Answered questions
Muscles & movement
143 answered questions · 1,002 studies
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Does Japanese interval walking work better than ordinary walking?
Interval walking demonstrably delivers more than ordinary walking: better fitness, stronger legs and lower blood pressure, and…
Moderate evidence
What does tai chi do for healthy ageing?
Tai chi demonstrably helps older adults reduce falls and improve balance and walking ability. In mild cognitive decline, a…
Does qigong keep you fit as you get older?
Studies show that qigong helps older people with balance, muscle function, physical ability, and probably also thinking and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Why do myostatin inhibitors produce bigger muscles but not extra strength?
Myostatin inhibitors demonstrably produce larger muscles, but in primates this does not translate proportionally into greater…
Which health interventions really have a big impact?
Exercise and stable housing for homeless people have the strongest evidence base; antidepressants demonstrably work for severe…
Moderate evidence
Which supplements are worthwhile after forty?
A few supplements have reasonably solid backing after forty: calcium plus vitamin D for bone protection, B vitamins and a…
Moderate evidence
Do you lose muscle through the menopause?
Yes, the menopause accelerates muscle loss, and postmenopausal women lose more muscle mass than men of the same age. Strength…
What is the best way to use creatine?
Creatine works best in combination with strength training: optionally start with a loading phase of 20 grams per day for 5…
Strong evidence
What does creatine monohydrate do for your health?
For strength and muscle mass during high-intensity training, creatine monohydrate (3 to 5 g per day) has the strongest…
Does eating a low-protein diet extend your life, or does that only apply to mice?
Eating less animal protein appears beneficial in middle age, but after the age of 65 getting enough protein is actually…
Moderate evidence
What are the benefits of combining sauna with an ice bath?
The combination of sauna and ice bath demonstrably lowers cortisol and promotes blood flow after exercise, but whether it…
Does an ice bath work as well for women as it does for men?
An ice bath cools men and women equally quickly in cases of heat stroke, but whether the effect on muscle recovery is equally…
Preliminary evidence
What is an ice bath good for?
An ice bath helps athletes after hard training: less muscle soreness, faster recovery of explosive power, and a reduced sense…
Is it better to take an ice bath before or after your workout?
The answer depends on your training goal: for fast recovery after intense sport or competitions, an ice bath after training is…
Moderate evidence
What should you look out for when buying electrolytes?
For endurance exercise lasting longer than an hour and a half, a drink containing sodium and carbohydrates is worthwhile; for…
Moderate evidence
How many grams of creatine per day is worthwhile?
For muscle strength and explosive performance, 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day has a clear effect; a loading…
Moderate evidence
How many steps per day lower your risk of dying?
More steps per day is strongly associated with a lower risk of dying, and the benefit starts at as few as 3,000 to 4,000…
Strong evidence
What is the sitting-rising test, and what does it say about your life expectancy?
A low SRT score is associated with a considerably higher risk of death, but that does not mean the score determines your fate.…
Do you live longer from playing tennis or squash?
For tennis there are indications of a substantial gain in life expectancy, but for squash the evidence is entirely absent. If…
Preliminary evidence
Is 75 minutes of exercise per week already enough?
75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week already delivers close to the maximum benefit for your lifespan. On top of that, make…
Yes · Strong evidence
How many extra years of life does regular walking provide?
Regular walking is associated with two to six extra years of life, with the greatest gain for people who currently barely…
Moderate evidence
How much longer do you live from fifteen minutes of exercise a day?
Just fifteen minutes of moderate exercise a day is associated with an average of 3 years of longer life expectancy. Doing more…
Does your balance on one leg say something about your life expectancy?
In people between the ages of 65 and 80, your balance on one leg does say something about your health risk, but it is a…
How much exercise per week lowers your risk of dying?
Even a quarter of an hour of exercise a day makes a measurable difference; the biggest gain comes from going from nothing to…
Strong evidence
Does intense exercise shortly before bedtime disrupt your sleep quality?
For most active people the advice is: allow a buffer of at least four hours between intense exercise and bedtime. If you are…
Moderate evidence
Does strength training make your bones stronger after the menopause?
Strength training likely makes bones stronger after the menopause, but the effect on bone density is limited in size and the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does exercise help with Parkinson's disease?
Exercise demonstrably helps with Parkinson's disease: motor symptoms decrease and quality of life improves. Dance and aquatic…
Yes · Strong evidence
What works better against belly fat: cardio or strength training?
Cardio beats strength training when looking purely at belly fat, but the combination of both performs best. Opt for…
Strong evidence
What works better against belly fat: eating less or moving more?
Eating less has, on average, a slightly larger effect on belly fat than moving more, but the combination works best. Choose…
Strong evidence
Does green tea enhance the effect of exercise?
Green tea adds a small but measurable extra effect on top of exercise in terms of weight loss and inflammatory markers. For…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What factors influence your metabolism?
Muscle mass, abdominal fat, age, sex and the way you lose weight together determine how fast your metabolism runs. Building…
Does paracetamol help with muscle soreness?
Paracetamol probably does not relieve exercise-induced muscle soreness any better than a placebo, and there are indications…
No · Moderate evidence
Do you live longer by eating less protein, or more?
The ideal protein level differs by stage of life: in middle age less appears to be better, while after the age of 65 getting…
Moderate evidence
Is it better to take a cold bath before or after strength training?
Avoid taking a cold bath immediately AFTER strength training if muscle growth is your goal: it measurably inhibits muscle…
Moderate evidence
Does creatine help with weight loss?
Creatine is not a slimming aid and is not recommended for fat loss as a primary goal. If you combine it with strength…
No · Moderate evidence
How much Zone 2 training is right without overloading?
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 appears safe and has shown a modest effect on muscular endurance in some studies, but the hard endpoints fell just…
Moderate evidence
Do creatine gummies work just as well as creatine powder?
Creatine gummies have never been directly compared with creatine powder, and solid creatine forms are demonstrably absorbed…
No · Moderate evidence
Why do you still get muscle cramps despite taking magnesium?
Magnesium has no demonstrable effect against the most common muscle cramps, neither in older adults nor in athletes. If the…
What does an elevated creatine kinase (CK) level in your blood mean?
An elevated CK level is a signal of possible tissue damage, but the causes are wide-ranging and always require further…
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
How do you prevent sarcopenia at older age?
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of both muscle mass and muscle function and can be substantially slowed with resistance…
Moderate evidence
How do you prevent bone loss when losing weight at an older age?
Strength training while losing weight is the best protection against bone loss, but cannot prevent it entirely. Combine it…
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 the health of your cells' energy factories and on muscle strength in small studies, but…
Do you lose muscle mass when losing weight with a GLP-1 medication?
With GLP-1 medications you do indeed lose muscle mass alongside fat, but you can largely limit this by combining resistance…
Moderate evidence
What does creatine do for people over sixty?
Creatine has reasonably well-supported benefits for people over sixty in the areas of muscle strength, muscle mass and memory,…
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 electrolyte supplements?
For most people who eat a normal diet, electrolyte supplements are not necessary. They are only useful during prolonged…
No · Moderate 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 can gain substantial health…
No · Strong evidence
Does creatine work better with carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates probably increase the uptake of creatine into the muscle cell via insulin, but when compared against a placebo…
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 most thoroughly documented safe choice.…
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…
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 bone loss (osteoporosis)?
Strength training helps to increase or maintain bone density, but the effect is modest and a reduction in fractures has not…
Yes · Moderate 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…
Moderate evidence
Can grip strength predict how long you live?
Grip strength is a remarkably strong predictor of longevity, stronger than blood pressure in some large studies. Whether…
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?
Research shows that bone mass loss becomes measurable within a few months at weight-bearing sites such as the hip and spine…
Can intense exercise actually make you age faster?
Structurally overtraining can accelerate ageing processes, while regular moderate to intense exercise actually protects you.…
Preliminary evidence
Does physical inactivity accelerate skin ageing?
Physical inactivity probably accelerates the biological ageing of the skin, but mainly through metabolism rather than as a…
Preliminary evidence
Do you age faster if you have chronic pain?
Whether chronic pain makes you age faster depends strongly on the type of pain, the accompanying stress and depression, and…
Can cold showers make your cells healthier?
Cold showers do not demonstrably make your cells healthier: they actually hold back 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?
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
Are short bursts of movement better than one long walk?
For fitness and day-to-day blood sugar control it makes little difference whether you exercise in spread-out bouts or in one…
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 the type of protein you eat matter for muscle building?
The type of protein matters per meal for muscle building, but over the long term with resistance training, the difference…
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 strength training. Aim for…
Yes · Strong evidence
When is the best time 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 is best not to combine with creatine?
Combining creatine with caffeine powder adds nothing to your performance and increases the risk of 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 to 5 grams per day) can probably speed up muscle recovery after intense training and improve strength and muscle…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does walking in greenery or nature benefit your health?
Walking in green spaces or living near them shows clear signs of a positive effect, particularly on stress and physical…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is AMPK and how do you activate it (through fasting or exercise)?
Both fasting and intense exercise reliably activate AMPK, with high exercise intensity producing the strongest effect. If you…
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 metabolism does not slow down from your thirties onward, but after your sixties energy expenditure does decline…
Can adults still build bone mass, or only maintain it?
As an adult you can still build bone mass, although the gains are more modest than in earlier life. Strength training, at…
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 do anything, or is it a waste of time?
Stretching demonstrably improves flexibility, and 10 minutes per week is already enough for the maximum effect. For preventing…
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 is good, but strength training adds something walking cannot: preserving muscle mass, strengthening bones and keeping…
Strong evidence
Does urolithin A from pomegranate do anything for your muscles and energy?
Urolithin A has the strongest evidence for improving muscular endurance in older adults and muscle strength in middle-aged…
Yes · 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?
Exercise is the only demonstrably effective way to improve mitochondria; for supplements such as NMN or urolithin A, the…
Strong evidence
Does heading in football increase your risk of dementia?
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 ageing?
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 it better to exercise in the morning or in the evening?
For fat reduction and improved blood fat levels, morning exercise has the strongest evidence. For heart and blood vessel…
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 lower 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 strength training, it helps older adults gain more muscle strength, and…
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 heavy 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)?
A calf circumference below 33 cm or a slow walking speed are good reasons to ask your GP about a grip strength test and muscle…
How much exercise do I need to live longer?
The biggest health leap comes from just a little exercise. Going from nothing to 150 minutes per week gives a 31% lower chance…
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 are better for your health, but even 2,500 steps per day already yields measurable benefit. Aim preferably for…
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 has no demonstrable benefit for ordinary muscle cramps, and for sleep problems the evidence is too weak to support a…
Preliminary evidence