Iron Culture presented by MASS Ep 347 - New Retraction (and What It Means For "Evidence-Based" Fitness)
Oct 2, 2025
In a solo show, Dr. Trex dives into the recent retraction of an apple cider vinegar study that claimed significant weight-loss effects. He details the findings, their statistical issues, and the messy retraction process, emphasizing the shortcomings of publishing systems. The conversation highlights the importance of community scrutiny of research and the need for a true evidence-based approach that combines experience with critical analysis. Trex also warns about the potential dangers of AI-generated studies and the academic bias towards novel findings.
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Implausible Effect Sizes Trigger Skepticism
- The apple cider vinegar paper reported weight-loss effects comparable to GLP-1 drugs, which was immediately suspicious.
- Such implausible magnitudes demand high scrutiny before public uptake.
Team-Up To Challenge The Paper
- Trexler, Vahid Malbubi, and James Heathers collaborated to write a letter questioning the paper.
- They used SPRITE reconstructions and statistical critique to highlight odd data patterns.
Data Availability Claim Misled Readers
- The article claimed its raw data were available as a supplement but provided only a press release.
- That mismatch is a clear red flag for transparency failures.