Articles

Articles about sports, training and health

Diamox in the mountains: higher oxygen saturation, but 32% less time to exhaustion

Acetazolamide (Diamox; sold in Russia as Diakarb) is what people pack for Elbrus and high-altitude trail races to keep altitude sickness at bay. A double-blind study from October 2026 showed the flip side: at a simulated 3800 metres, a preventive dose raised oxygen saturation but cut time to exhaustion from 365 to 250 seconds. We look at why this happens, what older studies say and where doping control comes in.

trail training health

Andrey Leskov•Oct 20, 2026

L-carnitine: 18 randomised trials, endurance edges up slightly — and not one of them found any “fat burning”

In Russia, L-carnitine is searched for about 100 thousand times a month on Yandex, almost always as a fat burner. A systematic review from October 2026 gathered 18 placebo-controlled studies: some of them do show an endurance gain, but fat oxidation during exercise did not change after a single dose or after weeks of supplementation. We look at why, and at the one condition under which carnitine actually gets into muscle.

nutrition supplements science

Maxim Belyaev•Oct 20, 2026

Running with music in earbuds: running feels easier but breathing gets worse — a randomised trial in 32 runners

Loud music in earbuds made a 20-minute run feel easier — 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.

running training gear

Olga Marchenko•Oct 20, 2026

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.

nutrition supplements health

Anna Severova•Oct 12, 2026

Garmin bought Moxy: what a muscle oxygen sensor really measures — up to ±20 points between legs and a threshold that repeats to within 7 watts

Without a press release, Garmin bought Moxy — the longest-standing maker of muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) sensors — and back in February filed an application for the Muscle Battery trademark. We explain what SmO₂ shows, why the absolute number is noisy by 14–18 points, and how the threshold from the trend reproduces from test to test within a few watts.

gear training cycling

Ekaterina Gromova•Oct 12, 2026

Pickle juice for cramps: 49 seconds shorter in the lab, zero change in the blood — what we know about the shots McDonald's handed out before the Chicago Marathon

Before the Chicago Marathon McDonald's gave away free 60 ml bottles of pickle juice, and at IRONSTAR Sirius, a Russian triathlon series, coach Suren's team handed out brine with and without vinegar in random order for a study. We look at what is known: a reflex in the mouth rather than “topping up salt”, a fresh meta-analysis of cramp risk factors, and how much pickle juice to drink.

running triathlon injury-prevention

Dmitry Volkov•Oct 12, 2026