Valley Sports Physicians & Orthopedic Medicine

03/07/2025

How is your push-up prowess?

Push-up ability is a proxy for overall fitness, esp. muscular fitness. More importantly, a Harvard study showed that the ability for men to do 40 or more push-ups at 50 years old decreases the chance of cardiovascular disease by 96% compared to men who could do 10 or less. 😳 The study also found that every push-up done after 10 had a decreased chance of cardiovascular disease.

Push-ups by age: Here's how many you should be able to do

How many push-ups can you do — and how does that stack up with others your age? In a Thursday "FOX & Friends" segment, viewers sent in their own videos showing their push-up prowess.

08/14/2024

Going from zero to 3 hours of exercise per week can decrease your all-cause mortality by a whopping 50%!!!!
No excuses - JUST DO IT!

Dr. Peter Attia is a prominent figure in the fields of longevity, health, and performance optimization. He is a physician, researcher, and speaker who focuse...

08/13/2024

Today is National Private Practice Physicians Day!
We need more doctors who are not encumbered by, nor who bow down to, corporate medicine. I've been in private practice since I started almost 30 years ago, and I couldn't think of practicing medicine any other way.

08/02/2024

Everything you wanted to know about protein . . .

Nutrition expert Rhonda Patrick PhD does a deep dive interview with international protein expert Luc van Loon PhD in this outstanding podcast. Well worth the watch to get the SCIENCE behind the recommendations.

How much protein do you REALLY need?
Is there an optimal time to eat protein?
Plant vs animal protein
Whey protein vs casein
Whey concentrate vs isolate vs hydrolysate
Does time restricted eating or fasting affect protein intake & absorption?

And more!

07/29/2024

New study: Intermittent Fasting no better than regular diet for weight loss.

This brief (8 min) video reviews a recent very well done study comparing 2 groups. One group followed a time-restricted eating pattern (e.g., intermittent fasting), and the other group had no time restrictions (between 8 am - midnight).

The key to this study is that both groups were given the EXACT SAME DIET, precisely controlled for calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients.

Both groups lost the SAME amount of weight.

Bottom line: Intermittent fasting / time-restricted eating is NO BETTER than simply controlling your total daily calories and macros. BOTH diets work! There's nothing magical about TRE/IF.

Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38639542/Get my research review REPS:biolayne.com/REPSGet my new nutrition coaching app, Carbon Diet Coach: http://one...

06/23/2024

I'm so honored and humbled to have received the first annual Caplan Excellence Award, given at this year's annual TOBI-ASIPP conference (The Orthobiologic Institute-American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians), held this past weekend in Las Vegas.

The award is named after the late Arnold Caplan PhD, the scientist credited as being the "godfather of stem cells" for his pioneering work in elucidating the actions of mesenchymal stem cells. Dr. Caplan was a giant in the stem cell field, yet he was also a consummate educator, always gracious and willing to teach anyone, never once adopting a condescending or patronizing attitude. It's in that spirit that the award was given, in recognition of my contributions to stem cell and regenerative medicine education for the last 17 years.

God willing, here's to another 17 years of pursuing my passion and serving my patients!

06/07/2024

Are you getting fake stem cells or illegal treatments?

An increasing number of clinics are popping up around the country offering "stem cell" treatments. However, the ONLY FDA cleared source of stem cells is from YOUR OWN BODY, either from bone marrow or from fat.

If a clinic is injecting "stem cells" derived from placenta, umbilical cord blood, Wharton's Jelly, or amnion, not only do NONE of these products contain ANY live viable stem cells, but also NONE of those products are FDA cleared! Clinics injecting such products are doing so ILLEGALLY and should be reported to the FDA.

Here's the email address to report clinics that that are fraudulently and illegally injecting these products: ocod@fda.hhs.gov

06/03/2024

05/24/2024

SUPPLEMENTS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING: CREATINE

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is critical in storing and releasing cellular energy. It also participates in many biological processes driving pregnancy outcomes, maintaining bone mineral density and muscle mass in older adults, improving neurological function, and aiding the immune system to fight cancer. Creatine, in addition to caffeine, is the most widely studied, safe, and proven--and legal--performance enhancing supplement. It’s used widely by strength training and body building enthusiasts.

Sources:
Dietary sources of creatine include meat, such as red meat and poultry, as well as fish. However, cooking converts creatine to creatinine, so taking a creatine supplement usually is the best way to get it. People who adhere to a plant based diet have about 30% less creatine content in their muscles than meat eaters.

Functions:
Since the 1980s, oral creatine supplementation has been routinely used to enhance physical performance. It improves exercise performance, while low creatine levels are closely related to muscle fatigue during physical activity. In particular, those doing heavy resistance training while supplementing with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day can maintain higher intensity training, increase fat-free mass, and increase endurance strength. Furthermore, creatine supplementation promotes muscle recovery after exercise training. Compared with weight training alone, creatine supplementation combined with weight training can slow age-related muscle loss.

Some studies have shown that creatine may help lower blood lipids, and may increase cognitive performance and aids in treating brain-related disorders such as Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Safety:
Creatine is very safe when uses at recommended doses. Transient slight weight gain may be seen, due mainly to a slight increase in muscle water retention.

Supplementation:
The best—and cheapest—form is creatine monohydrate. Do not fall prey to fancy marketing schemes enticing you to buy a “better” form of creatine! While proponents advocate a loading dose for several days, I recommend that most people simply take 5g a day. Those engaged in heavy/intense weight training may benefit from 2-3 servings/day.

For a more in-depth review of creatine, including study references, go to: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/creatine

05/23/2024

SUPPLEMENTS YOU NEED TO BE TAKING: OMEGA-3

In this last of my 3-part series, let's look at Omega-3 (O3) polyunsaturated fatty acids. O3 fatty acids naturally occur in 3 forms: ALA (alpha linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA and DHA are found in marine sources, primarily cold water fish and krill. ALA is found in plant sources. Although ALA can convert to EPA & DHA in the body, the conversion is VERY small, and therefore ALA is a poor source of EPA & DHA.

Omega-3s play important roles in the body. They are key components of the cell membrane. DHA, in particular, is especially high in the retina, brain, and s***m. They also provide energy for the body, and they are used to form eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that have wide-ranging functions in the body’s cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, and endocrine systems.

In particular, whereas the eicosanoids made from omega-6 fats are generally more potent mediators of inflammation, vasoconstriction, and platelet aggregation (clumping), EPA and DHA tip the eicosanoid balance toward less inflammatory activity.

A 2009 Harvard study looked at the 6 leading preventable causes of death including high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and consumption of trans fats. They found that insufficient levels of EPA + DHA was in the top 6! Specifically, they estimated that insufficient levels of EPA + DHA was responsible for 84,000 deaths/year. (Eating trans fats resulted in 82,000 deaths/year.)

The best way to know if you are getting enough O3's is a blood test known as the "Omega 3 Index." This test looks O3 levels in the red cell membranes, not serum. So it's a much more stable, reliable, and accurate measurement. Sadly most clinicians don't even know about the test. (One lab that performs the test is Mosaic Diagnostics, www.MosaicDx.com.)

Research has found that those with the highest O3 index (8% or greater) had a 90% reduced risk of sudden cardiac death vs those with a low index (4% or lower). Having an index of 8% or higher leads to a +5 year or life expectancy vs those with a 4% index.

O3 are so important that they can even blunt the effect of smoking. While the greatest life expectancy is seen in non-smokers with a high O3 index, smokers with a high O3 index had the same life expectancy as non-smokers with a low index!

Since most people in western cultures don't (or can't) eat enough fish to get a high O3 index, supplementation is the best source. Taking 2 grams a day of combined EPA+DHA can raise your O3 index from 4% to 8%. Look for high quality sources that are tested for PCBs, mercury, rancidity. Reputable sources include Vital Nutrients and Nordic Naturals. EPA +DHA is also available via prescription as Lovaza®. Doses of 4g/day or higher have anti-inflammatory benefits. I routinely recommend that people get 4g/day unless contraindicated.

05/22/2024

SUPPLEMENTS YOU NEED TO BE TAKING: MAGNESIUM

In this, Part 2 of my series on "Supplements That You Need to be Taking," we focus on Magnesium (Mg). Mg is found naturally in the chlorophyll molecule. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. So, not surprisingly, dark green leafy veggies are an abundant source of Mg.

Mg is a cofactor for over 300 enzymes. (For the non-biologists in the group, an enzyme is a protein that facilitates a biological or molecular reaction.) Specifically, Mg is important in both the formation and utilization of ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the essential energy substrate for cellular activity.

In addition, Mg plays an important role in repairing damage to our DNA. Through exercise, stress, disease, aging, etc., our DNA constantly is being damaged. This damage is insidious--it accumulates slowly over time, and it can lead to oncogenic mutations that can cause cancer. Mg is critical in helping repair DNA. Studies have found that for every 100 mg increase in Mg levels there is a 24% decrease in pancreatic cancer risk. In addition, people in the highest quintile (top 20%) of Mg levels have a 40% lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a 50% lower risk of cancer mortality compared to the those in the lowest 20%.

Since most people don't eat enough dark green leafy veggies, Mg supplementation is the best way to raise your levels. The "organic" forms of Mg - Mg citrate, Mg glycinate, Mg malate - are much better than the inorganic forms such as Mg sulfate. Men need about 400 mg/day and women need 300-350 mg/day. Athletes or those who do a lot of sweating at work (e.g. construction workers) may need 10-20% more to compensate for additional Mg loss in the sweat.

My preferred source of Mg supplement is "Triple Mag," from Vital Nutrients (https://www.vitalnutrients.co/products/triple-mag?_pos=1&_sid=9d0ccd578&_ss=r). Use code 8464 when ordering. 2 capsules contain 500 mg of magnesium, primarily as glycinate and malate. Irrespective of which brand you choose, it's best to take it divided doses throughout the say to reduce the risk of loose stools. Note: The popular form of magnesium, Mg Threonate, marketed as "Magtein," is NOT a great source of Mg, though this supplement CAN be helpful for sleep.