Flex Diet Podcast · Jun 8, 2026 · 1:18:22
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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.
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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
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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
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