Welcome to my weekly summary of the latest research from the world of sports science!
These three studies break down some long-held beliefs in training and sports nutrition. From proving that mixing strength and endurance doesn’t really hurt your progress, to showing when real foods can replace certain supplements and even how baking soda improves athletic performance in artistic swimmers. This week’s research challenges assumptions and helps you train smarter—read on.
Combining Strength and Endurance Training Won’t Necessarily Slow Your Progress
This review re-examines the long-standing belief that combining endurance and resistance training leads to “interference”—where progress in one hampers your gains in the other. Researchers found that while concurrent training doesn’t hurt endurance or strength development for most people, explosive power (like sprinting or jumping) can suffer when strength and endurance sessions are done without at least 6–24 hours of recovery between them.
Declines in both power and endurance as we age may stem from shared biological mechanisms like mitochondrial dysfunction. Using combined testing, the authors found a strong correlation between fresh muscle power and VO₂max—indicating that stronger muscles can directly support better cardiovascular performance. In other words, strength and endurance aren’t in conflict; they work together to support long-term athletic resilience.
My thoughts: This excellent study dives into the age-old myth that strength and endurance together will slow your progress. Newer studies show that’s mostly not true unless you’re chasing max explosiveness, though. Even then, small tweaks like spacing out sessions and not training to failure can help. For most athletes, combining both is still the best path forward.
Everyday Foods Can Replace Some Sports Supplements (If You Know What You’re Doing)
This expert Q&A brought together ten leading sports nutritionists to weigh in on whether real foods can replace commercial supplements. In many cases, they can—jam sandwiches and applesauce can match carb gels for energy, while fruit juice with added salt and coconut water can substitute for sports drinks. But some nutrients, like creatine, were labeled “conditionally essential,” meaning that while you can technically get it from food sources like meat and fish, most athletes don’t consume enough to reach performance-supporting levels through diet alone, making supplementation the practical choice.
My thoughts: After reading this, you may stop buying sports drinks, or at least think harder about them. Hydra+ was designed with this in mind—it delivers sodium and carbs like juice, but in a portable, shelf-stable format. Same with HMB+ Creatine—whole foods don’t easily replace it, but smart real-food swaps still have a place in any athlete’s routine.
Sodium Bicarbonate Improves Performance in Artistic Swimmers (Among Other Athletes)
This study tested whether sodium bicarbonate supplementation could improve anaerobic performance in artistic swimmers. Thirteen elite female athletes completed a swim-specific performance test after taking either baking soda or a placebo. The bicarbonate group showed significantly improved total scores and anaerobic performance, likely due to enhanced buffering capacity and delayed muscle fatigue. The authors conclude that sodium bicarbonate is a valid ergogenic aid in this sport, even though it's typically associated with sprint or high-intensity interval training.
My thoughts: This is a neat one. We all know sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, can boost sprint and HIIT performance—but artistic swimming? This study shows how far science is going to test specific sports. I can’t wait to tell the boys at the bar.
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or my growing list of weekly research summaries where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
– Train hard!
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