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Barefoot-inspired shoes are flying off the shelves, and they're poised to transform the way we run. Here's how to make the most of running with less.
Your urgent inquiries about the world. Answered.
In 2007, molecular biologist Ron Evans flipped a genetic switch on test mice and turned them into super-athletes. Headlines ensued, as did nervous references to human applications and "exercise in a pill." Evans is still toiling away in the lab, and guess what? The day is coming.
Can being super flexible make runners more prone to injury? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Photo courtesy of XWRN on Flickr. People in 1910 would鈥檝e died of embarrassment if they saw some of 2010鈥檚 fitness trends. (Try handing a Shake Weight to a centenarian.) Other trends would've made a caveman proud. Presenting the top…
What are the best exercises to get in shape for backcountry skiing?
I tore my MCL playing football. Unfortunately, the only working out I can do is upper body strength training. Please help me out with some sort of aerobic workout not using my lower body. My whole life is outdoors and I want to get back to it as quick as possible. The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Can a self-professed "closed-door person" become more gregarious?
Soccer's hardest-working man has spent a lifetime developing the endurance, speed, and smarts needed to close the deal when it counts.
Will caveman calisthenics be the next big thing for adventure athletes?
A new study shows that exercising in the morning before eating keeps the pounds off more effectively than exercising after breakfast, the New York Times reports. Australian scientists put a group of 28 men on a high-fat, high-calorie diet. Then they…
Why is there so much hype around quinoa? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
This year's Ironman triathlon world champion, Chris “Macca” McCormack, is currently gracing Wheaties and Wheaties FUEL boxes across the country. The 37-year-old won his second Ironman world champion title this past October, covering the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile…
The caffeine-free, fully cleansed, take-a-nap, buff-as-hell guide to a new you.
Mark W. Moffett, a.k.a. Doctor Bugs, sent in this video of a botfly emerging from under his skin. A mosquito deposited the egg into the entomologist during a recent trip to Belize. The egg hatched and grew鈥攄ining on Moffett's flesh all the way home鈥攂efore emerging in front of…
A new study finds that people who imagine eating multiple pieces of candy (or multiple bites of any food) eat less of the real thing when given the chance, Science Magazine reports. Researchers, according to the article, “found that repeated…
Photo courtesy of Flickr. Researchers studying 22 male chimps in Uganda's Kibale National Park found that males with more testosterone also had more parasites living in their stomachs, ScienceNow reports. Male chimps compete aggressively for dominance, like most primates, and…
What's the best exercise to increase my vertical? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Introducing our 2011 READER OF THE YEAR, Ryan Levinson, an athlete who competes like a champ while fighting a savage form of muscular dystrophy. PLUS: SIX HONORABLE-MENTION HEROES
Photo courtesy of whitneyinchicago聽on flickr. My dad is a wannabe pie-a-holic. He's also a Type 1 diabetic. So in an effort to prepare an holiday pie that he can indulge in, I've been baking a “sugar-free” apple pie for the past nine years. And you…
Are your workouts working against you? Why one addictive kind of training might be sabotaging your game.
Courtesy of bradley j on Flickr. Taking supplemental calcium and vitamin D, which has been widely recommended by doctors, is not necessary in most cases according to a panel of medical researchers convened by the Institute of Medicine, the…
Professional triathlete Aaron Scheidies was born with a hereditary condition has left the 28-year old with only 10 percent of his vision. In 2007, he became the only disabled athlete to break two hours in an international distance triathlon (1.5K swim, 40K bike,…
Photo courtesy of Flickr. Engineers have developed a microchip muscle stimulator that can be implanted into the spinal canal, allowing paraplegics to exercise paralyzed muscles, ScienceDaily reports. The implant, which is the size of a child's…
Photo courtesy of SashaW on Flickr If you and a shorter friend go for a walk, your friend will burn more calories. That is the gist of a new study published today in the Journal…
Tony Hawk went from skateboarder to mogul. How did that happen?
Why am I hungrier when it's cold? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
聽聽 Tchicaya Missamou, once a child soldier in the Republic of Congo, is now helping hundreds of Americans shape up in his Warrior Fitness Camp in California, CNN reports. As a child in the Republic of Congo, Missamou was taught brutality and forced to participate in…
Energy drinks like Rockstar and Red Bull are dominating the US drink market. And just like the people they energize, they're not slowing down; sales of the super-caffeinated pick-me-ups are supposed to exceed nine billion dollars in 2011. Studies have shown…
Chrissie Wellington unexpectedly withdrew from Ironman Kona this year, citing an illness she couldn't shake on race day. It broke a winning streak that had lasted three consecutive years for the Brit.
By Stephen Regenold This time of year it's expected that ice cream shops and fast-food restaurants might add a dash of holiday-inspired ingredients to dessert items to evoke some seasonal spirit and extra sales. But what about energy-food brands? Two of the biggest players,…
Photo courtesy of Juushika Redgrave on Flickr. Didn't give away all of your Halloween candy to the neighborhood kids last night? Never fear. Snacking on sweets doesn't have to be a waste of calories–if you time it right. CorePerformance.com's Danielle…
Not that you need to be thinking about this before your holiday party stretch, but the American College of Sports Medicine has released The Top 20 Fitness Trends of 2011. What's hot? Strength training…
Chrissie Wellington decided not to compete in Ironman Kona this year due to illness. The night before, “I woke up several times literally drenched in sweat, my head pounding and feeling like my throat was closing,”…
In case you missed 'em, here are the top 10 posts from last month. We dare you not to click on number 5: “Woman Saves Choking Bear”. Number 10: Chrissie Wellington: Riding the Himalayas Number 9: Ironman Champ Chrissie Wellington's…
What should I eat or drink during a half marathon? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
How can I improve hamstring flexibility? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
With only a few days left until the World Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, the excitement and pressure is mounting. But this pressure is only as much of a burden as you let it be. I try to see everything as a positive, and knowing that I am…
Being an athlete requires me to be totally in tune with my body. To be able to read it, listen to it, respect it understand it, and, yes, love it for what it enables me to do. Do most people not love their bodies, or does it sound…
Building mountain-ready knees is all about listening to what they're trying to tell you.
When British triathlete Chrissie Wellington lines up at the Ironman World Championship, in Kona, Hawaii, October 9, she'll be going for a fourth-straight title.
Maxing out on the weights isn't just for muscleheads. It's the best way to tap into strength you didn't know you had.
聽 We're always excited for the weekend to come because we can spend all day in the great outdoors. Each Friday we post our plans on Facebook and ask our friends to do the same. But what happens if you want to tag along…
New technologies take your fitness to the next level—by making the most of your downtime.
Photo courtesy of Flickr. Pulses of light may one day give fully restored muscle activity to people with cerebral palsy or paralyzed limbs, New Scientist reports. Researchers at Stanford University are using light-activated proteins from photosynthetic…
A recent study shows that massage isn't a frivolous indulgence, but a potential medical necessity, the New York Times reports.聽 Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recruited a group of 53…
CNN.com's Senior Medical Correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, gathered some (potentially) useful info so you know what to do if you loose a finger, a tooth, or (almost) pop out an eyeball. Here's what we learned: Problem: You…
I'm on a tight budget. What are some ways to save money on healthy foods? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Chrissie Wellington stunned the world of triathlon, and maybe even herself, by breaking the Ironman world record for women in Roth, Germany, in July. The time she beat was her own, clocking in at 8:19:13, 12…
What's the best source of protein for a vegetarian? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Three essentials for your first cold-water triathlon.
There's no better way to get in shape than to prepare for a triathlon. Here's your guide to the ultimate first-time experience.
By Stephen Regenold Clif Bar & Company touts its new CRUNCH聽granolabars as being created by the “athletes and foodies” in the company'stest kitchen. The bars, which come in four flavors and are baked with constituterssuch as organic oats, barley and rye, are…
According to a new study, static stretching before running does nothing to prevent injury, the New York Times reports. USA Track and Field enlisted 1,400 runners in the study, telling one group to do static stretches before…
On August 26, Aaron 鈥淲heelz鈥 Fotheringham became the first person in a wheelchair to land a double backflip. The 18-year old, who was born with Spina Bifida, had been dreaming about the double since he landed his first…
A new study shows that physically clean people are more inclined than dirty people to judge others harshly, Wired reports. Researchers at Northwestern university invited 58 undergrads to a shiny new lab to “rate the morality of…
Listening up-tempo music during a workout will make you push harder, even if the effort hurts more, the New York Times reports. In a British study published…
What exercises will help improve my reaction time as a lacrosse goalie? Lax Asheville, NC
We saw this Amazing Planet parkour video today and thought back to when our own Lab Rat went in for a Parkour workout. These guys take it a step further.
A new study says that every year, about 10,000 US high school athletes suffer from heat-related illnesses that require medical attention, CNN reports. The…
I want to get in shape for sand volleyball. Any advice? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Whether you're a hardcore triathlete or just a flabophobic weekend warrior, the best new scales make it easier than ever to track progress.
What's the best overall food to carry on a thru-hike on the Colorado Trail while striving to be ultralight?
The founder of Stanford University's Prevention Research Center says he's found five foods with cancer fighting powers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Dr. John Farquhar, a faculty member at Stanford's Medical School, co-teaches a class called,…
Any dermatologist will tell you: Wear sunscreen every day, even if you're just hanging around town. But picking the right one is where it gets complicated. According to a 2009 study by the Environmental Working Group, nearly 30 percent of sunscreens don't have strong enough protection from UVA, the sun's most prevalent, carcinogenic rays. Then there
The secret to performing in hot weather? Have a really cold one.
(Photo courtesy stuartpilbrow on Flickr.) A Stanford University professor is working on a vaccine that would shield humans from chronic stress, Wired reports. Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscience…
Your transition speed can make the difference between podium glory and going home empty handed. Consider this scenario: You swam and biked about the same as your rival, Dom, at an Olympic distance race. But you ran six-minute miles and he ran seven. You should cross the finish line six…
Is it OK to train on an empty stomach every morning? The Editors Santa Fe, NM