Exercise Science

Peptides like BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and retatrutide are among the hottest trends for optimizers, gym bros, looksmaxxers and the longevity crowd. But is it wise to inject bioactive molecules into the bloodstream that haven’t passed the drug approval process?   In this episode, Marty and Stu welcome the Harvard- and Stanford-educated Leigh Baxt, who mythbusts about peptides and other panaceas on...

If you’re a serious recreational athlete but you have a job and a life, and only five hours a week to train — what should you be doing? Our cardio episodes have to date discussed Zone 2 and explained VO₂max. Armed with that context, now our audience wants to know: If not Zone 2, then what? This week, Stu and Marty provide the answer with the help of one of the world’s foremost experts on aerobic c...

Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro, are new weight loss drugs that actually work, helping millions around the world to feel better and become healthier. But some people are fearful of side effects, such as loss of muscle mass. Are their fears warranted? To find out, Marty and Stu talk to the two University of Kansas weight loss scientists, Renee...

VO₂max is the most important metric of your overall cardiorespiratory fitness. It’s a measure of the maximal ability of your body to take in and use oxygen. But what does the number actually mean for your health and longevity? Why is it important to know your VO₂max? What’s the most effective way to improve your VO₂max, whether you’re an athlete or just someone seeking to improve your health? And...

Think you know how to build muscle? In our third episode, co-host Martin Gibala does some mythbusting with two of the world’s most prominent experts in the science of strength development, co-host Stuart Phillips and special guest Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. In addition to being a former bodybuilder and joining Stu on the ACSM stre...

Influencers can’t get enough of Zone 2 training. So why did Martin Gibala publish a research paper challenging Zone 2 for the general public? In this episode, Stuart Phillips leads Marty through a critical examination of Zone 2. Marty suggests that very little scientific research exists to support Zone 2 training intensity for most people—either as an effective stimulus for cardiorespiratory fitne...

Forget the oiled-up pumping-iron musclehead stereotype. In 2026, strength training is officially for EVERYONE. The question: What took so long? In the premiere episode of the Exercise Science podcast, Martin Gibala takes his co-host Stuart Phillips through the recently released landmark update that Phillips senior authored: The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Position Stand on Resistanc...

Kinesiology professor Martin Gibala is the worldwide expert on time-efficient cardio. Kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips is the global expert on strength, muscle development and protein. In Exercise Science , these two friends and colleagues translate the world of exercise science for the rest of us — separating the hype from the hard evidence. This is a public episode. If you would like to dis...