Study archive · page 19

Whole-body electromyostimulation improved maximum strength and power in sportspeople and athletes compared to no training, though effects were small to moderate and non-significant when compared directly to voluntary exercise.

⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 19 WB-EMS groups and 21 controls (18 trials for strength, 8 for power); high heterogeneity for strength (I² 86%); when superimposed on or versus traditional resistance exercise, effects were non-significant; applicability across sport disciplines variable.Review · Muscles

Combined aerobic and resistance training ranked highest for improving body mass index, waist circumference, LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose in metabolic syndrome; high-volume HIIT was most effective for body fat percentage.

⚠What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 53 studies, 2,948 participants; most evidence rated low or very low certainty; no single modality superior across all metabolic syndrome components; phenotype-specific outcomes suggest heterogeneous effectiveness.Study · iScience

Two-way ballistic and jump squat training both improve explosive strength in highly trained sprinters, but through different neuromuscular pathways: ballistic training enhances early-phase force production with greater vastus lateralis activation during take-off, whilst jump squat training preferentially improves reactive strength.

⚠What it shows: RCT in 40 highly trained male sprinters only; 6-week intervention; unclear whether findings generalise to other populations or training contexts.RCT · Scand J Med Sci Sports

Twenty-four weeks of hexagonal barbell deadlift-based resistance training twice weekly improves trunk lean mass, reduces body fat, and enhances trunk extensor strength and mobility in older women, with no adverse events reported.

⚠What it shows: Single RCT, n = 32 older women (mean age 67.6 years), supervised twice-weekly training; no assessment of long-term adherence or sustained benefits beyond 24 weeks; whole-body lean mass and lower-limb isokinetic strength did not differ between groups.Study · Exp Gerontol

In a 2025 meta-analysis of nine trials in women, pairing a protein supplement with exercise gave small but significant gains in fat-free mass, muscle size and strength, but made no difference to fat mass or body-fat percentage.

⚠What it shows: Nine trials, 408 women aged 18 to 73. Muscle effects were small (about 0.45 kg fat-free mass) and there was no effect on fat loss; the authors call for more high-quality trials.Meta-analysis (9 RCTs) · n=408 · healthy women 18 to 73 · Front Nutr

A small pilot trial suggests that taking creatine just before a resistance-training session may support slightly greater same-day strength than taking it during or after, though this is early, exploratory evidence rather than a firm recommendation.

⚠What it shows: A pilot crossover trial in just 11 active men, measuring single-session strength; the authors call it exploratory and say it needs confirming in larger, placebo-controlled studies.Pilot RCT (crossover) · n=11 · physically active men · Nutrients

A 2026 meta-analysis in postmenopausal women found that creatine (around 5 g a day) alongside resistance training produced small but real gains in lean mass and leg strength, with no change in bone density and no safety signals.

⚠What it shows: Pooled from seven trials (608 women, median 38 weeks). Gains were modest, about 0.4 kg lean mass, and appeared mainly at ≥5 g a day with training; several trials had some risk-of-bias concerns, and bone density did not move.Meta-analysis (7 RCTs) · n=608 · postmenopausal women · J Int Soc Sports Nutr

Pooling 27 randomised trials, probiotics showed no significant effect on depressive symptoms over short (under 6 weeks) or medium (6-12 weeks) durations, with a significant benefit appearing only in a long-duration subgroup of just 2 studies. Prebiotics and postbiotics showed no clear effects.

⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 RCTs published 2016-2024, but the only significant signal rests on 2 long-duration trials; substantial heterogeneity across studies and overall certainty rated moderate for inconsistency.Review · Nutr Neurosci