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Vitamin (Ph)D: Evidence-Based Performance Nutrition

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Recent Posts

Know When to Start–and When to Quit, Too September 14, 2018
Budget-Friendly Fitness Finds June 23, 2018
Take Control Radio: Episode 22–Gut Health June 5, 2018
Don’t Wish Me Good Luck June 1, 2018
On Eating Frogs and Elephants May 27, 2018
Taking Up More Space and Lifting More Weight May 22, 2018
This Blog Isn’t Perfect, But It’s Done May 19, 2018
“Weight” Up: You Can Make Weight Safely! February 4, 2018
Two More Weeks, Two More Things! (Installment #2: Hacking Your Brain) June 21, 2017
Two More Weeks, Two More Things! (Installment #1: Maintaining Change) June 15, 2017

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Recently a client shared a post with me which had been sent out by a personal trainer...it was a review on #glyphosate which was authored by a group that misrepresents data on the risks of Roundup and GMO technology as well. I sought out more info about one of the well-known authors to determine her rationale. This individual has a doctorate, but not in the field of nutrition (or even biology in general). Here's what happens when you step way out of your lane: you get stuff wrong. That's totally okay! But I think you need to have the self-awareness and humility to recognize that and be more transparent about the extent of your knowledge and expertise. I use a computer every day, but that doesn't mean I'm a computer scientist. Eating every day doesn't make you a food scientist. 💁 #factsnotfear #gmo #biotechnology #nutritionalscience #nutribollocks #nutrition #research #evidencebased #fitness #fitfam #exercisescience

That's all I have to say. @rpstrength #rpcoach @the_issn #cissn @acefitness #certifiedhealthcoach @teamrevivestronger #powerliftingwomen #physique @strongerexperts @dashafitness #guthealth #gutmicrobiome #nutrition #evidencebased #nutritionalscience #supplements #bcaa #greenspowder #nutribollocks

Gut-derived serotonin accounts for the majority of serotonin produced in the body. For that reason, lots of folks are promoting #guthealth as a way to improve mood since serotonin is a "feel-good" neurotransmitter. Just one problem...gut-derived serotonin doesn't appear to pass through the blood-brain barrier. It's amino acid precursor tryptophan can, but that doesn't require the actions of the #gutmicrobiome . We have the necessary enzymes to break our dietary protein down to single amino acids like that helpful little guy. GDS plays an important role in regulating gastric motility, or the organized contractions of the smooth muscles that help move foodstuffs along. It also appears to play a role in glucose homeostasis and lipolysis while fasting, and in rodents increases the permeability of the BBB during stress tests. Gut #dysbiosis correlates with mood disorders, but the current research simply doesn't illustrate the ability for gut-derived serotonin to act on the brain. @rpstrength #rpcoach @acefitness #certifiedhealthcoach @the_issn #cissn @teamrevivestronger #powerliftingwomen #powerlifting @strongerexperts #physique #nutrition #diet #fitness #fitfam #science #evidencebased #microbiome #nutritionalscience #dietetics

Every so often a client asks me about a lab test they've had at the recommendation of an alternative medicine practitioner, like a naturopath or chiropractor. I've covered the IgG food sensitivity test before, which wasn't too tough to sniff out thanks to a basic understanding of the adaptive immune system and the IAAA issuing a statement about the test's lack of validity. So, congrats if you've had that test and removed that food from your diet, because you can just go ahead and add it back in. ✌ In this case I checked out the urinary organic acids test, which is promoted by numerous functional medicine and naturopathic websites as a way to test for...what else? Gut health! This test has actually been used for decades to test for inborn errors of metabolism, or enzyme deficiencies that lead to potentially-deadly accumulations of metabolites due to defunct metabolic pathways. Organic acids can also be produced by bacteria, yeast and fungi in the GI tract. Now this mini-metabolomics method is being applied in all sorts of ways, including "diagnosis" of dysbiosis, microbial overgrowth, and effects of SNPs or epigenetic modifications that aren't as serious as inborn errors. So, these do have real, medical use in the case of inborn errors, but their use in other pathologies is limited. Case studies in autism and bowel resection, and small studies in Giardia infection and cystic fibrosis have illustrated correlations with certain organic acids. Because the secretion of OA's are influenced by diet, age, and geographical region, there's a lack of standardized reference ranges for healthy adults. Not to mention, we don't have a single reference for "healthy gut" or dysbiosis...(continued below.)

Great post all-around, but the replication crisis is especially poignant for the area of #gutmicrobiome and #guthealth research. There are SO many limitations: Animal models whose microbiota and immune systems differ from humans Lack of dietary fiber standardization Lack of dietary controls in human studies Lack of human exercise studies in general Lack of standardization of those studies Significant differences between stool vs intestinal microbiome Varying sensitivity of 16sRNA data Obvious limitations of cell culture data Inability to culture many microbial strains Missing functional data if only diversity is measured This isn't even everything! I'm endlessly puzzled at the fact that so many people doubt the breadth and depth of evidence supporting the efficacy of vaccines, but then jump aboard the gut health bandwagon. We have LOTS of great preliminary data illustrating endless possibilities for the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease, but what we have in breadth, we lack in depth. #Repost @drandygalpin • • • • • I'll be the first to admit that like most of my colleagues, the current scientific funding model is beyond frustrating. Many call it "broken". While I still don't feel I've seen or heard a slam-dunk solution yet, the amount of ideas and constant pushing actually give me confidence we'll see a major change here sooner rather than later. I.e. I'm optimistic. This really nice article in @ScientificAmerican (John Ioannidis) has some interesting stuff. I don't agree with all of it, but i've pulled out 10 things I thought were worthy of discussing. I'm super interested if any of you have any ideas or thoughts in this area.

If you watch actual seminars and read actual textbooks and systematic reviews, you begin to realize how little we can conclusively say. We see interesting correlations and uncover potential mechanisms, but those two need to be married in more invasive, human RCT's before we can start making statements establishing causation. #Repost @mblacutt • • • • • We simply need more gut research 🔬 - 👉Tag a friend who talk about gut health 📍Follow @mblacutt for daily muscle growth and fatloss tips - The top researchers on gut health don’t have the answers to how gut health affects muscle gain, mental health, obesity, intestinal disorders and others… 🧐 - Yet, many on Instagram and other social media platforms claim to be able to cure all types of diseases (physical and mental) by “improving gut health” 🤦‍♂️ - Often, these gut health protocols involve methods that we have little/no research on 🤷‍♂️ - It’s important to remember that intestinal disorders are HIGHLY susceptible to placebo effects, which can often explain how some ridiculous methods can have effects 😬 - But please remember that we just do not have this research available. As more research comes out, we will have more answers… but as of now, don’t fall for anyone selling you a kombucha-fuelled, chia-filled, apple-cider-vinegar-drenched diet 😅

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