Sports science, distilled.
Summaries and analysis of key research papers in sports science, velocity-based training, and performance measurement.
Muscle Memory and Myonuclei: Do Muscles Remember?
Biopsy evidence shows myonuclei can persist for decades, surviving detraining that erases size gains. Here is what that means for athletes after a layoff.
Repeated Bout Effect: Eccentric Muscle Damage Adaptation
One hard eccentric bout can cut muscle damage from the next by up to 90 percent. Here are the mechanisms behind the repeated bout effect and its timeline.
Sleep Extension Effects on Athletic Performance Research
In Mah's landmark study, Stanford players who extended sleep to 10 hours ran 0.7 seconds faster over 282 feet, plus 9% better free-throw shooting.
VBT vs Percentage-Based Training: Which Is More Effective?
Head-to-head research on velocity-based vs percentage-based loading — where VBT clearly outperforms on fatigue management, and where a hybrid wins.
Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio Review: Injury Prediction Today
The ACWR's sweet-spot claim has real mathematical flaws. A critical look at coupled versus EWMA methods and using workload ratios responsibly.
Caffeine Performance Enhancement: Meta-Analysis Review
Strength gains, power output, and optimal caffeine dosing drawn from over 300 studies, plus why some athletes respond and others barely notice a thing.
Central Governor Theory: Does Fatigue Start in the Brain?
Noakes argues the brain decides when you stop, not the muscles. The evidence for anticipatory pacing and where the central governor model breaks down.
Detraining and Strength Loss Timeline Research
Skip training for a week and panic sets in, but data shows strength holds longer than power. Here's the week-by-week timeline for strength and muscle loss.
Maximal Strength and Endurance: The Neuromuscular Bridge
Stronger athletes often run and ride further before fatigue sets in. This review maps the neuromuscular mechanism and the VBT protocols that build it.
Overtraining Syndrome Markers and Recovery Research
Physiological and psychological markers of overtraining syndrome, evidence-based recovery protocols, and how velocity monitoring flags overreaching early.
Proprioception and Balance Training: Injury Prevention Research
Ankle sprains and ACL tears trace back to poor joint position sense. This review shows which proprioceptive drills lower injury risk, and by how much.
Sex Differences in Strength Training Response: What the Research Actually Shows
Women's relative hypertrophy gains match men's, but absolute strength runs 20-45% lower. A 30-RCT synthesis explains why, and what it means for training.