Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about disordered eating, exercise, and body image issues. We also talk about general mental health struggles.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George speaks with Matt Davis. Matt is a Registered Associate Nutritionist and the creator of The Flourishing Athlete; aiming to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts develop a positive relationship with food, body and self. Matt has struggled with his relationship with food and body image in the past and is passionate about helping athletes approach food and their body in a healthy way which supports performance, fitness and wellbeing. Having played elite level sport, been a fitness enthusiast and worked as a personal trainer and nutritionist, Matt promotes a predominantly non-diet, body neutral approach towards sports nutrition, fitness and performance. He believes that this education and support is needed in the sport and fitness space to reduce the prevalence of disordered eating, body image concerns and other risk factors for poor mental wellbeing in this population.

Listen to the episode to hear us discuss:

• What the Flourishing Athlete is.
• Why Matt decided to set it up.
• Some of Matt's history with disordered eating, exercise and body image issues.
• How identity plays a role in the negative sides of fitness.

Devils advocate question: Sure, some athletes will end up feeling down when behaving in these ways, but don’t you think that’s just part of the risk of striving for greatness?

You can find Matt here:

Instagram/Threads: @theflourishingathlete

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Disclaimer: In this episode I talk about my own experiences with suicidality, disordered eating, and body image issues.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I am going solo. November 19th 2023 is International mens day and the theme this year is "zero male suicide", so I am talking about that!

What to expect:

• My story in regards to suicidality
• A lot of rambling and forgetting what I was going to say
• A delve into the research around muscle dysmorphia and suicide
• Some discussion around masculinity and suicide

I hope you enjoy! (I've decided to leave the link out, for those avid listeners. Please leave a review instead!)

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Disclaimer: In this episode, we talk about anabolic steroid use, supplement use, body image issues, and other related things. If you think these conversations may be difficult for you, please take care in deciding whether to listen.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Dr. Kyle Ganson. Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. His research focuses on eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia, and muscle-building behaviours among adolescents and young adults, particularly boys and young men. Dr. Ganson has published over 100 peer-reviewed academic papers in leading adolescent health, eating disorder, body image, and substance use journals. His research has been featured on the CBC, CTV News, U.S. News and World Report, Healthline, Fatherly, and Runner's World, among others. Dr. Ganson has over 8 years of direct clinical social work practice experience and teaches clinical social work courses to MSW students.

Listen to the pod to hear us discuss:

• The prevalence rates of steroid and supplement use
• The risks and benefits of steroids and supplements
• The need to reframe how we view those taking steroids
• Kyle's ideas on how we can move forward

You can follow Kyle on Twitter/X here: https://twitter.com/kyletganson

You can find some of Kyle's work here:

Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors: https://socialwork.utoronto.ca/canadian-study-of-adolescent-health-behaviors/

Muscle-building supplement Canadian policy analysis: https://socialwork.utoronto.ca/news/video-dietary-supplements-for-muscle-building-and-weight-loss-addressing-knowledge-and-policy-gaps/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.