Creatine is one of the most well-researched and effective sports nutrition supplements for improving exercise performance. So it is no surprise that interest in using creatine supplements to enhance performance during intense activity has grown dramatically over the last few years. One of the most common ‘use cases’ for creatine supplements is for muscle and strength gains. This makes creatine a popular choice by strength and power sports athletes, bodybuilders and recreational exercisers to supplement their resistance training. In this podcast episode, I dig deeper into what creatine is, how it may work and importantly: what the latest scientific evidence has to say about how it performs in maximising muscle gains.

Links referred to in the podcast

• IOC Consensus Statement on dietary supplements for use by high-performance athletes https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/7/439
• Systematic review of creatine supplementation and body composition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39074168

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Heard about hydrogen water? It is regular water that has extra hydrogen infused in it and it’s one of the latest health trends with proponents claiming it will fight off disease, reduce inflammation, boost energy, improve mental health and enhance athletic performance. That’s quite a list of impressive claims. But what does the research have to say? That’s what I explore in this podcast to see if hydrogen water can live up to the hype or if it should be labelled the latest health hoax.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Systematic review of molecular hydrogen and exercise performance https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1387657/full
• Hydrogen water and long-COVID https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38794767
• Systematic review of health claims of hydrogen water https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10816294

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No one nutrient gets greater focus in the sports and performance world than protein – and for good reason. Protein builds and powers our muscles and with that comes strength and performance gains – something just about every athlete wants to have more of. Understanding how dietary protein improves muscle mass, strength and performance is crucial. Two topics that are hotly debated are the role of protein type and timing around a resistance training program. And they’re the topics I’m going to tackle in this podcast episode.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Network meta-analysis on the effect of protein type and timing on muscle and physical performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38039960
• Systematic review on the effect of protein supplementation on resistance-training mass and strength gains 2017 https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/6/376.long
• Rethinking protein intake and timing needs https://www.mysportscience.com/post/rethinking-protein-intake-needs

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Some aspects of ageing may be inevitable, but when it happens together with an accelerated loss of weight, muscle mass and strength it makes an older person much more susceptible to disability, poor quality of life and earlier death. The condition is called sarcopenia and it is underpinned by chronic inflammation. Diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way in preventing and treating sarcopenia and inflammation. And now research is adding to this by looking at the role of probiotics as a way to influence the gut microbiome and with that, the muscle loss and inflammation seen in sarcopenia. That’s what I’ll be exploring in this podcast.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Systematic review of probiotics in adults with markers of sarcopenia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38370462

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Interest in collagen supplements continues to grow – and for good reason. That’s because despite rubbish claims that are way off the mark that there is ‘no evidence they work’ and ‘all the research is funded by the collagen industry’, the reality is very different. In past podcasts I’ve delved into the topic of hydrolysed collagen supplements and skin health and where there are now dozens of blinded randomised controlled trials showing a benefit in increasing skin moisture and elasticity and reducing wrinkles – with many of the studies free from any conflict of interest and all supported by plausible mechanisms as to why collagen, and not other protein sources, can do this. But for this podcast, I want to focus on one of the other reasons that people may take collagen: and that’s to give relief from joint pain and stiffness. So for this episode, I’m going to focus on arthritis and outline what the clinical evidence says and what unique biological mechanisms could be at play to support a unique effect of collagen supplements.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Podcast Episode 82 - Collagen supplements: an update on the evidence for health benefits https://thinkingnutrition.buzzsprout.com/808853/9137267-collagen-supplements-an-update-on-the-evidence-for-health-benefits
• Podcast Episode 120 - Tendon troubles: can collagen supplements help with tendon repair? https://thinkingnutrition.buzzsprout.com/808853/13372233-tendon-troubles-can-collagen-supplements-help-with-tendon-repair
• Systematic review of hydrolysed collagen in skin ageing 2023 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10180699
• Systematic review of collagen supplementation in osteoarthritis 2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30368550
• Review of collagen supplementation for joint health 2023 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10058045
• Systematic review of undenatured collagen and osteoarthritis 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37854210

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Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints. With no single identified trigger or treatment, IBS can be a minefield for a person to try and get on top of. Dietary changes like a low-FODMAP diet, supplements and stress modification all have a role to play. Another emerging treatment for IBS are probiotics. Probiotics may improve IBS symptoms by changing the gut microbiota and their metabolite production which can change gut motility, inflammation and gut hypersensitivity. In this podcast, I’ll look at the evidence for the use of probiotic supplements in IBS.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Systematic review of probiotics in IBS https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37541528

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The establishment and development of the microbiome in the early stages of life can play a pivotal role in affecting our health throughout life. The formation of our microbiome happens during the perinatal period where it is influenced by the interaction between the microbiomes of mothers and infants. The microbial composition of breast milk plays an important part in this process. The microbiome of breast milk is also influenced by the gut microbiome of the mother through what is termed the gut-breast axis. In this podcast, I'll explore these mother-infant microbiome links and discover what the scientific evidence has to say about the potential for maternal probiotic supplements having a positive influence on the health of mother and infant.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Systematic review on the effect of maternal probiotics on breastmilk and infant microbiomes and health https://www.ajogmfm.org/article/S2589-9333(23)00290-2/fulltext
• Cochrane review on probiotics in reducing the risk of gestational diabetes https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009951.pub3/full

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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common with women about 30 times more likely to develop one than men. The bacterial infection of a UTI can cause painful burning sensations when urinating, frequent and strong urges to urinate, and changes in the composition of the urine. Antibiotics are the most common first-line treatment for UTIs, but there is growing interest in the role that nutrition-related treatments can play in reducing the risk of developing a UTI in the first place. Enter the most common self-prescribed and best-researched treatment: the humble cranberry. In this podcast, I’ll look at the evidence for cranberries in all their forms for helping to reduce the risk of developing UTIs.

Links referred to in the podcast

• Cochrane review of cranberries and the risk of developing UTIs https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub6/full

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