Post

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
Click again on or Share Via icon
Click on Copy Link to Tweet
Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
More info at Twitter Help

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Aug 21 • 8 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X

Scrolly

🏃 Head-to-head trial: Running therapy matches antidepressants (SSRIs) for depression remission

The catch: SSRIs worsened every metabolic marker measured

Running improved them all 🧵1/8

The MOTAR trial setup: 45 patients took escitalopram 10-20mg daily, 96 chose supervised running (45min outdoor sessions 2-3x/week)
Both groups allowed psychotherapy
After 16 weeks, mental health outcomes were identical, but metabolic health diverged dramatically /2

SSRI group gained 7.3 pounds, waist +1.5cm, blood pressure rose 3.8/1.9 mmHg Heart rate variability reduced -14.4ms (worse stress response) Inflammation marker CRP increased +1.5mg/L

The pills that fixed mood were harming metabolism /3

Running group lost weight (-0.6kg), trimmed waist circumference (-1.6cm), dropped BP (-2.5/-2.9 mmHg)
Heart rate variability improved, resting pulse dropped -3.4bpm

Among adherent runners: VO₂max increased 2.9 ml/kg/min /4

The protocol:
Weeks 1-4 at 50-70% heart rate reserve (can speak full sentences)
Weeks 5-16 at 70-85% HRR (only short phrases possible) 10min warmup + 30min main effort + 5min cooldown /5

Only 52% of runners completed ≥22 sessions vs 82% medication compliance
15% assigned to running never even started
Yet running STILL matched SSRI effectiveness despite low adherence
Imagine if we solved the adherence and motivation puzzle /6

In summary, running therapy had similar remission rates for depression and anxiety while every metabolic marker improved in the opposite direction of SSRIs, adding to a growing body of research about the benefits of exercise on mental health /7

Full analysis + weekly protocols and research breakdowns here /8
brandonluumd.com

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @BrandonLuuMD

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Aug 14

What if you could cut ~300 calories daily without changing your diet?

A landmark RCT found extending sleep by just 1.2 hours did exactly that: participants spontaneously ate less without trying.

Here's how sleep is a powerful weight loss tool 🧵 1/8

1/3 of adults get <7 hours of sleep while spending billions on diet programs. This University of Chicago trial on people sleeping less than 6.5h/night changed how I think about weight loss in people with sleep deprivation. No diets, no exercise, just sleep /2

A single sleep counseling session → 1.2 hours more sleep → spontaneous weight loss. The sleep group lost 0.87 kg in just 2 weeks. Energy expenditure didn't change: they simply ate less without trying /3

Read 8 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Aug 3

🧠 Most people spend $100s on nootropics and brain supplements.

But a free cognitive enhancer our brains evolved from outperforms them all: exercise

Here's how to use movement to improve cognitive performance 🧵1/9

Exercise reshapes your brain through key mechanisms:
🧪 BDNF - grows new neurons like "Miracle-Gro"
⚡ Neurotransmitter surge - dopamine + norepinephrine boost focus
🩸 Increased brain blood flow
📈 Improved insulin sensitivity /2

One randomized trial even showed aerobic exercise increased hippocampal volume by about 2%, reversing nearly two years of age-related decline /3

Read 9 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Jul 15

I’ve worked countless 26-hour shifts. Zero sleep. No room for error.

I joined @InVivoPodOnX to break down the protocols I developed to keep my brain sharp.

Here’s the science behind creatine, nicotine, binaural beats, and circadian alignment 🧵 1/9

Creatine isn't just for the gym. Under stress, it boosts brain energy by regenerating ATP.

21-hour sleep deprivation study: A single high dose (0.35 g/kg) restored several cognitive tests to baseline (or even better)

👉 I take 10g/day regularly /2

Nicotine is mildly cognitively enhancing, improving attention in humans.

In mice, it reverses learning deficits from severe sleep-deprivation up to 48 hours (figure below).

But it's addictive, may raise HR/BP, and human studies are lacking. I use cautiously (gum only) /3

Read 9 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Jun 28

Circadian biology may be the next frontier in cancer care.

Patients with lung cancer who got chemo-immunotherapy before 11:30 AM had:
📉 53% lower risk of death
📆 Median overall survival: 33 vs. 19.5 months
📈 Improved treatment response

Let’s break it down 🧵1/7

Your body runs on a clock.
Cortisol, insulin, immune cells all peak at certain times.
Yet most cancer therapy is scheduled without considering circadian rhythms. That’s a problem, especially for immunotherapy, which depends on immune activation /2

Researchers analyzed patients from France & China with advanced NSCLC.
They grouped them by the median time of their first 4 infusions:
🕗 Before 11:30 AM
🕛 After 11:30 AM
Same treatment, different timing, very different outcomes /3

Read 7 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

May 23

A warm shower before bed might be the simplest, most underrated hack for better sleep.

Here's the evidence-based protocol I swear by (and why it works) 🧵1/7

Why warmth if your body prefers cooler temperatures for sleep?
Your body signals sleep readiness by naturally lowering core temperature in the evening. A warm shower speeds this cooling afterward by increasing peripheral blood flow /2

Want a deep dive into sleep optimization and other simple, science-backed health tips?
See the full article here:
open.substack.com/pub/brandonluu…

Read 7 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

May 16

Psyllium husk is boring, cheap, and criminally underrated.

I take it daily because it significantly improves:
🩸 Blood sugar
⚖️ Hunger and weight
🔥 Cholesterol and blood pressure

Here’s why you probably shouldn’t ignore it 🧵 1/8

Psyllium significantly improves blood sugar control and weight in diabetics. In a randomized trial, type 2 diabetes patients taking ~10g/day for 8 weeks saw:
Fasting glucose: ↓ 44 mg/dL
HbA1c: ↓ from 8.5% to 7.5%
Insulin sensitivity: ↓ by almost half
Body weight: ↓ ~3 kg /2

FYI, for the full article, references, and weekly evidence-based protocols to optimize your health /3
open.substack.com/pub/brandonluu…

Read 8 tweets

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

Brandon Luu, MD

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

More from @BrandonLuuMD

Brandon Luu, MD

Brandon Luu, MD

Brandon Luu, MD

Brandon Luu, MD

Brandon Luu, MD

Brandon Luu, MD

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Send Email!