Listen, Learn, Adapt

This episode dissects a review paper that evaluates physical therapy for ALS , finding that multimodal and pulmonary interventions offer modest benefits for functional and respiratory health. Macpherson CE, Wani DK, Li H, et al. Physical Therapist Interventions for People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Across Disease Stages: A Systematic Review of Efficacy. Phys Ther . 2026;106(1):pzaf142. doi...

This episode does a deep dive into a study showing how creatine monohydrate improves vascular function in older adults. Clarke HE, Akhavan NS, Behl TA, Ormsbee MJ, Hickner RC. Effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation on macro- and microvascular endothelial function in older adults: a pilot study. Nutrients . 2024;17(1):58. doi: 10.3390/nu17010058 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This episode dissects a Mendelian randomization study that identifies a high body mass index (BMI) as a causal risk factor for vascular-related dementia . Nordestgaard LT, Luo J, Emanuelsson F, et al. High body mass index as a causal risk factor for vascular-related dementia: a Mendelian randomization study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published online January 22, 2026. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaf662 Fol...

This episode dissects a randomized clinical trial that investigated whether weighted vest use or resistance training could prevent the bone density loss typically caused by intentional weight reduction in older adults with obesity . Over a 12-month period , researchers compared a diet-only group to groups adding either a weighted vest or supervised exercise to their regimen. Beavers KM, Lynch SD,...

This episode does a deep dive into an article that advocates for a paradigm shift in how we perceive the intervertebral disc , moving away from the idea that it is a fragile structure destined for decay. Shala R. Rethinking the disc: from degenerative narrative to adaptive potential. Br J Sports Med. 2026;0:1-3. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-11087 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This episode does a deep dive into a study that evaluates the efficacy of ChatGPT-3.5 compared to certified personal trainers in providing exercise advice. D’hoe B, Kirk D, Boone J, Colosio A. ChatGPT outperforms personal trainers in answering common exercise training questions. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2026;25:235-261. doi:10.52082/jssm.2026.235 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT...

This episode does a deep dive into an official position stand from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) regarding the utility and safety of creatine monohydrate . Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:1...

This episode evaluates how a tailored walking program combined with health education affects the recovery process for individuals experiencing a return of low back pain . Pocovi NC, Graham P, Adelaide A, Pisharody G, Lin C, French S, et al. Effect of a walking plus education program on the duration and severity of recurrences of low back pain: a secondary exploratory analysis of the WalkBack trial...

This episode does a deep dive into a 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examining how N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation influences various biological markers following physical exertion. Sadowski M, Zawieja E, Chmurzynska A. The impact of N-acetylcysteine on lactate, biomarkers of oxidative stress, immune response, and muscle damage: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cell Mol Med...

This episode dissects a systematic review examining how diagnostic terminology affects the treatment preferences and recovery beliefs of individuals with musculoskeletal pain . Martin S, Smith M, Wilson DA, Zadro JR, Ferreira GE, O’Keeffe M. The effect of diagnostic labels on treatment preferences and beliefs in people with musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of randomized trials. J Orthop S...

This episode dissects an article from the Journal of the American Heart Association that reevaluates the connection between omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) using data from the UK Biobank . O’Keefe E, O’Keefe JH, Tintle NL, Franco WG, Westra J, Harris WS. Associations between plasma omega-3 and fish oil use with risk of atrial fibrillation in the UK Biobank. J Am Heart...

This episode does a deep dive into a comprehensive analysis of peripheral neuropathy , a condition involving nerve damage that impacts roughly 1% of the global population . Mauermann ML, Staff NP. Peripheral neuropathy: a review. JAMA. Published online November 17, 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.19400 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@anthony...

This deep dive examines the intricate link between daily coffee intake and systemic cholesterol levels to better understand its impact on cardiovascular health . Nusantara ACP, Rachma ND, Mandiricha T, Safithri F. Uncovering the relationship between coffee and cholesterol: a systematic review. Arterial Hypertens. 2025;29:78-89. doi:10.5603/ah.105975 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This episode dissects a five-year prospective study on the long-term neuroprotective effects of the Mediterranean and MIND diets on cognitive health. Liu, X., Yang, B., Liu, Q.  et al.  The long-term neuroprotective effect of MIND and Mediterranean diet on patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  Sci Rep   15 , 32725 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-17055-5 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT...

This deep dive investigates how cocoa flavanols can mitigate the damaging effects of mental stress on the vascular system in healthy adults. Baynham R, Veldhuijzen van Zanten JJCS, Johns PW, Pham QS, Rendeiro C. Cocoa flavanols improve vascular responses to acute mental stress in young healthy adults . Nutrients . 2021;13(4):1103. doi:10.3390/nu13041103 Follow Dr. Anthony Novello, PT, DPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This episode dissects an article investigating the clinical characteristics of 481 patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) by applying the Bárány Society diagnostic criteria. Ling X, Zhao DH, Shen B, et al. Clinical characteristics of patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosed based on the diagnostic criteria of the Bárány Society. Front Neurol. 2020;11:602. doi...

This episode examines whether collagen peptide supplementation enhances the recovery and growth of muscle connective tissue during a week of high-intensity training. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled method, scientists tracked young men performing a rigorous regimen of resistance exercises and plyometrics. Kirmse M, Lottmann TM, Volk NR, et al. Collagen Peptide Supplementation during Traini...

This episode does a deep dive into an article that investigates the Cognitive Debt hypothesis , which suggests that repetitive negative thinking (RNT) serves as a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease . Marchant NL, Lovland LR, Jones R, et al. Repetitive negative thinking is associated with amyloid, tau, and cognitive decline.  Alzheimers Dement . 2020;16(7):1054-1064. doi:10.1002/alz.121...

This episode does a deep dive into a 2025 randomized controlled trial (RCT) , known as the ReabilitaDOR trial, that examined the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an Internet-based self-management program compared to a simple online booklet for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain in Brazil. Saragiotto BT, Fioratti I, Reis FJJ, Fandim JV, Vallio V, Costa LOP, et al. Effectiven...

This episode dissects an editorial that argues that medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) requires a name change due to issues with the current terminology. The authors contend that the term MTSS is confusing for athletes and coaches because "tibial stress" is often misinterpreted as a bone stress injury , despite inconclusive evidence regarding the condition's underlying pathology. A...

This episode does a deep dive into a study that investigated the combined effects of the drug metformin and various exercise training intensities on vascular health. The research utilized a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving adults at risk for Metabolic Syndrome , dividing participants into groups receiving either low-intensity exercise (LoEx) or high-intensity exercise (HiEx), each...

This episode does a deep dive on a systematic review and scoping review which investigates the diagnostic accuracy of the bedside neurological examination (BNE) for cervical radiculopathy (CR). Yousif MS, Occhipinti G, Bianchini F, Feller D, Schmid AB, Mourad F. Neurological examination for cervical radiculopathy: a scoping review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2025;26:334. doi:10.1186/s12891-025...

This episode dissects a narrative review article examining the complex relationship between two frequently confused causes of dizziness: Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) and Vestibular Migraine (VM) . The author reviews literature from 2000 to 2025 to compare the diagnostic criteria, underlying causes (pathophysiology), and appropriate treatments for each condition. Moreno- Ajona D....

This episode does a deep dive on a research report detailing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to assess physical therapy interventions for chronic rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP). The study compared the effectiveness of muscle strengthening exercises alone versus a protocol combining strengthening with proprioceptive exercises in 70 patients over an eight-week period. Buccio...

This episode dissects an article that investigates the relationship between creative experiences and brain health using quantitative metrics known as brain clocks to measure deviations from chronological age, or brain age gaps (BAGs). The research utilized a large sample of participants across various creative domains—including dance, music, visual arts, and video games—to show that creative exper...