I read an article in Slate last week called “Are Diets Just Placebos?“, and though it’s taken me a week to get around to it, I wanted to write a quick post about it with my thoughts. If you haven’t read the article, it’s fairly quick. The author of the article (Erik Vance) hypothesizes that diets could conceivably […]
Read the full article...Author Archives: Brian Rigby, MS, CISSN
Hydration Is More Than Just Water
The concept of hydration is surprisingly contentious. While nobody thinks dehydration is a good thing, there are remarkably different opinions on how much water you need to drink to stay hydrated, whether or not electrolytes are necessary, and even on what exactly dehydration itself is. The good news is that I haven’t come across any […]
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ClimbSci Episode 2: Carbohydrates
Hey Everyone! Tom and I have released the latest episode of ClimbSci, this time on Carbohydrates. As always, you can find the notes on the ClimbSci website; the episode itself can be watched or listened to below. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_tDQCxn8Yc SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/climbsci/02-carbohydrate
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An In-Depth Look at Energy Metabolism: Part III
This week we’re finishing up our in-depth look at energy metabolism. In the first segment of this series, we looked closely at the biochemistry of energy metabolism and focused specifically on the equations of the phosphagen system, glycolytic system, and aerobic carbohydrate and fat metabolism. In the second segment, we looked at what does and […]
Read the full article...Upcoming ClimbSci Podcast
Tom and I are preparing to record the second episode of ClimbSci and we’re looking for questions! This time we’re going to be talking about carbohydrates, specifically how carbs fit into our diet in terms of energy provision—other carb-related topics like fiber we’re going to leave for future discussions. If you have a question about […]
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An In-Depth Look at Energy Metabolism: Part II
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article exploring the biochemistry of energy metabolism. As I explained then, I think a lot of pseudoscience can be countered with a better understanding of basic science—not basic as in easy, but rather as in the fundamental concepts that have allowed the more specialized sciences to become defined. This […]
Read the full article...There’s Nothing Inherently Dangerous or Unhealthy About Gluten-Free Diets
After my last quick post on the gluten-detecting device with no peer-reviewed science to back it, I wanted to quickly write about the other side of gluten-free diets as well—specifically, that there’s nothing inherently dangerous or unhealthy about them. I wanted to write this because I’ve recently seen a deluge of articles about gluten-free diets leading […]
Read the full article...Public Medical Devices Need Public Peer-Reviewed Science
Remember Theranos, the company that blew up last year for deceiving investors about the accuracy of their blood testing equipment? Theranos claimed to have developed unique technology that simultaneously miniaturized and improved the speed of blood testing, and investors bought it. When asked about the science, they said they had it and would release it, […]
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An In-Depth Look at Energy Metabolism: Part I
One thing I’ve noticed across the years is that the better someone understands the basic science about a topic, the less likely they are to have pseudoscientific beliefs on it. It’s just like anything else, I suppose; your skill at the basic movements found in a sport is a good predictor of your overall ability […]
Read the full article...Juice Is Nature’s Soda
I recently came across a few stories in my news feed about a start-up called “Juicero” that aims to be the Keurig of the juice world. The stories themselves were mostly about how the proprietary fruit packs the company sells to be used with their $400 pressing machine can actually just be squeezed by hand (and […]
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