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Fasted Lifting Works, Creatine Eases Knee Pain, and Why Your Post-Workout Burger May Be a Problem
Creatine did more than build muscle in this knee pain study Forty patients with knee osteoarthritis (aged 40-70, grade III or lower) were split into two groups. Both received 4 weeks of physical therapy including heat, electrotherapy, manual therapy, and resistance exercises. One group added 5g/day creatine while the other got a placebo (maltodextrin). The creatine group saw significantly greater improvements in pain scores, fall risk, overall knee function (KOOS), isometric muscle strength, and body composition compared to placebo. No additional benefit was found for range of motion or quality of life subscale scores. PubMed Study Link My Thoughts This is another brick in the wall for creatine doing more than just helping you lift heavier. For runners dealing with knee pain or early-stage osteoarthritis, this study suggests creatine paired with strength work and rehab can meaningfully reduce pain and improve function beyond exercise alone. The fall risk improvement is
Probiotics for Sleep, Baking Soda for Runners, and How Lifting Depletes Glycogen
Probiotics May Protect Sleep Quality After Hard Training Researchers tested whether 30 days of probiotic supplementation (10 billion CFU each of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis) could preserve sleep quality after a marathon in 27 male runners. The placebo group experienced classic post-race sleep disruption: increased daytime sleepiness, longer time to fall asleep, reduced total sleep time, and worse overall sleep quality scores 24 hours after the race. The probiotic group showed significantly better outcomes across all these measures compared to placebo. The mechanism appears to involve gut barrier protection. LPS (a marker of “leaky gut”) dropped significantly in the probiotic group post-race but not in placebo , suggesting the supplement helped prevent bacterial endotoxins from entering circulation and triggering inflammation that disrupts sleep. Full Study My Thoughts This is genuinely interesting and one of the first studies connecting probiotics to post-race sleep preservation in runners. The gut-brain axis
New Research: How Probiotics, Biofeedback, and Plant-Based Iron Affect Sleep, Performance, and Energy Levels
Probiotics Improved Sleep Quality and Reduced Anxiety Researchers tested whether probiotics could improve sleep and anxiety in stressed office workers. Forty-five participants took either 20 billion CFU of probiotics or placebo daily for six weeks. The probiotic group showed significantly better results across multiple measures: overall insomnia symptoms improved (p=0.011), sleep latency (time to fall asleep) decreased (p=0.045), and sleep maintenance got better (p=0.002). PubMed Study Link My Thoughts Sleep and anxiety often go hand-in-hand for runners, especially during heavy training blocks or leading up to goal races. This study adds to the growing evidence that gut health influences mental health and sleep quality. Six weeks is a realistic timeframe, similar to how you might build toward a race. Keep in mind that the specific strain of probiotic matters here because not all probiotics do the same thing. For athletes already working on gut training for race nutrition, adding a
Post-Workout Recovery Science: Collagen Myths, Glycogen & Managing Race Anxiety
Post-Workout Collagen Doesn’t Boost Muscle Connective Tissue Synthesis Researchers tested whether 30g of hydrolyzed collagen taken after resistance training would increase protein synthesis in muscle connective tissue in 45 young adults (~23 years old). Participants performed leg presses and extensions, then received collagen, collagen-matched amino acids, or placebo. Despite significant increases in circulating glycine and proline (confirming absorption), neither supplement increased connective tissue, muscle fiber, or skin protein synthesis rates at rest or after exercise. The disconnect between amino acid availability and tissue response suggests that glycine/proline supply isn’t the limiting factor for connective tissue remodeling in muscle, at least short-term. PubMed Study Link My Thoughts This is a well-designed study that challenges some popular assumptions in the running community that collagen can help recovery and/or build muscle. But, this study shows this may be unlikely. The key nuance here: muscle contains relatively little collagen (~1-6% of dry weight) compared to
New Research: Lifelong Exercise Cuts Inflammation by 71%, Honey Matches Gels, and the Plant vs Animal Protein Verdict
Decades of training reduces inflammation markers, but can’t fully turn back the clock This meta-analysis pooled 17 studies (~649 participants) comparing master athletes (35+ years old with 10+ years of consistent training) to untrained peers. Lifelong exercisers showed significantly lower CRP levels (a key inflammation marker linked to mortality) and higher anti-inflammation markers compared to sedentary age-matched adults. A trend toward lower inflammation markers became significant when analyzing only male and endurance athletes. However, when compared to young untrained adults, master athletes still showed elevated inflammatory markers, suggesting exercise slows but doesn’t fully reverse age-related inflammation. PubMed Study Link My Thoughts This is both encouraging and humbling for recreational runners. The CRP reduction is particularly meaningful since elevated CRP is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality. What stands out is that the benefits held regardless of training intensity, which is reassuring for those of us not logging elite-level volume. The
Does protein boost endurance, The effects of collagen on muscle tendons, and Can creatine enhance exercise?
Think Protein Is Just for Lifters? Think Again. Researchers pooled 23 trials with ~1,150 adults doing endurance training for 6-26 weeks. Protein intake ranged from 1.2-3.8 g/kg body weight daily. The key finding: protein supplementation significantly improved time to exhaustion (how long athletes could sustain effort). No effect on VO2max or time trial performance. The takeaway? Protein supports endurance capacity even if it won’t make you faster on race day. PubMed Study Link My Thoughts This challenges the old “protein is for lifters” assumption. What caught my attention is the disconnect: better time to exhaustion but no improvement in time trials. That suggests protein helps you sustain effort during training, which compounds over time. The practical takeaway? If you’re training consistently, make sure you’re getting adequate protein (1.2-1.6g/kg is a reasonable target). Whole foods first, but a post-run shake is not overkill. More confirmation that Creatine Improves Strength in Older