Fact Check: Creatine for Brain Health, Weighted Vests, & More with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a muscle physiology researcher, science communicator, and co-owner of MASS Research Review. She's one of the experts actually doing the research, and she’s here to break down the fitness noise and help you make sense of it.

We get into cycle syncing myths, creatine hype for brain health, collagen for skin, hair, and nails, inflammation, and the weighted vest walking trend that seems to be everywhere. Lauren helps us understand what the science really says, and how much of what’s sold to women online is just marketing dressed up with big words.

This conversation will clear the air and remind you that the basics still win. We talk about the frustration and confusion women face in the fitness space, how marketing distorts research, and why consistency (not complexity) is the foundation of results.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it is… so we need to think critically about the messages that we come across online.”

- Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

“There are a whole lot of red flags when you see a program that is constantly encouraging you to change how you're exercising.”

- Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

This week on Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:

• Why researchers historically avoided studying women, and how that’s changing
• The truth about hormones, strength training, and menstrual cycles
• The cycle syncing myth and why it’s not backed by meaningful science
• Collagen for joints, skin, and hair, and what the data actually shows
• Creatine: useful tool or overhyped brain-booster?
• What inflammation really is, and what it isn’t
• Weighted vest walking: scientifically interesting, or practically irrelevant?
• How supplement use can become a false sense of accomplishment (and why it matters)

Connect with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple:

• Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple on Instagram
• Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple Website
• Front Page Fitness Podcast on Spotify
• Front Page Fitness Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Front Page Fitness Podcast on YouTube
• MASS Research Review

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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