Why are power calculations in exercise science often flawed?

Power calculations are often performed incorrectly by first determining a feasible sample size (e.g., 20 subjects) and then back-calculating the required effect size, rather than determining the sample size needed for a theoretically meaningful effect size.

What are some alternative career paths for fitness professionals?

Speakers considered careers in academia (professorship), in-person coaching and gym management, history professor, subsistence farming with a nest egg, opening a food truck, or running a bed and breakfast. Both also enjoyed manual labor like lawn care and construction in their youth.

How do you approach sharing content on social media?

The speakers are mindful but prioritize sharing valuable insights, technical clarifications, or content related to their work. They generally avoid hot-button issues and are less confident about the value of their personal opinions on most topics.

What's the thought process behind posting on Facebook versus Instagram?

Facebook is used for occasional technical clarifications or fitness-related content, while Instagram is used infrequently, mainly to signal to friends and family that they are still alive.

How can one develop self-confidence if they struggle with self-love and negativity?

Self-confidence can be built by being purposeful about skill development and improvement, journaling or mentally cataloging progress. The confidence comes from knowing you are good at 'getting good' at things, rather than just being good at one specific skill.

What is the difference between self-confidence and knowing you can improve?

True self-confidence stems not just from knowing you're good at something specific, but from the knowledge that you possess the capacity to learn, grow, and become proficient in various domains over time, even if you're not initially an expert.

What are some unusual or outlier things seen in a gym?

Stories include an NFL player with an incredibly lean physique who never considered eating breakfast, and another NFL running back who refused upper body training, fearing his arms would get too big to cradle a football.

Can extreme strength gains happen quickly, even after serious illness?

One client, after recovering from bone cancer in her femurs, increased her deadlift by 145 pounds in four months, surpassing her previous personal best, showcasing remarkable resilience and strength recovery.

Are professional athletes like NFL players physiological outliers?

Yes, elite athletes are often physiological outliers to a degree that's hard to comprehend without working with them. Their genetic potential, combined with rigorous training, puts them in a category far beyond the 'freakiest' individuals in a typical gym.

Key Moments

Fireside Chat #6: Research pet peeves, alternate careers, social media, and self-love

Stronger By Science

Education4 min read81 min video

May 21, 2020|2,298 views|96|14

Stronger By Science Podcast

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Researchers discuss research pet peeves, alternate careers, social media, and self-love.

Key Insights

Researchers find poorly executed post-hoc statistical tests and ignored funnel plot asymmetry in meta-analyses frustrating.

Insufficient data presentation, such as using bar graphs instead of scatter plots and omitting measures of variation, hinders understanding.

Mismatched hypotheses and study designs, along with laughably flawed power calculations, undermine scientific rigor.

Both hosts considered alternate careers in coaching, history academia, farming, food service, and manual labor.

The hosts are mindful about social media, generally refraining from sharing opinions unless providing clarification on technical topics.

Developing self-love and positivity is challenging; confidence stems from a purpose-driven trajectory and the ability to learn and improve.

RESEARCH PET PEEVES

Greg and Eric, both immersed in exercise science research, discuss common frustrations with published studies. Eric highlights issues with irrelevant post-hoc statistical tests that fail to clarify initial findings and the problematic practice of presenting asymmetrical funnel plots in meta-analyses without proper interpretation, which can mask underlying biases or unmodeled effects. These oversights, often stemming from user-friendly statistical software limitations, prevent a deeper understanding of the research.

DATA PRESENTATION AND HYPOTHESIS MISMATCHES

Greg identifies poor data presentation as a significant issue, particularly the reliance on bar graphs that obscure individual participant data. He advocates for scatter plots or line charts to better illustrate nuances, especially in studies with smaller sample sizes. Furthermore, he criticizes studies where hypotheses are disconnected from the actual research design and statistical analyses, suggesting a lack of congruence between the initial idea and its empirical testing, which is a fundamental flaw in the scientific method.

STATISTICAL SHORTCOMINGS IN RESEARCH

A major point of contention for the hosts is the prevalent misuse of power calculations, often performed backward to justify a pre-determined sample size rather than ascertain the necessary participants for meaningful results. This leads to underpowered studies, particularly in areas like leucine supplementation where large effects are improbable. They also lament the misinterpretation of statistical significance, where a p-value is treated as a binary outcome, leading to the erroneous conclusion of significant group differences based on non-significant changes in one group versus a significant change in another.

ALTERNATE CAREER PATHS AND FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

When asked about alternative careers, Greg contemplates an academic professorship later in life, appreciating the intellectual environment and benefits. Eric considered in-person coaching and general management of a gym, a path diverted by his wife's career opportunity. He also briefly flirted with becoming a history professor but was deterred by the prospect of working extensively with young adults. Both express a desire for future endeavors potentially involving subsistence farming, opening a food truck, or running a bed and breakfast, drawn to more hands-on or culinary pursuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA PHILOSOPHY AND PERSONAL STRATEGY

Both hosts express a mindful but minimal approach to social media. They believe most topics trending online do not warrant their specific opinions due to a lack of expertise or a desire to engage in general discourse. Their posts are typically limited to sharing their published work or clarifying technical points on subjects like exponential growth or political science concepts. They value deeper articulation through articles or podcasts over short-form social media posts, often feeling their opinions lack broad appeal or are best left unsaid.

DEVELOPING SELF-LOVE AND CONFIDENCE

Greg and Eric candidly admit to struggling with self-love and maintaining a consistently positive outlook, often identifying as negative or self-critical. However, they find confidence through a purpose-driven life and a strong belief in their ability to learn and improve. This focus on growth mindset and tangible skill development, like mastering cooking techniques, builds confidence not from innate talent, but from the proven capacity to get better. This intrinsic motivation and forward-looking perspective combat immediate negativity and foster a sense of capability.

EXTRAORDINARY GYM OBSERVATIONS

The hosts share anecdotal evidence of physiological outliers encountered in the gym. Greg recounts an NFL running back whose physique was exceptional, yet he seemingly had no regard for nutrition, eating nothing before, during, or after training – a testament to extreme genetics. Eric details a female client who, after battling bone cancer and taking a year off from training, achieved a massive personal best in her deadlift within four months, surpassing her previous peak. These stories highlight the vast spectrum of human potential and the unpredictable nature of athletic achievement.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Software & Apps

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Researchers find issues such as unwarranted post-hoc tests, poor data presentation (e.g., using bar graphs instead of individual response plots), insufficient reporting of statistical variation around mean changes, and hypotheses that don't align with the study design or statistical analysis.

Topics

Health & Longevity Mindset & Self-Improvement Science & Mathematics Personal Development Social Media Strategy Research Methodology Gym Culture Statistical Analysis Career Reflection Athletic Outliers

Mentioned in this video

supplementLeucine

Supplement discussed in the context of a flawed study design featuring inappropriate power calculations, expecting large effects from a potentially small-impact supplement for muscle mass accretion.

companyInstagram

Social media platform the speaker often forgets about and uses infrequently to signal they are still alive.

personPatrick Umphrey

Mentioned as a magician, a great dude, and someone with a positive presence on social media who runs the 'Eat Train Progress' Facebook group.

companyFacebook

Social media platform where the speaker posts less frequently due to valuing their own opinions less and often using it to share technical clarifications.

personGreg Knuckles

Host of the podcast, discussing research pet peeves, career aspirations, social media, and self-improvement.

softwareJASP

Statistical software that the speaker uses as a point-and-click alternative to SPSS.

personLee Priest

Bodybuilder used as a comparison for the extreme arm size of an NFL running back.

organizationEat Train Progress

A Facebook group run by Patrick Umphrey, described as a positive online community.

softwareSPSS

Statistical software mentioned as a reason for users not performing advanced post-hoc tests due to its user-friendliness and social science focus.

conceptDuverger's Law

A concept discussed in relation to US politics and first-past-the-post voting systems, explaining why political systems tend to collapse into two dominant parties over time.

personEric Trexler

Co-host of the podcast, discussing research pet peeves, career aspirations, social media, and self-improvement.

personAndy Kaufman

Referenced in a humorous analogy about the long-term nature of a personality bit.

organizationNFL

National Football League, mentioned in stories about exceptional athletes and their training habits and physiological outliers.