours; and (3) the changes in appetite and eating behaviours in response to health interventions.

During his PhD, he studied the effects of acute exercise and obesity-related single nucleotide polymorphisms on appetite and appetite-related hormones. Following this, Dr. Dorling joined Pennington Biomedical Research Center where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher. His postdoctoral research principally focussed on the influence of calorie restriction and physical activity on weight, markers of aging, and eating behaviours.

Episode 90: Christopher Kelly discusses how to take a personal interest in your own health through a typical blood chemistry panel as well as organic acids testing.

Dave Feldman is a software engineer and runs the Cholesterol Code website. In 2015 Dave adopted a low-carb high-fat diet, which improved his overall health. However, upon seeing his LDL-cholesterol skyrocket, he set out learn all he could about blood lipids and health.

Dave has gained prominence as a “LDL-skeptic” and promoter of his “lipid triad” hypothesis. This lipid triad relates to a situation where one sees high LDL-C, high HDL-C and low triglycerides. Dave hypothesises that in such a context, the high LDL-C does not confer high risk of cardiovascular disease. This is counter to the current consensus position of the lipid hypothesis, where LDL plays a causal role in atherosclerosis development.

Alan Flanagan is the Research Communication Officer here at Sigma Nutrition. Alan is currently pursuing his PhD in nutrition at the University of Surrey, UK, with a research focus in chrononutrition. Alan previuosly completed a Masters in Nutritional Medicine at the same institution.

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode321

Links:

• Subscribe to PREMIUM
• Go to episode page (with further reading links)
• Receive our weekly emails

About This Episode:

Sensory cues, comprising taste, smell, texture, and appearance, serve as the initial drivers that influence our food preferences and liking for particular items. These sensory cues can be both inherent, such as the natural sweetness of fruit, and learned, as in the association between a particular aroma and a favorite dish.

One crucial aspect of this research is delving into how sensory properties of food, like texture and taste, contribute to our choices and consumption patterns. Food texture, for example, plays a key role in determining how quickly we consume a meal, with softer textures often being associated with faster eating rates.

Sensory intensity and palatability are also central themes in this research. Moreover, research into dietary fat reveals intriguing phenomena like “fat blindness,” where the ability to discriminate different levels of fat diminishes as taste intensity increases. Understanding these relationships can help shed light on factors contributing to overeating and potential avenues for behavior modification.

To give us a better insight into this field of research, Professor in Sensory Science and Eating Behavior at Wageningen University, Prof. Ciarán Forde, is on the podcast to discuss these ideas.

Dr. Williams is the Director of the Sports Genomics Laboratory and is a Reader in Sport and Exercise Genomics at Manchester Metropolitan University. Alun is also Honorary Senior Research Associate at University College London. He has a PhD from the University of Birmingham.

He has published expert position statements about the ethics and practicality of applying genetic technologies in sport. And was recently involved in the historic IAAF vs. Caster Semenya case related to testosterone levels within athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD).

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode283/

Food science and behavior are intimately connected. One critical but often overlooked facet of this connection is food texture and its substantial impact on eating behavior and energy intake.

Food texture encompasses characteristics such as hardness and structure. It categorizes food into liquids, semi-solids, and solids, each with a wide range of textures—from dry and crispy to elastic and more substantial. This classification deeply affects how we consume food. The time it takes to chew and swallow a food item can vary greatly based on its texture.

Different textures can also influence the speed at which satiety signals are triggered. Eating rate is a highly individual trait, stable over time, and consistent across different contexts. Some people are naturally slower eaters, while others consume food quickly. This variance can have significant implications for energy intake and body weight.

In this episode, Dr. Marlou Lasschuijt, an assistant professor in the Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour group at Wageningen University, discusses the above topics and their implications.

Links:

• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium (for study notes and transcripts)
• Go to episode page
• The Restructure Project
• Receive our free weekly email: the Sigma Synopsis

Timestamps:

• 00:14 Introduction
• 00:47 Dr. Lasschuijt’s Research Focus
• 04:23 Understanding Food Texture and Eating Behavior
• 06:37 Impact of Food Texture on Satiation and Eating Rate
• 16:55 Applications and Innovations in Food Science
• 18:31 Unanswered Questions
• 25:34 Practical Recommendations 
• 27:00 Current and Upcoming Research Projects

Danny & Alan discuss issues with using and interpreting meta-analyses in nutritional science, they answer a question about methods of reheating food, and they highlight a recent paper published by quacks that experts have termed a "deception".

Today's Topic in Focus [08:50]

"I Have a Question!" [53:35]

Quack Asylum [59:32]

Something Random [66:42]

Show notes: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode354

In this episode Danny and Alan discuss the current evidence base related to sodium intake and health, most notably cardiovascular disease. The episode walks through understanding diet-disease relationships, the epidemiology of sodium and health outcomes, the reasons for conflicting conlusions, sodium measurements in research, intervention trials, and more. Importantly, the claim that the sodium-CVD risk relationship exhibits a "J-shaped curve" (i.e. risk is low at moderate intakes and higher at both low and high intakes) is dissected, with recommendations given on how to reconcile all the available evidence.

The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) stands as a cornerstone in nutritional research, offering valuable insights into dietary patterns and habits over a specified period. Despite its widespread use and established utility, the FFQ has not been immune to criticism, much of which arises from a misunderstanding of its purpose and inherent limitations.

At its core, the FFQ is designed to assess the frequency and quantity of food consumption, aiming to capture long-term dietary behaviors rather than precise intake levels. Researchers employ it to investigate relationships between diet and various health outcomes, such as chronic diseases or nutritional deficiencies.

However, critics argue that its reliance on self-reported data introduces biases and inaccuracies, leading to potential misestimation of nutrient intake. Additionally, some detractors question the FFQ’s ability to capture sporadic or infrequent dietary choices accurately.

Yet, it’s crucial to recognize that the FFQ serves a specific purpose within the realm of nutrition research. While there are no doubt limitations, its strength lies in its ability to capture habitual dietary behaviors over an extended period. Moreover, researchers employ various strategies, such as validation studies and data adjustment techniques, to enhance the FFQ’s reliability and validity.

In this episode, world-leading nutrition epidemiologist Dr. Deirdre Tobias discusses the development of the FFQ, the key concepts that are crucial to understand, common criticisms of the FFQ, and how we should evaluate the utility of this tool.

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Tickets: http://sigmanutrition.com/snr-live/

Four true world-class experts in the world of nutritional sciences will join SNR host Danny Lennon for a day of deep-diving conversations on the most cutting-edge and important topics in nutrition.

Joining Danny on stage will be:

--> Martin MacDonald - Mac-Nutrition

--> Kirsty Elliot-Sale, PhD - NTU

--> James Morton, PhD - Team Sky & LJMU

--> Nicola Guess, PhD, RD - King's College, London

TICKET INFO: http://sigmanutrition.com/snr-live/

Prof. David Jacobs, PhD is Professor of Public Health, in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, at the University of Minnesota. He has published highly inflential work in nutritional epidemiology and health epidemiolgy for decades. A number of his papers have brought up crucially important ideas about how to do good nutrition science. Specifically, he has talked about think of whole diet or foods as the exposure of interest, rather than individual nutrients. Essentially warning against the pitfalls of applying a biomedical lens to nutrition research. You can find the show notes to this episode at sigmanutrition.com/episode403/

Dr Jason Gill is a Reader in Exercise and Metabolic Health in the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow. He leads an active multi-disciplinary research group investigating the effects of exercise and diet on the prevention and management of vascular and metabolic diseases from the molecular to the whole-body level. Major research interests include: why certain population groups (particularly South Asians) appear to be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of a `Westernised' lifestyle, and how lifestyle interventions can modulate this excess risk; the interactions between physical activity, energy balance, adiposity and disease risk; and the mechanisms by which exercise regulates lipoprotein metabolism.

He is a past Chair of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Division of Physical Activity for Health and a member of the development groups for the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines for the prevention and treatment of obesity and for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Jason is Director of the MSc programme in Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine, and also plays an active role in communicating the science of physical activity, diet, obesity and cardio-metabolic risk to the widest possible audience including a number of appearances on TV documentaries and organisation of Understanding of Science events for the general public.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Modifiable factors that influence cardio-metabolic disease risk
• Differences in diabetes and cardio-metabolic disease risk between different ethnic groups
• Is this increased disease risk a function of ethnicity alone or a mismatch between the environment and that populations evolutionary past?
• How different BMI values correspond to different levels of risk between ethnic groups
• Differences in cardiorespiratory fitness levels and capacity for fat oxidation potentially contribute to ethnic differences in the cardio-metabolic risk profile
• Do we need ethnicity-specific physical activity guidelines?
• Research questions that remain unanswered

In this episode Danny and Alan discuss the relationship between shift work and health. Why does shift work have negative health impacts? How can one mitigate circadian misalignment? How does shift work impact nutrient metabolism? What nutrition, sleep and lifestyle strategies can help shift workers? 

Show notes at: sigmanutrition.com/episode387

Episode 102: To kick off the new year, I reflect on some of the most important resources and lessons I have learned over the past year, including snippets of wisdom from books I’ve read, podcasts I've listened to, interviews I've watched and concepts I've reflected on.

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In this episode, the Sigma team explores the question: “Do vegan diets increase the risk of depression?”

This is a question that emerges from a few different places. First, it’s common to hear such a claim from proponents of largely animal-based diets. Some reference is often made about how vegan diets can, at best, worsen symptoms or, at worst, even cause depression. Or conversely, they may state that moving away from a plant-based diet will improve mental health outcomes, including depression.

And while all of those specific claims aren’t within the scope of this episode, such claims do get people wondering if a plant-exclusive diet is actually a cause of various mental health ailments.

But is there a basis for such claims?

In this episode, we explore the evidence from two ends: 1) research related to the proposed mechanisms by which a vegan diet could cause problems, and 2) outcome data looking at the impact of such diets.

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• Live event: London, UK (early bird ends Dec 19)

Jeff Nippard is a WNBF Pro Drug-Free Bodybuilder and internationally qualified IPF/CPU Powerlifter in the 74 kg class. He earned the title of Mr. Junior Canada for natural bodybuilding in 2012 under the guidance of Dr. Layne Norton. Prior to earning the Canadian national title, Jeff was a two-time Mr. Junior Newfoundland title-holder for 2009 and 2010. As a powerlifter, Jeff has claimed a 227.5 kg (502 lb) squat, 152.5 kg (336 lb) bench press (2014 Canadian national record) and a 235 kg (518 lb) deadlift with an all time best Wilks score of 446.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry, Jeff has gathered the requisite scientific knowledge to compliment his practical experience acquired through training and coaching. Jeff worked as a coach with esteemed online coaching group The Strength Guys through 2014 and 2015 before branching out with STRCNG. Jeff has coached women's bikini and men's bodybuilding national and provincial champions, professional natural bodybuilders and nationally and IPF Worlds qualified raw powerlifters.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Intuitive eating vs. ad libitum eating
• Accurately defining intuitive eating
• Using intuitive eating whilst making physique progress
• Factors that influence whether intuitive eating or control-based eating is the best tool
• Long-term planning for body recomposition

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About This Episode:

Kidney stones, crystalline deposits formed within the kidneys, present a formidable challenge to individuals grappling with their debilitating effects. These mineral accumulations, though small in size, can inflict significant pain and discomfort as they navigate through the urinary tract.

Understanding the nuances of dietary management and treatment for kidney stones is crucial for those seeking relief and prevention.

What makes this subject particularly intricate is the diversity of kidney stones – a mosaic of compositions ranging from calcium oxalate to uric acid. Recognizing that not all kidney stones are created equal, dietitians and renal specialists tailor their recommendations to address the specific nature of the stones, unveiling a spectrum of dietary strategies that aim to alleviate symptoms and impede the recurrence of these insidious formations.

In this episode, specialist renal dietitian Deepa Kariyawasam brings us through the main causes of kidney stones, the potential dietary interventions, and how to guide individuals toward personalized pathways for kidney stone management.

Bryce is the founder of The Strength Athlete and is a world-class elite-level powerlifter in the IPF.

Bryce competes in the -105 kg class, winning USAPL Raw Nationals in both 2016 and 2017, as well as winning silver at the IPF World Championships in Minsk in 2017.

Through his success as an elite lifter, Bryce’s dream is to pass on his knowledge and skills through The Strength Athlete (TSA) powerlifting coaching services online. Bryce passionately advocates for the application and love of the sciences, evidence-based philosophies, and skepticism of pseudoscience.

Off the back of his 2017 Raw Nationals win with a 890 kg total (315/220/355), Bryce will again represent the USA at IPF Worlds this year in Calgary, Canada.

In This Episode We Discuss
Preparing for world championships
Modifications made over the past year
How some weight loss has helped deadlift leverage for Bryce
Family background of athleticism, How was that cultivated as you grew up?
exploring how psychology and sport psychology practices can affect lifting
how thinking about athlete development is not simply about how do we increase physical performance through training
Is there a distinction between building a better athlete and a better person?
What Bryce has improved on to become a better athlete
How athletes identify themselves; implications of tying their whole identity and/or self-worth to being an ahtlete
On what idea have The Strength Athlete team yet to reach a consensus or common position stand on?

europeanpowerliftingconference.com

Ben House has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin. Ben has worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Nutritionist since 2006. He is currently the owner and founder of Functional Medicine Costa Rica, where he hosts courses, mentorships and retreats. House has numerous publications in peer reviewed scientific journals such as The International Journal of Obesity, has presented his work at multiple international conferences, and lectures regularly on health and nutrition at The University of Texas.

SHOW NOTES: https://sigmanutrition.com/episode295/

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About this episode:

In 1985 a paper titled “Sick Individuals and Sick Populations” was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The paper, authored by eminent epidemiologist Geoffrey Rose, can be considered as seminal and important because it brilliantly raised the concept of the “prevention paradox” and challenged traditional approaches to public health and preventive medicine.

The paper’s insights have had a lasting impact on how we understand and approach population health interventions. And it raised many contentious public health issues, which are still debated and relevant today.

The ideas have very important implications for how we can tackle diet-related diseases in meaningful ways.

In this episode, Danny and Alan discuss the central themes of the paper, why they are so crucial to understand, and what this means for our understanding of diet and chronic disease prevention.

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Prof. Anna Krylov is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Southern California (USC), working in the field of theoretical and computational quantum chemistry. She has a M.Sc. in Chemistry from Moscow State University (1990) and a PhD from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (1996).

Krylov is active in the promotion of gender equality in STEM fields, especially in theoretical chemistry. She created the web directory 'Women in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Material Science, and Biochemistry'. She has delivered several talks on gender equality in STEM.

In June 2021 she published a paper, "The Peril of Politicizing Science," has received over 75,000 views (as of February 2022) and is the all-time highest-ranked article in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (impact factor of 6.5).

Show notes: sigmanutrition.com/episode425/

Episode 154: Jeff Rothschild discusses the science and application of fasting protocols, meal timing, time-restricted feeding and their effects on circadian rhythms and health.

Jeff Rothschild is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with a Master’s degree in Nutritional Science. He works with a variety of clients including elite ATP and NCAA tennis players, endurance athletes, boxers, swimmers, and a number of touring musicians at TriFit in Santa Monica, CA. Jeff is also a writer for the Examine.com monthly research digest, and teaches college sports nutrition at CSU Los Angeles.

Jeff follows a methodical and steadfast approach to nutrition, prioritizing the questions of ‘who are you and what are your goals’ during the decision-making and counselling process to achieve quality results. This includes an evidence-based approach to nutrition, practising concepts developed over time instead of using untested or unproven ideas. This allows everyone from elite athletes to sedentary individuals to get the most out of sessions, optimize nutrition plans to fit their own needs, and create the greatest and longest-lasting positive changes.

Jeff’s main areas of interest are sports nutrition, meal timing, intermittent fasting, and circadian rhythms. He has co-authored multiple scientific research papers that have been published in peer-reviewed nutrition and food science journals, served as a reviewer in the peer-review process for journals, and has presented his research at national nutrition conferences. He is also an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and has spent five years as the assistant tennis coach at CSU Los Angeles. Jeff helped the Golden Eagles earn national Top-25 rankings each of those years, and was a two-time winner of Assistant Coach of the Year for the West Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Beyond nutrition and coaching, Jeff has competed as a cyclist and continues to play competitive tennis.

• Classification of the different types of fasting methods
• What is research showing us might be the main benefits
• How to structure a fasting protocol in the real-world and within a normal schedule
• Time-restricted feeding research
• Does the timing of the feeding window matter?
• How feeding can entrain the peripheral circadian clocks
• Concordance and discordance between light/dark cycles and feeding windows
• Using longer fasts (multiple days) sporadically to enhance health

We take a deeper look at artificial/non-caloric sweeteners; effects on bodyweight, glucose tolerance, gut flora and health. What does the evidence say about safety and health concerns?

All references are linked to in the show notes page at sigmanutrition.com/episode184