HoldsUp

Brady Holmer

Brady Holmer is an endurance athlete and researcher working in exercise physiology and cardiovascular health. His published research examines the cardiovascular impacts of exercise, including high-intensity interval training and cardiac troponin release in individuals with cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. He has also authored studies investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on endothelial function as well as the impact of energy drinks and exogenous ketones on athletic performance.

23 claims checked on air: 2 context 2 contradicted 2 overstated 14 supported 3 unverified

What they said on air - overstated

0:36:48overstatedmoderateWhy Vigorous Exercise Is 4–10x More Effective Than Moderate

In volume-matched randomized controlled trials, high-intensity interval training consistently produces greater improvements in vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness compared to moderate-intensity training.

"if you read any of the randomized control trials too just comparing moderate intensity training to high intensity interval training if you look at the effects on endothelial function like you mentioned in artery stiffness it's it's not it doesn't even come close like when even when they're volume matched. So you say you do the same amount of volume of moderate intensity and high intensity interval training. High-intensity interval training always wins in terms of improving vascular function." (said at 0:36:48)

The claim that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) "always wins" and "doesn't even come close" compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) for improving vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness overstates the scientific evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials confirm that HIIT generally produces statistically significant, modest advantages over MICT in improving endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation improvements of 1.43% to 2.6% over MICT). However, findings for arterial stiffness are mixed: while a 2025 meta-analysis found a statistically significant reduction in pulse wave velocity favoring HIIT (-0.10 m/s), an earlier meta-analysis found no statistically significant difference between HIIT and MICT for central arterial stiffness. The evidence supports a general benefit of HIIT over MICT, but the effect size is modest rather than overwhelming, and the superiority is not universal across all arterial stiffness measures.

1:01:59overstatedlowWhy Vigorous Exercise Is 4–10x More Effective Than Moderate

Studies by Kerry Courneya show that exercise directly destroys circulating tumor cells.

"even the studies that, you know, Kerry Courneya was involved in and that we kind of researched and you guys talked about in your podcast. It's like exercise directly kills it kills the circulating tumor cells" (said at 1:01:59)

A small pilot clinical trial co-authored by Kerry Courneya (n=23 stage I–III colon cancer patients) demonstrated that 6 months of aerobic exercise led to significant reductions in circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts compared to usual care. However, the study did not establish that exercise directly kills CTCs; the authors explicitly noted that direct destruction is a hypothesis alongside indirect mechanisms mediated by host factors such as insulin, BMI, and adhesion molecules.

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