Docs Who Lift

Dr. Eryn Russo, a board-certified occupational and environmental medicine physician with nearly 20 years at Hill Air Force Base, explains real vs. hype. She tackles influencer at-home metal tests, why provoked urine panels mislead, how proper exposure workups are done, and which metals and tests actually matter. She also calls out detox scams and the real risks of unsupervised chelation.

Dr. Adam Auton, a 23andMe geneticist who leads large-scale human genetics research, explains how scans of hundreds of thousands of variants revealed links between specific genes and GLP-1 medication response. He discusses a GLP-1 receptor variant tied to both better weight loss and higher side-effect risk. They also cover a separate GIP receptor signal for tirzepatide, how combined variants raise side-effect odds, and genetics’ ~10% role in weight-loss variation.

Henning Langer, PhD researcher and founder of a muscle metabolism lab in Berlin, studies how GLP-1 medicines affect skeletal muscle. He discusses rodent and human experiments comparing direct muscle measures to DEXA, surprising treadmill and proteome findings, mitochondrial hints at endurance benefits, and why resistance training plus high protein still halves muscle loss.

Dr. Stuart Phillips, a leading researcher in resistance exercise and aging, breaks down what huge bodies of evidence say about strength and muscle. He discusses how often to lift, why heavy loads still matter, the wide hypertrophy rep range, the role of power for older adults, and why consistency beats fancy tricks.

Dr. Stephen Heymsfield, physician and body composition researcher at Pennington Biomedical, led the BELIEVE trial. He explains bimagrumab’s activin receptor blockade, why combining it with semaglutide preserves muscle while targeting fat, and how the trial showed over 90% of combination weight loss was fat. They also discuss LDL changes, visceral fat disappearance, functional testing, and future drug development.

Dr. Alyssa Olenick, exercise physiologist and menopause researcher who founded the LISS Method, breaks down myths around menopause and training. She explains what truly changes in body composition and why baseline fitness matters more than cycle phase. She debunks cortisol and rep-range dogma, defends varied cardio including HIIT, and outlines practical training tweaks for perimenopause without fear-based low-intensity shifts.

Dr. Lauren, an exercise physiologist who breaks down creatine science, dosing, performance effects, and safety in plain terms. She explains how creatine supports short, high-intensity efforts and who benefits most. She covers forms, dosing (3–5 g/day), myths about kidneys and hair, and cautions on preliminary cognitive and pregnancy data.

Shelby Harris, a board-certified psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine and author on insomnia and kids’ sleep, breaks down melatonin dosing and why less is often better. She tackles blue light myths, when trackers mislead, sleep’s role in metabolism and recovery, and gender differences in post-sex recovery. Practical rules and safe alternatives are covered in short, actionable conversations.

Dr. Lucky Sekhon, reproductive endocrinologist and author of The Lucky Egg, offers evidence-based clarity on fertility, PCOS, insulin resistance, and treatment strategies. She debunks common myths, explains AMH and ovarian reserve limits, discusses how GLP-1s affect cycles and conception timing, and outlines approaches for endometriosis and individualized fertility care.

Brad Stolberg, a public health writer and University of Michigan faculty focused on human flourishing, shares a values-driven take on mastery and discipline. He argues for fundamentals and consistent practice over trendy optimization. Conversations cover shaping identity through pursuit, coaching kids to avoid burnout, and shifting goals from outcomes to sustained engagement.