Sports science, distilled.
Summaries and analysis of key research papers in sports science, velocity-based training, and performance measurement.
Menstrual Cycle Phase and Strength: What Studies Really Show
Do follicular and luteal phases change your max strength or power output? Controlled studies say less than assumed — here is where the data holds up.
Neck Strength and Concussion Risk: What Studies Show
Coaches ask if neck exercises stop concussions. A 6,704-athlete study found 5% lower odds per pound of strength - here's what it does and doesn't prove.
Optimal Sled Load for Resisted Sprints: The Velocity Decrement Research
Coaches still argue over 10% vs 80% bodyweight sled loads. The velocity decrement research settles it — with numbers you can test on your own athletes.
Rest Redistribution Sets: Velocity and Power Maintenance Research
How rest redistribution sets keep bar velocity and power output stable across a set — the research behind splitting rest without cutting reps or load.
Smartphone Bar Velocity Apps: How Accurate Are They?
Validity studies pit camera VBT apps against lab transducers: accuracy holds at slow bar speeds but slips on fast jump squats. Here's the error margin.
Sodium Bicarbonate for Performance: Dosing Protocols and Evidence
Sodium bicarbonate exercise performance: gut-tolerable dosing windows, which efforts actually benefit, and how to avoid the GI distress that ruins a session.
Wearable Resistance Sprints: Why Load Placement Matters
Weighted vests and sleeves promise faster sprints, but where you place the load changes the kinematics entirely. Here's what the research supports.
Weightlifting Shoes and Heel Elevation: Squat Biomechanics Research
Struggling to keep your heels down and torso upright in the squat? Three motion-capture studies show what a 19mm heel wedge changes, and who it actually helps.
Whole-Body Vibration Training: What the Evidence Actually Says
Whole-body vibration boosts acute power output 3-8% but rarely beats conventional training over weeks. Frequencies, protocols, and where it actually helps.
Mean vs Peak Velocity in VBT: Which Metric Should You Use?
Mean velocity, mean propulsive velocity, or peak velocity — they do not track load the same way. This review shows which metric fits which exercise.
Sex Differences in the Load-Velocity Profile: Evidence Review for VBT Practice
Do velocity zones and 1RM thresholds differ by sex? A 130-athlete study found the group curve holds, but individual variation tells the real story.
Velocity-Based 1RM Prediction Accuracy: How Error Varies by Exercise
The back squat's minimal velocity threshold sits near 0.30 m/s, but error swings widely — free-weight hip lifts are less predictable than machines.