Exercise Science

Orthometria and the Future of Wellness | Gary LeBlanc, EverMe

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:32:25 GMT

In a special episode that concludes the first season of Exercise Science we invited on Gary LeBlanc, the COO and president of our title sponsor, EverMe, to discuss the future of wellness in our first-ever live taping in downtown Toronto.

Gary LeBlanc has been studying wellness and personal optimization for decades. As a leader at EverMe, Gary and his team are creating an agentic AI that breaks down complex longevity research, trending topics and expert perspectives into evidence-backed guidance. It also tracks your wearable data and provides guidance on the best way to achieve your health goals. Together, Stu, Marty and Gary discuss:

Orthometria, Stu’s term describing an obsession with correct measurement of the self
How different wearables can assess the same things differently
The lack of standardization between devices like the Apple Watch, Whoop band or Oura ring
The EverMe origin story
The confusing world of signals we get from social media, wearables and agentic AIs, and how EverMe is designed to improve things
Where this world of AI and wearables will eventually lead

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. To get a free, no credit card two-month trial to EverMe exclusively for Exercise Science listeners, go to:

everme.ai/exercisescience

EPISODE LINKS

Stu’s orthometria post on LinkedIn

Google search crediting Stu with coining the term

The EverMe website

Live Long and Prosper: The Globe and Mail’s feature article on EverMe

Gary LeBlanc’s book, Find Your Superhuman, and personal website. He’s also on Instagram

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Find Stu on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok.

Marty is on Instagram. He’s also on X.

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Wearable tech experiences

00:36 Podcast introduction

01:21 Episode overview

02:19 Defining orthometria

02:57 Introducing Everme

06:25 Gary’s origin story

07:42 Everme’s distinct features

09:31 Data obsession

10:22 Information discernment

12:21 Proxies vs benchmarks

13:46 Reliable metrics

15:26 Building signals

17:00 Health guideline struggles

18:04 Reducing coaching friction

20:25 Behavioral tracking

22:13 Future of wellness

24:37 Humanity and tech

27:39 Purposeful technology use

29:15 Sifting social media

30:36 Assessing scientific credibility

33:06 Audience Q&A

DISCLAIMER

The Exercise Science podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Strength training and fitness carry inherent risks. Always consult with a physician or qualified healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program or making changes to your diet. The hosts, producers, sponsors and guests of this podcast disclaim any liability for any injuries or losses connected with the information discussed in this show.

The science of strength and fitness is continually evolving. While we strive to provide accurate, evidence-based information, we make no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information discussed.

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Cardio Training Guidance for Recreational Athletes | Alex Hutchinson, Sweat Science

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:58:28 GMT

You’re a busy person. Career, family, social obligations and everything else. What SHOULD you be doing for your cardio if you have just five hours a week to devote to your training? What’s the proper mix of long, slow effort, interval sessions and tempo bouts? How many times a week should you be getting out? And what’s the ideal duration per workout?

To work out the answer, Marty and Stu invite on to the show the science journalist Alex Hutchinson, who has a physics Ph.D. from Cambridge and was on the Canadian national running team. He writes the Sweat Science column, on the science of human performance, for Outside magazine. He’s also the author of the bestselling books Endure and The Explorer’s Gene.

Together, the guys discuss:

the challenge of cardio training when you’re not a professional athlete.
the current vogue for Marius Bakken and Norwegian Threshold training
Norwegian Threshold Training’s implications for Zone 2 and other training protocols
The optimal cardio training regimen for those who have five hours a week for training
The challenge of intensity guidance and training thresholds

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Curious about the longevity topics in this episode? EverMe grades the evidence behind them so you can see what holds up. Exercise Science listeners get two months of Premium free, no credit card: everme.ai/exercisescience

Thanks also to our sponsor BiaFit, your all-in-one fitness platform designed to help you become the best version of yourself. Enter the promotional code HARDFACTS at checkout to receive a 10% discount. Download BiaFit at your favorite app store, and learn more here: https://getbiafit.com/

Exercise Science sponsor Precision Nutrition is the #1 most recommended nutrition certification program in the world. And now it specializes in GLP-1 coaching. For a free assessment to learn your GLP-1 type, visit GLPCoaching.com.

EPISODE LINKS

Alex Hutchinson’s Sweat Science website. Substack. He’s also on Instagram.

Hutchinson’s books: Endure. The Explorer’s Gene.

1964 5,000m final Olympic final results.

Mentioned in this episode: The Norwegian Method Applied by Marius Bakken MD

Also here’s Brendan Gurd from Queen’s University.

Recent guidance from the ACSM & ESSA: Physical Activity and Exercise Intensity Terminology.

This episode’s listener question comes from Sandi Nypaver. Here’s here Instagram and her bio at Higher Running

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Episode introduction

00:52 Introducing Alex

03:00 Origin story

05:52 Brain’s role

08:04 Sponsor break

10:40 Program optimality

12:50 Different approaches

14:55 Norwegian threshold

16:55 Training intensity

18:32 Individual differences

22:24 Threshold domains

24:32 Sponsor break

27:10 Interval routine

30:59 Resistance training

33:14 Current project

34:14 Listener question

37:00 Episode wrap-up

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Carbs vs. Keto: Fueling Optimal Performance with Louise Burke, Ph.D.

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:32:57 GMT

What’s the most efficient way to fuel human performance during endurance sports? For decades, adherents of keto- and low-carb high-fat diets have battled online with those who favor carbohydrate-burning approaches. In this episode, we have on the global scientific expert whose fascinating studies solved the debate.

Australian Louise Burke is one of the best-known sports nutritionists on the planet, known for her Supernova race-walking studies that showed that keto- and low carb, high fat diets don’t fuel endurance athletes as well as carbohydrate-burning approaches. She also practices what she researches, holding the women’s Australian marathon record in her age group—the age group, she jokes, of “never you mind.”

In this episode Dr. Burke walks Stu and Marty through her research that found carb-based approaches to fueling yield about 5% more of the muscle cell’s energy currency, ATP, compared to fat-burning approaches, with carb-burning also yielding 7-8% better performance. “Even though fat can do the job,” Dr. Burke says, “it’s not going to be able to produce the same amount of ATP so therefore you’re going to be slightly slower even though you’re working at the same relative oxygen utilization.”

She also:

—discusses her own approach to fuelling endurance events, before and during races

—provides tips on carbohydrate periodization for everyone from elite performers to recreational athletes

—explains how to train the body to become a fat- or carb-burning machine

—describes the swings between carb- and fat-fuelled approaches to endurance training

—answers a listener question about carb-loading

—tells the origin story of the important Supernova race-walking studies

—explains why race-walking is so perfect for nutrition studies

—shows that carbs during a race are good not only for muscle but also for the brain

—describes the high-fat approach to fuelling she used to help the swimmer Eva Buzo become the first woman to swim from Italy to Albania

GUEST BIO

Professor Louise Burke OAM, PhD, APD

Louise is a sports dietitian with 45 years of experience in the education and counselling of elite athletes. She worked at the Australian Institute of Sport for thirty years, first as Head of Sports Nutrition and then as Chief of Nutrition Strategy. She has attended 6 Summer Olympic Games with the Australian Olympic Team (1996-2012 and 2021). Her publications include over 450 peer- reviewed papers and book chapters, and the authorship or editorship of several textbooks on sports nutrition. Louise was a founding member of the Executive of Sports Dietitians Australia and is a Director of the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2009 for her contribution to sports nutrition, and a Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) from McMaster University, Canada in 2024. Louise was appointed as Chair in Sports Nutrition in the Mary MacKillop Institute of Health Research at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne in 2014 and took up this position in a full-time capacity in 2020. X: @LouiseMBurke IG: https://www.instagram.com/louiseburke4

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. To get a free two-month trial to EverMe exclusively for Exercise Science listeners, go to:

everme.ai/exercisescience

Thanks also to our sponsor Biafit, your all-in-one fitness platform designed to help you become the best version of yourself. Enter the promotional code HARDFACTS at checkout to receive a one-time 10% discount on the purchased subscription. Download BiaFit at your favorite app store, and learn more here:

https://getbiafit.com/

EPISODE LINKS

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 2026 feature:
Does a low-carbohydrate diet impede endurance sports performance? Yes
Does a low-carbohydrate diet impede endurance sports performance? No
Does a low-carbohydrate diet impede endurance sports performance? Debate Consensus

Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011

Re-examining high-fat diets for sports performance: Did we call the “nail in the coffin” too soon?

Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers. J Physiol. 2017

Organization of dietary control for nutrition-training intervention involving periodized carbohydrate availability and ketogenic low-carbohydrate high-fat diet. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018

Ketogenic low-CHO, high-fat diet: the future of elite endurance sport? J Physiol. 2021

Crisis of confidence averted: Impairment of exercise economy and performance in elite race walkers by ketogenic low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet is reproducible. PLoS One. 2020

Swimmer Eva Buzo’s trans-Adriatic swim chronicled here and in Balkan Insight.

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open
00:54 Human Performance Fuel
03:45 Field Origins
04:55 Glycogen Supercompensation
06:08 One-Size-Fits-All Failure
06:53 Carbohydrate Periodization
09:02 High-Fat Diets
11:56 Carbohydrate Downregulation
13:49 Keto Diet Appearance
17:02 Supernova Program Setup
21:18 Study Methodology
22:08 Race Performance Outcomes
22:34 Oxygen Economy Analysis
26:45 Recreational Application
32:06 Race Fueling Strategies

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Fighting Frailty: Maintaining Muscle as You Age

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:16:40 GMT

You have an older person in your life, or perhaps you are an older person yourself and you need that push to start strength training. This is the episode for you—because today we’re talking with Ashley Gluchowski, Ph.D., one of the most enthusiastic evangelists on strength training around and the University of Salford exercise scientist who helps older adults get stronger, improve balance and reduce risk of falls.

In this episode we discuss:

The surprising activities of daily living that require strength as we get older
Why older adults should be doing strength training
The association between strength and decreased dementia risk
How to get over being intimidated by strength training
The long-term benefits of making exercise social
Tips on how older adults can stick with strength-building programs

Ashley is a clinical exercise physiologist and former student of Stu Phillips’ who has gone on to found Stronger At Home, a program designed to get older adults to start and stick with strength training (link below). She has years of experience working with older adults on how to start and stick with strength training—and in this episode, Stu and Marty interview her about what works (exercise classes), and what doesn’t (patronizing trainers).

According to Ashley, “the short-term benefits of becoming stronger and more active include better glucose regulation, improved mood, increased energy, and better sleep.” The stereotype is that strength training is just for young people. But older people fighting sarcopenia are the ones who will most benefit from strength training most of all!

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. To get a free two-month trial to EverMe exclusively for Exercise Science listeners, go to: everme.ai/exercisescience

Thanks also to our sponsor BiaFit, your all-in-one fitness platform designed to help you become the best version of yourself. Enter the promotional code HARDFACTS at checkout to receive a one-time 10% discount on the purchased subscription. Download BiaFit at your favorite app store, and learn more here: https://getbiafit.com/

EPISODE LINKS

Dr. Ashley Gluchowski on instagram @drashleygstrongerwithage

Dr. Ashley Gluchowski’s website strongerahome.com

The Antifrail paper that Stu and Ashley wrote

Handgrip strength and all-cause dementia incidence and mortality: UK Biobank study

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open

01:03 Dr. Ashley Gluchowski’s story

06:48 Why strength train

08:30 Starting strength training

13:57 More reasons to strength train

17:22 Muscle power for older adults

20:44 The intimidation factor

22:47 Four reps

29:21 Tips for beginners

32:12 Squat variations

34:27 Four reps in practice

39:08 Listener question: Osteoarthritis

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Stuart Phillip's FINAL WORD on Protein!

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:16:20 GMT

It’s no longer just the longevity bros and fitness fiends obsessing over their protein intake — protein is currently on EVERYONE’S agenda. The more you eat, the more you build and maintain muscle, right? NOT SO FAST! What does the science actually say about protein consumption, and where does it intersect with optimal training? More vexing, why does everything from ketchup to donuts seem to have added protein these days? And finally: How much do you truly need, and what’s the best way to get it?

In today’s episode, Marty takes our own in-house world-renowned protein expert Stuart Phillips through the math behind the macros. Does more protein really equal more muscle? And what do you truly need to know about this hot (and much-politicized) nutrient?

Stu and Marty break down the surprising truth: while more protein does help, the actual return on investment is much smaller than the hype suggests. Does the benefit of protein hit a hard plateau at 1.6 g per kg per day? And if most of your lifetime gains come from training consistency rather than your protein intake, could we be focusing on the wrong variable all along? Find out if your protein habit is building muscle or just slimming your wallet in this episode of Exercise Science!

In this episode Stu and Marty discuss:

How our understanding of protein has changed over time
Stu says why the old guideline of 0.8 g/kg body weight wasn’t enough — and where it came from
How much protein do you need if you want to lose weight but hold on to muscle?
How much protein do you need if you want to stay strong as you get older?
We’ll describe what happens when you eat more protein than you need — teeing up the term “expensive urine”
What’s better, vegan or animal-derived protein?
Listener question: What type of protein is easiest on the stomach to avoid bloating?

EPISODE LINKS

A short list of random stuff that has added protein (WHY?): Protein pizza? Doritos Protein. Protein water. Protein Pop Tarts. Macaroni and cheese.

Stu’s essay on protein in The Conversation: The Year that Protein Jumped the Shark
High-Protein Food Market Size to Hit USD 117.44 Billion by 2034

Mentioned in the podcast: The book, Nutrient Timing, by John Ivy

Shawn Arent paper Stu mentions: Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door of Opportunity

Friend of the show Mark Tarnopolsky’s fascinating paper on the protein needs of bodybuilders versus endurance athletes

Load-induced Human Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy - Journal of Sport and Health Science

A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults - British Journal of Sports Medicine

Stu calls this the “Tom Longland” paper in the episode, from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial

Application of the COSIAM method for muscle protein turnover and skeletal muscle mass in young females: A comparison of methods for body composition assessment - Advanced Exercise and Health Science

Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance - American College of Sports Medicine

Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults - Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle

Dietary Guidelines for Americans - USDA

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty now has his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open
03:45 What is protein?
05:39 How much protein should I eat?
08:59 Kidneys
10:56 Where did 0.8 come from?
14:54 How much protein is too much?
18:41 Protein for older people
21:57 Protein timing
23:28 Post-workout protein intake
24:45 Weight loss and protein
27:39 GLP-1s and protein
30:29 GLP-1 protein recommendation
31:13 Plant vs. animal protein
33:58 Leucine
35:13 Takeaways
40:40 Future research
44:37 Listener question: Avoiding protein bloat

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Exercise Snacks & VILPA: The Ultimate Explainer

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:55:14 GMT

A little morsel of an episode on exercise snacks and Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity, known as VILPA. Along with a handful of scientists around the world, such as Emmanuel Stamatakis and Jon Little, Marty is leading research into the health benefits of short, vigorous bouts of exercise that are scattered through the day.

One key finding is that just four minutes of vigorous physical activity per day can decrease risk of all-cause mortality by 25%—which those of us at Exercise Science find remarkable.

So in our eighth episode, Stu leads Marty through a discussion of the ongoing and future research into the benefits of short, vigorous bouts of physical activity. The guys discuss:
—What’s the difference between exercise snacks and VILPA?
—What health benefits are provided by short, vigorous bursts of exercise?
—What are some examples of great exercise snacks that anyone can do?
—What’s the shortest amount of exercise that will make a difference to one’s health?

Finally, we explore the idea that exercise snacks and VILPA may be able to liberate physical activity from the confines of planned gym visits that require special clothing and fancy equipment.

Traditional guidelines have not done much to get more people exercising. In this episode, Stu and Marty explore their ultimate aim of getting more people engaging in strength and cardio with shorter, less-structured bouts of physical activity.

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. To get a free two-month trial to EverMe exclusively for Exercise Science listeners, go to:
everme.ai/exercisescience

EPISODE LINKS

Great explainer video on exercise snacking featuring Martin Gibala

Marty and Jon Little Diabetologia study: Bodyweight exercise snacks totalling 4 min of vigorous activity per day led to small, yet statistically significant improvements in indices of glycaemic variability and postprandial hyperglycaemia in insufficiently active individuals living with well-controlled type 2 diabetes.

Technology-Enabled Exercise Snacks - Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports

Once and thrice weekly interval training in adults with central obesity: a randomized controlled trial: Gibala 2026

The Stamatakis study that Marty co-authored: The sample median VILPA duration of 4.4 min per day was associated with a 26%–30% reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality risk

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty now has his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Episode outline
02:47 What are exercise snacks?
03:30 VILPA explained
05:45 Emerging research
07:55 VILPA benefits
10:10 Bus drivers
12:47 Snack physiology
13:50 Future research
15:51 Diabetologia study
16:39 Guidelines
18:36 Vigorous explained
19:15 Liberating exercise
21:24 Just four minutes!
22:56 Snack suggestions
24:05 Listener question

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Mythbusting the Most-Hyped Peptides

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:58:01 GMT

Peptides like BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and retatrutide are among the hottest trends for optimizers, gym bros, looksmaxxers and the longevity crowd. But is it wise to inject bioactive molecules into the bloodstream that haven’t passed the drug-approval process?

In this episode, Marty and Stu welcome the Harvard- and Stanford-educated Leigh Baxt, who mythbusts about peptides and other panaceas on Instagram @sciencemomscicomm.

Baxt is a translational scientist who specializes in drug development. She points out the many problems with injecting peptides into the body, including the major one that many of these peptides are activating biological pathways that cancer cells love.

In this episode we discuss the following questions:

What are peptides?
Are peptides safe?
Quick guide to peptides like BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and retatrutide
What do peptides do?
What is a wolverine stack?

Finally, we also walk through the drug-approval process that protects human beings from predatory marketing, and say what Marty, Stu and Leigh think is so wrong about promoting peptides to young people.

What scientific evidence supports peptide use? Find the answer in our latest episode!

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. To get a free two-month trial to EverMe exclusively for Exercise Science listeners, go to:
everme.ai/exercisescience

Thanks also to our sponsor Biafit, your all-in-one fitness platform designed to help you become the best version of yourself. Enter the promotional code HARDFACTS at checkout to receive a one-time 10% discount on the purchased subscription. Download BiaFit at your favorite app store, and learn more here:
https://getbiafit.com/

EPISODE LINKS

Leigh Baxt is on Instagram @sciencemomscicomm

Leigh collaborates heavily with Unbiased Science: https://www.unbiasedscience.com/

Leigh was also on Simon Hill: Are Peptides Safe? What You Need to Know About BPC-157

Retatrutide phase 2 trial for obesity in the New England Journal of Medicine

Good overview from Patricia Brubaker on problems with injecting peptides

Want to hack your body with peptides? The Economist opines

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open

01:02 Introducing Leigh Baxt

04:54 What are peptides?

07:25 Antivaxxers

09:24 BPC-157

11:05 TB-500

12:20 Wolverine stacking

13:10 CJC-1295

13:55 Retatrutide

16:28 Drug approval process

18:08 Peptides & cancer

20:12 Most drugs fail

22:03 Are peptides safe

23:52 Peptides & patents

26:28 Peptide categories

27:35 What’s wrong with wolverine stacks

29:54 Drug interactions

31:53 Why are peptides so hot?

34:27 Predatory marketing

37:21 Peptide predictions

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Leigh Baxt does not represent her employer on this platform and all views expressed are her own.

What To Do Instead of Zone 2

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:02:55 GMT

If you’re a serious recreational athlete but you have a job and a life, and only five hours a week to train — what SHOULD you be doing? Our cardio episodes have to date discussed Zone 2 and explained VO₂max. Armed with that context, now our audience wants to know: If not Zone 2, then what? This week, Stu and Marty provide the answer with the help of one of the world’s foremost experts on aerobic conditioning and the limits of human performance, Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Joyner is a legend of the exercise science field and an elite runner himself, who back in 1991 conducted the first analysis establishing the physiologic possibility of a sub-two-hour marathon. Since our conversation with Joyner happened to fall just days after Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha achieved the first official sub-2:00 marathon times earlier this spring, the conversation begins with a discussion of Joyner’s 1991 analysis.

Then Marty and Stu challenge Joyner to get specific about what amateur athletes should be doing, if they want to achieve the best possible aerobic fitness for health with about five hours a week of training. In other words, what does one of the world’s most renowned scientists at the intersection of human physiology and athletic performance suggest for the optimal training regimen? How much vigorous training should we all be doing, relative to moderate- and low-intensity training? How much HIIT should we be doing? What does Joyner think about Zone 2? What does Joyner do for his own fitness as a 68-year-old man? Plus a listener question asking how to know when you’re training too much.

Have a listener question or an idea for a future episode? Email us at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe, the longevity intelligence app. Exercise Science listeners get a free two-month trial to EverMe at this link. You can also download EverMe for free at your favourite app store.

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

EPISODE LINKS

Two runners break fabled two hour marathon barrier. Friend of Exercise Science Alex Hutchinson wrote about it for The Atlantic.

Joyner’s famous 2011 article: The Two Hour Marathon: Who and When?

Mike Joyner’s 1991 paper that is a staple in Marty’s Integrative Physiology class: Modeling: optimal marathon performance on the basis of physiological factors. PubMed. Full PDF.

Dr. Michael Joyner’s website — been awhile since he updated it but fascinating nonetheless

Andy Jones’ paper referenced by Joyner: The fourth dimension: physiological resilience as an independent determinant of endurance exercise performance - The Journal of Physiology

Adaptations to swimming training: influence of training volume - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

Physiological demands of running at 2-hour marathon race pace - Journal of Applied Physiology

A Perspective on High-Intensity Interval Training for Performance and Health - Sports Med

Physical Activity and Exercise Intensity Terminology - ACSM Position Stand

The “How They Train” series by Fred Wilt

CANADIAN 24-HOUR MOVEMENT GUIDELINES FOR ADULTS (AGED 18-64 YEARS)

Physical Activity Tips for Adults (18-64 years) - Government of Canada

Validity of Submaximal Step Tests - Sports Medicine
Criterion-Related Validity of Field-Based Fitness Tests - Journal of Clinical Medicine

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Intro

02:44 Welcoming Dr. Michael Joyner

03:45 Joyner reacts to 2:00

04:47 Who is Joyner?

06:18 Marathon predictions

11:13 Joyner prediction reception

13:03 Performance determinants

15:51 Other performance determinants

18:59 Elite characteristics

20:50 How elite is elite

22:03 Joyner on Zone 2

26:55 Joyner’s training haiku

29:30 Optimal intensities

30:40 Long intervals key

32:22 Is 80/20 wasting time?

33:43 Resistance training

35:00 Do SOMETHING

36:51 Zone 2 too low

38:51 Vigorous benefits

40:37 What Joyner does

42:35 More haikus

43:59 Listener question

46:52 Wrap up

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

How GLP-1s Affect Muscle Mass

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:46:09 GMT

Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro, are new weight loss drugs that actually work, helping millions around the world to feel better and become healthier. But some people are fearful of side effects, such as loss of muscle mass. Are their fears warranted?

To find out, Marty and Stu talk to the two University of Kansas weight loss scientists, Renee Rogers and ACSM president-elect John Jakicic, who are leading a clinical trial investigating the way aerobic and resistance training can affect the muscle mass of people who are on GLP-1s, or the other new weight loss drugs.

In this episode we discuss:

—the latest findings on how GLP-1s affect muscle mass
—the difference between lean mass and muscle mass
—the research that Jakicic and Rogers are doing into GLP-1s, weight loss and muscle mass
—we provide guidance on whether people should be concerned about GLP-1s and muscle mass
—we also provide pointers on how to minimize muscle loss while on GLP-1s

Plus, Renee and John answer a listener question about whether the new weight loss drugs affect men and women differently.

Have a listener question or an idea for a future episode? Email us at realexercisescience@gmail.com

LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!
Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

EPISODE LINKS

New York Times: They Hated Exercise. Weight Loss Drugs Changed Everything.

Renee Rogers and John Jakicic’s clinical trial: Muscle and Movement With Anti-Obesity Medications (M3)

A paper by John Jakicic and Renee Rogers advocating for a prescription of exercise along with obesity medication in obesity treatment: The Role of Exercise in the Contemporary Era of Obesity Management Medications - ACSM-CSMR

Jakicic led, and Rogers coauthored, the largest targeted NIH investment of funds into the mechanisms of how physical activity improves health and prevents disease. Study website. Article from the Journal of Applied Physiology: Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC): human studies design and protocol

Analysis: Preserving muscle mass on GLP-1 weight loss drugs: Big Deal or Nothing to Worry About? By Stuart Phillips

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open

01:29 Muscle mass and GLP-1s

04:19 Introducing Renee and John

06:19 GLP-1 context

07:50 How GLP-1s work

10:50 More than GLP-1s

12:44 Body composition & weight loss

15:00 Lean tissue is not muscle

16:50 Overblown fears

18:55 Muscle moment

20:39 R01 study described

23:15 Early results

26:04 Behavioural influences

28:45 Rediscovering exercise

31:09 Comprehensive care

33:00 Renting weight loss

36:55 Obesity drivers

37:47 Older adults

40:39 Wraparound care

41:30 Muscle health context

43:12 Function measures matter

44:44 Lean v. muscle

46:15 Unloading the body

47:40 GLP-1 sex differences

49:44 How to minimize muscle loss on GLP-1s

53:33 Wrap up

DISCLAIMER
The Exercise Science podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Strength training and fitness carry inherent risks. Always consult with a physician or qualified healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program or making changes to your diet. The hosts, producers, sponsors and guests of this podcast disclaim any liability for any injuries or losses connected with the information discussed in this show.

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

VO₂max: The Fifth Vital Sign

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:55:56 GMT

VO₂max is the most important metric of your overall cardiorespiratory fitness. It’s a measure of the maximal ability of your body to take in and use oxygen. But what does the number actually mean for your health and longevity? Why is it important to know your VO₂max? What’s the most effective way to improve your VO₂max, whether you’re an athlete or just someone seeking to improve your health? And what does this all have to do with beer-league hockey, and everybody’s favourite Sudbury Blueberry Bulldog, Shoresy?

In this episode, Stuart Phillips asks Martin Gibala to break down VO₂max in plain English: what it is, why it matters, and how it shapes everything from your risk of dying to how fast you can run a 10K. And just to get the kin grad students among us even more excited, this episode namedrops the Hickson Protocol, plus legends of kinesiology like Robert Ross, Ulrik Wisløff and Carsten Lundby. Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er!

Have a listener question or an idea for an episode? Email us at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe. Download EverMe for free at your favourite App store.

EPISODE LINKS

A Case for Fitness as a Clinical Vital Sign: The academic paper Marty references, that argues that MDs should assess VO₂max during each patient visit.

Biology of VO₂ max: looking under the physiology lamp by Carsten Lundby and Mike Joyner. Here’s the 2015 review by Lundby that references a top VO₂max reading of 90.6. And then here’s a 2019 case study from Lundby and Joyner that references the physiological profile of Norwegian cyclist Oskar Svendsen, who recorded a staggering 96.7 mL/kg/min in a laboratory.

The Hickson protocol is described here, featuring six sessions per week, including three sessions of continuous vigorous in which the athletes ran as far as they could in 40 minutes, interspersed with three interval training bouts per week. The interval training amounted to six sessions of five-minute-long intervals during which the athletes tried to achieve VO₂max in each interval, interspersed with two minutes of easier cycling. Pretty intense!

Protocols to test VO₂max by proxy: YMCA fitness test is described in this academic paper. Plus here’s a better description of the 3-min step test.

A survey-based non-exercise predictor of VO₂max is found at worldfitnesslevel.org.

VO₂max test footage from McMaster University

Wisløff Hunt Study one high-intensity bout of week v. cardiac risk

Wisløff 2001 out of Norwegian University of Science and Technology with elite male junior soccer players, 2x a week for eight weeks boosted VO₂max by 11%.

Wisløff 2008 with sedentary middle-aged men and women with metabolic syndrome, 3x a week for 16 weeks, improved VO₂max by 35%, more than twice as much as a control that performed continuous moderate exercise.

Martin Gibala contributed to Wisløff’s 2013 paper, showing most of the benefits from an interval workout come from the first sprint.

SHOW LINKS

Exercise Science is everywhere @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok to make him feel nice!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cardio v. Strength

02:08 VO₂max explained

06:08 Heart’s role

08:41 Clinical vital sign

10:36 Benefits of boosting VO₂max

12:11 Assessing VO₂max

13:51 Ulrik Wisløff

15:15 Beer league hockey

17:07 VO₂max ranges

20:59 More boosting benefits

24:16 VO₂max trainability

27:00 Highest recorded values

29:30 How to improve VO₂max

31:27 Hickson protocol

33:38 Fastest way to boost

DISCLAIMER

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.

Brad Schoenfeld's Top 5 Strength Myths

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:55:59 GMT

Think you know how to build muscle? In our third episode, co-host Martin Gibala does some mythbusting with two of the world’s most prominent experts in the science of strength development, co-host Stuart Phillips and special guest Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York.

In addition to being a former bodybuilder and joining Stu on the ACSM strength position statement, Schoenfeld literally wrote the textbook on strength training. Together, Phillips and Schoenfeld use science and savvy to correct some of the resistance world’s most pervasive myths, including:

Light loads don’t increase muscle size
Train to failure to maximize muscular adaptations
Short rest periods are best for hypertrophy
Cardio kills gains
Narrow post-exercise anabolic window of opportunity

Join us to discuss these myths and more in the latest episode of Exercise Science!

Have a listener question or an idea for an episode? Email us at realexercisescience@gmail.com

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe. Download EverMe for free at your favourite App store.

LINKS

Exercise Science is everywhere @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok to make him feel nice!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!

Whoa Brad Schoenfeld is HUGE on Instagram! One of the best feeds out there for the up-to-the-minute science on strength training. Plus here’s his lab at Lehman College.

ACSM Position Statement on Resistance Training 2026

Brad’s textbook: Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy, 2nd Edition

Resistance Training Beyond Momentary Failure - Brad Schoenfeld, co-author
Divergent strength gains but similar hypertrophy after low-load and high-load resistance exercise training in trained individuals: many roads lead to Rome

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content marketing agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Who is the strongest exercise scientist?

02:13 Schoenfeld intro

03:47 Myth 1: Must lift heavy

06:25 Myth 2: Must train to failure

10:52 Myth 3: Short rest periods

17:26 Myth 4: Anabolic window

26:33 Myth 5: Cardio kills gains

36:54 LQ: Losing gains

DISCLAIMER

Much Ado About Zone 2

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:55:57 GMT

Influencers can’t get enough of Zone 2 training. So why did Martin Gibala publish a research paper challenging Zone 2 for the general public? In this episode, Stuart Phillips leads Marty through a critical examination of Zone 2.

Marty suggests that very little scientific research exists to support Zone 2 training intensity for most people—either as an effective stimulus for cardiorespiratory fitness or mitochondrial capacity. In fact, if you do between three and six hours of cardio a week, Marty believes that Zone 2 isn’t hard enough for you to efficiently accrue training benefits. In other words, if you’re an amateur athlete subscribing to the much-vaunted rule that 80% of your cardio should be in Zone 2, you’re not as fit as you otherwise could be.

So what is Zone 2 training? And is Zone 2 causing many people to exercise inefficiently, leaving them less healthy than they otherwise might be? What should people be doing INSTEAD of Zone 2? It’s all here, in the latest episode of Exercise Science!

Have a listener question, a comment or an idea for an episode? Email us at realexercisescience@gmail.com

LINKS

Marty and Brendon Gurd’s critical examination of Zone 2: Much Ado About Zone 2: A Narrative Review Assessing the Efficacy of Zone 2 Training for Improving Mitochondrial Capacity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in the General Population

Marty’s coauthor Brendon Gurd on their Zone 2 paper at the Discover Strength podcast.

Luke Carlson calls the “Much Ado About Zone 2” paper the most important scientific publication of 2025 in this blog post summarizing the paper.

HIIT and Zone 2: Marty on the Discover Strength podcast

Sperlich paper referenced in this episode: Zone 2 Intensity: A Critical Comparison of Individual Variability in Different Submaximal Exercise Intensity Boundaries

Marty was a coauthor on this ACSM/ESSA position statement on exercise intensities

Marty was senior author on this Sports Medicine paper on exercise intensity in high-intensity activity, which features the intensity diagram Marty mentions

Referenced in this episode: Defining Training and Performance Caliber: A Participant Classification Framework

Lifehacker’s Beth Skwarecki notes, Nobody Can Agree On What Zone 2 Is

Oura’s heart rate zones

Whoop band’s heart rate zones

Garmin’s heart rate zones

Peter Attia on Zone 2: This Is How You Know If You’re in Zone 2 When Doing Cardio

More Attia: This is What Zone 2 Training Looks Like

Attia saying 80% of cardio should be Zone 2

Origins of Zone 2: Attia and San Milan in the early days of the trend

Find Stu Phillips on most platforms @mackinprof

Find Martin Gibala on Instagram, which he just joined, @gibalamj

Exercise Science is powered by EverMe. Download EverMe for free at your favourite App store.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Exercise fads

00:34 Intros

02:30 What Zone 2 is

04:21 No uniform definition

06:02 Lactate threshold

08:10 Zone 2 marker variability

09:54 Ventilatory threshold

11:57 Conflation with moderate

12:58 Improving exercise prescriptions

14:40 Health v. performance

16:04 Moderate intensity is better

16:58 80/20 split

18:45 Better alternatives

19:47 Zone 2 origins

20:39 Wearable intensities

22:09 Threshold testing options

23:14 Training for health

24:21 Take-home message

26:05 Vigorous is better

26:44 Listener question

DISCLAIMER

Strength Training for Everybody!

Tue, 26 May 2026 09:56:03 GMT

Forget the oiled-up pumping-iron musclehead stereotype. In 2026, strength training is officially for EVERYONE. The question: What took so long?

In the premiere episode of the Exercise Science podcast, Martin Gibala takes his co-host Stuart Phillips through the recently released landmark update that Phillips senior authored: The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Position Stand on Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults.

It’s the first position statement in 17 years from the gold standard exercise organization, and, according to the ACSM itself, “the most comprehensive evidence-based guidance to date on how resistance training supports muscle strength, muscle size (hypertrophy), power, and physical performance across adulthood.”

Parsing the science, together, Stu and Marty break down why strength is the ultimate compound interest investment for your health span. How important is strength training? Why should you consider strength training 2x per week to be just as important as the other main exercise-related health guideline, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week?

Plus: How much strength training is enough? What’s the minimum that you should do? What changed during the 17 years between position stands? And how did a 1940s bodybuilding doctor rehabbing soldiers pave the way for modern strength training?

If you’re going to listen to just one podcast about the 2026 ACSM position stand on strength training — make it this episode of Exercise Science!

LINKS

Exercise Science is everywhere @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. Spotify. On X you can find us @realexscience.

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok to make him feel nice!

Marty just started his own Instagram. Give him a follow! He’s also on X!

Thanks to our season one sponsor: EverMe is longevity intelligence — and you can download it for free at your favourite App store.

ACSM Position Stand 2026: The scientific article in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

Here’s the press release about the stand from the ACSM, and a great succinct infographic summarizing the main takeaways

Here are the two previous ACSM position stands on strength: 2009 and 2002

Thomas L. DeLorme and the Medical Acceptance Of Progressive Resistance Exercise - Iron Game History

Thomas L. DeLorme and the Science of Progressive Resistance Exercise - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Abstract)

One of four students on the position stand, Brad Currier brought the evidence together, did most of the writing and herded the cats

All about Ken Cooper, a seminal expert on aerobic fitness who came to understand the importance of strength training

Honoring the legacy of Steve N. Blair, a giant in the field of exercise epidemiology

Marty and Stu’s MOOC: Hacking Exercise for Health

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau in Toronto.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Marty teases Stu

01:20 Episode outline

02:34 What’s a position stand?

03:36 What is the ACSM?

03:52 Building the team

05:00 What’s new in 2026

06:20 Levels of scientific papers

07:10 2026 v. 2009

08:12 Recommendations

09:30 Effort v. failure

10:38 Volume of training

12:30 Home-based options

14:06 Advice for newbies

15:13 Strength explained

18:57 Power explained

19:37 Why now?

22:17 Weight training for women

23:03 Capt. Thomas L. Delorme

25:36 Circus strongmen

26:30 Outdated philosophies

28:01 Barriers to entry

29:33 No pain, no gain is dead

31:45 Safety

33:30 Where to start

35:00 Takeaways

35:50 Listener question

36:50 Outro

DISCLAIMER

Exercise Science Podcast Coming Spring 2026

Thu, 21 May 2026 14:39:19 GMT

Kinesiology professor Martin Gibala is the worldwide expert on time-efficient cardio. Kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips is the global expert on strength, muscle development and protein. In Exercise Science, these two friends and colleagues translate the world of exercise science for the rest of us — separating the hype from the hard evidence.

Exercise Science Podcast Coming Spring 2026

Exercise Science — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:46:19 GMT