One Week of Blueberries Made Trail Runners Faster. Here's the Catch
2-km simulated trail race faster after seven days of blueberry powder than after seven days of placebo. Their heart rate and perceived effort during the race did not differ. Their legs also seemed to handle the downhill punishment better a day later. Before you stock your freezer, you should know exactly how small this study was.
Just 30 mg of Ashwagandha Raised VO2max in 8 Weeks. Read the Fine Print
Ashwagandha supplements are usually sold in the hundreds of milligrams. ) tested a dose of just 30 mg per day. According to the abstract, that was enough to significantly improve VO2max compared with placebo over eight weeks.
Beta-Alanine Finally Works for Lifters—If You Train Like This
Beta-alanine has long had a murky track record for lifting, but a new randomized controlled trial may explain why. When trained lifters took 6.4 g per day for four weeks, their total reps rose 17.3% on drop sets and 18.2% on bi-sets, while placebo showed no significant gains. Perceived exertion, motivation, and affect did not differ between groups, so the boost was physical rather than psychological. Here is the dose, the loading period, who the data applies to, and who should stay skeptical.
The Plant Protein That Just Matched Milk for Muscle Synthesis
Plant protein is supposed to lose to milk when it comes to building muscle, but a new trial in older adults says corn protein didn't get the memo. In a randomized study of 48 healthy adults around age 68, 20 g of corn protein, a pea-corn blend, and milk protein all boosted muscle protein synthesis well above placebo, with no differences between protein groups. Resistance exercise amplified the response in every group. Here is the dose, the numbers, who it may suit, and the caveats you need before swapping your shake.
Creatine Before Training Won This Timing Test—But There's a Catch
Does it matter when you take your creatine? A new randomized crossover pilot trial in Nutrients says the pre-workout window may have an edge: 0.1 g/kg of creatine monohydrate before training was linked to more total load lifted in the bench press and back squat than placebo or no supplement. Taking it during or after training didn't show the same advantage, and no differences appeared in jumping, mood, cognition, or soreness. But the study had only 11 men and tested a single dose, and the authors call it exploratory. Here's the exact dose, what the data show, and who should be cautious.
