• A growing body of research suggests that the “missing piece” in recovery might not be the exercises themselves—it could be what patients eat.
• Nutrition in physical therapy practice is growing in many States and countries. What does the nutrition education look like for PTs? What does some of the research show?
• We discuss this and more in our Podcast (transcript below). 

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- Nutrition interventions for chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases)

- Advanced nutritional strategies to support physical therapy for patients with metabolic disorders

- Case studies demonstrating successful integration of nutrition into physical therapy care plans

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Transcript:

Okay, so picture t...

Dr. Wells here from Nutritional Physical Therapy, and today we're going to talk about magnesium. Magnesium is definitely a supplement of huge interest right now, and I see it a lot on different social media platforms, and I hear a lot of my clients asking things like:

• Should I take magnesium?
• Will it help me with sleep?
• Will it help me with my digestive system?
• And the long and the short of it is, it depends, right? So magnesium serves many different roles in the body.

Enjoy the video (transcript below). Also, here's the article reference in our video, and if you like what you see here then know there is more in our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60!

Here is the Video Transcript: I think there's something like 300 different enzymatic reactions that is reliant on magnesium. Just because there's that many doesn't necessarily mean that we...

Most sport physios know that carbohydrates are vitally important for sports performance and recovery. But did you know that just simply rinsing the mouth with carbohydrates can actually boost athletic performance? We explore this and more in our video with the full transcript below.

If you like what you see here then know there is more in our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60!

Download Your Copy of the Free E-Book:

Learn about the Top 5 Functional Foods to Fight Inflammation and Pain in Physical Therapy. 

Transcript:

Hi, it's Dr. Wells from Nutritional Physical Therapy and I wanted to give a quick research (0:04) update. I found a really cool article that I think a lot of sports PTs would love to hear about (0:09) and some of our strength coach colleagues and friends too. This one is by Sung Jang Jung, (0:16) Nutrients 2024.

It's titled, Car...

We've known for some time that extra protein for our geriatric clients can help them add some extra lean muscle mass. For physical therapy, more lean muscle mass means better balance, less falls, and greater lifespan. Despite this, the FDA still calls for the standard 0.8g/kg/bw for protein for older adults. Does more protein really help actual muscle protein synthesis? Also, does the protein source matter? I have many clients taking collagen right now, assuming they are getting added joint benefits plus extra protein for the muscles -- but does it help?

We explore these topics and more in our recent video. The transcript of the video is below. Enjoy!

If you like what you see here then know there is more in our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60!

Download Your Copy of the Free E-Book:

Learn about the Top 5 Functional Foods to Fight Inflammation an...

GLP Inhibitor use is on the rise, which is great for patients but not so great for physical therapists burdened with questions. One of the biggest concerns right now with GLP inhibitor use is the loss of fat free muscle mass, usually in the form of muscle mass. This is an obvious concern to the PTs and exercise science community in general. Should we be concerned? Listen to our most recent video here or check out the transcript below:

0:00) Good afternoon, Dr. Wells here today to talk to you about a new article, really a commentary, (0:05) in this month's JAMA by Conte, Hall, and Klein. It was really a study or commentary on the new (0:13) GLP inhibitors, Ozempic and Wigovi. They're very popular right now for weight loss, and probably (0:18) one of the biggest concerns that a lot of people are talking about is that people lose fat-free (0:23) mass while taking these drugs.

Well, no surprise, the authors found that individuals that are obese (0:29) actually have larger amounts of s...

Could Ahiflower Replace Fish and Flax?

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, CNPT, Cert-DN

In the realm of nutritional supplements, Ahiflower oil has been gaining recognition for its impressive profile of health-promoting properties. Extracted from the seeds of the Buglossoides arvensis plant, Ahiflower oil is rapidly becoming a popular choice for those seeking an omega-rich alternative to traditional fish oil. Some people are making the claim that Ahiflower could replace fish-based Omega 3s but the plant is still new to the scene. A recent PubMed article outlines some of these factors, but let's briefly dive into the potential health benefits that may make Ahiflower oil a noteworthy addition to your wellness routine.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reinvented

Ahiflower oil distinguishes itself by its omega-3 fatty acid content, particularly boasting a unique combination of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), stearidonic acid (SDA), and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). This trifecta of fatty aci...

By Dr. Sean Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a molecule that has gained attention in recent years due to its potential role in enhancing longevity and healthspan. Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPTs) ought to be aware of NMN as many clients have begun taking them and are unaware of new data and legal challenges ahead. NMN is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme involved in various cellular processes, including energy metabolism and DNA repair. Research on NMN supplementation in humans is ongoing, and while there is some promising evidence, it's important to note that the field is still evolving, and more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.
Here is a research summary of NMN use in humans up to my knowledge cutoff date in September 2021:

1. NAD+ Levels: One of the primary reasons for interest in NMN is its potential to boost NAD+ levels in cells. NAD+ declines with age, and maintaini
...

Collagen Supplementation for Joint Pain and Arthritis: Does it Really Work?

By Dr. Sean M.Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Recently I was presenting at the annual conference of Athletic Trainers' Association of Florida (ATAF) and I was overwhelmed by one consistent question: why didn't you talk about collagen supplementation?

My talk was specifically on orthopedics for older adults and naturally I focused on osteoarthritis (OA) and how important exercise and diet are for that condition. I did touch on some supplementation, but I left off collagen because my last examination of this supplement, using one of my favorite websites Examine.com, yielded mediocre results. However the participants at the sports medicine conference piqued my interest and convinced me that perhaps I had missed something -- almost every single one of these participants had some form of joint pain or stiffness and felt significantly better after taking collagen daily. So, back to the li...

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, CNPT, Cert-DN

At Nutritional PT we talk a lot about how food can impact the gut microbiome. But as Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPT), did you know that exercise has been shown to influence the gut microbiome? Studies have found that regular physical activity can increase the diversity and abundance of beneficial gut microbes, such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, while reducing the abundance of potentially harmful microbes, such as Clostridium and Bacteroides.

New Research

A recent study demonstrated that alpha diversity increased among normal-weight and overweight adult individuals with moderate increases in physical exercise durations. Compositional alterations were primarily observed among normal-weight individuals. These findings indicate that even small increases in PA duration by overweight individuals can improve beneficial microbe abundance and diversity in the intestines, which has huge implications for PTs working with ov...

I recently finished the Huberman Podcast with Dr. Panda, an known expert in the area of intermittent fasting and circadian rhythms. It was an awesome podcast covering many topics -- be sure to check it out! After listening to this podcast it got me thinking about my own published research in intermittent fasting and how it stacks up against certain dietary patterns, especially a plant-based diet.

We have discussed intermittent fasting before in other blog posts, as well in our 3 course certification bundle. In short, intermittent fasting is adapting the feeding schedule of person to restrict food to certain times or certain days. A classic intermittent fasting schedule that I used in my research was one day of feeding and one day of fasting. Obviously this works well for animal and insect models but in humans it can prove to be difficult for compliance. As such, many researchers, and clinicians now, use a more palatable for of intermittent fasting commonly known as time-restricted fee...