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
B+No blister-prevention method has high-quality evidence; paper tape is the only one with moderate confidence, and the data on socks and antiperspirants come from military marchingWorthing 2017B+Paper tape applied before the race to a runner's own blister-prone spots cut blisters by 40% in multistage desert ultrasYet 83% of runners still blistered somewhereLipman 2016B165, 170 and 175 mm cranks gave identical economy and 6-second sprint power in 28 trained cyclists; perceived exertion was lower on 165 and 170 than on 175 mm, a single imperfectly blinded resultLi 2025B+Changing crank length by ±5 mm does not change gross efficiency or heart rate; a longer crank adds 1.8–3.4° of hip and knee flexion and range of motionFerrer-Roca 2017B+The metabolic cost of submaximal cycling is set by power output and pedal speed; crank length (145–195 mm) has no independent effectMcDaniel 2002B+Maximal cycling power changes by only about 4% across crank lengths from 120 to 220 mm; the standard 170 mm does not substantially compromise power, and optimal cadence falls as the crank gets longerMartin & Spirduso 2001B+Clinical guideline for ankle sprains: judge severity at 4–5 days, treat with a brace or tape plus an exercise programme, prefer supervised exercise to passive treatments, and be careful with NSAIDsVuurberg 2018A-After a grade 1–2 ankle sprain, therapeutic exercise started in the first week improved function at weeks 1 and 2 compared with rest, ice, compression and elevation, with no more pain, swelling or re-injuryBleakley 2010C+Return to sport after a lateral ankle sprain is decided on 16 items in five domainsPain, ankle impairments, athlete perception, sensorimotor control and sport performance — not on a number of daysSmith 2021AThe Ottawa ankle rules exclude a fracture after an ankle injury with 97.6% sensitivity: being unable to walk four steps or having bone tenderness at specific points means an X-rayBachmann 2003BEight weeks of progressive Copenhagen adduction training raised eccentric hip-adduction strength by 35.7% in young footballers, with little muscle sorenessIshøi 2016A-A single adductor exercise (the Copenhagen adduction) cut the prevalence of groin problems in male footballers from 21.3% to 13.5% over a season (OR 0.59)Harøy 2019B-Eight weeks of core training raised plank endurance, but running economy did not differ from the control groupThe reported improvement is a within-group change without a group × time interactionHung 2019A-Core training improves balance and jumping in pooled randomized trials; no endurance outcome was pooled, so it gives no support for better running or cycling performanceRodríguez-Perea 2023B+In 580 competitive cyclists the best power-based VO2max equation still had 95% limits of agreement of about ±12 mL/kg/min in men; within a trained group power explains under half of the varianceJurov 2023B+External validation: the 5-minute-power VO2max equation underestimated measured VO2max by 6.6 mL/kg/min on average, with limits of agreement from −17.2 to +3.8Borszcz 2024BIn 46 road cyclists VO2max was predicted from best 5-minute power as 16.6 + 8.87 × W/kg, explaining 61–77% of the variance when taken from a field-style 5-minute testSitko 2022B-After damaging eccentric exercise, 1 g/kg of alcohol roughly doubles the strength loss measured 36 hours later; an undamaged muscle is unaffectedBarnes 2010BAlcohol after exercise lowers muscle glycogen storage when it is drunk instead of the recovery meals; drunk on top of the full meals, its direct effect is unclearBurke 2003BA binge dose of alcohol after concurrent training (1.5 g/kg, about 12 drinks) cuts myofibrillar protein synthesis by 24% even when 25 g of protein is taken with itParr 2014BAlcohol lowers HRV-derived overnight recovery in a dose-dependent way starting from small intakes, and being physically active does not protect against itPietilä 2018A-Alcohol before bed delays and shortens REM sleep from about two standard drinks, and the effect grows with dose; total sleep time and sleep efficiency are not reliably changedGardiner 2025C+Effects of Low-Carbohydrate and Ketogenic Diets on Aerobic Performance in Trained Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisGawelczyk 2026C+Comparative Effects of Dietary Protein, Creatine, and Omega-3 Supplementation on Muscle Strength, Endurance, and Recovery in Trained Athletes: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-AnalysisWang 2026B+Effects of time-restricted eating on body composition and performance in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysisLin 2026B+Does chronic polyphenol supplementation modify resistance training-induced strength and muscle morphology adaptations in adults? A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsZhu 2026A-Effect of training on lactate/ventilatory thresholds: a meta-analysisLonderee 1997A-An evaluation of the training determinants of marathon performance: A meta-analysis with meta-regressionDoherty 2020BMuscle efficiency improves over time in world-class cyclistsSantalla 2009BEffects of different interval-training programs on cycling time-trial performanceStepto 1999BPerformance success or failure is influenced by weeks lost to injury and illness in elite Australian track and field athletes: A 5-year prospective studyRaysmith & Drew 2016BPredictors of individual adaptation to high-volume or high-intensity endurance training in recreational endurance runnersVesterinen 2015BInterval training program optimization in highly trained endurance cyclistsLaursen 2002B+Aerobic high-intensity intervals are superior to improve VO2max compared with sprint intervals in well-trained menHov 2022B+Inter-Individual Variability in the Adaptive Responses to Endurance and Sprint Interval Training: A Randomized Crossover StudyBonafiglia 2016B+Refuting the myth of non-response to exercise training: 'non-responders' do respond to higher dose of trainingMontero & Lundby 2017B+Does Higher Intensity Increase the Rate of Responders to Endurance Training When Total Energy Expenditure Remains Constant? A Randomized Controlled TrialReuter 2023A-Monitoring and adapting endurance training on the basis of heart rate variability monitored by wearable technologies: A systematic review with meta-analysisDüking 2021BCritical power and work-prime account for variability in endurance training adaptations not captured by V̇O2maxCollins 2022BEffects of Initial Performance, Gross Efficiency and VO2peak Characteristics on Subsequent Adaptations to Endurance Training in Competitive CyclistsSkovereng 2018