Front Page Fitness

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 this episode, hosts Eric Trexler and Lauren Colenso-Semple discuss a wide range of topics ranging from viral internet trends and newly discovered animal species to gym filming etiquette and foods that may support sleep. They also examine claims about fiber and inflammation, and answer listener questions about anterior pelvic tilt and tibial torsion.

Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 — Intro: TikTok "Communities"

4:38 — New Animal Species and Internet Headlines

7:36 — College "Bed Parties"

12:35 — Filming Etiquette in Fitness Classes

20:40 — Effects of foods and beverages on sleep

32:09 — Fiber, Inflammation, and Gut Health Claims

49:48 — Training Form and Posture

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.

Join us for a live recording of Front Page Fitness on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm eastern time!

Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

4:42 - Is “runner’s waist” real?

9:47 - “We have a muscle problem, not a fat problem”

19:20 - Acne patches and smartwatch calorie estimates

33:45 - Is ashwagandha harmful?

56:42 - Wrap-up

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.

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 Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 Intro: the lobster-roll contest

6:57 Seven ways to curb appetite

27:58 The longevity & optimization content trap

31:05 Does this walking habit boost longevity?

37:20 "Lymphatic walking" & detox claims

45:28 Listener Q: the Army's waist-to-height standard

51:17 The new Army Fitness Test

1:02:23 Listener Q: minimum cardio & strength per week

1:08:19 Wrap-up

Trexler and Lauren open with Lauren's return after a mystery 18-hour illness and her travels, followed by a callback to their running guilt-tipping saga — this time being asked to tip at a Canadian grocery-store self-checkout — plus some beverage talk and listener feedback. From there they get into the week's science.

The main thread is hydration beyond plain water: an article on water-rich foods and whether you really need to chase a giant-water-bottle hydration goal, and how much fluid we get from food and other sources. They then look at a New York Post story on Eight Sleep's mattress that claims to track your "biological aging" via in-bed sensors, and debate whether it offers anything over a ring or watch, the limits of sleep-tracking wearables, and the health-tech habit of re-solving already-solved problems. Dr. Drew's endorsement of a C15 (pentadecanoic acid) supplement gets an extended breakdown of the marketing claims and how you'd actually design a study to test them. The episode closes on a listener question about fasted training, where they separate fasted training from low energy availability and discuss the topic through an evolutionary lens before wrapping up.

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 Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 Intro: mystery illness & travels

5:02 Guilt-tipping at the self-checkout

12:45 Beverages & listener feedback

15:16 Hydration beyond water

19:34 A mattress that tracks your aging?

36:26 Dr. Drew & the C15 supplement

50:05 Listener Q: is fasted training bad?

In this solo episode, Eric Trexler discusses the latest headlines on health and fitness, focusing on fiber intake, testosterone testing, the utility (and pitfalls) of BMI, and sleep support strategies.

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 Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:25 The rise of fibermaxxing and its importance

04:48 Why fiber intake is linked to chronic disease risk

06:10 How much fiber is enough and recommended guidelines

08:04 The role of different fiber types in health

09:30 Fiber for constipation and gut health

14:55 Testosterone testing: when is it necessary?

16:21 Threshold effects of testosterone levels on symptoms

20:38 Belly fat versus BMI in predicting health risks

22:05 Different fat depots and their health implications

26:13 Limitations of BMI and alternative measures

32:45 Diet strategies for better sleep

36:30 Supplements and ingredients for sleep support

43:59 Other dietary factors influencing sleep quality

45:54 Emerging research on sodium, potassium, and sleep

47:44 Live chat interaction & closing remarks

In this episode, Eric & Lauren explore a wide range of topics from the latest trends in influencer culture, new culinary creations from Mountain Dew, the science of sauna bathing & heat shock proteins, the impact of resistance training at any age, the concept of exercise mimetics (or "exercise in a pill"), the effects of vegan diets on weight loss, 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 Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

03:48 Mountain Dew ice cream

09:00 Gen Z's new insult: Polyester as a pejorative

13:13 Brides and fitness trackers at weddings

18:41 Women doing pull-ups

26:25 New exercise pill that "mimics exercise effects"

40:02 Low-fat vegan diet and weight loss insights

50:29 Heat shock proteins and sauna benefits

01:03:31 Women’s strength training across the lifespan

Lauren shares that the New York Post contacted her about the viral claim that "women can't do pull-ups," which opens a discussion of the data behind it and the factors that go into training for a pull-up. After a detour into "skeleton news" (the first confirmed death by trebuchet), they turn to the headlines: viral Christian men-only gyms, and the growing trend of health-tracker jewelry like smart rings and earrings. The back half leans into the science stories. They look at a conference abstract on AI photo-based calorie tracking and how well these apps estimate calories from a meal, followed by an extended discussion of a Cell Press review on protein intake, aging, and longevity, and how to interpret research drawn from cells, flies, and rodents. They wrap with listener mail — a hippo-themed follow-up to last episode's carnivore-diet segment, and a question about yoga, flexibility, and the claims that surround it, ending on the backstory of Joseph Pilates.

Join us for a live recording of Front Page Fitness! We're live every Monday at 5:30 pm eastern time.

Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 Intro & the "women can't do pull-ups" story

6:11 Skeleton news: death by trebuchet

13:27 Christian men-only gyms go viral

20:51 Health-tracker jewelry gets fancy

33:48 Can AI photos count your calories?

44:00 Does less protein slow aging?

1:04:05 Listener mail

1:08:30 Yoga claims based on science and/or tradition

1:15:45 Wrap-up

Lauren is back in the US, which kicks off a tangent about her new (third) phone number and the newest "Dunkers" in the donut/soft drink industry. After that, they get into the headlines of the week. First up is "boy kibble," then a Shake Shack guilt-tipping controversy sparks a full rant about tipping culture creeping onto self-service kiosks and app-dependent businesses. After that, a New York Post piece on returning to the gym earns rare praise, followed by a less praise-worthy headline about active recovery. The back half covers a Huffington Post story on a study linking midlife TV watching to later brain shrinkage — interesting but with plenty of potential confounders and limitations. The top headline is a famous doctor (the same "alpha" physician advising RFK Jr. and JD Vance) claiming that toilet paper becomes unnecessary when you adopt his preferred diet. They close with a listener question about protecting your eyesight through a PhD.

Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 Intro

4:42 Dr. Pepper Dunkers

8:07 "Boy kibble"

12:18 Guilt-tipping and app-dependent businesses

25:13 Returning to the gym the right way

31:04 Active recovery

38:31 Does midlife TV shrink your brain?

44:04 The carnivore diet & the toilet paper claim

52:07 Protecting your eyesight in a PhD

Lauren interviews Eric about his research on metabolism and energy expenditure. He describes turning down a tenure-track job to move into science communication and then evolutionary anthropology, studying how humans regulate their energy budget. He explains why people get metabolism wrong in both directions — treating it as mysterious and stretching the real person-to-person variation to impossible extremes — and walks through metabolic adaptation, why reverse dieting usually backfires, and the evolutionary logic of the body's "low-power mode." They get into why resting metabolic rate doesn't crater at menopause (the real changes from 20 to 60 are mostly behavioral), how non-exercise activity works and its limits, and what hunter-gatherer and subsistence populations reveal as a kind of "control group" for modern health. He closes with simple public-health advice — sell people on physical activity, find a sustainable calorie-appropriate eating pattern, get enough fiber from whole food sources — and discusses the ongoing debate over the constrained energy expenditure model.

Front Page Fitness is proudly presented by the MASS Research Review

massresearchreview.com

Chapters

0:00 From supplements to energy expenditure

7:56 What everyone gets wrong about metabolism

10:12 Metabolic adaptation & reverse dieting

14:13 The evolutionary logic of the energy budget

16:19 Evolutionary head-scratchers

18:25 Metabolism, sex differences & aging

22:35 Non-exercise activity & step counts

28:19 What hunter-gatherers teach us

31:04 The simple public-health message

35:14 The constrained energy model debate

38:26 Wrap-up