Fitness
The latest from Fitness on Vitalspell.
Norwegian 4x4 intervals raised VO2max more than moderate runs in landmark trial
A 2007 randomized trial in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found four-minute high-intensity intervals raised VO2max 7.2 percent across eight weeks. The same total work at moderate pace produced no change. Two decades of replication has held up the claim.
How Many Carbs Do Runners Actually Need in 2026
A new review in Endocrine Reviews argues runners only need 10 grams of carbs per hour during long efforts, challenging decades of sports nutrition guidelines. Five experts weigh in on what the evidence actually says and what everyday runners should do.
Best Running Gels, According to Editors and Science
Runner's World editors tested nine energy gels on taste, digestibility, and carbohydrate formulation across months of training. Here is which gels stood out and what the research says about how your body actually absorbs them during long runs.
What Bryan Johnson's Erection Tracking Reveals About Vascular Health
Bryan Johnson claims nighttime erections predict mortality. The medical literature confirms erectile function is an early warning for cardiovascular disease, but his personal protocol of tadalafil, Botox, and shockwave therapy goes beyond what the evidence supports.
Too Many Endurance Athletes Are Racing on Too Few Carbs, Study Finds
A 2025 study found non-elite endurance athletes consume roughly 20 percent fewer carbohydrates on race day than planned, with marathoners averaging just 22 grams per hour against guidelines of 60 to 90.
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Sawe's marathon fuel: what hydrogel gels actually do
Sabastian Sawe broke two hours at the 2026 London Marathon in 97-gram Adidas shoes. But the Maurten hydrogel gels pinned to his bib may have mattered more. A new RCT finds they do not make you faster, but they do make you steadier.
Will you ever BQ? Data, age and what the science says
About 13 percent of US marathon finishers run a Boston qualifying time, and a 6:51 cutoff in 2025 made the published standard a polite suggestion. Two peer-reviewed papers on masters endurance athletes explain why the qualifying ladder is partly generous and largely about training volume.
Oyster mushrooms preserved mood and cut inflammation in older adults
A crossover trial in Food & Function found that a single serving of oyster mushrooms preserved positive mood and reduced three inflammatory markers compared to placebo over 6 hours, but showed no consistent cognitive benefit in healthy adults aged 60 to 80.
Creatine monohydrate: what the evidence says about the most studied supplement in sports
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied sports supplement in history. It works reliably for strength and power, shows emerging promise for brain health, and costs pennies per gram. Here is why the more expensive forms have almost no evidence of superiority.
Marathoners consume 16 percent fewer carbs than they think during races
A 2025 study in the European Journal of Sport Science found that marathon runners take in 16 percent less carbohydrate during races than they plan to, and overestimate how much they have consumed. The shortfall is driven by gel wastage, poor sleep, and pre-race anxiety, but there is an easy fix.
How Maurten fueled Sabastian Sawe to the first sub-two-hour marathon
Kenyan athlete Sabastian Sawe became the first person to break two hours in an official marathon at the 2026 London Marathon, running 1:59:30 with a personalized fueling plan from Swedish sports nutrition company Maurten. The protocol delivered 115 grams of carbohydrate per hour using hydrogel-technology drinks and gels developed over 12 months of testing in Kenya.