Iron Radio-Nutrition Radio Network

Myostatin Blocker Hype vs. Reality, and Should You Still Take Omega-3s? In this Fourth of July Iron Radio episode, Coach Phil Stevens introduces a newly publicized myostatin-blocking drug, Trevogrumab (Regeneron), which promises dose-dependent muscle gain by blocking the myostatin pathway. Phil flags a viral social media clip hyping the compound, while noting that buried in early trial data is a t...

Training, Recovery, and Staying Strong After 50 In this Iron Radio episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery tackle the growing number of lifters entering strength training at age 50 and beyond. Phil shares observations from an over-50 fitness forum and his own experience returning to a 700-pound squat at age 49 after training mostly in the 400–500 range. The hos...

ISSN Conference Rundown: Lactotripeptides, GLP-1 Support, Astaxanthin, Beta-Alanine, Urolithin A, and Wearables In this Iron Radio episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery recap highlights from the ISSN conference. They discuss sponsored research on casein lactotripeptides and their possible effects on blood flow, “pump,” and hypertrophy; a presentation on nutri...

Peptides, SARMs, and “No Free Lunch”: Why You Must Know the Side Effects In this Iron Radio episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss growing use of peptides, SARMs, and other drugs in gyms and the general public, emphasizing that many people take substances without understanding risks, side effects, dosing tradeoffs, or product quality. They compare olde...

Enhanced Games Recap: PEDs, PRs, Recovery, and the $10M Usain Bolt Bounty | Iron Radio In this Iron Radio episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss the recent Enhanced Games, noting that unenhanced top-level competitors often beat enhanced entrants who were frequently retired for 5–14 years and had only about four months of prep, including roughly two mon...

Iron Radio: Do Supplements Beat Food for Vitamin Status? Wearable Food-Tracking Glasses + HDL, Exercise & Depression On Iron Radio, hosts Dr. Lonnie Lowery, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Coach Phil Stevens discuss Nelson’s Flex Diet Certification and how supplementation topics are integrated due to time constraints, plus his creatine research PDF. They review a new NHANES-based paper (Sternberg et al.,...

When Should You Compete Again? Timing Meets, Momentum, and Realistic Goals in Strength & Physique Sports In this Iron Radio episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss how athletes decide what to do next after a meet or show and when to compete again. Phil explains how competition frequency often shifts from many meets per year early on to fewer events as l...

Iron Radio: Why Lifters Need Variety, Play, and “Accidental Exercise” (for Longevity & Brain Health) In this Iron Radio episode, Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss why strength athletes should include variety and recreational movement beyond specialized lifting, especially with aging. Phil cites evidence that most pro athletes were multi-sport as kids and argues t...

Caffeine vs Paraxanthine, Sleep Quality, and Common Lifter Maladies (Injuries, Blood Work, Apnea, Aging) On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery (with Dr. Mike Nelson traveling) discuss a 2026 JISSN study on caffeine and its main metabolite paraxanthine in 14 male university rowers, finding the caffeine+paraxanthine combo improved 2,000m rowing performance versus placebo whil...

Iron Radio: When More Training Isn’t Better—Recovery, Identity, and Avoiding Burnout Hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss athletes who struggle to take breaks, emphasizing that high-level performers typically have a “release valve” and can relax outside their sport. They explain how training needs change from novice to advanced stages as heavier loads create...

Iron Radio: Evaluating Online Health Claims, Peer Review, and “Healthy” Protein Debates Iron Radio hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Lonnie Lowery, and Dr. Mike T. Nelson discuss a Nature-referenced April 2026 report claiming over two thirds of people across 16 countries believe at least one false or unproven health claim, while noting the survey itself was not peer reviewed and criticizing vague term...

Iron Radio: Phil’s Powerlifting Meet Recap—Junior Records, State Records, and Lessons Learned On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery recap Phil’s recent powerlifting meet involving his family and athletes. Phil describes weigh-ins, weight cuts, and meet outcomes for his group. His 10-year-old son Odin set new national records but had attempts overturned...

AI, Coaching, and Accountability: What Fitness Pros Must Know (with Michelle Blakely) | Iron Radio On this special Iron Radio episode, Dr. Lonnie Lowery hosts fitness professional and AI expert Michelle Blakely, an NSCA-CPT and former USA Weightlifting sports performance coach who recently began a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer program at the University of Chicago Booth. They discuss how AI...

Iron Radio: Popular Peptides in Strength Sports (Sermorelin, TB-500, PEG-MGF) + Show Updates On Iron Radio, hosts Dr. Lonnie Lowery and Dr. Mike T. Nelson (with Coach Phil Stevens joining later) discuss what an AI scan identified as popular peptides in strength sports, focusing on sermorelin, TB-500, and PEG-MGF. They review purported mechanisms and typical injection use, emphasize limited human d...

Iron Radio: Top 3 Reasons to Compete in Strength & Physique Sports Hosts Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss their top three reasons to compete in strength and physique sports: competition provides direction and purpose that sharpens training and nutrition through a clear timeline and accountability; it forces honesty and adherence to strict standards under rules, exposing true perfor...

Iron Radio: AI’s Impact on Coaching & Peer Review, Urolithin A in Sports Nutrition, and Cold Water Immersion Updates On Iron Radio, hosts Dr. Lonnie Lowery and Dr. Mike T. Nelson discuss how AI may speed content distribution, assist with business tasks, and potentially replace some lower-level coaches while still lacking context for peer review and research interpretation, raising concerns about r...

Iron Radio: Protein Labeling, Plant Proteins, and Arnold Classic Highlights On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss a recent Food and Nutrition Policy (Feb 2026) proposal to eliminate in vivo protein digestibility requirements (PDCAAS) for protein content claims in North America, arguing it would favor plant proteins and could mislead consumers by...

RPE in Strength Training: Why Beginners Misuse It (and How to Calibrate It) On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Lonnie Lowery and Dr. Mike T. Nelson discuss rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and why it can be misapplied in strength training. They define RPE as a subjective intensity scale (including the Borg 6–20 scale) and contrast it with objective measures like heart rate and percentage...

Iron Radio: Nutrition Knowledge, Diet Quality, and Where Athletes Get Their Info On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss how heavy training taxes recovery, then focus on athlete nutrition knowledge and diet quality using a Current Developments in Nutrition editorial summarizing six articles. They note adolescents often get nutrition info from social media, with athlet...

Urolithin A for Strength & Mitochondria + Avoiding Wearable-Driven Analysis Paralysis On Iron Radio, Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss Phil’s upcoming meet and a client question about urolithin A, reviewing a 2022 randomized placebo-controlled trial in middle-aged adults showing about 12% strength improvement plus lower inflammation and acyl-carnitines, while noting the results may...

Caffeine, Polyphenols, and Smarter Training Volume: Total Reps, Fatigue, and Performance On this Valentine’s Day episode of Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T. Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss authenticity in sports nutrition communication, then review an editorial in Current Developments in Nutrition (Buckley et al., with Stu Phillips as senior author) highlighting that “proper...

Iron Radio: Strength Sports, Nutrition, and Latest Research Insights Welcome to Iron Radio with hosts Phil Stevens, Dr. Lonnie Lowery, and Dr. Mike T. Nelson. In this episode, we delve into the latest research in strength sports and sports nutrition. Topics include a study evaluating the effects of minimally processed red meat on cognitive and physical aging, potential health risks of the ketogeni...

Iron Radio - The Role of Protein and Caffeine in Strength Sports Welcome to Iron Radio, the dedicated podcast for strength sports and sports nutrition. Hosted by Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Lonnie Lowery, and Dr. Mike T. Nelson, this episode delves into critical topics such as the role of protein and caffeine supplementation in powerlifting and bodybuilding. The hosts discuss a recent study on caffein...

Iron Radio: Returning to Competitive Powerlifting After 49 In this episode of Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery (along with a possibly frozen Mike T. Nelson) dive into various topics related to strength sports and nutrition. Phil gives an update on his return to competitive powerlifting, detailing his experiences lifting heavy weights again, including squatting 675 pounds...

Analyzing the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Iron Radio Discusses Changes and Impact Welcome back to Iron Radio! In today's episode, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Mike T Nelson, and Dr. Lonnie Lowery delve into the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They discuss the changes, controversies, and potential impact of these guidelines on the population, especially athletes. From pri...