Answered questions
Muscles & movement
107 answered questions · 689 studies
All topicsNutrition & preventionMuscles & movementHeart & vesselsBrain & memoryCancerInterventionsSleepAging clocksCells & DNAGut & microbiomeSkinHormonesImmune systemBonesMetabolism
How do you determine the right amount of Zone 2 training without fatigue sabotaging your progress?
There is no hard universal formula for the right amount of Zone 2 training, but lactate as a control tool (target zone 2-4.5…
Preliminary evidence
What is urolithin A and does it work?
Urolithin A shows cautiously positive signals for muscular endurance in two small randomised studies in older and middle-aged…
Preliminary evidence
Do creatine gummies work just as well as creatine powder?
There is no evidence that creatine gummies work as well as creatine monohydrate powder; simply choose powder, which is better…
No · Preliminary evidence
Why do you still get muscle cramps despite taking magnesium?
Magnesium has no demonstrable effect on the most common nocturnal cramps, and with exercise-related cramps the cause likely…
No · Strong evidence
What does an elevated creatine kinase (CK) level in your blood mean?
An elevated CK level has many different causes, ranging from intense exertion to serious muscle breakdown, and therefore…
Moderate evidence
Can peptides contribute to muscle growth or recovery in older adults?
Peptides, especially in combination with resistance training, can make a measurable contribution to muscle mass and strength…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is sarcopenia and how do you prevent the loss of muscle mass at older age?
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of both muscle mass and muscle function and can be substantially slowed with resistance…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How do you prevent bone loss when losing weight at an older age?
Bone loss during weight loss at an older age can largely be limited by combining strength training and adequate protein intake…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a cold bath or ice bath benefit your health in the long term?
An ice bath after strength training demonstrably inhibits muscle growth, so if you want to build muscle it is better avoided.…
Moderate evidence
How much zone 2 training do you need per week?
There is no researched minimum for zone 2 in recreational athletes, but patterns in elite athletes show that low intensity…
Preliminary evidence
What does urolithin A do to your muscles and mitochondria?
Urolithin A shows positive effects on mitochondrial health and muscle strength in small studies, but the evidence is still…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do you lose muscle mass when losing weight with a GLP-1 medication, and how do you prevent it?
With GLP-1 medications you do indeed lose muscle mass alongside fat, but you can largely limit this by combining resistance…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What does creatine do for people over sixty?
For people over sixty, creatine has reasonably well-supported benefits for muscle strength, muscle mass, and memory,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does sitting all day increase your risk of heart problems?
Sitting a lot increases your risk of heart failure and heart-related mortality, even if you exercise regularly. Just 30…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does whole-body cryotherapy actually work for your health?
For specific applications, such as pain following knee surgery and possibly improved lipid levels, WBC shows small positive…
Preliminary evidence
Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day?
No, 10,000 steps is not a scientific standard but a marketing slogan. Depending on your age, you already gain considerable…
No · Strong evidence
Does creatine work better with carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates likely increase the uptake of creatine into the muscles, but whether this also leads to better performance is…
Moderate evidence
Do you need to do a loading phase with creatine?
A loading phase is not necessary, but it does speed up the build-up of creatine in your muscles. Choose a loading phase if you…
No · Moderate evidence
Is creatine monohydrate just as good as more expensive forms?
Creatine monohydrate works at least as well as more expensive alternatives and is the best-documented choice in terms of…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Why is muscle strength so important for healthy ageing?
Muscle strength is one of the best-supported pillars of healthy ageing: losing it increases the risk of falls, disability and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does walking do enough to maintain your muscles?
Walking alone is not enough to maintain muscle as you age. Add strength training and ensure adequate protein intake for the…
No · Moderate evidence
Can you regain lost muscle mass in later life?
Yes, regaining lost muscle mass in later life is possible, but the earlier you start, the better the outcome. Resistance…
Yes · Strong evidence
How much muscle strength do you lose per year after the age of fifty?
After the age of fifty, you can quickly lose 3 to 4% of leg strength per year, far more than muscle mass alone would suggest.…
Why do bones break more easily as you get older?
With age, bones become both thinner and more fragile through a combination of hormonal changes, deteriorating bone structure…
Does strength training help against osteoporosis?
Strength training demonstrably helps against osteoporosis: it increases bone density by one to three percent and also reduces…
Yes · Strong evidence
Can you still build bone mass in your fifties?
After fifty, genuine bone building is probably no longer achievable, but you can substantially limit the loss. Combining…
No · Moderate evidence
Is moderate exercise good or bad for your immune system?
Moderate exercise (sessions up to 45 minutes) is good for your immune system and is associated with fewer infections. Only…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can grip strength predict how long you will live?
Grip strength is one of the better-supported predictors of premature death: the lower it is, the higher the risk. It is a…
Does physiotherapy really help if you already have osteoporosis?
Supervised exercise genuinely helps if you have osteoporosis: it slows bone loss, improves your balance and muscle strength,…
Yes · Strong evidence
What does your balance have to do with preventing bone fractures?
Poor balance increases the risk of falling and therefore of bone fractures; targeted balance training can reduce that risk by…
Does the amount of muscle mass you have affect your hormone balance?
More muscle mass improves your insulin sensitivity and is associated with more favourable hormone values after training, but…
Do male hormones affect how quickly men age?
Declining testosterone measurably accelerates ageing of muscles, bones and sexual function, but the links to mood and skin are…
What does too much sitting do to your biological clock?
Too much sitting demonstrably weakens your day-night rhythm, even after just one day. Moving more, and preferably in the…
Does vibration plate training really help against bone loss?
Vibration plate training helps against bone loss, particularly in the lower back and partly in the hip, but regular strength…
Yes · Strong evidence
What happens to your cells when you don't move enough?
Moving too little demonstrably disrupts how your cells handle sugar, signals and inflammatory processes. Even a small increase…
How quickly do you lose bone mass when you stop exercising?
Stopping exercise demonstrably leads to bone loss, but exactly how quickly that happens is not precisely known. Weight-bearing…
Can intense exercise actually make you age faster?
Extremely high levels of exercise can increase cardiac damage and oxidative stress, but telomere studies actually show…
Moderate evidence
Does physical inactivity accelerate skin ageing?
Physical inactivity is associated with factors that accelerate skin ageing, and a small intervention study showed that 16…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Do you age faster if you have chronic pain?
Chronic pain is linked to faster biological ageing, primarily through reduced physical activity and the side effects of…
Can cold showers make your cells healthier?
Cold showers do not demonstrably make your cells healthier: they actually inhibit growth and recovery processes in muscle…
No · Moderate evidence
Does sitting a lot increase my risk of cancer, even if I exercise?
Sitting a lot increases your risk of certain cancers, even if you exercise. In addition to moving regularly, try to reduce…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does walking outside during the day help me sleep better at night?
A daily walk of around half an hour outside helps improve your sleep, as shown by a randomised study. The surroundings matter…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can exercise really improve your hormone levels as you get older?
Yes, exercise demonstrably raises several hormone levels in people over 40. The strongest practical benefit lies in muscle…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can exercise improve your gut microbiome?
Moderate regular exercise demonstrably improves your gut microbiome, but you need to keep exercising because the effect…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can having too little body fat damage your bones?
Too little fat can damage your bones, but muscle mass and the location of fat matter at least as much. If you have concerns…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does strength training work better against high blood sugar than cardio?
Strength training appears to work better than cardio alone in people with diabetes and a normal weight, but in overweight…
Moderate evidence
Does cold showering or an ice bath speed up your metabolism?
Cold water clearly speeds up metabolism for as long as you are in it, but whether this produces any meaningful effect on…
Moderate evidence
How quickly can you change your biological age with exercise?
Regular moderate to vigorous exercise is associated with a biological age that comes out 1 to 3 years lower, and molecular…
Moderate evidence
Does muscle tissue burn more calories than fat, even at rest?
Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, and strength training produces a measurable increase in resting…
What happens to your bones when you lie in bed for a long time?
Prolonged bed rest demonstrably leads to substantial bone loss, particularly in the hip, spine and heel bone. Recovery takes…
Is walking enough to slow down bone loss?
Walking helps a little with mild bone loss, but is probably not enough if you genuinely want to build or preserve bone density…
Moderate evidence
Does running protect your bones better than swimming?
Running clearly stimulates bone formation better than activities without impact loading, but a direct comparison with swimming…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Why do you gain weight more easily after 40, even if you eat the same amount?
After forty, your body burns fewer calories, mainly due to muscle loss and a lower resting metabolism. You therefore do not…
Is it bad for your brain if you don't get enough exercise for years on end?
Years of too little exercise is associated with a clearly elevated risk of memory problems and dementia. Moving more, even…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is it helpful to occasionally go for a long walk, or are short bursts of movement spread throughout the day better?
Short bursts of movement spread throughout the day appear to be at least as valuable as one long walk, and for people who…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What does exercising right before bed do to my sleep?
Evening exercise does not harm your sleep in most cases, but intense training within one hour of bedtime can cause problems.…
Does it matter what kind of protein I eat, or does only the total amount count?
The type of protein matters: animal proteins and well-combined plant-based sources provide more building material for muscles…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does strength training help against insulin resistance?
Strength training probably helps against insulin resistance, although the effect is most strongly demonstrated in combination…
Yes · Strong evidence
How much protein can your body use in a single meal?
Your body can use more than 20-25 grams of protein per meal, especially when that protein is combined with carbohydrates and…
Does extra protein help with losing weight without losing muscle?
Extra protein helps preserve muscle mass while losing weight, but works best in combination with resistance training. Aim for…
Yes · Strong evidence
What is the best time of day to eat protein for your muscles?
Distribution throughout the day matters most: eat a portion of 20-40 g of protein every 3 to 4 hours, and the precise timing…
Do older adults need more protein than younger people?
Older adults likely need more protein than the standard guideline of 0.8 grams per kilogram suggests. As a healthy older…
Does exercise activate autophagy?
Exercise activates autophagy in muscle cells through well-described mechanisms, but most of the evidence comes from animal and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does creatine help prevent muscle loss with GLP-1 medications like Ozempic?
Whether creatine genuinely helps preserve muscle during GLP-1 medication use is unknown, because it has never been directly…
Preliminary evidence
What should you preferably not combine with creatine?
Combining creatine with caffeine produces no additional athletic performance benefits and can cause mild gastrointestinal…
Moderate evidence
Why don't doctors always recommend creatine?
Creatine monohydrate is well supported for strength sports and its safety profile in healthy adults is reassuring, but safety…
Does creatine speed up muscle recovery?
Creatine (3-5 g/day) can likely speed up muscle recovery after intense training and improve strength and muscle mass, but for…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does walking in green spaces or nature benefit your health?
Walking in green spaces or living close to green space shows clear indications of a positive effect, particularly on stress…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is AMPK and how do you activate it (through fasting or exercise)?
Exercise and (short-term) fasting are the best-supported ways to activate AMPK, but whether every fasting or dietary strategy…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Why is it harder for me to lose weight than it used to be?
Ageing lowers your energy expenditure through muscle loss and a slower metabolism, making weight loss objectively harder.…
Does my metabolism really slow down as I get older?
Your resting metabolism really does decline with age, but the biggest culprit is muscle loss, not some mysterious metabolic…
Can adults still build bone mass, or only maintain it?
As a healthy adult, intensive strength training and high-impact movement can modestly increase bone mass or slow its loss, but…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much rest do my muscles need between workouts as I get older?
Getting older does not call for more rest, but for more regular training: at least two resistance-training sessions per week,…
Moderate evidence
Is strength training still safe and worthwhile after the age of 70?
Strength training after 70 is both safe and worthwhile: the evidence for greater muscle strength and reduced fall risk is…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does stretching actually help, or is it a waste of effort?
Stretching demonstrably improves flexibility, and 10 minutes per week is already enough for the maximum effect. For preventing…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does running cause osteoarthritis?
Recreational running probably does not cause osteoarthritis and is actually associated with less osteoarthritis than a…
No · Moderate evidence
Is walking enough, or do I really need to do strength training too?
Walking alone is not sufficient to stop muscle loss or to meaningfully reduce the risk of falling. Add strength training twice…
No · Moderate evidence
Does urolithin A from pomegranate do anything for your muscles and energy?
UA supplements (1000 mg/day) improve muscular endurance in older adults, but do not demonstrably increase total energy…
Moderate evidence
Does regular exercise help against that creeping chronic inflammation?
Regular, moderate exercise demonstrably lowers inflammatory markers such as CRP and IL-6; training too intensely can reverse…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What are mitochondria, and can you make them younger or more energetic?
Regular exercise is by far the best-supported means of keeping mitochondria healthy; NAD+ supplements sound appealing but have…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does heading the ball frequently in football, or sustaining a concussion, increase my risk of dementia later in life?
Professional footballers who head the ball frequently have a considerably higher risk of dementia than goalkeepers or people…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does my walking speed say anything about how fast I am aging?
Yes, your walking speed says something about how your body is ageing. People who walk slower than 0.8 to 1.0 metres per second…
Which type of training has the best-proven track record against bone loss in later life?
High-intensity resistance training (at least 70-85% of maximum load, two to three times per week, for at least eight to twelve…
Strong evidence
Does exercise help your immune system as you age?
Regular, moderate exercise helps your immune system by reducing smouldering inflammation. Suddenly training very hard without…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which lifestyle factors influence your biological age the most?
Sitting for prolonged periods, a disrupted circadian rhythm and muscle loss are the best-supported negative factors for your…
Moderate evidence
What does your VO2max say about how fast you are ageing?
A higher VO2max is strongly associated with lower mortality and a more favourable biological age, but is more of a gauge of…
What is the best training to prevent muscle loss after age 60?
Strength training, combined with adequate protein intake, is the best-supported strategy against muscle loss after age 60. If…
Strong evidence
Does climbing stairs actually do anything for my heart?
Yes, climbing stairs genuinely does something for your heart. Climbing roughly 50 to 100 steps a day is associated with fewer…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is exercising in the morning or in the evening better?
For fat reduction and improved blood lipids, morning training has the strongest evidence. For cardiovascular health,…
Moderate evidence
How quickly do I lose fitness if I stop exercising for a while?
Your aerobic endurance declines quickly: a measurable difference is already present after 10 days. If you maintain your…
Does yoga or pilates help with pain and ageing?
Yoga and pilates both reduce pain in chronic low back pain, comparably to or better than conventional rehabilitation. If you…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does creatine also help ordinary people, not just athletes?
Creatine is not just for athletes. Combined with resistance training, it helps older adults gain muscle strength, and probably…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does strength training help with healthy ageing?
Strength training is one of the best-supported interventions for healthy ageing: training two to three times per week with…
Yes · Strong evidence
How often and how hard should I strength train?
Start with 2 to 3 training days per week, sets of 8 to 12 repetitions close to your maximum, and increase the weight as soon…
Moderate evidence
How do I know if I am losing too much muscle mass (sarcopenia)?
Concerned about muscle loss? Ask your general practitioner or specialist to measure both your muscle strength and your…
How much exercise do I need to live longer?
The biggest health gain comes from just a little exercise. Going from nothing to 150 minutes per week gives a 31% lower risk…
Moderate evidence
How much protein do I need to maintain my muscle mass?
For most healthy adults who want to maintain their muscle mass, 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per…
Is sitting a lot harmful, even if I exercise enough?
If you meet the exercise guideline, that largely neutralises the risk of prolonged sitting. If you do not meet it, every…
Strong evidence
What is VO2max and how important is it for living longer?
A higher VO2max is strongly associated with a longer life, though exercise itself is probably at least as important as the…
Does balance training help prevent falls in later life?
Supervised balance and resistance training or group tai chi lasting at least three months are the best choice if you want to…
Yes · Strong evidence
Can you exercise too much?
Training too much without sufficient recovery can lead to overtraining syndrome, with demonstrable harm to your performance,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much cardio do I really need per week?
For a healthy adult, 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week is the well-supported minimum, supplemented by two…
Strong evidence
Stronger bones and strength training -- does it help?
Strength training measurably improves bone density, although the effect remains modest. For the strongest results,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does my grip strength say anything about how long I will live?
Low grip strength is associated in large-scale research with a noticeably higher risk of premature death, though muscle power…
How many steps should I take per day?
More steps is better for your health, but even 2,500 steps per day already yields measurable benefit. Aim preferably for 7,000…
Strong evidence
What is zone 2 training?
Zone 2 training is light endurance exercise just below your first threshold, popular among (elite) endurance athletes, but for…
Does magnesium help with poor sleep and muscle cramps, and which form should you take?
Magnesium probably does not help with muscle cramps, but in older adults with sleep problems it may shorten the time it takes…
Preliminary evidence