Sports Science

In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you are consuming, so we are often interested in what sorts of situations help us burn the highest number of calories. So, do you burn more calories being hot or cold? In other words, do you burn more calories in the heat, or … Read more

We tend to think of stress as a bad thing; after all, we are constantly in pursuit of ways to decrease stress. However, there can be positive types of stress, called eustress, that can actually provide benefits to your mental health and potentially even physical health.  So, what is eustress, and is it a good … Read more

Athletes often pay close attention to various biometrics such as blood pressure, body fat percentage, and resting heart rate because keeping tabs on measurable variables can provide insight into your training status and fitness. Another key heart-related biometric is your heart rate variability or HRV. HRV is a measure of the differences or fluctuations in … Read more

Threshold training is one of the key running workouts to improve endurance performance. However, some runners may not be familiar with exactly what this type of training entails and may ask: Is anaerobic threshold training the same as lactate threshold training for runners? What are the important training thresholds for runners and other endurance athletes … Read more

Understanding muscle anatomy and how the neuromuscular system works can be confusing, but many of the basic principles of muscle anatomy and physiology can be useful in helping guide your workouts to achieve your specific fitness goals better. One of the most important concepts to understand in anatomy and exercise physiology is the differences between … Read more

Tangentially related to the concept of stronger vs weaker muscles is the idea of overactive vs underactive muscles. What are overactive muscles? What are underactive muscles? What are the most common overactive and underactive muscles, and how do you determine if you have an overactive vs underactive muscle? In this article, we will discuss what … Read more

If you were to survey a group of people, the majority of the individuals would likely assert that stress is bad. After all, stress has been associated with a number of adverse physical and mental health consequences. However, some amount of stress can be healthy, and even desirable, for the body. Your body has the … Read more

Once you start working out, you will likely be introduced to a number of fitness concepts, or you will overhear people talking at your gym about training principles. For example, you might hear about progressive overload or physiological adaptations. Another term that you may encounter in the context of working out is muscle memory. But, … Read more

When you sign up to work with a personal trainer, or running coach, or even join a new gym, there is a good chance that you will be asked to fill out various paperwork.  In addition to the basic intake forms that capture your demographics, training background, and current fitness goals, another mainstay form that … Read more

You might believe that you are doing effective workouts and following a healthy, calorie-appropriate diet for your physique goals, but yet you are not losing weight, or you lose weight for a bit only to bounce back to your old weight despite continuing to follow your weight loss plan. This is where set point theory … Read more

No one likes to be in pain. Whether you have an acute injury or you are dealing with the discomfort of a vigorous workout, if you have a high pain tolerance, you will be able to endure the painful experience with more ease. But, what exactly is pain tolerance? Do women have a higher pain … Read more