Stretching before exercise: what changed in sports advice
Many of us learned at school to stretch our muscles at length before every match. Research in recent decades has changed this advice. Stretching has value, but not always where we thought.
Body
Food, sleep, movement and care for the body, with clear evidence and honest limits.
35 articles
One intense minute: what interval training can and cannot do
Can ten minutes of exercise, with only one minute of hard effort, bring the same benefit as 45 minutes of steady cycling? A Canadian study suggested that, for some measures, yes.
Non-sugar sweeteners: why the WHO advised against using them for weight loss
"Zero" drinks and artificial sweeteners were promoted for years as an easy way to lose weight. In 2023 the World Health Organization reached a different conclusion.
Eggs and cholesterol: how the advice changed and what remains unclear
For decades eggs were seen as a risk to the heart because of cholesterol. Then they were "rehabilitated". Then a large study cast doubt on them again. Here is what we know today, and why the answer depends on the person.
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? What clinical trials say
For generations we have been told that breakfast is the most important meal and that those who skip it gain weight. When it was tested in clinical trials, the picture turned out simpler: what you eat matters more than when.
Added sugar: how much the WHO recommends and where it hides
A can of fizzy drink can contain about eight teaspoons of sugar, almost the whole amount the WHO recommends for a day. Most of the sugar we eat does not come from the sugar bowl.
Is organic food healthier? What the two best-known reviews say
Organic food costs more. Is it worth it? The evidence shows some real differences, especially in pesticide residues, but no clear difference in the health of those who eat it.
Vitamin D: what the large trials showed, and what they did not
For a while vitamin D became one of the best-selling supplements in the world, with promises for the heart, cancer and immunity. When it was tested in a large trial, the results were more modest.
Balance and falls: the exercises that protect independence in older age
Falls are one of the main causes of injury in older people. A large review of the evidence showed that regular exercise reduces their number by about a quarter.
Friends and longevity: what Julianne Holt-Lunstad’s meta-analysis found
When we talk about longevity, we think of food and exercise. But one of the strongest factors may be something else: how connected we are with the people around us.
Cardiorespiratory fitness: one of the strongest indicators of longevity
How well your heart and lungs work during physical effort can say a great deal about your health in the years to come. And this capacity can be improved.
Long hours of sitting: how much movement it takes to balance them
Many of us spend eight or more hours a day sitting. A large analysis showed that the associated risk can be greatly reduced, but it takes more movement than we think.