23 articles
Loud music in earbuds made a 20-minute run feel easier β and at the same time pushed breathing towards rapid and shallow, increased vertical oscillation by 30% and raised energy expenditure by 1.1%. We look at an Italian study from October 2026, what it means for easy runs and races, and why it is no reason to throw away your playlist.
Stephen Seiler's group compared the real maximum heart rate of 4375 runners, cyclists and triathletes with the formulas. On average the formulas err low by nearly 5β6 beats, and for some individuals by 15β20. We look at how to determine your maximum in the field and why a lab test can miss it too.
Heel pain is one of the most searched-for running problems, even though the bony outgrowth behind the popular name turns up in a third of people whose heels never hurt. A 2026 network meta-analysis compared seven treatments for plantar fasciitis not with placebo one by one but with each other β and it turned out that each has its own horizon: one works for the first month, another for a year. Here is where a runner should start.
A fungus that grows out of caterpillars is sold as βnatural EPOβ. A fresh 2026 RCT: 1 g of extract, 12 men, post-exercise reaction time 70 ms faster β and no effect at all on peak oxygen uptake. We go through everything that has been tested in humans, from trained cyclists to pensioners.
The culprit is not chlorine but what chlorine turns into when it meets sweat and urine. 74% of swimmers have rhinitis symptoms against 40% in controls β and two weeks out of the pool clear them. Meanwhile the most popular βtreatmentβ only makes things worse.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.