Category: All Articles

Seed Oils on Trial: Is the Panic Justified?

Introduction “Seed oils” – rich in the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA) – have been accused of promoting inflammation, oxidative stress, and chronic disease. Internet anecdotes blame seed oils for everything from heart disease to diabetes, fueling a pseudoscientific backlash against soybean, corn, sunflower, and similar oils. In reality, these claims do not hold up […]

How Much Nitrate to Eat (and Why)! – Video

How does nitric oxide impact health, including blood pressure?

How does this relate to nitrates and nitrites?

What does this mean for our dietary choices?

Here, I’ve tried to cover these questions, as well as looking at the Veg-Nitrate Table, developed by Lidder & Webb,and then thinking though potential target intakes of dietary nitrate.

Reviewing Dave Feldman’s “Lipid Triad Model” & Claims [Updated]

A previous episode of Sigma Nutrition Radio (episode 321) provided an opportunity to have a real-time discussion about lipids and risk, and in particular to discuss the concept of the ‘lipid triad’ proposed by the show guest, Dave Feldman. Dave has become one of the most prominent voices in the low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) community, and […]

A Plant Based Diet Reverses Heart Disease: True or False?

It is often claimed that a plant based diet reverses heart disease. And three specific studies are commonly cited to support this. This article breaks those studies down to see if they really support the claim that a plant based way of eating will reduce heart disease risk.

Wires Crossed and Intellectually Lost: Are You Really Science Based? (Part 3)

By Ciaran O’Regan[NOTE: Whilst this piece can be read in isolation, you might consider reading Part 1 and Part 2 of this series to get a full insight into these thoughts/concepts.] Albert Einstein presented his field equations that form the basis for General Relativity in 1915. This was done after 8 years of work to […]

UEBC 19 Lecture: Circadian Eating

At the Ultimate Evidence-based Conference (UEBC) in Melbourne, Australia, I presented on the topic of circadian biology and chrononutrition. The amazing hosts, Jacob & Sam, kindly agreed to my request to make the lecture available for free, which I’m grateful for. Download Lecture Slides Lecture Overview: Circadian biology plays a fundamental role in human health. […]

The Axiom of the Infinite Unknown: Uncertainty as the Only Certainty (Are You Really Science Based? – Part 2)

NB: The aim of this article is to illustrate WHY one should paradoxically maintain “uncertainty as ones only certainty” as a Scientific Thinker. You can read Part 1 of this series: “Uncertainty” in order to acquire the some foundational understanding of the topic that will provide a solid foundation for this article below. Scientist/Believer/Victim Thinking The previous article […]

What Is Science? (Article Version)

This article is a transcription of a Sigma Nutrition Radio podcast episode (this one) that was extremely popular. The episode centered around an attempt to answer the question “what is science?”, or in other words, an attempt to get people to understand and appreciate what it really means to be a scientific thinker. I want to […]

Are You Really Science-Based? – Part One: Uncertainty

What Are You? There are many ways individuals classify themselves based on their views. Often people attach an identity to their views. Maybe they claim to be a “clean eater”. Or a “flexible dieter”. Or maybe it’s as simple as “keto” or “vegan”. Regardless, these classifications are used to tell us the person holds a certain set of views/beliefs. […]

July 2018 – Podcast Round-up Post

Welcome to the Podcast Re-cap post for the month of July 2018. This will be a breakdown of some key points that our re-cap author, Ella Whitcomb, took from the episode. by Ella Whitcomb #236 Kevin Ashworth, MSc – Understanding Anxiety & How To Deal With It Kevin holds a BSc in Psychology from Washington […]

June 2018 – Podcast Round-Up

Welcome to the Podcast Re-cap post for the month of June 2018. This will be a breakdown of some key points that our re-cap author, Ella Whitcomb, took from the episode. by Ella Whitcomb Episode #232 Ted Ryce – Social Isolation, Flow & the Influencers of Health That The Fitness Industry Forgets Ted has been […]

May 2018 – Podcast Recap

Introduction Welcome to the first edition to a new feature here at Sigma Nutrition that I think will be tremendously useful to all of you who listen to the podcast… Introducing the Podcast Monthly Recap! I (Danny) am delighted to welcome and introduce you readers to the newest member of the Sigma Nutrition crew, Ella […]

The Scale Paradox: A Comprehensive Guide on Using Bodyweight Data

This is a guest post by Kevin Garde. For more info about Kevin, see the section below this article. Intro When it comes to the world of health and fitness, it is hard for many people to escape the notion that the number we see on a body weight scale provides the most important data point […]

Protein: Common Questions Answered

Dr. Arthur Lynch has a PhD in muscle physiology from the University of Limerick, Ireland, where he is currently a lecturer in the Sports Science departement. He has aslso represented Ireland at multiple IPF powerlifting world championships. Introduction It’s just over a year since this creatine FAQ article was published here on the sigma nutrition website. The […]

Carbohydrate Periodization: Fuel For The Work Required

This is a guest post by Mark Germaine. Mark is currently completing his MSc in Sport Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University, where he is also working as a Performance Nutritionist with various weight-making athletes. He has an undergraduate degree in Sport Science and Health, and has presented his thesis at the Faculty of Sport & Exercise […]

Should You Restrict Caffeine Before Competition To Resensitize To It?

I recently received an email from someone who had purchased the Sigma Weight Cutting System for MMA & Boxing, asking why I had advised athletes stop caffeine consumption in the final 7-10 days before competition. This is an interesting one because my stance has slightly changed on this matter in recent times. So I’d like […]

A Better Paradigm for Health Professionals: The Biopsychosocial Renaissance

This is a guest post by Aidan Mackey. Aidan is a coach, nutritionist and Strength & Conditioning student. You can find him at aidanmackeyhealth.com We have never had the level of access to information as we currently do in the modern world. And thankfully the importance of looking to evidence-based practice is an idea that is growing […]

How to Build a Career in Nutrition Coaching

For some reason enough people have seemingly deemed me to be “successful” enough to ask me for advice about starting a career in nutrition, usually via some version of one of the following questions: What nutrition course do you suggest I do? What qualifications do I need to work as a nutritionist? I’m a personal trainer/coach, […]

Could Creatine Be an Effective Treatment for Age-Related Loss of Muscle?

This is a guest post by Lee Bell. Lee has a MSc in exercise physiology and is a consultant lecturer, speaker and content writer. He is a published academic and professional writer and has delivered talks at a number of conferences including the COPA Growth medical conference in London. He is also involved in primary sport science […]

Is Manual Therapy Just a Waste of Time?

This is a guest post by Dr. Paul McCarroll, clinical lead at PMC Performance. Paul has graduated with degrees in both medicine and physiotherapy, is currently working as a Junior Doctor and is a fully qualified physiotherapist. Paul takes an evidence-based approach to injury and pain management. He works with a wide range of high-level athletes in […]

VIDEO: Smart Carbs for Exercise Performance

Smart Carbohydrate Intake for Sport Performance I was recently interviewed on High Intensity Health by Mike Mutzel on the topic of fuelling sport performance. You can watch it here:

The 3 Principles of Strength & Conditioning for Combat Sports

Share this post on Facebook Let’s face it, combat sports are nuts. In choosing to partake in combat sports, we are willingly putting ourselves into positions in which our bodies are at great risk. We essentially prepare ourselves day in and day out to come out on top when we finally test our damage-inducing and […]

Creatine: Common Questions Answered

Introduction In November 2015, Sigma Nutrition founder Danny Lennon published this outstanding article. The motivation for this piece stemmed from a ridiculous opinion piece written by Irish rugby journalist Neil Francis, essentially implicating creatine as a potential player in the tragic and premature death of All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu. Danny’s rebuttal was spot on and […]

Tips on How To Be an Awesome Coaching Client

[Introductory note from Danny: As coaches* we always ask ourselves a number of questions: How can I be the best coach I can be for this client? What attributes would make me a better coach? How can I make the coaching process as smooth and beneficial for this person as possible? etc. But coaching is a […]

Never Waste An Injury: The Psychology of Setbacks in Combat Sports

LET US IMAGINE A SCENARIO… You are progressing on your martial arts journey and greatly enjoying the process. All the pieces are falling into place. Your growth curve is beautiful. Every day at training you are picking up new skills and identifying new areas to work on. You have the momentum of a boulder rolling down […]

Are Quarter Squats Actually a Better Option For Athletes?

This is a post by Arthur Lynch. Arthur is a PhD researcher in muscle physiology, an international-level raw powerlifter and coach here at Sigma Nutrition. [line] I was recently sent a link to a T-Nation article titled “Tip: Do Quarter Squats To Boost Athleticism” (original piece here), with a request for my opinion on the conclusions drawn […]

The Pros and Cons of Aggressive Dieting [Calories Deficits #3]

This is part 3 of a series of articles on caloric deficits. Make sure to read parts 1 & 2: Calorie Deficits #1: Understanding the Nuances of Energy Balance Is Slow & Steady Actually the Best Way to Diet? (Calorie Deficits #2) In part two of this series we discussed how fast rates of weight […]

Is Slow & Steady Actually the Best Way to Diet? (Calorie Deficits #2)

“Many people advise to lose weight at a steady and moderate rate, and recommend not cutting calories too low, in order to preserve muscle mass”. That’s a line taken from an email I was sent a few weeks back. And it perfectly exemplifies a piece of supposed common sense. And at first glance this makes […]

Calorie Deficits #1: Understanding the Nuances of Energy Balance

Recently I received the following question from podcast listener Noah: “what is the best way to lose massive amounts of fat as fast as possible, without compromising gainz?” It should be inherently obvious to anyone familiar with the relationship between energy balance and body weight that to lose the absolute most amount of fat mass […]

Drawing A Line In The Evidence-Based Sand

There is a definite growth in the number of people in the health & fitness space talking about taking an ‘evidence-based’ approach to nutrition, training and health. Which can only be a good thing for the fitness industry. In fact, if more people were of the same mindset the incidence of idiotic messaging would decline significantly. […]

Food Quality, IIFYM and Strawmen: Do Food Choices Even Matter?

It’s Friday night and you’re just settling into relaxation mode for the weekend after a tough week at work. You rock into the kitchen to rustle up something to eat. You’ve narrowed it down to two meals you enjoy. Now it’s decision time… Sweet potato and coconut oil or ice cream? What’s the best choice? […]

Are You Sure You Want That Meal Plan?

[This is a guest post by Rob Zand, a personal trainer based in the UK. Tweet him at @RZtraining] [line] In the world of fitness and nutrition, meals plans are common place. There seems to be a reoccurring situation in the fitness industry. One that is unfortunate, shady and sometimes just wrong. It seems anyone […]

Is There a Benefit to NOT Being Gluten-free?

With this post I’m going to finish up talking about gluten for a while (“about time!” I hear you say). In the previous three posts, I’ve pretty much laid out all I think needs to be said on the topic for the moment. But there’s one point remaining that I’d like to give my thoughts […]

Is Gluten a Straw or Dagger? – Dose-Response, Lifestyle & Epigenetics

As I’ve mentioned previously (here), unfortunately when it comes to gluten the rate of dogmatic fantasy tales you can read online vastly out-weighs the evidence. It appears that gluten shouldn’t be a major problem for the vast majority of the population (anywhere between 87% to 99% based on currently available reserach). In the cases of accepted conditions with […]

Why Did I Feel Better After Giving Up Wheat?

In my previous post, ‘Gluten Revisited: Can I Eat That Sandwich?’, I attempted to give an overview of what we can currently conclude from scientific literature on non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). To briefly re-cap, some important points were: From current evidence it seems that at least 94% of the population would not be diagnosable as […]

Gluten Revisited: Can I Eat That Sandwich?

Unfortunately, the rate of dogmatic fantasy tales you can read online vastly out-weighs the evidence. And it makes things a nightmare for most people to navigate through.

Some of these stories can be very convincing. I have even been guilty of giving some of them too much credence in years gone by.

And when it comes to the impact of gluten on human health, things are no different.

There are so many questions that regularly are asked about gluten. Questions like:

Is gluten bad or not?
Is it ok to have a little bit?
Who is sensitive to it and who’s not?
Why are gluten-containing foods so crazily delicious?

How Do You Avoid Overeating (Without Counting Calories)?

When we overeat calories chronically, weight gain results. This is indisputable. So if we inherently know that “over-eating is what causes fat gain” then the solution should be pretty straight forward: “Stop eating so much and you’ll lose fat”. Which is technically true. If you eat at a caloric intake that puts you into a calorie deficit […]

What’s the ROI of Your Nutrition Choices?

It was about half past 9 on a dark, cold week-night back in January 2009. I remember walking out of the small sports hall in the sports science building at the University of Limerick. My body was tired and slowly drudging along. But my mind was racing. I had just finished my first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class with Fergal […]

Is Your Low-Carb, My Low-Carb?

[column type=”one-half” last=”false” fade=”false” fade_animation=”in, in-from-top, in-from-left, in-from-right, in-from-bottom” fade_animation_offset=”45px”] In Monday’s post on ‘Just How Effective is Low-Carb Dieting?‘ I asked the question: what do we mean by “effective”? Well I feel it’s important to address the second part of that issue… What do we mean by “low-carb”? [/column] [column type=”one-half” last=”true” fade=”true” fade_animation=”in-from-bottom” fade_animation_offset=”45px”] [/column] […]

Just How Effective is Low-Carb Dieting?

In a past post, “Eat More Fat, Burn More Fat: Myth, Magic or Metabolic Advantage?”,  I talked about why carbohydrates do not cause you to gain fat, unless there is caloric surplus. Similarly, a diet that is low-carb but too high in calories will also lead to weight gain. So it is a calorie issue […]

Re-feeds & Macro Cycling: Is Non-linear Dieting Necessary?

Refeeds, cycling carbs and spiking calories are all part of today’s sexiest protocols. And why not? I mean, they sound pretty cool, don’t they? I’m sure at this point you’ve came across various dietary approaches or protocols that are non-linear in nature, through “cycling” either calories, macronutrients or both. There are endless numbers of people […]

The Ridiculously Simple Guide to Sustainable Fat Loss

Throw your eyes back to that title. It’s important and I want to clarify why. First, you’ll notice the word “simple”. Dieting should  NOT be complex, complicated or need insane amounts of willpower. In fact, one way to guarantee you fail is to base your plan solely on willpower. Second, notice the word “sustainable”. In a world […]

Is the Most Nutritious Diet, the Healthiest Diet?

You know, I’ve been thinking an awful lot lately about the difference between the terms “most nutritious” and “most healthy”. When it comes to diet, are these simply synonyms or are they in fact completely different? So the question is… Is the diet comprised of the absolute “best” foods (i.e. most nutrient-dense or “nutritious”), in the […]

Eat More Fat, Burn More Fat: Myth, Magic or Metabolic Advantage?

Enjoy this article? Click here to share on Facebook I’m sure you’ve probably came across that slogan before. If you eat more fat, you’ll burn more fat. Now, I’m all for people including plenty of fat in their diets. In fact, I’ve spoken many times about the problems that arise from “fat-deficient” diets. So please don’t […]

Should I Be Tracking Calories?

Tracking our food intake is now incredibly simple thanks to food tracking apps that are freely available and simple to use. Such apps provide a breakdown of calorie and macronutrient intakes (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) for the meals you eat. Often, in order to improve your healthy or body composition through dietary changes, you don’t need […]

The Unhealthy Way to Eat Healthy: 5 Life Lessons Learned

For quite some time I was the most unhealthy “healthy eater” there is. On paper, I had constructed a set of rules that made my nutrition flawless. And while some made a tremendous positive difference, the problem was that the list was never finished. More reading and researching led to more potential problems I could […]

The High-Fat Diet Trap: How Much is Too Much?

We all used to think fat was evil. Something ingrained in us by the bombardment by the promotion of low-fat dietary guidelines, low-fat branded products and “fat is bad” marketing campaigns. We fell into a low-fat diet trap. But thankfully the tide has started to turn. I think it’s become clear that dietary fat is not […]

Carb Dogma is for Hipsters

In what seems to be an increasingly common occurrence, I am seeing popular nutrition trends emerging, following something I can only describe as the “hipster pattern”. You know, the “get-on-it-now-because-its-the-opposite-to-everyone-else” thing. And once everyone else starts doing it, it’s no longer cool. One perfect example right now is carbohydrate intake. We were being erroneously told […]

The Triangle of Focus

What’s the perfect diet? I’ve said many times before that there is no single diet that is perfect for everyone. I hope that is clear by  now. But even beyond that, there is no single diet that is perfect for one specific person, all of the time. Goals, circumstances and requirements change. One of the […]

Making the Cut, Part III: Supplements for Combat Sport Fighters

Buy the book: Making Weight – The Ultimate Science-based Guide to Cutting Weight for Combat Sports Supplementation. This could be a 4-part series in itself. However, I’ll skip on some details to get to: which supplements actually work which don’t and which are actually worth investing in. A brief point to consider before I go into […]

Making the Cut, Part I: The Fundamentals of Combat Sport Nutrition

Buy the book: Making Weight – The Ultimate Science-based Guide to Cutting Weight for Combat Sports In early 2014 I started working with a professional Muay Thai athlete, Cian Cowley. Cian is an insanely talented fighter, and at the time was on a winning streak and was already lean. However, after digging into what Cian […]

Why Good Nutrition & Training Won’t Make You Healthy

Health. We hear that word all the time. Improve your health by… [doing “X”/not doing “Y”] Consider the term “health & fitness”. There is often the simplistic black and white view that we take care of the fitness portion by moving more and the health portion by “eating healthy” (whatever that means). But health is […]