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Cardiopreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Home Thai-boxing HIIT lifts fitness in six weeks
Six weeks of home-based Thai-boxing HIIT improved VO2 max, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, grip strength, trunk endurance and body fat more than a general health-education programme in 58 sedentary young adults. Muscle mass and fat-free mass did not differ between groups.
What it shows: One 6-week RCT, n=58 sedentary young adults in Thailand; short duration, no long-term follow-up, and the comparison group received a different active programme.Study · J Educ Health Promot
Full breakdown →HIIT explained VO2max Calculator Effects of home-based Thai-boxing high-intensity interval training on physical fitness and body composition in sedentary young adults: A six-week randomized controlled trial. J Educ Health Promot 2026
Trainingwell supported · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Plyometrics boost youth jump, sprint and agility
A meta-analysis of 63 studies found plyometric training significantly improved jumping (SMD 0.648), sprinting (SMD -0.496) and agility (SMD -0.659) in adolescents aged 10-19, with benefits more consistent when programmes ran at least 10 weeks.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 63 trials in healthy adolescents aged 10-19; between-study heterogeneity, variable testing protocols, and small sex- and sport-specific subgroups limit generalisability.Meta-analysis · PeerJ
Full breakdown →Progressive overload explained The effects of plyometric training on adolescent sports performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 2026
Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
VR waterscapes beat landscapes in exercise trial
In a 12-week randomised trial of virtual reality exercise, participants viewing professionally produced 360° waterscapes improved mental quality of life, fat-free mass and BMI, and reported more restorativeness and less VR sickness than those viewing self-recorded landscapes.
What it shows: Single RCT with 40 vs 32 participants over 12 weeks; the groups differed in video production quality as well as scenery type, and outcomes relied partly on self-report questionnaires.Study · J Formos Med Assoc
Full breakdown →Restorative natural experiences in immersive landscapes and waterscapes during virtual reality exercise for mental health promotion. J Formos Med Assoc 2026
Cardiopreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Knowing your heart risk nudges behaviour change
Telling people living with HIV their personal 5- and 10-year cardiovascular risk, plus a brief personalised behaviour intervention, significantly improved heart-disease knowledge and reduced some risk behaviours over 6 months. Smoking and drinking rates fell more than in controls but not significantly.
What it shows: Non-randomised multicentre trial (362 matched pairs after propensity-score matching) in people living with HIV in one Chinese province; behaviour changes were modest and several outcomes were not statistically significant.Study · Infect Dis Ther
Full breakdown →Heart Age Calculator Early Warning and Behavioural Intervention on the Cardiovascular Disease Risk in People Living with HIV: A Multicentre Non-Randomized Controlled Trial. Infect Dis Ther 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Five cups of coffee a day tracked lower cirrhosis risk
Among 354,957 UK Biobank adults followed for a median of 13 years, those drinking 5 or more cups of coffee a day had lower rates of cirrhosis (hazard ratio 0.68), hepatocellular carcinoma (0.53) and liver-related mortality (0.58), with similar patterns for caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Imaging showed lower liver fat, iron and fibroinflammation with higher intake.
What it shows: Large observational cohort, not a trial: coffee intake was self-reported by questionnaire in UK Biobank volunteers who are healthier than the general population. Models adjusted for demographic, behavioural, metabolic and genetic factors, but residual confounding and reverse causation cannot be excluded, so causation is unproven.Study · Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol
Full breakdown →Caffeine guide Caffeine Half-Life Calculator Coffee Consumption and Improved Liver Outcomes: Clinical, Imaging, and Proteomic Evidence From the UK Biobank. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Real food, not shakes, lifted older adults' protein
A meta-analysis of whole-food dietary interventions in adults aged 50 and over found they raised daily protein intake by 12.2 g/day compared with controls, with bigger effects when programmes ran longer, used individual counselling and set an absolute protein target.
What it shows: Systematic review of 16 studies (n = 1712, 33% male) with a meta-analysis of 11 controlled trials (n = 1207) in community-dwelling older adults; protein intake was self-reported dietary data, the confidence interval was wide (+5.0 to +19.4 g/day), and muscle or strength outcomes were not the endpoint.Study · Nutr Rev
Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained Protein Intake Calculator Effectiveness of Whole Food Interventions on Protein Intake in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutr Rev 2026
Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Alcohol-free activities track with less heavy drinking
In a secondary analysis of 1,726 adults treated for alcohol use disorder, those engaging in more alcohol-free activities 6 months after treatment drank heavily less often at 12 months, and the link was stronger among people living in more impoverished communities. It is an observational association within a trial, not proof that adding activities causes less drinking.
What it shows: Secondary observational analysis of 1,726 participants from a randomised alcohol use disorder trial at 10 US research units; associations come from Bayesian multilevel models over 12 months and cannot establish cause, and the sample is people who completed formal alcohol treatment.RCT · J Exp Anal Behav
Full breakdown →Engagement in alcohol-free activities, community-level economic disadvantage, and heavy drinking following alcohol treatment. J Exp Anal Behav 2026
Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Mindfulness course lifted sleep and mood in menopause
An 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programme improved quality of life, life satisfaction, mental well-being and sleep quality in a randomised controlled trial of 84 menopausal women, while a no-intervention control group showed no significant change.
What it shows: One single-site RCT in Türkiye, n=84, compared against a no-intervention control rather than a placebo or attention control; outcomes were self-reported and effect sizes were not stated in the abstract.RCT · J Nurs Scholarsh
Full breakdown →Sleep Calculator The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program on Quality of Life, Life Satisfaction, Sleep Quality, and Mental Well-Being in Menopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nurs Scholarsh 2026
Physiologypreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Exercise biomarker claim rests on just 10 people
Machine-learning models classified whether serum miR-210 was raised after exercise training with 90% accuracy, but the entire study was 10 young adults, five per outcome group. Correlations between miR-210 and training frequency or age were weak and non-significant.
What it shows: Exploratory study in just 10 young adults with five people per group, using leave-one-out cross-validation on a tiny sample: accuracy figures from samples this small are highly unstable, and the authors call the work hypothesis-generating.Study · Comb Chem High Throughput Screen
Full breakdown →Machine Learning Classification of Serum miR-210 as a Biomarker of Exercise Training Response. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2026
Cardiopreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Smart ring 'fitness age' tracks sleep and steps
Among 442 users of a smart ring, the device's "cardio age" estimate correlated with sleep efficiency, REM sleep, sleep duration and daily steps, measures not fed into the algorithm, and 82.6% of users were rated younger than their actual age. All the authors work for the company selling the feature.
What it shows: Retrospective observational analysis of 442 self-selected ring owners over 12 months, run entirely by employees of the company that sells the feature; correlations were weak (around r = -0.2) and no laboratory fitness comparison was reported.Study · Front Digit Health
Full breakdown →Biological age explained Heart Age Calculator Wearable-derived cardiovascular fitness age and its lifestyle correlates in 442 adults. Front Digit Health 2026
Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Self-guided lifestyle programmes eased low mood
In a three-arm trial of 122 adults with probable depression, an 8-week multicomponent lifestyle programme delivered either by smartphone app or by booklet cut depressive symptoms more than a waitlist, with clinically significant improvement in 78% of the app group and 55% of the booklet group versus 19.5% of controls.
What it shows: Single randomised trial of 122 adults with probable depression in Hong Kong, compared against a waitlist rather than an active treatment, with follow-up beyond week 9 collected only in the intervention groups.Study · J Affect Disord
Full breakdown →Efficacy of smartphone- and bibliotherapy-delivered multicomponent lifestyle medicine interventions for probable depression: A three-arm randomized controlled trial. J Affect Disord 2026
Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Whey plus collagen outperformed whey alone
In an 8-week randomised trial, resistance-trained men taking 30 g/day whey protein plus 10 g/day collagen gained more muscle mass, lumbar spine bone density and strength than whey alone, collagen alone or placebo.
What it shows: Small double-blind RCT: 40 resistance-trained men across four groups, so about 10 per arm, over only 8 weeks; muscle mass came from bioelectrical impedance rather than a criterion method, and the reported gains, including the spine bone density change, are unusually large and unusually consistent for such a short trial, so independent replication matters.Study · BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil
Full breakdown →Whey protein guide Protein Intake Calculator The combined effects of whey protein and collagen supplementation on bone mineral density and muscle mass in resistance-trained men: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2026
Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Mint-family herbs trimmed BMI and waist, not body fat
Pooling 20 randomised trials in 2,445 adults with metabolic syndrome or related conditions, supplements from the mint and sage family produced modest reductions in BMI, weight, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. Directly measured body fat mass did not change significantly.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=2,445) in adults with metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia or fatty liver; half the trials had unclear allocation concealment, 10% had high performance bias risk, trials were short, body fat was measured indirectly, and the genus-level signals for Salvia and Zataria came from few trials.Review · J Ethnopharmacol
Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained Body Fat Calculator Impact of Lamiaceae plants on anthropometric indices in patients with metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Ethnopharmacol 2026
Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Weights plus cardio won on lean mass, not on fat
Pooling 29 randomised trials in 1,383 people aged 6-45 with overweight or obesity, combining resistance with aerobic training beat aerobic exercise alone for lean body mass and insulin-resistance markers. Body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, blood pressure and lipids showed no consistent difference.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 29 randomised trials (n=1,383) in people aged 6-45 with overweight or obesity; several outcomes rested on few studies with low-to-very-low certainty evidence, secondary analyses are exploratory, and the age range spans children to middle-aged adults.Study · iScience
Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained Metabolic Fitness Index Combined exercise for body composition and cardiometabolic health in obese young people meta analysis. iScience 2026
Gut & Microbiomepreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Gut bacteria before a diet predicted who stayed well
In a microbiome analysis of adults with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease on the Crohn's disease exclusion diet, those who sustained remission at both weeks 12 and 24 had a distinct gut profile at baseline, lower alpha diversity and more Alistipes and Faecalibacterium, while Haemophilus and Prevotella were negatively linked to remission.
What it shows: Secondary microbiome analysis of two randomised trials, one in adults and one in children, with no sample size given for the remission comparison; associations between baseline bacteria and later remission are correlational and need prospective validation.Study · Crohns Colitis 360
Full breakdown →Microbial predictors of sustained clinical remission following the Crohn's disease exclusion diet in adults and microbiome shifts toward healthy pediatric controls. Crohns Colitis 360 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Fibre-enriched tapioca pearls cut fat over 12 weeks
In 50 obese women, 12 weeks of inulin-enriched tapioca pearls produced significant reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat mass, visceral fat, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared with placebo pearls. The abstract reports the direction of change but not the size of it.
What it shows: One randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 50 women aged 20-50 with BMI at or above 27 or waist over 80 cm, run for 12 weeks; small, single-site, women only, and the abstract gives no effect sizes, so the reductions could be modest. One author is affiliated with the company behind the product. Needs larger and independent replication.RCT · J Food Drug Anal
Full breakdown →Visceral fat explained Body Fat Calculator Evaluating the efficacy of I-fiber pearl on reducing body fat accumulation in obese females: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. J Food Drug Anal 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Front-loading protein at breakfast missed on muscle
Pooling seven randomised trials in adults aged 60 and over, adding protein or amino acids at breakfast did not improve lean mass, grip strength or lower-limb strength. The evidence was judged very uncertain, and in trials without exercise the extra morning protein was linked to slightly lower total daily energy intake.
What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of only 7 RCTs totalling 305 older adults; the authors rate certainty as very low, effect estimates all crossed zero, and they call for further high-quality trials.Review · Food Sci Nutr
Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained Protein Intake Calculator Protein or Amino Acid Intake at Breakfast for Muscle Mass Gain in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Food Sci Nutr 2026
Longevitypreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Smoking beat lifespan genes as a mortality predictor
In a Finnish twin cohort followed for a mean 17.5 years, a genetic score for longer lifespan was associated with modestly lower all-cause mortality, largely independent of lifestyle. Smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day and female sex were both stronger predictors than the genetic score.
What it shows: Observational prospective cohort of 5,575 older Finnish twins (mean age 57.4) with 1,405 deaths; associations only, self-reported lifestyle factors, and findings in one national population may not generalise.Study · Geroscience
Full breakdown →All-cause mortality explained Healthy Lifestyle & Life Expectancy Genetic predisposition to longer lifespan, lifestyle factors, and all-cause mortality: a 17-year prospective cohort study. Geroscience 2026
Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Caffeine helped women's performance in every cycle phase
A meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials in women found acute caffeine gave a small average performance boost (Hedges' g = 0.37), with positive estimates in every menstrual-cycle phase and in contraceptive users, and no clear evidence that phase changes the effect. Certainty was low to very low.
What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials with 144 effect sizes in women; risk-of-bias concerns, sparse subgroup data, inconsistent verification of menstrual phase and low-to-very-low GRADE certainty mean subgroup conclusions are hypothesis-generating only.Systematic review · Front Nutr
Full breakdown →Caffeine guide Caffeine Half-Life Calculator Acute caffeine ingestion and exercise performance in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of menstrual-cycle phase and hormonal contraceptive status. Front Nutr 2026
Supplementswell supported · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Caffeine sharpened sprints, not jumps or strength
Across 13 randomised placebo-controlled trials in rugby players, acute caffeine produced small improvements in sprint performance and lower perceived exertion, plus a large but highly heterogeneous effect on passing accuracy. Jumping, strength, metabolic and hormonal markers showed no significant change.
What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies (13 in the pooled analysis) in rugby players, but GRADE certainty was low to very low, and the passing-accuracy result showed high heterogeneity and possible small-study effects.Systematic review · Front Nutr
Full breakdown →Caffeine guide Caffeine Half-Life Calculator Acute caffeine supplementation in rugby players: a systematic review and meta-analysis of physical performance, sport-specific performance, perceptual responses, and physiological markers. Front Nutr 2026
Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Digital mahjong nudged memory in older adults
Community-dwelling adults aged 55 and over who played a home-based digital mahjong game twice weekly for six months improved slightly more on delayed recall than a no-intervention control group, with a between-group difference of 0.79 points on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Diastolic blood pressure also fell 3.50 mm Hg more in the game group, and brain imaging showed increased regional activity coherence in the right insula.
What it shows: Single-blind randomised trial of 60 community-dwelling adults in Taipei, 30 per group, analysed per protocol, with no active control: the comparison group did nothing at all, so attention, novelty and the bundled walking incentive cannot be separated from the game itself. Cognitive gain was under one point on a screening test.RCT · JMIR Aging
Full breakdown →Healthspan explained Healthy Lifestyle & Life Expectancy Digital Mahjong-Based Cognitive Engagement Intervention for Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Aging 2026
Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Landing retraining cut impact force, not proven injuries
Pooling eight randomised trials, movement retraining substantially reduced peak vertical ground reaction force during landing, a modifiable biomechanical risk marker for ACL injury. No included trial measured actual injury rates, so whether softer landings mean fewer torn ligaments remains unknown.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of nine comparisons from eight randomised trials with only 292 participants in total; certainty of evidence was rated low with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 63%), the subgroup difference rests on just three general-athletic comparisons, and the outcome is a surrogate marker rather than injury incidence.Review · J Funct Morphol Kinesiol
Full breakdown →Movement Retraining and Peak Landing Force, a Modifiable Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Marker, in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Primary Prevention. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2026
Supplementswell supported · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Daily multivitamin nudged memory in older adults
In the 573-person clinic subcohort of the COSMOS trial, a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement produced a more favourable two-year change in episodic memory than placebo (0.12 SD units) but no clear benefit for executive function or attention. Pooling three COSMOS cognitive substudies, the multivitamin improved global cognition by 0.07 SD units, an effect the authors equate to reducing cognitive ageing by 2 years.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of three cognitive substudies (n=573, 2158 and 2472) nested within the single COSMOS trial of adults aged 60 and over, so it is not independent replication; effects were small in size, tests differed between substudies, and no effect was seen on executive function or attention in the clinic subcohort.Meta-analysis · Am J Clin Nutr
Full breakdown →Executive function explained Effect of multivitamin-mineral supplementation versus placebo on cognitive function: results from the clinic subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis of 3 cognitive studies within COSMOS. Am J Clin Nutr 2024
Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026
Eight weeks of Pilates eased office workers' neck pain
In 30 office workers with chronic neck pain, eight weeks of supervised Pilates improved pain, disability, cervical range of motion, neck muscle strength and core endurance. Adding kinesiotaping to the same programme gave no extra benefit for pain or disability, and only improved left cervical rotation.
What it shows: Small randomised controlled trial with only 30 office workers completing (16 Pilates, 14 Pilates plus taping), no no-exercise control group, short 8-week follow-up and no blinding of the taping; the authors themselves call for larger studies.RCT · Pain Res Manag
Full breakdown →Range of motion explained Pilates and Kinesiotaping for Neck Pain, Disability and Cervical Function in Office Workers: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Pain Res Manag 2026

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