Dr. Emily Dow, PhD, RD, is a researcher and registered dietitian working at the intersection of nutrition, resistance training, and gut health. Does vinegar actually do anything for your gut or your blood sugar? Can you trust a $200 mail-in microbiome test? Emily built her dissertation around questions like these, and her honest answers are a lot more useful than the marketing. Expect to learn what a 12-week resistance-training-plus-vinegar protocol did (and didn't do) to gut permeability, why a null result in a healthy population is still worth your attention, what the research really says about vinegar and glucose control, why the peptide boom warrants a hard dose of skepticism, what direct-to-consumer gut testing genuinely can and can't tell you, the underrated role stress plays in GI symptoms, and why the best practitioners do both research and hands-on coaching — and much more. — Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter Connect with Dr. Dow: Website: https://www.dremilydow.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dremilydow Episodes you'll enjoy next: #127 — The Effect of Antibiotics on Muscle Mass & Cardiovascular Performance with Dr. Sara Campbell: https://flex-diet-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-127-the-effect-of-antibiotics-on-muscle-mass-aerobic-cardiovascular-performance-and-more-an-interview-with-dr-sara-campbell #222 — Nutrition, Supplements & Training with RD Sean Casey https://flex-diet-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-222-expert-insights-on-nutrition-supplements-and-training-with-registered-dietician-sean-casey Enjoying the show? Follow the Flex Diet Podcast in your podcast app so new episodes land automatically — it's the single best way to help others find it. Timeline  0:00 Intro 02:29 Vinegar Research Origins  04:12 Study Design & Training Protocol 07:42 Biodex Explained: Strength Testing  11:49 Research Tradeoffs & Null Results  14:49 Possible Mechanisms: Acetate  19:55 Glycemic Control & CGM Findings  22:21 Peptides: Hype and Risks  28:54 Microbiome & Performance Research 30:47 Gut Testing Skepticism  36:23 Stress and GI Symptoms  39:22 PhD to RD Fast Track  41:04 RD Exam Reality Check  44:25 Scope of Practice Basics  45:56 Referral Networks That Work  49:29 Research vs. Coaching Gap  58:51 Clients Drive Better Questions  01:05:26 Why She Started Instagram  01:09:58 Social Media for Academia  01:13:18 Training Goals and Tattoos  01:15:45 Where to Follow & Wrap Up   Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter