and we covered how BDNF is so good for your brain! Its amazing to see how effective exercise can be and the benefits one receives. So if you ever "feel" slugggish or "not in the mood" keep reading, ingoring those thought can go away after just an exercise. The main topics we covered was BDNF. BDNF stands for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. The easiest way to think about it: BDNF helps your brain grow, adapt, and stay healthy. Exercise—especially aerobic movement like running, cycling, or fast walking—has been shown to increase BDNF in the brain. When you move your body: - Blood flow increases - Brain activity increases - BDNF gets released This is one reason exercise improves how you feel and how you think. BDNF plays a major role in neuroplasticity, which means: - Your brain can change - Your brain can adapt - Your brain can build new connections BDNF helps: - Strengthen existing connections - Keep neurons alive and healthy Higher BDNF levels are linked to: - Better memory - Faster learning - Improved focus BDNF also helps regulate: - Mood - Stress response - Emotional resilience 🧠 Simple Takeaway Exercise doesn’t just change your body. It changes your brain chemistry. When you move, your brain releases BDNF—and that helps you think clearer, feel better, and stay mentally resilient.

A well-known 2013 study by Bente Klarlund Pedersen changed how we understand exercise. (long post, worth reading) The big idea: Your muscles are not just for movement. They act like an organ that talks to the rest of your body. 🦵 Your Muscles Are an Organ (The Largest One) - Skeletal muscle is the largest organ in your body - We usually think of muscles only: - But that’s only part of the story. 🧪 Muscles Release Chemical Messengers When muscles contract, they release special proteins called myokines. Think of myokines as text messages sent from your muscles to other organs. These messages can travel to: - 🧠 Brain - 🍔 Fat tissue - 🍬 Pancreas - 🧬 Liver - 🦴 Bones 📡 What Are Myokines? Myokines = proteins released by working muscles They can: - Act locally in the muscle - Affect nearby tissues - Travel through the bloodstream to distant organs 🔁 Why Movement Matters (Not Just Motivation) Here’s the key point from the study: 👉 Many myokines are only released when muscles contract That means: - No contraction = no signal - No signal = fewer health benefits This is why exercise improves: - Energy levels - Blood sugar control - Fat metabolism - Brain health - Inflammation balance 🧠 The Takeaway Exercise works because: - Muscles communicate with your body - Movement triggers biological signals, not just willpower - Your workout is literally medicine created by muscle contraction 💬 Bottom line: Exercise isn’t about being motivated. It's about understanding what movement does inside your body. Here is the study

Most people are told: “Take a multivitamin.” “Load up on vitamin D.” “Try magnesium.” But no one ever tells you how much you actually need — or if you even need it at all. That’s why supplementation gets confusing, expensive, and random. One person feels amazing on vitamin D. Another gets no response. One person thrives on magnesium another feels off. Same supplement… different bodies. That’s where bloodwork changes everything. Your labs show: - What you’re low in - What you’re already getting enough of - What’s affecting your energy, sleep, focus, and recovery Without that data, you’re just guessing. And guessing leads to: - Buying things you don’t need - Taking the wrong doses - Never knowing what actually worked Now imagine this… In 8 weeks: - You have more energy - You sleep better - Brain fog is lower - Workouts feel easier Not because you tried everything —but because you took exactly what your body needed. That’s the power of testing instead of guessing. Curious to hear from you 👇🏽 Are you currently taking any supplements right now?

The mechanism is multifactorial. A sudden, disruptive cramp can be due to an electrolyte imbalance, neuromuscular signaling, or metabolic stress. Magnesium and taurine deficiencies play a significant role. Magnesium: regulates neuromuscular transmission, maintains electrolyte balance. Taurine: stabilizes electrolytes, reduces inflammation, and metabolic stress. Once you know how much Magnesium and taurine to take, this should help you address any gaps and performance limits. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32956536/

I almost got myself injured today… over something stupid. Sunday is my long run day. 10 miles. No excuses. I showed up ready. Legs felt good. Weather was perfect. The only problem? My regular running shoes are cooked — 300+ miles on them — so I grabbed my trail shoes instead. And if you know anything about running, you already know that trail shoes on pavement are a terrible idea. I knew it. I did it anyway. I got to the trail, stretched like always, took off… and everything felt fine. Smooth. Easy. Locked in. Until mile 3. Out of nowhere, my left calf tightened up. Sharp. Deep. The kind of pain that makes you instantly slow down. I tried to shake it out. One more step and I knew — this wasn’t soreness. This was my body saying, “Stop.” So I did. And walking back to my car, I was pissed. I wanted the miles. I wanted the win. Instead I got a reminder. That pain wasn’t bad luck. It was feedback. Different shoes. Different stress. Different load on my muscles and tendons. If I had ignored it, I wouldn’t just miss today’s run — I’d miss weeks. That’s the real lesson: Progress isn’t about pushing through everything. It’s about knowing when to listen. Your body always tells you what it needs. Most people just don’t stop long enough to hear it