Key Moments
Cognitive Effects of Creatine, Nasal Breathing, and Current Trends in Science (Ep 91)
Stronger By ScienceKey Moments
Podcast covers Creatine, nasal breathing, scientific trends, and the history of exercise science.
Key Insights
Creatine supplementation may offer cognitive benefits, particularly under stress or in specific conditions, but daily use for average individuals has limited robust evidence.
Nasal breathing research is inconclusive; while acute differences exist, long-term causal links to negative health outcomes from mouth breathing are not strongly established, with confounding factors likely playing a role.
Broader trends in scientific publishing show a concerning increase in systematic reviews and meta-analyses that may not be well-supported by a sufficient body of primary research, potentially driven by career incentives.
Data sharing in scientific research is poor, with a very low success rate for obtaining data even when a "data availability statement" is present, undermining open science principles.
MacroFactor's food logging system has been significantly revamped to be the fastest on the market, aiming to reduce friction and encourage consistent logging.
The history of exercise science demonstrates a gradual evolution from early anatomical studies to formalized labs and degree programs, with early motivations often linked to military preparedness.
CREATINE'S COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
The discussion delves into creatine supplementation, addressing its cognitive benefits and utility during dehydration. While creatine is well-established for exercise performance, its cognitive effects are more nuanced. Research suggests potential benefits, especially in stressful situations like sleep deprivation or brain injury, but these often require high doses and strong stressors. For the average person, daily creatine intake might offer only neutral to slightly positive effects on cognition. Additionally, the stored water from creatine supplementation may offer a neutral to slightly positive effect in preventing heat-related illness during exercise, though it's not expected to be a major factor.
NASAL BREATHING VS. MOUTH BREATHING DEBATE
The podcast explores the debate around nasal versus mouth breathing. While acute physiological differences are noted, the long-term detrimental effects of mouth breathing are not causally proven. Research in this area is often associative, with poor sleep quality and learning deficits sometimes linked to mouth breathing. However, it's difficult to establish causation, as stress, which can lead to mouth breathing, may be the underlying factor, or chronic sinus issues could be the root cause. The general sentiment is skepticism about mouth breathing being inherently bad for most individuals.
TRENDS AND CONCERNS IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on concerning trends in scientific publishing. The speakers highlight a rapid increase in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which are increasingly outpacing primary research like randomized controlled trials. This trend may be fueled by career incentives (CV padding, H-index improvement) rather than the actual need for such reviews. The quality of these reviews varies, with some being narrative reviews retrofitted with systematic searches, and the overall body of primary research is not always sufficient to warrant them, potentially leading to confusion rather than clarity.
THE POOR STATE OF DATA SHARING IN RESEARCH
The conversation addresses the disappointing reality of data sharing in scientific research. Despite 'data availability statements' becoming common, a study revealed a success rate of only 6.8% for researchers obtaining data when requested. This lack of transparency hinders reproducibility and advanced analyses like subject-level meta-analyses. The structural issues, including the reliance on institutional email addresses that become inaccessible after employment changes, contribute to this problem, suggesting that these statements are often aspirational rather than a commitment to open science.
MACROFACTOR'S REVOLUTIONARY FOOD LOGGING SYSTEM
The podcast highlights a major revamp of MacroFactor's food logging system, aiming to make it the fastest and most efficient on the market. The developers focused on reducing the number of taps and discrete actions required for logging food, addressing a key barrier for consistent use. A newly developed scoring system objectively ranks food loggers, with MacroFactor now being the fastest across common logging scenarios. While database size is still a competitive area, the focus remains on providing a superior user experience for diet tracking.
THE EVOLUTION AND HISTORY OF EXERCISE SCIENCE
The episode provides a historical overview of exercise science, tracing its roots back centuries before the well-known Harvard Fatigue Lab. Early contributions in anatomy and physiology from figures like Laura Bassi and Anna Maria Manzolini in the 1700s are mentioned. The establishment of formal exercise physiology programs and labs in the mid-19th and late 19th centuries, particularly at Amherst and Harvard, is detailed. The early motivations for studying exercise science were often tied to military preparedness and understanding human fatigue.
NUTRITION PRINCIPLES FOR ACTIVE INDIVIDUALS
The discussion touches on why active individuals might disregard general nutrition advice for health, such as high saturated fat or sodium intake. While some principles have exceptions for highly active individuals (e.g., sugar intake), often it's about risk management. Active people may find their baseline risk is lower, allowing for more dietary flexibility while remaining within their comfort level of risk. This is sometimes used as justification to maintain certain dietary habits rather than a scientific endorsement of unhealthy practices.
CREATINE: MECHANISMS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
Further exploration into creatine's effects reveals that muscle creatine saturation increases significantly with supplementation, while brain creatine saturation sees a more modest, around 5-10%, increase. This effect can be less pronounced in vegetarians, though brain creatine levels are generally similar between vegetarians and omnivores. The idea that vegetarians critically need creatine for cognitive function is largely debunked, stemming from a misinterpretation of a study where omnivores showed a cognitive decline not replicated in vegetarians.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Supplements
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●People Referenced
Common Questions
MacroFactor is a diet coaching app that has recently revamped its food logger to be highly efficient. It minimizes the time and friction associated with logging food, offering the fastest or tied-for-fastest logging across various methods like search, multi-add, and barcode scanning. It also tracks body weight and body composition changes to quantify energy balance, helping users make precise adjustments to their intake for desired weight change.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
One of several institutions where exercise science labs began to pop up in the 1920s.
An institute where a lab focusing on energy metabolism was established in 1904.
The International Powerlifting Federation World Championships, where various powerlifters set new records.
The institution where Edward Hitchcock Jr. was hired as a professor of hygiene and physical education in 1861, potentially hosting the first exercise physiology professor.
One of several institutions where exercise science labs began to pop up in the 1920s.
A significant lab established in 1927 that greatly accelerated the field of exercise science.
A food logging app with a database comparable to MacroFactor's, mentioned as a large successful app.
A food logging app mentioned as a more efficient alternative to MyFitnessPal with a comparable database.
A food logging app with a verified food database and efficient logging flows, recommended as a free alternative to MyFitnessPal.
A food logging app recommended for Central European users due to its database.
A food logging app with an excellent database, especially for micronutrient tracking, recommended as a free alternative.
Hired in 1861 at Amherst College as a professor of hygiene and physical education, he is considered by some to be the first exercise physiology professor.
A powerlifter who competed against Jessica Bittner at 76 kg at IPF Worlds, setting a bench press world record.
Authors of a textbook that provides a nice history of the field of exercise science.
A powerlifter from Great Britain who pulled 228 kg (over 500 lbs) in the 57 kg class at IPF Worlds.
A powerlifter who set a bench press world record at 123 kg in the 57 kg class at IPF Worlds.
A powerlifter who made her first recorded meet appearance at IPF Worlds, pulling a 200.5 kg deadlift at 52 kg.
A former roommate and excellent scientist, lead author of a review paper on Creatine and heat-related problems during exercise, and known for his 'if you can't measure it in pounds it's not worth measuring' philosophy.
A physician whose extensive writings about exercise influenced Edward Hitchcock Jr.
A powerlifter who set a squat world record and won a close battle at 76 kg at IPF Worlds, also a MacroFactor affiliate.
A powerlifter who dominated lightweight classes at IPF Worlds, setting squat and bench press world records.
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