Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple is back to tackle a series of current trends, narratives, and pseudoscientific claims in fitness and wellness, including:

-Is there any quality human research on “wellness peptides”

-What are wellness peptides

-Why are they becoming more popular

-Is there any evidence to suggest that muscle building is any different for women than men

-Is there any evidence that birth control affects muscle growth

-Is there any difference in protein timing needs for muscle growth in women

-Are there notable differences in muscle fibre type between men and women

-Is there any association between testosterone levels and lean mass and strength in women

-Does menopause accelerate muscle loss

-Is creatine as potent as it’s currently hyped

-Is there any evidence to support cycle syncing

-Why is messaging around unique physiological differences so appealing to women

-Why are some fitness and wellness “professionals” incentivized to brand around differences in men’s and women’s training physiology

-Are there differences in injury risks across the phases of menstrual cycles

-Do vibration plates have any benefits

-Is calling out female creators for spreading misinformation by other women “mean girl behaviour”

-And much more

IG: @drlaurencs1

CHAPTERS

01:00 What Are Wellness Peptides and Why They’re Trending

02:00 How Peptides Work in the Body

03:00 Drug Development and Approval Process

04:00 Unapproved Peptides in the Wellness Market

07:00 Biological Risks and Tumor Concerns

08:00 Limited Human Data and Research Quality

09:00 Placebo Effects and Pain Resolution

10:00 Drug Approval vs Evidence Reality

11:00 Placebo Surgery Example and Mind-Body Effects

12:00 The “Wild West” of Peptide Research

13:00 Manufacturing and Dosing Risks

14:00 Why Peptides Became Popular

15:00 Normalization of Injectables and “Natural” Marketing

20:00 Branding Differences Between Approved Drugs and Peptides

24:00 Historical Drug Regulation Context

25:00 Are Muscle Gains Different Between Men and Women?

26:00 Molecular and Physiological Similarities Between Sexes

27:00 Muscle Fiber Type Complexity

30:00 Genetics vs Training Adaptation

33:00 Athlete Caliber vs Sex Differences

37:00 Creatine Performance Effects

38:00 Creatine and Clinical Populations

39:00 High Dose Creatine Considerations

42:00 Testosterone Myths and Hypertrophy

43:00 Menopause and Muscle Loss

45:00 Measuring Testosterone and Lab Variability

46:00 PCOS and Testosterone Levels

47:00 Research Gaps in PCOS and Performance

48:00 Menstrual Cycle Strength Research Discussion

51:00 Why Cycle Syncing Messaging Is Appealing

52:00 Marketing Incentives and Female Targeting

53:00 Diet Culture Parallel and Behavior Change

54:00 Individualization vs Simple Prescriptions

55:00 Age vs Training Factors That Actually Matter

58:00 Vibration Plates — Claims vs Evidence

59:00 Exercise vs Passive Modalities

01:01:00 Injury Risk Across Menstrual Cycle Phases

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