Building Lifelong Athletes

Welcome back to the trenches! In our final breakdown of the 2026 ACC/AHA lipid guidelines, we are unpacking the pharmacology toolbox. From statins and ezetimibe to PCSK9 inhibitors and the nuances of side effects like SAMS, I want to give you the practical, evidence-informed strategies we need for our patients. We are all just trying to navigate this together. Stop stressing over every health deta...

In this episode, I'm breaking down sections 4.2.3 through 4.2.10 of the dense ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guidelines so you don't have to. We'll cut through the noise on the new PREVENT equations, risk enhancers, imaging, and algorithms for primary and secondary prevention. Let's get you equipped to handle these complex lipid management decisions in the clinic. Stop stressing over every health detail &am...

In this video, we break down the 2026 guidelines for lipid-lowering lifestyle treatments. From the minimalist vs. optimizer diet approach to exercise dosing and managing supplements, let's equip you with actionable tools for the primary care trenches. Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you...

In this video we'll talk about the Evaluation and Diagnosis Section from the 2026 ACC/AHA Lipid Guidelines.  Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life. ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:32 - The Shift in ACC/...

As front-line clinicians, we constantly face confusion around exercise advice. Today, we are cutting through the noise with the massive 2026 ACSM Position Stand on resistance training. We unpack the practical, evidence-informed frameworks for strength, hypertrophy, and power, debunk gym myths, and give you the exact 30-second script to confidently prescribe safe, effective exercise to your patient...

Feeling overwhelmed by the "perfect diet" wars? From carnivore to raw vegan, social media is a chaotic mess of conflicting advice. In this episode, we'll break down the common denominators of healthy eating and why your lifestyle, culture, and personal joy are just as important as your macros. Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the...

The ACC and AHA just dropped a massive 123-page clinical practice guideline on the management of dyslipidemia, fundamentally shifting how we approach cardiovascular risk in primary care. From retiring the pooled cohort equations in favor of the PREVENT calculator to introducing the CPR framework and establishing hard numerical targets for LDL and ApoB, there is a lot to unpack. I went through the...

Is fruit actually evil? Today, we're taking a step back to look at a viral claim that eating grapes will destroy your brain and cause dementia. As per usual... some nuance is required. Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life. ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd...

Today, we're diving into a massive topic we see in clinic all the time: managing comorbid depression in patients with chronic illnesses. We'll take a 20,000-foot view of a recent meta-analysis to see how aerobic exercise can be used judiciously as medicine. I'll break down MET minutes, dose-response curves , and why movement is one of our big rocks for mental health.   Stop stressing ove...

Are we treating the mouth like it's separate from the rest of the body? In this episode, I'm diving into the fascinating inks between oral health and major systemic issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's. Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy...

Today we are tackling a heavy question: is there a point of no return for your health? If you are staring down a chart full of diagnoses like diabetes or heart disease, does hitting the gym or eating a salad still matter? We dive into a massive 2026 UK Biobank study using the AHA's Life's Essential 8 to find out. Spoiler alert: the ship has not sailed, and we can still add years to your life.&nbsp...

Stop treating your heel pain with band-aids and start building a better foot. In this update, I break down why the old Plantar Fasciitis model of inflammation is often wrong and how shifting to a Fasciopathy framework (focused on rebuilding tissue capacity) can lead to better long-term results. We will dive into the biomechanics of the windlass mechanism, the evidence behind heavy slow loading, an...

It is literally impossible to keep up with the firehose of new medical data—knowledge now doubles every 73 days. In this video, I’m helping you move past the stress of "trying to read everything" by building a personalized learning system. Whether you’re a minimalist who wants high-yield summaries delivered to your inbox or a fellow nerd looking to build a custom RSS pipeline using PubMed and Zote...

The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines just dropped, and the internet is already losing its mind. But are they actually that bad? Today, we are taking a look at the actual document—ignoring the online rage for a second—to see what the government is actually recommending. We walk through the shift to an "inverted pyramid," the surprisingly higher protein targets, and the controversial stance on satur...

Carnivore influencer Dr. Kiltz recently revealed a shocking update about his heart health, sparking a massive debate in the nutrition world. In this episode, we dive into his story with empathy and use it as a teaching moment. We'll break down what his test results actually mean, explain the difference between a Calcium Score and a CT Angiogram, and discuss why "feeling fine" isn't always enough w...

A recent paper just dropped claiming an injection can cut heart attack risk by 25%—even for those who have never had one before. But is this a medical breakthrough or just expensive hype? In this episode, I’m diving deep into the Vesalius trial to separate the science from the headlines. We’ll break down how PCSK9 inhibitors work (using a baseball analogy, of course), analyze the impressive relati...

The internet loves a good absolute black and white story. Today, I'm reacting to a viral clip claiming that whey protein is essentially "trash" and only 18% usable by the human body.  Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life. ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennic...

You've heard it a thousand times: "Running destroys your knees." It intuitively makes sense—friction, load, wear and tear. But here is the thing: you aren't a car, and your joints aren't tires. In this episode, we dive into a massive meta-analysis of over 114,000 people that suggests recreational running might actually protect your knees from arthritis. We'll break down the specific mileage where...

For years, we've told AFib patients to cut the caffeine. But new data from the DECAF trial suggests that might be wrong. In this episode, we’re trying a new format: first, the highlights from my latest video, and then a podcast-exclusive deep dive. We’ll explore why coffee might stabilize the heart, break down the earlier CRAVE trial, and look at the nitty-gritty methodology that changes how we in...

What if osteoarthritis isn't just 'wear and tear'? We've been told OA is inevitable, but new research shows it's an active inflammatory and metabolic disease we can actually treat. In this deep-dive, I break down the massive paradigm shift in how we understand OA, the surprising metabolic connection, and the actionable lifestyle therapies that target the root cause of the inflammation. Stop stress...

The "New Year, New Me" mentality often leads to us trying to change 17 different habits at once, which rarely ends well. In this brief episode, I'm sharing my single tip for 2026: be intentional. We discuss why massive overhauls often fail, how to set flexible goals that you can reevaluate every few months, and why I'm personally shifting my focus from physical metrics to social and spiritual heal...

The holidays often bring a mix of joy and anxiety about ruining fitness progress. In this episode, I break down three distinct strategies to handle the season. We also discuss how to be intentional with your choices so you can enjoy the memories without the guilt. Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essenti...

We've all heard it: "Stretch before you play, or you'll get hurt." But what if that's wrong? I dive into the evidence to see if static stretching actually prevents injuries (spoiler: it doesn't). We'll cut through the noise and build an actionable framework based on what truly works: the single most effective intervention for reducing injury risk, smart workload management, and building a resilien...

  You may have seen the headlines about lead in protein powders and probably are concerned. Before you throw out your tub, let's cut through the noise. We'll look at what the Consumer Reports investigation actually found, compare the different safety standards (FDA vs. Prop 65), and give you a practical framework to decide what's right for you. Stop stressing over every health detail & st...

Tired of tossing and turning? In this episode, I break down the science of sleep into a practical, evidence-based concepts. We'll cover the four foundational pillars of sleep hygiene, how to engineer the perfect sleep environment, and a step-by-step plan for what to do when you wake up in the middle of the night. No hype, just actionable advice to help you get the restorative rest you need to stay...