Premier Cardiovascular Health and Performance Podcast

Most people assume that once they enter a hospital, every aspect of their care will be managed perfectly. But hospitals are complex environments filled with busy teams, multiple providers, changing shifts, and countless decisions being made every day. Dr. Chris Huff explains why patients and families should take an active role in their care — not out of fear, but out of awareness. Drawing from his...

Most people think performance comes down to motivation, talent, or willpower. Dre Baldwin explains why that thinking is incomplete. Discipline is a byproduct of structure, not a personality trait. It’s what shows up when motivation doesn’t, and it's what separates the people who talk about high performance from the people who actually deliver. Why motivation fails and discipline finishes the race...

A century of data, some of the most important drugs in modern medicine, and a Wild West of unregulated products being sold online with claims that outrun the evidence. That’s the peptide world right now. Part of the confusion is that the word "peptide" gets used for everything from injectable insulin — one of the most consequential discoveries in the history of medicine — to vials of powder shippe...

Hundreds of thousands of patients. Decades of data. Some of the strongest evidence in modern medicine. And yet — statins are still one of the most argued-about medications out there. Why? Part of it is the internet. Part of it is misunderstanding what these drugs actually do. And part of it is that the conversation almost never matches what really happens in a cardiologist's office. In this episod...

Most people think fat is passive — something to lose, shrink, or eliminate. Dr. Deborah Clegg explains why that mindset is incomplete. Fat is an active endocrine organ. It produces hormones, regulates metabolism, and directly influences disease risk. Why fat distribution matters more than total fat The critical difference between visceral and subcutaneous fat How estrogen protects metabolic health...

Dr. Huff recaps his 12-day mountaineering expedition in Ecuador — from acclimatization climbs to summiting Cotopaxi (19,347 ft) and pushing to 19,000 feet on Chimborazo before turning back due to avalanche risk. Dr. Huff shares why he transitioned from a traditional W2 cardiology role to locums work, how that decision created space for both family and adventure, and what climbing at altitude revea...

Rick Lybarger spent nearly three decades guiding families through high-stakes financial decisions. On the outside, everything looked successful. Internally, the pace was unsustainable. Instead of pushing harder, he chose a different path: learning how to regulate his nervous system through breathwork and meditation. What started as a personal reset evolved into years of studying breathwork, medita...

Many people are either terrified by a non-zero calcium score or falsely reassured by a score of zero. Neither reaction is helpful. In this episode, Dr. Chris Huff breaks down the science behind coronary artery calcium scoring and explains why it has emerged as one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular risk—often outperforming traditional risk factors. You’ll learn how atherosclerosis devel...

If you’ve ever failed a New Year’s health resolution, this episode is for you. The problem isn’t discipline—it’s strategy. In this episode, we walk through why dramatic overhauls almost always fail and how to design health goals that fit real life. You’ll learn how to set specific and realistic goals, why enjoyment matters more than intensity, and how accountability and training for a specific eve...

Dr. Chris Huff is joined by Dr. Matthew Nagra for a grounded discussion on nutrition that stays rooted in physiology and long-term outcomes, not online trends. They begin by clarifying what “plant-based” means and why diets centered on plant foods consistently improve cardiovascular risk, particularly through the lowering of LDL cholesterol and ApoB, largely due to increased intake of PUFA, MUFA,...

In this solo deep dive, Dr. Chris Huff addresses what stress really is: a full-body cascade driven by the amygdala, hypothalamus, and adrenal glands—not just a feeling. He explains how the “fight-or-flight” response activates in milliseconds and why cortisol is necessary short-term but harmful when elevated every day. Dr. Huff connects stress to the cardiovascular system through: Endothelial dysfu...

In this episode, Dr. Huff unpacks the science, misconceptions, and practical strategies surrounding hypertension—affecting nearly half of U.S. adults and living up to its name as the “silent killer.” Drawing from the 2025 ACC/AHA guidelines and major studies that transformed blood pressure management, he explains why tighter control saves lives. Dr. Huff walks listeners through proper blood pressu...

In this solo episode, Dr. Huff shifts the spotlight from VO₂ max and strength training to muscular endurance—the unsung hero of fitness and everyday life. He opens with a story about his wife’s marathon experience, using it to illustrate mental fortitude and resilience. From there, he dives deep into the physiology, training methods, and recovery strategies that make muscles capable of sustaining...

In this solo episode, Dr. Huff tackles one of the most overlooked elements of peak performance: recovery. While training hard often gets the spotlight, Dr. Huff emphasizes that real progress happens during rest and recovery. He breaks down the science of heart rate variability (HRV), shares practical strategies to prevent overtraining, and highlights recovery tools that truly make a difference. Li...

When people hear “lifestyle medicine,” they often picture rejecting traditional care in favor of kale and meditation. But as Dr. Rachele Pojednic explains, lifestyle medicine isn’t about replacing contemporary medicine—it’s about strengthening it with the right daily health choices. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Pojednic and Dr. Huff explore the powerful role of food, movement, sleep, and...

When most of us think of saunas, we picture a spa or maybe a gym—somewhere to unwind after a workout. But what if those sweaty minutes could lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even dementia? In this episode, I break down what happens when you step into the heat and why the research has convinced me that saunas aren’t just a luxury—they’re a science-backed way to build resilience: Ancien...

Mount Rainier is a 14,411-foot challenge of steep slopes, heavy packs, and unpredictable weather. But the real test? Pushing through the moments when your mind says “quit” and your body screams “enough.” In this episode, Dr. Chris Huff shares: What it really feels like to climb Rainier (spoiler: there’s hail, exhaustion, and moments of doubt). The training regimen that made the difference between...

For those who live an active lifestyle, foot and ankle discomfort can be extremely frustrating. Dr. Jaqueline Donovan helps athletes stay in the game by teaching techniques for avoiding and treating the most common foot and ankle injuries. She has cared for thousands of patients, educated hundreds of residents and fellows, and personally endured many of the same injuries she treats.  This perspect...

In this solo episode, Dr. Chris Huff unpacks the science behind creatine: how it works, who it’s for, and why it’s earned its place as one of the top three most effective supplements on the market. Whether you're an athlete, aging adult, or sleep-deprived parent,  You'll learn: What creatine actually is , and how your body uses it to rapidly generate energy How the phosphagen system works during s...

What happens when a driven competitor is faced with something he can’t fix? Coach Rod Ray has coached at Wofford College for over two decades, leading Division I tennis players to success on and off the court. But what’s shaped him even more than competition is something far deeper— raising a son with autism, building resilience through difficulty, and learning to love people where they are. In th...

Some people chase success. Others earn it the hard way. In this episode, Dr. Chris Huff sits down with Dr. Tommy Martin—a man whose life has been anything but easy, but who continues to show up with grit, empathy, and a relentless desire to help others thrive. They talk about: What it was like growing up poor in a tiny town, watching his parents battle addiction. How football became his lifeline—a...

Ever wonder what an interventional cardiologist actually does to stay healthy? In this episode, Dr. Chris Huff answers the most frequent question he gets from patients and followers alike: “What do you do?” Not hypothetically. Not generically. But meal-by-meal, workout-by-workout—he walks us through what a typical day (and week) looks like in his life. From starting every day with protein-packed o...

What do elite athletes, struggling dieters, and busy parents have in common? According to Dane Fuller—founder of Eat Fuller Food—it all begins with breakfast. In this episode, Dr. Chris Huff sits down with Dane to explore his remarkable journey from growing up above a fish and chip shop in New Zealand to discovering sport as a pathway to a better life. Through rowing, Dane learned the power of dis...

From a shoulder injury that nearly ended his sports career to building one of the most respected youth coaching businesses in Colorado, Coach Marcus Mason’s journey is one of grit, growth, and grace under pressure. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Huff reconnects with his childhood teammate to talk through the winding path that led Coach Mason from a hospital bed to founding "Nothing But Net"—a co...

Cognitive decline is one of the most feared health concerns today—often overshadowing even heart disease. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Huff speaks with Dr. Kellyann Niotis, the world’s first fellowship-trained preventive neurologist, about how neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and Lewy body dementia develop—and what we can do to alter their trajectory. They unpack th...