#nutrition

Articles tagged: nutrition

50 articles

Creatine without training: 1.1 kg more lean mass in 12 weeks in 45–65-year-olds — and how much of it may be water

Creatine without training: 1.1 kg more lean mass in 12 weeks in 45–65-year-olds — and how much of it may be water

In a double-blind RCT from Texas A&M University, 10 grams of creatine a day added about a kilogram of lean mass and a little strength in people aged 45–65, even without training. We look at why the no-training groups had just 13 people each, what DXA counts as “muscle”, how creatine skews the creatinine blood test, and what a masters runner should take from it.

nutritionsupplementshealth
Anna Severova•
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Caffeine gum: 25 studies, an effect size of 0.195 and exactly zero in people who already drink a lot of coffee

Caffeine gum: 25 studies, an effect size of 0.195 and exactly zero in people who already drink a lot of coffee

Caffeine gum is leaving its military niche and moving into running, and interest in it keeps growing. A meta-analysis published in September 2026 gathered 25 studies and 390 participants: the gain is real, it is statistically significant and it is also tiny. And in some people it is absent altogether — we look at who exactly, and at why you have to chew for ten minutes.

nutritionsupplementsscience
Ekaterina Gromova•
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Carnosine: 299 participants, 12 weeks at 2 grams a day and two significant results out of 126 comparisons

Carnosine: 299 participants, 12 weeks at 2 grams a day and two significant results out of 126 comparisons

Carnosine is a dipeptide that buffers acid in muscle; it and beta-alanine are sold as supplements to fight “acid build-up”. The largest RCT to date (JISSN, 2026) found no difference from placebo in any of seven tests across the whole group. An effect surfaced in only two subgroups. We explain why that is weaker than it sounds, and what beta-alanine does that carnosine does not.

nutritionsupplementsscience
Ekaterina Gromova•
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Hydrogel carbohydrates: 2.1% faster over 5 km in runners, zero gain in cyclists — what alginate really does

Hydrogel carbohydrates: 2.1% faster over 5 km in runners, zero gain in cyclists — what alginate really does

On 6 September the Russian runner Rinas Akhmadeev dropped out of his marathon debut after reaching halfway in 1:04:08 — because of gut problems; by his own account, his fuelling did not sit well. Hydrogel is sold as the answer to exactly this problem. A 2026 systematic review pulled together nine RCTs: carbohydrate oxidation rises at high doses and the stomach sometimes copes better, but only one running study showed a clear performance gain.

nutritionsciencerunning
Dmitry Volkov•
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Paraxanthine instead of caffeine: what 14 rowers and 12 runners revealed about the “clean stimulant” made from a coffee metabolite

Paraxanthine instead of caffeine: what 14 rowers and 12 runners revealed about the “clean stimulant” made from a coffee metabolite

The liver turns about 70% of caffeine into paraxanthine, and now it is sold on its own — as a stimulant without the insomnia and jitters. In a 2026 RCT in rowers, paraxanthine by itself did not speed up a 2000 m test, and in a 2024 study of a 10 km run it did not change finishing time at all. It disrupted sleep after an evening session less — but that was measured with a questionnaire.

nutritionsupplementsscience
Andrey Leskov•
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