Hormones can be pretty controversial things, especially when you consider that everyone has them. Our bodies wouldn’t work at all without hormones. The problem is that when they can cause such dramatic differences in performance, they also become part of ongoing debates about fairness, doping and how we make sure every athlete is playing on […]
When it comes to the various chemicals of the human body, some are more famous than others. Creatine has been drawing more attention in recent years, especially as it becomes one of the most prominent supplements to help you boost your performance. In fact, it’s currently the most popular of the performance-enhancing substances. Creatine is
It’s an unfortunate truth that most health-related things become more difficult as we age. We can hold some of it off with good nutrition and exercise, but the body does become worn over the years. In addition, problems like reduced mobility or increased risk of dehydration can actually make one another worse. Let’s start with
Most of the time, trying to lower your blood pressure is a good thing. High blood pressure is a risk for heart attacks and strokes, while low pressure rarely does more than making you feel lightheaded. When it comes to trying to ensure your blood pressure is low (but not too low), the starting point
One of the insidious aspects of depression is that you don’t have the energy or motivation to do the most basic things. Eating, sleeping and exercise all suffer. This means that the traditional first steps when you’re not feeling great sometimes fall by the wayside, including the simplest act of all: having a glass of
What actually happens to your body when you exercise? What tiny, invisible changes are happening through every single cell? We can see when muscles grow and feel when our breathing improves, but for a full understanding of just how complex exercise’s impact can be, you need physiology. Physiology is a subdiscipline of biology that looks
My first thought when someone mentions flexibility exercises is stretching. You probably think of something similar, or maybe you imagine yoga. Foam rolling doesn’t have quite the same public profile, but there’s some scientific evidence that it is also a valuable way to loosen up your tendons, ligaments and joints. A more formal term for
You get to the field, raring to go, and suddenly the heavens open and you’re drenched in rain. Surely that’s going to affect your performance, right? Most people would say that the ideal conditions for many sports are not too hot and not too cold, with a sky that’s clear but a sun that’s not
You can do all the right exercises, live the healthiest of lives, and still end up with mobility issues that can’t be cured. Luckily, there are other ways to make your life easier. For example, in the modern world, there is the increasing availability of assistive devices. Assistive devices may sound like something complicated, but
Every day, you perform dozens of essential tasks. I’m not talking about a 5-mile run every morning or an hour’s meditation before you go to bed; I’m talking about washing, dressing, and eating. They’re what are known as the activities of daily living (ADL), and when it comes to daily performance, they’re the most important
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