Science
The research the BLOCKS assistant answers from: 1,148 studies and 82 guides, each graded for how strong the evidence is and who it was measured on, with a link to the original paper.
1,148 entries
C+Tendinopathy is proposed as a load-driven continuum of pathology, not an "-itis"Treatments are placed along the continuum, so the fix is load modification, not anti-inflammationCook & Purdam 2009B+The Association Between Changes in Weekly Running Distance and Running-Related Injury: Preparing for a Half MarathonDamsted 2019C+Bone stress injuries: a workload problemEvery BSI is an "error" in the number × magnitude of bone loading cycles; refer, then rebuild with sensibly progressed loadingWarden 2021AFootwear: in 848 recreational runners, hard-midsole shoes raised injury risk (SHR 1.52)But the protective effect of cushioning showed only in lighter runners; transitioning too fast is the other real riskMalisoux 2020BIncreasing step rate 5–10% cuts the energy absorbed per stride at the knee (and, at +10%, the hip)A load-redistribution tool for runnersHeiderscheit 2011BExcessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injuryNielsen 2014B+Shoulder injury prevention in overhead athletesThree established risk factors (GIRD, rotator-cuff/external-rotator strength, scapular dyskinesis) drive a four-step science-based prevention approachCools 2015B+Systematic review of padel (33 studies): competition lactate stays in the aerobic-transition zone (peaks 2.40 mmol/L women, 3.38 men), HR max rises with level in men (155 → 170 → 189 bpm) but not women (~178), ~3000 m covered per matchA young, descriptive evidence base calling for individualised preparationMartín-Miguel 2024BElite squash is a high-intensity aerobic activity with heavy anaerobic involvement7 world-class players averaged 86% VO₂max, 92% HRmax and 8.3 mmol/L lactate across simulated games, with 70% effective playing timeGirard 2007C+Badminton is very-high-intensity intermittent7 s rallies, 15 s rests, 31% effective play, average HR above 90% HRmax; 60–70% aerobic / ~30% anaerobic (mostly alactic), plus lunge-jump and visual demandsPhomsoupha & Laffaye 2015C+Tennis is intermittent high-intensity on an aerobic basePoints average under 10 s at work:rest 1:3–1:5; condition speed/power/agility AND aerobic recovery capacity, not steady-state enduranceKovacs 2007B+Fingers are the most-injured site in climbing (52% of 911 injuries; pulleys most frequent, now more A4 than A2), shoulder second; almost all injuries UIAA grade 2 or lower; and 14 of 20 injured under-15s had an epiphyseal (growth-plate) fractureSchöffl 2021A-Strength training in climbing (12 controlled studies): positive effects on climbing performance, grip strength, upper-limb strength-endurance, max strength and powerBest trend is semi-specific, static + dynamic mixed, max-strength combined with hypertrophy or endurance workLanger 2022C+Climbing is metabolically submaximal but forearm-limited: HR rises disproportionately to VO₂, relative (not absolute) grip strength and REPEATED-isometric endurance separate climbersBoulder vs lead differ in max force/RFD vs strength-enduranceGiles 2013B+Hand/forearm strength & endurance, long hang times and low body fatNot a special body type — mark successful climbers; fingerboard and eccentric-concentric finger-flexor training push the red-point gradeSaul 2019CFebrile illness in the athleteFever means STOP: no consensus supports returning before the fever resolves, and training resumes gradually once fever and dehydration have clearedDick & Diehl 2013BDaytime napping in athletes — systematic review of 37 studies: naps may benefit physical and cognitive performance, perception, psychological state and night sleep; 20-90 min between 13:00 and 16:00, with 30 min to clear sleep inertia before trainingLastella 2021C+Air pollution harms athlete airway and cardiovascular healthFresh traffic and ice-resurfacer exhaust are the biggest concern; the performance evidence is thinRundell 2012BPhysical & cognitive performance vary with time of day AND chronotype"night owls" are impaired in the morning on every measure vs early typesFacer-Childs 2018AManaging travel fatigue and jet lag in athletes: review & consensus statement (26-expert panel)Janse van Rensburg 2021C+The Balyi LTAD model reviewed against physiology: its "windows of opportunity" rest on little empirical evidence and questionable assumptionsA generic, one-dimensional "work in progress", not a rulebookFord 2011C+Bio-banding: group/program youth by biological maturity, not chronological ageTo counter the relative age effect, maturation bias, and "adolescent awkwardness"Cumming 2017B+Early sport specialization independently raises injury and serious-overuse-injury risk in young athletesBeyond age and weekly hours; two simple load flags (hours/week > age; organized:free play > 2:1) roughly double the oddsJayanthi 2015AMeta-analysis: RT produces large strength gains in children & adolescents (pooled ES 1.12)Trainability INCREASES with age and maturity, with no special boost during pubertyBehringer 2010A2014 International Consensus on youth resistance training: RT is safe & effective for children/adolescents when supervised and age-appropriate; it does NOT stunt growthLloyd 2014BAging tendon turns over slowly and accumulates cross-links/glycationIt adapts and heals slower than muscle; loading helps maintain it, but masters must progress tendon load gradually to avoid tendinopathySvensson 2016BAny age effect on masters athletes' performance and recovery is smaller than originally suggested and largely explained by training status; limited evidence of an age effect on recovery kineticsMore research neededBorges 2016A+RT reliably rebuilds strength & muscle in older adults (even ≥75), and high-velocity/explosive intent is the more effective way to restore POWER; effective dose ≈ 2–3 sessions/wk, ~2–3 sets, moderate-to-high loadStraight 2016 · Grgic 2020 · Borde 2015 — resistance-training meta-analyses in older adults 2020BSarcopenia is partly neurogenic: motor-unit numbers fall with age, and the failure of surviving units to enlarge (reinnervate) distinguishes sarcopenic from non-sarcopenic older musclePiasecki 2018BAging among elite distance runners: a 22-yr longitudinal studyContinued hard training slows but does not stop VO2max declineTrappe 1996C+Rapid weight-cutting in combat sportsPrevalent and risky; harm reduction = minimise acute dehydration, use the full post-weigh-in recovery window, individualise, and defer aggressive cuts to medical supervisionBarley 2019B+MMA / combat-sport success is marked by strength, power and ANAEROBIC qualitiesGreater aerobic power was generally NOT what separated higher- from lower-level fighters; grapplers and strikers differ in profileJames 2016C+The training–injury prevention paradox: high CHRONIC load protects; rapid load SPIKES predict injuryWith important later caveatsGabbett 2016B+Small-Sided Games are a valid conditioning modalityHIIT-level intensity plus technical/tactical training, tunable by player number, pitch area and coach encouragementHill-Haas 2011B+Determinants of functional-fitness (CrossFit) performance: no single predictorBody composition, strength, and competition experience dominateMeier 2023C+The cycle-to-run transition: running is metabolically "compromised" after prior locomotionThe transition-fatigue effectMillet & Vleck 2000AIntra-session exercise ORDER in concurrent training: strength-then-endurance protects lower-body dynamic strengthEddens 2018B+Minimal dose to MAINTAIN strength & enduranceIntensity is the variable you must protectSpiering 2021A-Minimum effective training dose to increase 1RM strength in trained menA single hard set can workAndroulakis-Korakakis 2020B+Movement velocity as a measure of loading intensityThe load-velocity profile (autoregulating LOAD, not just volume)González-Badillo & Sánchez-Medina 2010