Training & Performance
Archive
We tend to assume that a nice-looking stride is a fast one, but maybe looking good is its own reward
Scientists have figured out how to make simple exoskeletons that improve running efficiency. Should track and field authorities be worried?
Different workout styles can get you equally fit, but they affect your body differently—which suggests that you should mix it up
Looking to sign up for your first triathlon? We share everything you need to know to help you have a successful first race.
Five moves to get your backside back in action
A new way of classifying athletes aims to quantify the thresholds that distinguish recreational athletes from their trained, highly trained, and elite brethren
Our Sweat Science columnist spent two months measuring his blood sugar around the clock. Here’s what he found.
The first-ever Graphene foam hiking boot delivers unprecedented energy return and cushioning.
The latest “exercise in a bottle” study finds that plasma from exercising mice makes sedentary mice smarter. But don’t throw out your workout gear just yet.
Athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin have started adopting the training technique to increase endurance, muscle mass, and more
Over the past decade, research into compression sportswear has exploded. Here’s what the results reveal.
It’s time to break out the merino base layers and the heat-exchange breathing masks
A selection of (mostly) new titles for fans of science, endurance, fitness, and adventure
The genes that make some people vulnerable to a fatal heart stoppage may be the same ones that give them an athletic edge, researchers suggest
Sports medicine physicians are rethinking the relationship between damage to your body and how it feels
Want to keep training this winter but finding it hard to motivate? Find a partner.
The cold season can throw lots of different conditions your way, but with a little prep, you can keep training through any weather.
Mike McCastle has found a very unusual way to benefit others: by enduring agonizing physical challenges
As skimo prepares for its Olympic debut in 2026, sports scientists explore the sport’s demands
Your GPS watch and other gadgets are great at describing training, but prescribing it is a harder challenge
A mathematical model explains how endurance and speed come together to determine who will win a last-lap sprint
A new study quantifies the effects of running on technical terrain
A new study uses machine learning to quantify the effects of temperature, humidity, heat, and sun
Scientists take their equations for the energy demand of hills and rough terrain out into the real world
The link between serious cycling and poor bone health is well established, but researchers are still debating what to do about it
Sound impossible? Runner Jordan Tropf has put in the work—here’s how he pulled it off.
Over the past few years, McCastle has completed 5,804 pull-ups in a single day, pulled a 5,000-pound truck across the Mojave Desert, and climbed a rope the equivalent height of Mount Everest. How on earth has this Navy SEAL dropout accomplished some of the craziest physical feats in recent memory?
The physiological differences between men and women affect how much fluid they store, how they sweat, and how quickly they heat up. Does that matter?
Yes, people sometimes die while running. No, that doesn’t mean running is “dangerous.”
Build strength and alignment to help eliminate overpronation and protect your feet and ankles
A new study investigates how different types of physical performance are affected by the time of day
The case of 24-year-old Daniel Granberg, who died of high-altitude pulmonary edema earlier this month, highlights the danger of altitudes well below the Himalayan “death zone”
A new study suggests that hydrogels enable you to down more carbs with less digestive distress, and race faster as a result.
These tips will help you build up to your running goals and stick to your plan.
Expert strategies and intuitive tech to help you set and achieve your goals
A new study measures the physical and cognitive load of four different treading techniques. The key? Generate lift.
Supersapiens’s new continuous glucose monitor promises to help athletes manage their energy levels. But can it really stave off a bonk?
A long-running gym debate about whether to train each limb separately comes to the cycling world
A new study of Western States ultrarunners illustrates the power of looking beyond simple risk factors to predict injury
Scientists have been debating whether muscles contract more slowly as you age, but new data suggests the real problem is a loss of strength
A physical therapist explains why your wrists hurt, and how to rehabilitate and protect them
After years of debate on the dangers of “too much exercise,” researchers sum up the state of current knowledge
Electric muscle stimulation claims to be a more efficient form of exercise. Here’s how it holds up.
You might not be a wildland firefighter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train like one
Most core workouts target your abs. But to build a properly strong core, you need to strengthen the other essential muscles supporting your core. Here’s how.
Exercise and digestion often don’t mix well, but scientists are on the case
When you're running in high temperatures, here's what you should know about adjusting your pace—and still getting the same workout intensity. We dig into the science of swelter.
Israel Start-Up Nation’s physiologist Paulo Saldhana explains the data—and the feelings—that determine who attacks when in a cycling race
After years of shredding on a screen, our web producer went outside to try the real thing. Plus: a one-month ollie training plan.
In her new book, ‘The Joy of Sweat,’ Sarah Everts answers all of our writer’s questions about perspiration
Answers to the questions you’ve always had about perspiring but were afraid to ask
Whether you’re looking to transition from pavement to dirt or just log more and faster miles off-road, Saucony athlete Katie Asmuth has you covered with hard-earned tips and advice
They’re deceptively straightforward, but if you can follow them, you’ll see the benefits
It’s the simplest and cheapest performance booster available, so why don’t elite athletes take advantage of it?
Push too hard when it’s hot outside, and your dog could develop exercise-induced heat-related illness
A step-by-step guide to help you build up to the ultimate lower-body move
Five years after the Vaporfly upended marathon running, track shoes are set to star in Tokyo
It turns out we have a lot in common
New research fine-tunes the details of heat adaptation
Work your balance and core strength with these functional exercises
The secret to pushing past your mental limits could be a handful of coins
A new study shows measurable gains in strength from a purely imaginary training program
Elevate your strength routine with this effective, versatile tool
The physiology of events like the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is radically different from “short” events like the marathon
Working stabilizer muscles can lead to big gains in and out of the gym
Instead of focusing on joint angles and limb movements, a new study takes a holistic approach to the biomechanics of elite runners
A body in motion will inevitably need a little maintenance
A spiral of injuries—and the attendant existential crisis—can be an opportunity to revisit the fundamentals
Dealing with discomfort isn’t a magical gift. It’s a skill, and you can improve at it.
Looking to level up? Get started with this inexpensive, four-move routine.
New research sifts through the evidence to figure what types of intervals make you fastest
All types of athletes can benefit from quicker instincts
The former Harvard rower is making the most of a six-month sabbatical from his new job at Zwift
In a new event for Outside+ members, meet and train with the stars of Team USA
Exercise causes pain, but it also dulls it. Researchers are still trying to understand how that works.
Techniques to see success and overcome obstacles in your next race
These tools are suitable for beginners and hard-charging athletes alike
A new study tests how much cycling it takes to maximize cognitive function in endurance athletes
What you should know about safely returning to sports after pregnancy