Rick Collins, Esq., NSCA-CSCS, is a lawyer who defends the nutrition and fitness community, a partner at Collins Gann McCloskey & Barry PLLC, and General Counsel to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Peptides are everywhere right now, but most of what's sold online as BPC-157 or TB-500 is illegal — and the FDA is about to decide what happens next. Rick breaks down the science, the legal gray market, and why the military's new testosterone screening policy matters too.

Expect to learn what actually counts as a "peptide," how GLP-1 drugs normalized injectable medications and fueled the gray market, what the FDA's own scientists concluded about BPC-157 and TB-500, why Rick's caseload has shifted from steroids to 80-90% peptide cases, what a possible "experimental peptide" middle-ground category could look like, and what really happens when the FDA raids a peptide seller, and much more.

Connect with Rick:
www.RickCollins.com

Episodes you'll enjoy next:
#371 — Peptides, TRT, GLPs & Bloodwork: How to Do It Safely (and What Most People Miss) with John Gorman: Listen here
#319 — Exploring the World of Peptides with Anthony Castore: Listen here

Episode Timestamps:
4:07 Rick's background as a lawyer and his standard legal disclaimer
6:14 What actually counts as a "peptide"
8:25 How GLP-1 drugs normalized injectable medications
10:44 Loss of trust in the FDA fuels the gray market
11:46 The rise of personal health autonomy
13:40 Two markets: the medical model vs. "bro science"
16:23 Inside the FDA Compounding Advisory Committee meeting
19:23 FDA scientists' verdict on BPC-157 and TB-500
20:49 Why the science on BPC-157 is still so thin
22:07 Prohibition logic: the black market will keep growing
25:47 A possible middle ground: an "experimental peptide" category
32:11 Rick's caseload shift — from steroids to 80-90% peptide cases
35:30 Why big pharma cares about tirzepatide and retatrutide knockoffs
42:28 Pete Hegseth and testosterone screening in the military
46:57 Why the new TRT policy may be "much ado about nothing"
49:23 Low testosterone's real, well-documented health risks
52:26 Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, and biohacking against nature
57:12 The schism between orthodox medicine and biohacking
62:39 What happens when the FDA raids a peptide seller
63:30 Connect with Rick Collins

Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

Samuel Brown, M.Ed., CSCS is a Cognitive Performance Specialist for the U.S. Air Force and a strength and conditioning professional who has worked everywhere from collegiate athletics to elite tactical units.

Sam spends his days training Air Force pilots and aircrew who run on nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol — and almost never turn off their nervous system. In this episode he reveals why the toughest operators need recovery just as much as intensity, and what years of coaching in Altus, Oklahoma taught him about real performance under extreme cognitive load.

Expect to learn what Air Force pilots are actually like to train, why the nicotine-caffeine-alcohol "trifecta" dominates military performance culture, how the physical act of flying itself takes a hidden toll through vibration and posture, why sympathetic nervous system domination cements poor posture and movement patterns, how Sam sneaks down-regulation into hard training sessions disguised as recovery work, and why resting heart rate might be a better performance metric than any wearable, and much more.

Connect with Sam:
https://www.instagram.com/sambrownstrength

Episodes you'll enjoy next:

• #312 — Optimizing Stress and Performance for Firefighters and Tactical Athletes with Dr. Drew Gonzalez: Listen here
• #310 — Unpacking the Science of Sleep with Dr. Allison Brager: Listen here

Episode Timestamps:

• 01:59 – What Air Force Pilots Are Actually Like
• 07:21 – Back to Basics: Training with Minimal Equipment
• 10:13 – Breaking the Instagram Training Cycle
• 12:06 – Endurance Trends Among Pilots
• 17:05 – The Air Force Trifecta: Nicotine, Caffeine & Alcohol
• 20:31 – Physical Toll of Flying: Vibration, Posture & Injury
• 23:44 – Stress Cements Posture: The Sympathetic Domination Problem
• 28:06 – Down-Regulation Protocols After Training
• 30:47 – Hiding the Pill in the Peanut Butter
• 47:44 – Wearables & the Loss of Body Awareness
• 50:31 – Resting Heart Rate as the Performance Metric
• 52:14 – The GOAT Drill for Cognitive Load & Recovery
• 1:02:31 – Building a Culture of Buy-In & Program Integration

Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD, is the author of the 700-page textbook Applied Nutrition Coaching and Counseling for Coaches.

Most nutrition coaches know their protocols — but very few have been trained in what to actually do when a client says something unexpected, breaks down, or simply won't follow the plan. Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon reveals the counseling techniques that most nutrition coaches have never learned — and why mastering them matters more than any protocol. She explains why over-optimized clients are often the most fragile, how AI is eroding the critical thinking skills coaches rely on, and what it really takes to translate complex science into simple, effective actions.

Expect to learn why LLMs are story-making machines that confidently get facts wrong, how the broken healthcare system is pushing patients toward fringe advice, what body awareness coaching actually looks like in practice, why Dunning-Kruger applies to both coaches and clients, how to help clients prepare better conversations with their doctors, and what makes coaching an irreplaceable human profession — and much more.

Connect with Krista:
Website: https://kristascottdixon.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumptuous
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/coach.krista.scottdixon
1% Better Academy - https://onepercentbetteracademy.com/

Episodes you'll enjoy next:
#328 — Grit Gains: Building Mental Toughness and Resilience in Training with Ben Mayfield Smith: https://miketnelson.com/podcast/episode-328-grit-training-and-resilience-ben-mayfield-smith
#373 — The Future of Fitness + Healthcare: Coaches, Blood Work, and Client-Centered Models: https://flex-diet-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-373-the-future-of-fitness-healthcare-coaches-blood-work-and-client-centered-models-kevin-dineen-k12eNARO

Episode Timestamps:
02:02 The Dangers of AI for Health Research
03:40 LLMs as Story-Making Machines
04:35 Mike's AI Citation Fail & the 'Dead Internet' Theory
08:55 The Antidote: Getting Back to Basic Skills
09:55 Literacy, Critical Thinking & Health Literacy Crisis
16:55 The Broken Healthcare System & Why Patients Distrust Providers
18:20 Why Parents Seek Fringe Medical Advice for Their Kids
20:55 The Power of Simple Coaching Interventions
22:55 Coaching as Translation: Complex Science, Simple Actions
26:35 Teaching Clients Body Awareness & Self-Observation
28:55 Gym Culture & The Dissociative Society
30:55 When Clients Don't Know Why They Feel Bad
33:25 Helping Clients Prepare Better Conversations with Their Doctors
37:55 AI, Cortisol Grift & Bastardized Physiology
40:55 If It's So Easy, Show Me — Krista's Coaching Insight
45:55 Dunning-Kruger, Expertise & Learning to Question Everything
51:55 Decision-Making: Low Bullshit, Cool People, Meta Skills
56:55 Choosing Projects & Finding Your Authentic Fit
61:55 The Book: Who It's For & What It Covers
74:55 Coaching as a Human Profession (Not to Be Automated)
84:55 Sprinting, Scope of Practice & Knowing Your Clients
86:55 Where to Find Krista & Closing Thoughts

Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter