103 articles
adidas claims the Techfit Endurance Suit improves running economy by βmore than 1%β β around 48 seconds over a two-hour marathon. The interesting part: the manufacturer does not say this is about airflow. Polyurethane tapes stabilise the pelvis.
A day before the start the organisers removed the swim leg: the concentration of cyanobacteria in the lake turned out to be significantly above the threshold recommended by the UK health agency. The race became a duathlon. Here is what blooms, why it is dangerous and how to assess the water yourself.
The maker of AG1 funded a study on 16 people and showed that the vitamins from the powder really do reach the bloodstream. That is true β and it is not the same thing as βit worksβ. The arithmetic of a serving explains why the plant part of the formula is almost inevitably underdosed.
The largest analysis of marathon splits sorted runners into four pacing types. Among those who ran evenly, a collapse in pace in the second half occurred in 0.2% of cases. Among those who ran erratically β in 85.4%. The gap in finish time between the extreme groups is almost an hour.
The nitrate from beetroot is turned into nitric oxide not by your body but by the bacteria on the back of your tongue. A chlorhexidine mouthwash abolishes that conversion in saliva completely and sharply blunts the rise of nitrite in the blood. Humans have no enzyme of their own for this reaction.
The carotenoid from Haematococcus algae is sold as the βmost powerful antioxidant there is.β In a crossover trial, 12 mg a day for a week made a 40 km time trial 1.2% faster and raised fat oxidation at the finish. The sample was twelve people.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide have reached the running group chats. A survey of recreational athletes shows who takes them and why, and STEP-1 data show how much of the lost weight is muscle. WADA has added the drugs to its 2026 monitoring list.
Marathon runners ran for 90 minutes and then repeated their lab tests. Peak oxygen uptake fell from 56.7 to 53.4, and speed at lactate threshold from 12.8 to 12.1 km/h. This is durability β the quality your testing protocol never measures.
That stabbing pain under the ribs is not the liver and not a spleen that cannot keep up. A Sports Medicine review collected every hypothesis and showed that irritation of the peritoneum fits the features of ETAP best. Plus the data on who is at risk and what stops an attack.
Six wristbands were tested in a sleep lab against PSG: sleeping epochs are recognised over 90% of the time, wakefulness only 29β52%. WHOOP overstates sleep time by 24 minutes, Apple Watch by 20. Here is what follows for your training.
Across 5311 athletes, maximum heart rate on the bike came out just 2 beats lower than in running. But you still can't carry threshold zones from one sport into the other β and here's why the group average is useless.
Greek runners shut down blood flow in their legs before every interval session. The average kilometre in a 5 Γ 1000 m test got 11 seconds faster against 5 in the control group β but the winner here looks like plasma volume, not haemoglobin.
372 runners, six months of follow-up, shoes that looked identical: the motion-control pair cut injury risk by 45%, and by 66% in runners with pronated feet. Why that still isn't a reason to trust the video analysis at the shop.
A 2025 meta-analysis pulled together everything known about golden root in endurance sport. The VOβmax gain is there and surprisingly consistent, the drop in creatine kinase is sizeable β but a fortyfold spread in doses makes it impossible to name a protocol.
A 2026 systematic review: handheld lactate meters correlate with the laboratory reference at r = 0.95β0.99. And yet the spread of a single measurement at 3 mmol/L is Β±0.4 mmol/L. Here is why that is not a contradiction.
The peptide ultrarunners inject to avoid surgery. A 2025 systematic review found 35 animal studies and a single retrospective case series of 12 patients. Here is what is actually known and what it puts at risk.
A fresh meta-analysis gathered the entire evidence base on citrulline malate β and rated its certainty as Β«low to very lowΒ». Here is what that means for anyone who already bought the tub.
Across 1,121 athletes, maximal fat oxidation occurred on average at 49.3% of VOβmax β with a range from 22.6 to 88.8%. Known factors explain only 47% of the differences. Here is what to do about it in practice.
The critical heat limit a person can tolerate moved only after nine days of adaptation β after five there was no shift at all. Plus one more finding: you need a gap between the block and race day.
Six weeks of leucine supplementation in cross-country skiers improved maximal oxygen uptake and strength. Here is how a single amino acid differs from Β«just eat more proteinΒ» β and who might actually benefit.
Rinsing the mouth with a menthol solution every six minutes raised mean power by 1.67% in the heat. The body does not actually cool β only perception changes. Here is where that helps and where it gets dangerous.
In cyclists with knee flexion greater than 40Β°, pain scored 4.4 on a ten-point scale; in the rest, 0.9. After the saddle was set to 25β30Β°, pain fell to 1.4 within two weeks. A look at the study and at what to do with the formulas.
In a study at +32 Β°C and 60% humidity, taurine extended time to exhaustion: 6 grams worked in men, 4 in women. Here is why that difference is almost certainly not about sex at all.
Flying across time zones costs roughly one day of adaptation per zone travelling east β and half that going west. We unpack where the asymmetry comes from and how to plan your arrival around it.
An ordinary optical sensor on the wrist cannot measure glucose β not because the algorithms are bad, but because it never collects the signal in the first place. We unpack the physics, a fresh re-analysis of the data, the FDA position, and what actually works.
A fresh RCT reported enormous effects β so enormous they are hard to believe in groups of ten people. We unpack what percussion therapy reliably delivers, what it doesn't, and when it's better left alone.
A new guide, co-designed with 503 runners, proposes four stages and progression by symptoms rather than by the calendar. We unpack what has changed in the recommendations and which signals mean βsee a clinician, not go for a run.β
Runners who alternated between several pairs got injured noticeably less often. But there is only one study, it is more than ten years old, and it is observational. We unpack what you can take from it and what has been read into it.
A fresh study measured the cost of transport uphill before and after a 31-kilometre race. Poles reduced the load on the legs β but total energy expenditure doesn't drop, and by the end of the race the arms are just as tired.
The useful signal in an optical heart rate sensor is just 1β2% of the reflected light, and every foot strike attacks it from three directions at once. Here is why your heart rate βsticksβ at 180 during intervals β and why no firmware update will fix it.
A fresh meta-analysis in endurance athletes found a shift in favour of compression for muscle soreness, but the confidence interval crosses zero, the risk of bias is high in 10 assessments out of 11, and the effect on performance could not be pooled at all.
Your legs are ready for 120 grams of carbohydrate an hour, but your gut is not. We look at why absorption runs into transporters, how a glucose-fructose blend gets around them, and what in all those gut-training protocols has actually been tested.
108 elite athletes kept a diary across 554 cycles. It turned out that retrospective questionnaires systematically exaggerate symptoms, and that not everything in training suffers β in football, high-speed work dropped off, while in cycling power did not change at all.
A meta-analysis of 10 studies found a moderate advantage for plant-based diets in aerobic measures and no loss in strength. But the overall performance figure came out at zero β we look at why that happened.
Aerobic work drives glucose down, while intervals can push it up β and that changes the entire tactic. We break down target ranges, insulin adjustments and the 90-minute rule you should be discussing with your doctor.
ACWR has become a standard metric in sports watches, but the meta-analysis is built on football, the confidence interval for the safe zone is enormous, and planning a season around ACWR did not reduce injuries at all.
A meta-analysis of 23 studies found a significant link with performance for just one pollutant β ozone. PM2.5 particles and the overall air quality index showed no reliable effect. Here is what that changes in practice.
A meta-analysis of 35 studies confirms that rinsing your mouth with a maltodextrin solution does help β but the effect is small (g = 0.18), the certainty of evidence is low, and the classic βonly works when fastedβ rule has barely been tested at all.
Critical speed is not another heart-rate zone β it is the physiological line between βI can hold thisβ and βthis is about to endβ. Here is how to measure it with two efforts on the track, and what your Dβ² reserve means.
In endurance athletes, airway narrowing during exercise is many times more common than in the general population, and diagnosis βby feelβ barely works. Here is who it affects and why an objective test is needed.
An eight-week study found a marked gain in power and mitochondrial adaptations from a ketone ester taken after training. Yet most of the literature finds no effect β here is why both pictures may be true.
PogaΔar is racing on a gel with exogenous lactate and his rivals are testing their own. Yet there are no published trials of the gels themselves, and the existing work on lactate supplements contradicts itself. A look without the excitement.
Snus and βtobacco-freeβ pouches have moved from team sports into endurance. In a controlled experiment they did not improve a one-hour cycling time trial at all, and the sense of focus in dependent users is simply withdrawal relief.
A review of 30 studies found there is no single marker of overtraining, and the diagnosis is made by exclusion. Here is what is actually worth tracking, and when it is time to see a doctor rather than a coach.
A meta-analysis of 17 studies confirmed the superiority of the polarized model for VOβpeak β but only in blocks shorter than 12 weeks and only in well-trained athletes. In time trials there is no difference at all.
In a crossover RCT participants slept 55 minutes longer β and the next morning covered almost 10 metres more in a shuttle test with half the drop-off in speed. Here is what is genuinely proven and what is being read into it.
Endurance-sport enthusiasts get atrial fibrillation 2β5Γ more often, but the relationship is U-shaped: moderate training protects the heart, while chronic mega-volumes may raise the risk. We break down the data and the signs that it's time to see a doctor.
Fresh 2026 meta-analyses show that beta-alanine's effect is narrow and not guaranteed. We break down where it can genuinely help, where it's useless, and how it differs from 'soda' (bicarbonate).
An ice vest, cold water, and ice slurry before the start create a heat reserve and push back overheating. We break down the 2024 meta-analysis and what an amateur can actually apply at a hot start.
Running power isn't the same thing as cycling power: it isn't measured directly but modeled. We break down where the device genuinely helps a runner and where it's credited with excess precision.
Montmorency cherry concentrate speeds the return of strength after hard efforts and dampens some inflammation markers. But it's a recovery tool, not an 'endurance pill' β and in the off-season it may even get in the way.
We break down how alcohol after a workout hits muscle protein synthesis, sleep, and rehydration β and how to drink so you lose less. No moralizing: just data and practice.
At record-setting events, glucose in elite athletes without diabetes drops to 3.0 and climbs to 11 mmol/L β and that is normal. Here is why an amateur might want a sensor, why it is not a βfuel gauge,β and where self-deception begins.
Sleep problems, exhaustion and joint pain are the most common companions of menopause among female runners, swimmers and cyclists. A new PLOS One study shows how hard the symptoms hit training β and what to do about it.
Almost everyone takes a painkiller before the start, yet it does nothing for performance. Here is what the research says about kidneys, sodium and recovery β and what to do about pain instead of reaching for a pill.
Two thirds of college athletes are short on vitamin D, and every 5 ng/mL drop raises the odds of injury by 13%. Here is who is at risk and what runners and triathletes should do about it.
A cuff partially restricts blood flow, and loads of just 20β30% of your max deliver an effect close to heavy lifting. We break down where this genuinely helps a runner and why βcinching your leg with a beltβ is a bad idea.
Mental fatigue raises your perceived effort and makes you quit sooner β at the same heart rate. Let's unpack how to train your βbrain enduranceβ without burning out.
Collagen hydrolysate with vitamin C before a strength session may help a runner's tendons β but only paired with loading. We break down a fresh 2026 review and the JUMPFOOD protocol, without the βdrank it and it's goneβ myth.
Endurance athletes have a distinctive set of gut bacteria, and Veillonella turns exercise lactate into fuel for the muscles. We break down what probiotics really deliver and why βany probiotic = a boostβ is a myth.
Fish oil is no βmagic boostβ to your results, but 2β4 g of EPA+DHA a day noticeably dampens inflammation, muscle damage and soreness. And it works strongest precisely in recreational athletes.
Breaking down LHTL without the myths: how long you really need to live up high, why it won't work without iron, and what an amateur β not an elite marathoner β can realistically do.
A fresh review in Sports Medicine (2025) rethinks protein for runners and triathletes: it's not about muscle mass but about recovery, mitochondria, and immunity. We break down what that means in servings of chicken, cottage cheese, and fish.
The diaphragm tires too and βstealsβ blood from your legs. We unpack how a handheld resistance trainer cuts breathlessness and perceived effort β and why it isnβt about a VO2max record, but about finishing without that βnot enough airβ feeling.
A fresh 2025 review: low cadence is linked to lower-leg injuries, while too long a stride loads the knees. We break down how to measure your step rate and raise it safely by 5β10%.
Zone 2 is work below your first threshold, not a number on your watch. We break down why heart-rate formulas get it wrong and how much easy running an amateur actually needs.
A chronic calorie shortfall hits hormones and bones and raises the risk of stress fractures. We break down the latest 2026 studies and the signs of RED-S that are important not to miss.
Cold-water immersion speeds your return to form between races but blunts strength and hypertrophy adaptations. Letβs figure out when ice works for you and when against.
Your morning RMSSD reflects how well you have recovered. Letβs look at what research says about training βby readinessβ and how to measure HRV without fooling yourself.
Sodium bicarbonate is an IOC-recognized supplement, but its effect depends on the race format. We break down where soda buys you seconds, where it does almost nothing, and how to avoid a βgut rebellion.β
A good taper adds an average of 2β3% to your race result. We break down what the research says and lay out a ready-made 3-week plan for the marathon and half marathon.
Five weeks of post-run hot baths raised maximal oxygen uptake in trained runners by roughly 4,4%. We unpack how heat triggers the same blood and heart adaptations as altitude β and how to use it without the risk.
Scientists gathered 340 runners from 24 countries, each with a hundred marathons behind them. Their aerobic power declines with age noticeably slower than the norm. We break down what it means and where the catch is.
The 2026 meta-analyses confirmed it: on the road a carbon plate really does save 2β3% of energy. But all the science on βsuper shoesβ is built on treadmills and steady pacing β and on trails and climbs there is simply no evidence of any benefit.
A meta-analysis of 33 studies and 519 athletes settles the question: beetroot nitrate delivers a small but real gain in sprinting, power, and VOβmax. We break down the dose, the timing, and why in elite athletes the effect often βgets eaten up.β
A systematic review of 7 randomized trials compared running and cycling training. It found no difference in VOβmax gains or running performance β we break down what this means for triathletes and recovering runners.
Averaged βtrain strictly by phaseβ schemes are overrated. We break down what recent field studies show and why a personal approach and symptom tracking matter more than a universal mapping of training loads to cycle phases.
A new RCT in Frontiers in Nutrition: 4 weeks of a low-carb phase followed by a return to carbs improved running economy at the lactate threshold β something neither constant keto nor constantly high carbs achieved.
Two threshold sessions a day and a lactate meter in your pocket β we break down what in the βdouble thresholdβ is backed by science, what stayed pure hype, and how an amateur can try the method cautiously.
A new study of trail runners found that those who regularly run downhill repeats damage their muscles less and better preserve their squat strength. We break down what this means for your training.
Ferritin is low but hemoglobin is fine β and endurance still drops by 3β4%. Here is what to test, how to eat, and when supplements make sense.
A large network meta-analysis of 48 studies shows the effective caffeine dose is more modest than commonly believed, and the performance gain is around 2%. Here is how to calculate your dose without overdoing it.
26 amateur cyclists stayed awake for 25 hours, then rode a 40-minute effort and a 20-minute time trial. We break down what suffered, what held up, and why a single normal night set everything right again.
A fresh 2026 network meta-analysis and the protocol of a new study suggest that heavy slow work and isometrics make the Achilles stiffer and thicker, while rest and stretching through pain are almost useless. Hereβs how to load the tendon the right way.
A fresh review in the journal Nutrients gathered 38 creatine studies in endurance sports. The verdict: it has little effect on βpureβ aerobic work, but genuinely helps sprints, strength work, and recovery. We break down who needs it and how to take it.
Ten weeks of strength and plyometric work barely changed βfreshβ running economy, but they preserved it through the end of a 90-minute run and boosted performance under fatigue. Here is why endurance runners need heavy squats and how to fit them in.
The elite load up to 120 grams of carbs per hour. We break down how much fuel you really need for long races, why glucose and fructose are worth mixing, and how to train your gut to handle it.
Why an endurance athlete needs calcium beyond strong bones, how much is required, and how to avoid a stress fracture out on the course.
Magnesium powers energy, muscle and nerve function. Let's work out how much an athlete actually needs, where to get it from food, and when capsules are truly worth it β versus when they're just wasted money and diarrhea.
The U.S. National Academies revised the reference intakes for sodium and potassium and, for the first time, introduced a category aimed at reducing disease risk. Let's break down how to read these numbers if you train for hours.
The electrolyte theory of cramps sounds convincing, but the evidence tells a different story. Let's unpack what actually cramps your muscles and what to do right there on the course.
The position stand of German sports nutritionists in plain terms: the working drink formula, fluid volumes, and why the advice 'drink before you're thirsty' is outdated.
It's your gut, not your muscles, that caps fueling speed on long events. We break down the transporter limits and practical g/h schemes for running, cycling, and triathlon.
Why sodium helps you absorb water, why you should mix glucose with fructose, and where stomach trouble on a long race comes from β a breakdown of the physiology of absorption.
A fresh 2025 review explains why at marathons and ultras people end up in intensive care more often because of too much water, not dehydration β and how to avoid it.
In a marathon or an ultra, drinking too much can sometimes be more dangerous than drinking too little. Let's unpack what hyponatremia is, why endurance sport is a risk zone, and how to drink wisely.
There is no universal water requirement. We break down why you shouldn't lose more than 2% of your body weight, how to calculate your own sweat rate, and when to drink to thirst versus by plan.
The WHO advises eating less than 5 g of salt a day, but during a multi-hour race in the heat that rule works in reverse. Let's figure out how to reconcile both approaches without harming your heart or cramping up on the course.
Why, for an endurance athlete, sodium isn't just the salt in a gel but a control system for fluid, nerves, and muscles. We break down the mechanics of balance and what to do about it during long efforts.
Potassium is the main intracellular electrolyte β one we think about less often than sodium and magnesium. We break down how much you need, its role in blood pressure and recovery, and why food is almost always better than supplements.
We break down what electrolytes are, how the kidneys keep them balanced, and why on a long course it matters not only to drink water but also to replace salts.
New research shows: 3 sets of a simple foot exercise significantly improve dynamic stability. We break down the science and proper technique.
How much do you really need to drink during training? Why do elite marathoners lose 10% of body weight and set records, while amateurs fear losing 2%? Let's dive into the science, myths, and formulas.