STUDIES
Want to stay up to date on the latest press releases and news about studies related to women's sports? Scroll below to view all women’s sports studies.-
March 10, 2026
Short Bursts Of Cycling Leads To Brain-Boosting BDNF Spikes, Study Finds
Exercise is amazingly good for your brain. Even a 10-minute walk might help to improve your mood, focus, and reaction time; 150 minutes of activity a week could keep your mind younger for longer. A new paper published in Brain Research has suggested that short bursts of exercise could increase people’s brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), linked...
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March 10, 2026
EDO TV Outcomes Report: Women’s Sports Cement Cultural Impact in 2025, Outperforming Primetime for Second Straight Year
Women’s sports advertising continues to outperform primetime TV, according to the third annual Women’s Sports TV Outcomes Report from EDO, the TV outcomes company. Women’s sports ads generated 15% more impact than the average ad on primetime broadcast and cable, marking the second consecutive year this programming has exceeded the benchmark. From NCAA basketball,...
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March 9, 2026
Many Seniors Gain Physical, Mental Fitness As They Age, Study Finds
People think of aging as a steady decline, with seniors gradually losing their physical abilities and mental agility as the years wear on. But a new study suggests that seniors can – and often do – improve over time, with the right mindset. Nearly half of seniors 65 and older...
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March 7, 2026
Experts see a wide data gap in women’s sports science. This WNBA team owner wants to fix it
New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai identified a major gap in sports science data for women when she took over the team in 2019, with most research based on male subjects applied to female athletes. Women's sports participation has surged—now 44% of NCAA athletes—but only 6% of studies focus...
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March 5, 2026
Nielsen: 46 Billion Minutes of Women’s Sports were Consumed in 2025*
According to Nielsen’s proprietary data, 46 billion minutes* of women’s sports were consumed in the U.S. in 2025. Nielsen’s new data is revealed in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, along with a compilation of high-profile viewership milestones for U.S. women’s sports in the past year. More information on the...
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March 5, 2026
Having a Younger Biological Age Is Linked to Better Brain Health
Looking after your longevity might make you smarter. A preliminary study of over 250,000 people found that having a lower biological age compared to chronological age is associated with decreased risk of stroke and better cognitive performance The longevity movement has changed how we think about aging, as how long you live...
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February 27, 2026
Can exercise offset the risks of drinking alcohol?
Over the past year, public health messaging about alcohol has shifted sharply. For decades, many people clung to the idea that a nightly glass of red wine might protect the heart. Now, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Surgeon General have taken firm stances: no amount of alcohol is risk-free. Yet alcohol...
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February 27, 2026
American Heart Association warns 60% of US women will have cardiovascular disease by 2050
Heart disease is on track to tighten its grip on American women. New projections from the American Heart Association warn that over the next 25 years, cardiovascular disease will rise sharply, driven largely by a surge in high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. By 2050, nearly 60% of women in...
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February 23, 2026
Stopping Your Meals Just Three Hours Before Bed Can Significantly Boost Heart Health
At 10:30 pm, the kitchen light is still on. A late snack, maybe a scroll through the phone, one more episode before bed—it feels harmless, right? In fact, this has become the normal night routine for many people around the globe, but what they don’t know is that this nightly...
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February 18, 2026
Powerhouse athletes are actually prematurely aging their bodies thanks to an extreme exercise: study
They’re running themselves ragged — and possibly fast-tracking Father Time. Ultramarathons are surging in popularity, with more than 100,000 North Americans racing beyond 26.2 miles last year, nearly triple the 35,000 who did so in 2020. But before you lace up your sneakers, here’s the catch: New research suggests that...
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February 11, 2026
Aerobic Exercise Shows Greatest Potential in Alleviating Depression and Anxiety Symptoms
A groundbreaking comprehensive analysis recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has reinforced the powerful role of exercise in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. This sweeping umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis synthesized a vast amount of data from numerous prior studies to evaluate the effectiveness of various exercise...
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February 8, 2026
‘Night owls’ may have worse heart health — but why?
Some people hit their stride in the morning, while others feel most awake and productive at night. But a growing body of evidence suggests that being part of the latter group, the "night owls," could be linked to poorer heart health. Now, a large study published Jan. 28 in the Journal...
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January 30, 2026
What the New Study on Exercise and Longevity Really Tells Us
Harvard scientists find that exercise variety is good but not too much and only certain types. Take the findings with a grain of salt. The study was very widely covered in the media and extensively discussed on social media. The main message, as highlighted in the accompanying press release from Harvard, where the researchers are based, is that...
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January 21, 2026
Swedish study reveals when fitness and strength begin to fade
A 47-year Swedish study (SPAF-1958) from Karolinska Institutet tracked over 400 individuals born in 1958, revealing physical fitness and strength peak around age 35 before gradually declining, with aerobic capacity dropping notably after 45. Participants who increased activity later in life improved capacity by 5-10%, slowing but not halting the...
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January 21, 2026
Why Certain Songs Lead to Better Workouts, According to Science
An analysis reveals that optimal tempo, emotional uplift and rhythmic consistency are the key components of effective fitness music Most people have a go-to workout playlist to help keep motivation and energy high, especially when things get tough. But it turns out that there’s a science to the best music for workout...
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January 15, 2026
Wait… Is Your Cold Plunge Actually Doing More Harm Than Good? Top Pros Debunk The Science
Spoiler, readers: I love a cold plunge. Because when it comes to dipping my toe into the world of wellness, I’m no stranger - even when that toe is about to meet ice-cold water. This January is no different, despite the dark mornings and cold temperatures. But as I got...
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January 9, 2026
Strength Training Boosts Brain Health, According to New Study
We know that strength training is beneficial for the body in many ways. It protects joints and bones, improves metabolism, balance, and endurance. But if lifting helps the body this much, what is it doing for the brain? A recent meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience offers a layered answer. The study’s researchers...
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January 8, 2026
Scientists find exercise rivals therapy for depression
A large review of studies suggests that exercise can ease depression about as effectively as psychological therapy. Compared with antidepressants, exercise showed similar benefits, though the evidence was less certain. Researchers found that light to moderate activity over multiple sessions worked best, with few side effects. While it’s not a...
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January 6, 2026
Why Some People Put on More Muscle Than Others
I have a runner friend who claims he has to avoid doing too many push-ups, otherwise he starts to bulk up so much that it interferes with his running. It’s hard to understate how annoying I find this. I also have trouble believing it, to be honest, as someone who...
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January 2, 2026
Women See the Biggest Stress Relief From Regular Exercise, Gallup Finds
Gallup finds women see the greatest stress relief from regular exercise, signaling a growing opportunity for gyms and studios focused on consistency and community Just 30 minutes of exercise every day (or nearly every day) is linked to lower reported stress among U.S. adults, according to new Gallup findings. The data offers even...
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December 22, 2025
Report explores the adjacent markets that are fuelling investment opportunities in women’s professional sports
Women’s sports are no longer a side category in the world of sports investment—they are a high-growth commercial asset class with institutional capital flowing in, valuations accelerating and scalable-adjacent businesses emerging. In recent years, women’s sports leagues such as the WNBA and WNSL have experienced significant growth. Global revenues in...
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December 18, 2025
Women Sleep More Than Men, but They’re More Stressed, Oura Report Finds
Smart ring giant Oura has released its 2025 Year in Review, giving members with at least 60 days of data a personalized look at how their sleep, activity and recovery evolved over the past year. One of the key trends that emerged: women tend to sleep more hours per night...
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December 18, 2025
Your Oura Year in Review is here, and the global stats are wild
Oura’s yearly wrap-up usually feels like a personal pat on the back. This year, though, it also offers a look at global health trends. The company has released its 2025 Year in Review, and while it still highlights individual wins inside the Oura app, the bigger story comes from combining...
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December 8, 2025
Air Pollution Undermines Health Benefits Of Exercise, Evidence Says
Air pollution can undermine some of the health benefits active folks expect to derive from regular exercise, a new study says. The protective effect exercise should have on people’s risk of death was cut by half among those living in areas with heavy air pollution, researchers reported recently in the journal BMC...
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December 4, 2025
Tonal’s 2025 State of Strength Report Reveals Shorter Workouts, Smarter Training, and a Major Shift Toward Longevity
Tonal, the pioneer of the world’s smartest strength training system and home to the largest strength dataset in the world, today released its 2025 State of Strength Report, revealing how fitness trends are shifting toward shorter, smarter, and more personalized routines that support long-term health. Drawing on data from 32,000* members...
