STUDIES

December 22, 2021

How Exercise May Affect Our Alcohol Consumption

People who work out regularly and are aerobically fit tend to guzzle a surprising amount of alcohol, according to a new study, well timed for the holidays, of the interplay between fitness, exercise and imbibing. New York Times (paywall)

December 22, 2021

Concussions On The Rise in Women’s Soccer, Volleyball

Because of increasing rates of concussions in women’s soccer and volleyball, researchers say that more attention needs to be paid to the trajectories of the incidences of concussions in the sports. In the study, “Epidemiology of Concussions in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Sports: 2014,15-2018/19,” the researchers describe the epidemiology...

December 15, 2021

How Exercise Affects Metabolism and Weight Loss

A new analysis of data from “The Biggest Loser” highlights the complex ways the body compensates when we drop pounds. Now a new scientific analysis of the show and its aftermath, published last month in the journal Obesity, suggests many beliefs about “The Biggest Loser” may be misconceptions. The analysis tries...

December 13, 2021

Your brain benefits from just a 10-minute run

New research out of the University of Tsukuba in Japan has found that only running for two kilometres still has great health benefits. It seems a 10-minute run will not only make you feel better but can potentially improve your brain health. During the study, researchers asked participants to go...

December 9, 2021

Can an Athlete’s Blood Enhance Brainpower?

What if something in the blood of an athlete could boost the brainpower of someone who doesn’t or can’t exercise? Could a protein that gets amplified when people exercise help stave off symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders? That’s the tantalizing prospect raised by a new study in which researchers injected...

December 7, 2021

InsideTracker Shares Inside Look at Blood Biometric Data, Insights from Endurance Legend Shalane Flanagan’s Project Eclipse Challenge

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Dec. 8, 2021 /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Shalane Flanagan’s Project Eclipse journey began on Sept. 26, 2021, when she toed the line at the Berlin marathon— but her inside story started weeks prior with baseline blood analysis from InsideTracker, the leading truly personalized performance and nutrition system, who today...

December 1, 2021

How Staying Physically Active May Protect the Aging Brain

Simple activities like walking boost immune cells in the brain that may help to keep memory sharp and even ward off Alzheimer’s disease. NY Times (paywall)

November 24, 2021

How Exercise Affects Your Appetite

A new study which involved overweight, sedentary men and women and several types of moderate exercise, found that people who worked out did not overeat afterward at an enticing buffet lunch. However, they also did not skip dessert or skimp on portions. The findings offer a reminder during the holidays that while...

November 22, 2021

Male runners vs. female runners: how do their nutrition needs differ?

Over the last few decades, a lot of research has gone into nutrition and how it affects running performance. Unfortunately, the majority of that research has been done on male subjects and it is only recently that sports scientists have begun looking specifically at the nutritional needs of female athletes. Not...

November 22, 2021

New research outlines how longer lives are tied to physical activity

A team of evolutionary biologists and biomedical researchers from Harvard are taking a run at it (sometimes literally) in a new study published in PNAS. The work lays out evolutionary and biomedical evidence showing that humans, who evolved to live many decades after they stopped reproducing, also evolved to be...

November 21, 2021

Are Workout ‘Highs’ Real? Study Finds Cannabis-Like Substances Released After Exercise

New research finds that exercising can increase production of our body’s own cannabis-like substances, which reduce inflammation and could potentially help prevent conditions like arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. The study, published in the journal Gut Microbes, found that people with arthritis not only experienced reduced pain, but also lowered levels...

November 17, 2021

300 Minutes a Week of Moderate Exercise May Help Ward Off Cancer

More than 46,000 cancer cases in the United States might be prevented each year if almost all of us walked for about 45 minutes a day, according to an eye-opening new study of inactivity, exercise and malignancies. The study, which analyzed cancer incidence and the physical activity habits of nearly 600,000...

November 9, 2021

New research shows adding coffee to your post-workout beverage can help you recovery more effectively

A lot of runners drink coffee before they hit the road to give them a boost of energy and improve performance, but a new study suggests that a cup of joe after your workout provides benefits as well. Research published in the journal Nutrients showed that drinking coffee after a hard workout improves muscle...

November 1, 2021

How Female Athletes’ Nutritional Needs Differ From Men’s

For years there’s been a dearth of scientific research on what female bodies need for optimal performance. Here’s what we now know about how women runners should fuel their bodies differently from men. Podium Runner

October 27, 2021

The NCAA spends more on men’s sports than women’s, another gender equity report finds

The NCAA spends more on male athletes than female ones on average, especially when it comes to the few championship events seen as the organization's big money makers. The law firm found the NCAA spent $4,285 for men's Division I and national championship participants, excluding basketball. For female participants, the...

October 22, 2021

Why Am I So Tired After Working Out? It Could Be ‘Exercise Intolerance.’

Medical researchers are learning more about a condition that prevents exercise at levels that should be normal for an individual’s age, size and fitness level. Wall Street Journal

October 20, 2021

What Scientists Are Learning About Estrogen and Exercise

The study's findings may open intriguing avenues of inquiry into why women so often become inactive after menopause, when estrogen fades. The results also underscore how the brain and internal biological processes work together to play an unexpected and substantial role in whether the body gets up and moves or remains...

October 18, 2021

Media Outlets, Stop Sexualizing Women in Sports

A study by the Cambridge University Press evaluated the language used to describe men and women athletes across sports media, including written articles and commentary during broadcasts. Researchers found a real disconnect between how men and women are portrayed. Read about these women's experiences on Outside.

October 11, 2021

Why Women Might Need Different Hydration Advice

The physiological differences between men and women affect how much fluid they store, how they sweat, and how quickly they heat up. Does that matter? Outside

October 5, 2021

No, Running Doesn’t Wear Down Your Cartilage. It Strengthens Your Joints.

Numerous studies have shown that, contrary to what your sedentary friends may sometimes argue, running does not cause arthritis. New research shows, in fact, that running may actually help strengthen your joints against future wear and tear. Podium Runner

October 4, 2021

FIFA, Orreco to Study Menstruation’s Impact on Women’s Soccer Player Performance

FIFA is launching a new study on the health and performance of female soccer players in partnership with Western Sydney University and Orreco, a company that analyzes athlete blood tests to recommend recovery and training programs. The study will examine phases of menstrual cycles among professional women’s soccer players through blood and urine...

September 29, 2021

Study: women’s hearts respond differently to marathon training than men’s

A recent study looking at the differences between male and female marathoners found that women’s hearts actually respond differently than men’s after training for a marathon. Researchers found that women who have completed multiple marathons do not have reduced left ventricle function or aortic stiffness compared to male marathoners or female recreationally...

September 29, 2021

Why Exercise Is More Important Than Weight Loss for a Longer Life

For better health and a longer life span, exercise is more important than weight loss, especially if you are overweight or obese, according to an interesting new review of the relationships between fitness, weight, heart health and longevity. The study, which analyzed the results of hundreds of previous studies of weight loss...

September 15, 2021

Why Women are Running Stronger, Longer

As the sport of ultrarunning increases in popularity—according to a large study earlier this year by RunRepeat and the International Association of Ultrarunners, participation has exploded by a factor of more than 16 since 1996—more women than ever are claiming spots at the starting lines. Female athletes now make up...

September 15, 2021

The New Science on How We Burn Calories

If you take in more calories or energy than you use, you gain weight; if the output is greater than the input, you lose it. But how does that change our understanding of obesity? NY Times