Understanding Nutrition Research

Staying on top of the research in any particular field is difficult.

I do my best to stay on top of exercise/sports science research, and that can be exhausting by itself. It takes a lot more than a casual glance at an abstract to know what a study is REALLY saying, and if the findings are really applicable. Another big problem is that a single study needs to be placed in the context of the entire body of scientific literature on the subject, so there’s still quite a bit of risk of misunderstanding the significance and applicability of a single study, even if you wade through the full text, unless you’ve been reading journal articles long enough to have a good idea of the big picture.

Another major issue is that, as an athlete or coach, you need to have a strong working knowledge in quite a few disparate disciplines. Basic physiology, programming, biomechanics, nutrition, recovery modalities, sports psychology, etc. It’s hard to attain expert-level understanding of a single one of those subjects, let along all of them.

To make your job a lot easier, at least on the nutrition front, I’d strongly recommend you subscribe to the Examine.com Research Digest.

ERD umami — This is an article in the first issue. Interesting for people who are terrified of MSG, or who love Asian cuisine.

Yes, this is a formal plug. And yes, that is an affiliate link, so I’ll make a little money off everyone who subscribes, just so I’m up front with you about that. However, if you read this site frequently you know that I don’t just plug every affiliate product that comes out (this is my first actually, I’m pretty sure). The only major resource I have is my credibility, and it’s not something I’d mortgage to make a buck off a product I didn’t believe in.

The Examine.com Research Digest really is fantastic. It takes all the latest nutrition research, explains it in a way that’s easy to understand, and places it in the context of the literature as a whole. If you have advanced knowledge in nutrition, it will make it much easier to keep up with the science. If you’ve just got a basic understanding, it’ll take years off your learning curve.

I trust it because it’s not just one person giving their opinion about a handful of studies. They have a huge team of people with advanced degrees (PhDs, RDs, Pharm.Ds, etc.) in that area who make sure the information is thorough and accurate.

If you’re really serious about staying up to date on nutrition research, there is no better investment out there. Period.

Here’s the affiliate link again, and here’s a non-affiliate link if you want to stay on top of the research, but you want me to starve to death.

Greg Nuckols

Greg Nuckols has over a decade of experience under the bar, a BS in Exercise and Sports Science, and a Master's in Exercise Physiology. He’s held 3 all-time world records in powerlifting in the 220 and 242 classes. He’s trained hundreds of athletes and regular folks, both online and in-person. He’s written for many of the major magazines and websites in the fitness industry, including Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Bodybuilding.com, T-Nation, and Schwarzenegger.com. Furthermore, he’s had the opportunity to work with and learn from numerous record holders, champion athletes, and collegiate and professional strength and conditioning coaches through his previous job as Chief Content Director for Juggernaut Training Systems and current full-time work here on Stronger By Science. His passions are making complex information easily understandable for athletes, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts, helping people reach their strength and fitness goals, and drinking great beer. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube