HoldsUp

FoundMyFitness · 2015-08-11 · Rhonda Patrick (host), Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss on Ketosis, Microbiome, Lyme Disease, and Biomarkers

40 claims checked against research: 1 contradicted 10 overstated 6 needing context 21 supported 1 corroborated online 1 unverified

6

Needs context

0:03:15Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextlow

Men with specific vasopressin receptor gene polymorphisms that reduce vasopressin responsiveness have higher rates of being unmarried or divorced.

"And so there's a particular variety of this polymorphism in the vasopressin receptors that males have um that make them non- less responsive to vasopressin. And these males are more likely to be either divorced or never been married, whereas males that don't have this polymorphism are more likely to be happily married." (said at 0:03:15)

The host refers to a well-known 2008 study of candidate gene associations involving the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) gene. That study found that men carrying one or two copies of a specific repeat variant (RS3 334 allele) scored lower on partner-bonding measures, were less likely to be married (more often unmarried or cohabiting), and reported more marital crises and lower marital quality as reported by their spouses. However, candidate gene association studies of complex social behaviors represent observational correlations rather than direct proof of reduced vasopressin responsiveness, and subsequent replication attempts have yielded inconsistent or conflicting results in different relationship contexts.

0:22:12Tim Ferrissneeds contextmoderate

Taking NSAIDs such as ibuprofen around resistance training workouts impairs muscle hypertrophy and growth.

"athletes will be like, "Oh my god, I don't want to be so sore after my workout. I'll take uh NSAIDs, right? I'll take like Advil, ibuprofen, whatever to facilitate recovery." And in fact, then they have less hypertrophy and they have less muscle growth as a result." (said at 0:22:12)

Evidence shows that regular, high over-the-counter doses of NSAIDs (such as 1,200 mg/day of ibuprofen) significantly attenuate muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations in young, healthy adults undergoing resistance training. For example, a randomized controlled trial in young adults found that 8 weeks of daily ibuprofen intake reduced quadriceps hypertrophy compared to low-dose aspirin (3.7% vs. 7.5% increase in muscle volume). However, this effect is dose- and age-dependent: moderate daily doses (e.g., 400 mg/day) in young adults have not shown a significant negative impact on hypertrophy, and in older adults with chronic low-grade inflammation, daily NSAID use during resistance training unexpectedly enhanced muscle hypertrophy and strength gains.

0:24:55Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextmoderate

The plasma half-life of supplemental vitamin C is approximately 1.5 hours.

"the half-life is like an hour and a half in plasma or something" (said at 0:24:55)

The plasma elimination half-life of vitamin C is strongly dose-dependent due to saturable renal reabsorption. At supra-physiological or high supplemental doses that exceed the renal threshold (plasma concentrations above approximately 70–100 µmol/L), excess ascorbic acid is rapidly filtered and excreted in the urine, resulting in a plasma elimination half-life of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours (measured at ~1.87 ± 0.40 hours in pharmacokinetic trials). However, at physiological dietary intakes or in depleted states, the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter SVCT1 reabsorbs ascorbic acid in the renal tubules, leading to a much longer apparent half-life (several days to weeks) to conserve whole-body stores.

0:31:30Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextmoderate

Metformin has been shown in short-term studies to possibly prevent cancer prophylactically.

"I think, you know, it has been shown, like you said, you know, it it can possibly prophylactically prevent cancer. So far, and and I think the the studies that have shown that um have been pretty short term." (said at 0:31:30)

Observational cohort and case-control studies have reported an inverse association between metformin use and cancer incidence in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, randomized clinical trial evidence has not confirmed a prophylactic or cancer-preventive effect. A collaborative meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found no significant reduction in overall cancer incidence with metformin compared to control (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.82–1.26). Furthermore, long-term randomized trial data from the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study across 21 years of follow-up showed no statistically significant reduction in total cancer incidence with metformin versus placebo (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.73–1.10).

0:33:50Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextlow

Lactate and ketone bodies are thermodynamically favorable energy sources that require less oxygen and fewer ATP molecules to produce energy.

"lactate also is, much like ketone bodies, energetic thermodynamically favorable. So it takes less um energy to make energy. Yeah. So you're consuming less oxygen because you don't need as many ATP molecules to make ATP." (said at 0:33:50)

The speaker's core concept draws on published metabolic research showing that ketone bodies (such as D-β-hydroxybutyrate) and lactate can serve as energetically favorable substrates that improve mitochondrial thermodynamic efficiency. In isolated perfused animal hearts and tissues, ketone body metabolism widens the redox potential between mitochondrial NAD and coenzyme Q, increasing hydraulic work per unit of oxygen consumed and increasing the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis (ΔG_ATP). However, the speaker's phrasing ('you're consuming less oxygen because you don't need as many ATP molecules to make ATP') garbles basic bioenergetics: aerobic ATP production generates ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate via the electron transport chain using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor, not by consuming 'ATP to make ATP'. While ketone oxidation is more oxygen-efficient than fatty acid oxidation, evidence for enhanced mechanical efficiency comes predominantly from ex vivo and animal models.

0:40:01Tim Ferrissneeds contextlow

Advanced and severe Lyme disease can present with dementia-like symptoms and neurological manifestations resembling cerebral palsy.

"And if you look at the advanced uh symptoms of severe Lyme, I mean, they it takes on dementia-like uh qualities and like even cerebral palsy in some cases. Really scary stuff." (said at 0:40:01)

Advanced Lyme neuroborreliosis can rarely present with severe cognitive impairment resembling dementia (secondary dementia-like syndrome), which may improve with antibiotic treatment. However, recent large-scale studies show no association between Lyme disease and primary neurodegenerative dementia. While late central nervous system Lyme disease can cause motor deficits, encephalomyelitis, and spasticity that may resemble severe neurological motor impairment, cerebral palsy itself is a non-progressive developmental disorder occurring in early childhood.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.