In this episode of MASS Office Hours Live, Dr. Eric Trexler welcomes special guest Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, who recently defended her PhD dissertation on the influence of ovarian hormones on skeletal muscle adaptations to exercise. Trexler first discusses the importance of properly interpreting scientific evidence and understanding the hierarchy of evidence, using recent MASS articles on time-restricted eating and apple cider vinegar for weight loss as examples. The episode then transitions into a Q&A segment, covering topics such as leveraging a psychology degree to become a personal trainer, perceived muscle atrophy during specialization phases, the caloric value of dietary protein used for synthesis, the relationship between abdominal skinfold thickness and visible abs, training during pregnancy, intermittent fasting/time-restricted eating, and much more. The hosts also engage in an in-depth discussion on whether men and women should be trained differently, considering the available evidence, practical factors, and the influence of sociological aspects and client expectations on program design.

The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode!

If you'd like to submit a question ahead of time, please use this link:

https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/

Time stamps:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - Colenso-Semple discusses her dissertation research on the influence of ovarian hormones on skeletal muscle adaptations to exercise

8:27 - Announcement: Mike Zourdos will be hosting a live subscriber-only video on Monday, May 6th at 9am ET about prescribing training

10:24 - Discussion about interpreting science and the hierarchy of evidence, using examples from recent MASS articles on time-restricted eating and apple cider vinegar for weight loss

38:04 - Q&A from the live chat begins

38:18 - Question about leveraging a psychology degree to transition into personal training

43:57 - Question about why muscles might appear to shrink/flatten during a specialization phase

49:36 - Question about why dietary protein is counted toward total calories despite some being used for protein synthesis

55:51 - Question about training and nutrition recommendations during pregnancy

1:00:19 - Discussion of psychological factors that can influence subjective perceptions of muscle growth or loss

1:03:02 - Question about intermittent fasting / time restricted feeding

1:10:56 - Question about the relationship between abdominal skinfold thickness and visible abs

1:16:53 - Question about whether men and women should be trained differently; discussion of evidence, practical considerations, and the influence of sociological factors and client expectations

In this episode of MASS Office Hours Live, Dr. Eric Trexler and Dr. Eric Helms dive into a comprehensive discussion on the topic of mini cuts, exploring their definition, common justifications for their use, and the hosts' perspectives on their potential benefits and drawbacks. The conversation then shifts to answering a variety of listener questions from the live chat, covering nutrition-related topics such as blood sugar management in healthy individuals, the necessity of a "maintenance" phase between bulking and cutting, saturated fat intake recommendations for high-calorie diets, fiber intake guidelines, and strategies for troubleshooting gastrointestinal issues related to specific foods. The hosts also address training-related questions, including the role of unilateral exercises in preventing muscle imbalances and injuries, optimal rep ranges for specific adaptations, high-frequency training for smaller muscle groups, and the challenge of distinguishing between diet fatigue and pushing beyond one's lower intervention point during a cutting phase. Trexler and Helms round out the episode by discussing the concept of energy compensation in the context of high-energy expenditure sports, touching on research related to metabolic ceilings and the limits of sustainable energy expenditure, as well as the notion of low energy availability in athletes.

You can download the free time-efficient training guide here:

https://massresearchreview.com

The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode!

If you'd like to submit a question ahead of time, please use this link:

https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/

Time stamps:

0:00 - Intro

0:40 - Helms discusses his recent trip to Australia for the Sports Nutrition Association conference

8:16 - Discussion on mini cuts - what they are, why people use them, and Trexler and Helms' thoughts on their utility and drawbacks

39:18 - Q&A from the live chat begins

42:29 - Question about whether blood sugar spikes should be minimized in healthy individuals

44:13 - Question about whether a break is needed between bulking and cutting phases for muscle to "solidify"

49:12 - Does being sick accelerate muscle loss while in a caloric deficit?

52:26 - Question about whether unilateral exercises are needed to prevent muscle imbalances and injuries

56:42 - Question about how to determine optimal high rep ranges for specific benefits

1:01:38 - Question about saturated fat intake recommendations for individuals with very high calorie needs

1:03:46 - Question about fiber intake recommendations and troubleshooting GI issues that may be related to certain foods

1:13:27 - Question about distinguishing between diet fatigue and pushing past one's lower intervention point when cutting

1:16:55 - Question about training smaller muscles with high frequency and volume

1:18:26 - Question about whether energy compensation can be overcome with high energy expenditure sports; Trexler discusses research on metabolic ceilings and limits to sustainable energy expenditure

In this episode of MASS Office Hours Live, Dr. Eric Trexler and special guest Dr. Mike Zourdos celebrate the 7th anniversary of MASS by walking viewers through a new (free) training guide on time-efficient upper body training techniques, including rest-pause sets, supersets, and drop sets.

Trexler then delves into a thorough discussion of weight loss mechanisms, the role of calorie balance, the importance of overall dietary patterns, and how the gut microbiome may impact energy extraction from food. Eric and Mike proceed to answer a variety of listener questions from the live chat, covering topics such as the use of appendicular lean mass in DEXA scans, optimal fruit and vegetable intake, the protein leverage hypothesis and obesity, physiological differences between cycling and running, the impact of pre-game rituals on performance and psychological readiness, the viability of powerbuilding as a long-term training approach, and the distinction between work capacity and conditioning. Throughout the episode, Trexler and Zourdos provide evidence-based insights and practical applications for fitness enthusiasts and professionals alike.

You can download the free time-efficient training guide here:

https://massresearchreview.com/

The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode!

If you'd like to submit a question ahead of time, please use this link:

https://massresearchreview.com/office-hours/

Time stamps:

0:00 - Intro

3:17 - Zourdos walks through the new free MASS training guide on time-efficient training techniques for the upper body, including rest-pause sets, supersets, and drop sets

17:06 - Trexler answers a listener question about core mechanisms of weight loss, different diets and foods, and exercise - discusses calorie balance, energy density of foods, importance of overall dietary patterns, and research on how the gut microbiome may impact energy extraction from food

37:24 - Q&A from the live chat begins

39:38 - Question about using only appendicular lean mass from DEXA scans to assess lean mass changes

45:03 - Question about fruit and vegetable intake - how much is optimal and when do benefits plateau?

51:07 - Question about the protein leverage hypothesis as an explanation for the obesity epidemic

57:05 - Question about optimal carbohydrate intake for lifters

58:37 - Question about environmentally sustainable diets

1:01:46 - Question about performance and physiological differences between cycling and running

1:04:04 - Question about the impact of pre-lift/pre-game rituals and routines on performance and psychological readiness

1:16:07 - Question about powerbuilding as a long-term training approach vs periodized strength and hypertrophy blocks

1:19:39 - Question about the difference between work capacity and conditioning