This episode examines whether collagen peptide supplementation enhances the recovery and growth of muscle connective tissue during a week of high-intensity training. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled method, scientists tracked young men performing a rigorous regimen of resistance exercises and plyometrics.
Kirmse M, Lottmann TM, Volk NR, et al. Collagen Peptide Supplementation during Training Does Not Further Increase Connective Tissue Protein Synthesis Rates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(12):2296-2304. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003519
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This episode does a deep dive into an article that investigates the Cognitive Debt hypothesis, which suggests that repetitive negative thinking (RNT) serves as a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Marchant NL, Lovland LR, Jones R, et al. Repetitive negative thinking is associated with amyloid, tau, and cognitive decline. Alzheimers Dement. 2020;16(7):1054-1064. doi:10.1002/alz.12116
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This episode does a deep dive into a 2025 randomized controlled trial (RCT), known as the ReabilitaDOR trial, that examined the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an Internet-based self-management program compared to a simple online booklet for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain in Brazil.
Saragiotto BT, Fioratti I, Reis FJJ, Fandim JV, Vallio V, Costa LOP, et al. Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of an Internet-Based Self-Management Program for People With Chronic Pain: A Randomised Controlled Trial With Economic Evaluation (the ReabilitaDOR Trial). Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Advance publication. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2025.13418
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This episode dissects an editorial that argues that medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) requires a name change due to issues with the current terminology. The authors contend that the term MTSS is confusing for athletes and coaches because "tibial stress" is often misinterpreted as a bone stress injury, despite inconclusive evidence regarding the condition's underlying pathology.
Anderson LM, Warden SJ, Willy RW, Bonanno DR, Menz HB. Medial tibial stress syndrome needs a new name—make no bones about it. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.13411.
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This episode does a deep dive into a study that investigated the combined effects of the drug metformin and various exercise training intensities on vascular health. The research utilized a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving adults at risk for Metabolic Syndrome, dividing participants into groups receiving either low-intensity exercise (LoEx) or high-intensity exercise (HiEx), each with either metformin (Met) or a placebo (PL).
Malin SK, Heiston EM, Battillo DJ, Ragland TJ, Gow AJ, Shapses SA, Shah AM, Patrie JT, Barrett EJ. Metformin Blunts Vascular Insulin Sensitivity After Exercise Training in Adults at Risk for Metabolic Syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaf551.
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This episode does a deep dive on a systematic review and scoping review which investigates the diagnostic accuracy of the bedside neurological examination (BNE) for cervical radiculopathy (CR).
Yousif MS, Occhipinti G, Bianchini F, Feller D, Schmid AB, Mourad F. Neurological examination for cervical radiculopathy: a scoping review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2025;26:334. doi:10.1186/s12891-025-08560-9.
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This episode dissects a narrative review article examining the complex relationship between two frequently confused causes of dizziness: Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) and Vestibular Migraine (VM). The author reviews literature from 2000 to 2025 to compare the diagnostic criteria, underlying causes (pathophysiology), and appropriate treatments for each condition.
Moreno- Ajona D. Persistent postural- perceptual dizziness versus vestibular migraine: A narrative review. Headache. 2025;00:1-9. doi:10.1111/head.15078
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This episode does a deep dive on a research report detailing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to assess physical therapy interventions for chronic rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP). The study compared the effectiveness of muscle strengthening exercises alone versus a protocol combining strengthening with proprioceptive exercises in 70 patients over an eight-week period.
Buccioli ALB, Oliveira AS, Vendramim ACC, Scaglione GD, Roy JS, Rossi DM. Proprioceptive exercises combined with strengthening exercises are not superior to strengthening exercises alone for shoulder pain and disability in individuals with chronic rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: a randomized controlled trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2025;55(7):495-511. Epub 16 June 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.13097
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This episode dissects an article that investigates the relationship between creative experiences and brain health using quantitative metrics known as brain clocks to measure deviations from chronological age, or brain age gaps (BAGs). The research utilized a large sample of participants across various creative domains—including dance, music, visual arts, and video games—to show that creative experiences are associated with delayed brain aging (lower negative BAGs).
Coronel-Oliveros C, Migeot J, Lehue F, Amoruso L, Kowalczyk-Grębska N, Jakubowska N, et al. Creative experiences and brain clocks. Nat Commun. Published online October 3, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-64173-9.
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This episode does a deep dive on the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) trial. This analysis investigated the effect of long-term caloric restriction (CR) on biological aging measures in healthy, non-obese adults, aligning with the geroscience hypothesis that slowing molecular aging can delay chronic disease. Researchers used DNA methylation (DNAm) algorithms, specifically focusing on the DunedinPACE measure of the pace of aging, as well as the PhenoAge and GrimAge clocks, to assess the impact of a two-year CR intervention.
Waziry R, Ryan CP, Corcoran DL, Huffman KM, Kobor MS, Kothari M, et al. Effect of long-term caloric restriction on DNA methylation measures of biological aging in healthy adults from the CALERIE trial. Nat Aging. 2023. doi:10.1038/s43587-022-00357-y
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This episode does a deep dive into a systematic review examining the relationship between creatine and cognitive function specifically in older adults. The authors conducted a comprehensive search across eight databases to systematically examine current literature on this topic.
Marshall S, Kitzan A, Wright J, Bocicariu L, Nagamatsu LS. Creatine and cognition in aging: a systematic review of evidence in older adults. Nutr Rev. 2025;00(00):1-12. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaf135
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This episode dissects an academic systematic review with meta-analysis published in the journal Sports concerning the impact of caffeine consumption before late afternoon or evening training on athletes' subsequent sleep. The research synthesizes findings from ten studies to examine changes in both objective sleep parameters (like sleep efficiency and total sleep time) and subjective sleep experiences.
Kocak A, Georgousopoulou E, Knight-Agarwal CR, Matthews R, Minehan M. The Effect of Consuming Caffeine Before Late Afternoon/Evening Training or Competition on Sleep: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports. 2025;13:317. doi:10.3390/sports13090317
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This episode does a deep dive on a network meta-analysis evaluating the comparative effectiveness and optimal dosage of various exercise types—specifically aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), flexibility training (FT), and combined training (AT+RT)—for reducing depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Overall, the study aims to provide evidence-based guidance for developing targeted clinical and public health strategies to manage adolescent depression through physical activity.
Cao X. Comparative effects of exercise type and dose on depression in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2025;16:1632111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632111.
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This episode does a deep dive into a clinical trial article, "Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Colchicine after Myocardial Infarction." The study, known as the COLCOT trial, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 4745 patients who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose colchicine, an anti-inflammatory medication, in preventing subsequent ischemic cardiovascular events.
Tardif JC, Kouz S, Waters DD, Bertrand OF, Diaz R, Maggioni AP, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Colchicine after Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(26):2497-2505. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1912388.
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This episode dissects a an article that investigates the differences in psychological factors between individuals with persistent tendinopathy and those without the condition.
Mest J, Flood A, Toufexis C, Waddington G, Malliaras P, Fearon AM. Differences in psychological factors between people with persistent tendinopathy and those without tendinopathy: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Advance publication. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.13307.
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This episode does a deep dive into an article that examines the health equivalence of different physical activity intensities—light, moderate, and vigorous—against outcomes like mortality, cancer, and cardiometabolic disease. Using accelerometer data from over 73,000 UK Biobank participants, the study objectively quantifies how many minutes of moderate or light activity are needed to equal one minute of vigorous activity. The core finding is a substantial deviation from the current public health convention of a 1:2 ratio (one minute of vigorous equals two minutes of moderate), which was based on less precise self-reported data.
Biswas, R.K., Ahmadi, M.N., Bauman, A. et al. Wearable device-based health equivalence of different physical activity intensities against mortality, cardiometabolic disease, and cancer. Nat Commun 16, 8315 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63475-2
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This episode does a deep dive into an article titled "Relationship Between Tendon Tissue and Shoulder Disability Change During an 8-Week Exercise Intervention for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: An Observational Study," which was published in the PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal. This prospective longitudinal study sought to understand how changes in the supraspinatus tendon's thickness and internal architecture relate to patient-reported shoulder disability improvement during an eight-week progressive resistive exercise program for individuals with rotator cuff tendinopathy.
Vila-Dieguez O, Heindel MD, Zipser MC, Mortazavi K, Kulig K, Bashford G, et al. Relationship between tendon tissue and shoulder disability change during an 8-week exercise intervention for rotator cuff tendinopathy: an observational study. Phys Ther. 2025;105:pzaf107. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaf107.
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This episode details experimental evidence demonstrating that paternal exercise in mice, either via treadmill training or muscle-specific genetic overexpression of PGC-1α, transmits enhanced endurance capacity and metabolic health to offspring.
Yin X, Anwar A, Yan L, Yu R, Luo Y, Shi L, et al. Paternal exercise confers endurance capacity to offspring through sperm microRNAs. Cell Metab. 2025;37:1-18. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2025.09.003.
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This episode does a deep dive on a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability. This extensive scholarly work synthesizes existing evidence to determine if voluntary slow breathing (VSB) influences the parasympathetic nervous system, specifically focusing on changes in vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV). The authors conducted a quantitative review of 223 studies, analyzing HRV parameters at three time points: DURING a breathing session, IM-AFTER1 immediately following a session, and AFTER-INT after a multi-session intervention.
Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022;138:104711. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
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This episode examines the rapidly growing field of using Large Language Models (LLMs) for automatic disease diagnosis in clinical practice. The review comprehensively maps the existing literature, clarifying which diseases and clinical data types have been addressed, the specific LLM techniques employed (such as prompting, fine-tuning, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation or RAG), and the evaluation methods used to assess performance.
Zhou, S., Xu, Z., Zhang, M. et al. Large language models for disease diagnosis: a scoping review. npj Artif. Intell. 1, 9 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44387-025-00011-z
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