By Emmett Shaul BLUF A pilot study examined the effects of Alaska backcountry expeditionary hunting on skeletal muscle protein synthesis under conditions of physical and nutrient stress. The study found that despite significant negative energy balance and weight loss , participants maintained skeletal muscle mass. The study also found that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) increased […]
Emmett Shaul
Research Review: Effects of Polarized vs. Other Training Intensity Distribution Models on Endurance Performance
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This scoping review compared the long-term effects of Polarized Training (POL) with other Training Intensity Distribution (TID) models—Pyramidal (PYR), Threshold (THR), and Block Training (BT)—on endurance performance and physiological adaptations. In endurance athletes ranging from trained to world-class (Tiers 2–5), POL and PYR models were generally more effective than THR […]
Research Review: High-Intensity Functional Training vs. Traditional Military Physical Training
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study compared High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) with Traditional Military Physical Training (TMPT) over a 19-week period in conscripts. HIFT proved to be a more effective and time-efficient approach for improving aerobic endurance and strength, despite incorporating less total running volume than TMPT. HIFT resulted in greater improvements in aerobic capacity, upper- and lower-body strength, […]
Research Review: Evaluating Non-Surgical Treatments for Low Back Pain – What the Evidence Supports
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study systematically reviewed 301 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 377 treatment comparisons assessing the efficacy of 56 different non-surgical and non-interventional treatments for acute (<12 weeks) and chronic (≥12 weeks) low back pain against placebo. The findings indicate that only 10% of the treatments provided statistically significant but small […]
Research Review: Physical Training Considerations for Optimizing Performance in Essential Military Tasks
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study examines the physical attributes essential for military tasks—load carriage, manual material handling, and casualty evacuation—and evaluates training methods to optimize performance. Strength and aerobic conditioning are key, with load carriage benefiting from combined resistance, endurance, and load carriage training, while manual material handling and casualty evacuation rely on structured strength […]
Research Review: The Effectiveness of Weight Belts in Squat Performance and Muscle Activation
BLUF Findings from two studies (Lander et al., 1992; Zink et al., 2001) indicate that weight belts increase intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), improve squat speed, and influence movement velocity but do not significantly alter joint kinematics or muscle activation patterns. IAP may help reduce spinal compression by distributing forces within the trunk. Belted squats were […]
Research Review: Estimating 1-Repetition Maximum for Free-Weight Back Squat Using the 2-Point Method
BLUF A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined a more efficient method for estimating the one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the free-weight back squat. The researchers compared nine different 1RM estimation approaches based on velocity recordings, concluding that the 2-Point Method combined with the Optimal Minimal Velocity Threshold (MVT) provided […]