https://medicalxpress.com/fitness-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Fitness & Physical Activity Vitamin D is important for the body to function properly: it balances the immune system, helps to keep bones healthy and benefits muscle regeneration. Yet, 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient. This is the case in winter particularly, as UVB rays barely reach Earth's surface. In fact, the body produces 80% of this type of vitamin through solar radiation (the remainder comes from the diet). Given this, and considering the physiological functions of vitamin D, the effect it might have on both health and physical performance when taken as a supplement has kindled interest. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-air-ally-combat-winter-vitamin.html Thu, 21 May 2026 19:40:04 EDT news698593862 Researchers have worked out how girls' sweating patterns change as they grow, establishing that the age of 14 is a critical turning point. Their findings can inform better sportswear designs for teenagers, and be used to encourage more teenage girls to take part in sport. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-patterns-girls-older.html Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:16 EDT news698582582 A number of previous studies have shown that young male endurance athletes and young men in general with high fitness levels appear to have an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation later in life compared to non-athletes and those with low fitness levels. But to what extent is this true? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-men-smaller-atrial-fibrillation-heart.html Thu, 21 May 2026 05:00:10 EDT news698515922 A new study offers clues as to why exercise can improve neurological symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), examined levels of the exercise hormone irisin in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hormone-irisin-neuroprotective-effects-multiple.html Thu, 21 May 2026 05:00:01 EDT news698498222 Cutting recess doesn't just shortchange kids on playtime. A Syracuse University researcher says it can have real consequences for their health and development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-school-recess-health-necessity-reward.html Wed, 20 May 2026 09:20:10 EDT news698486402 Adults should aim to do between 560 and 610 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity to achieve a substantial reduction in the risk of heart attacks and stroke, suggest the findings of an observational study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-real-heart-weekly-climbs-current.html Tue, 19 May 2026 18:30:03 EDT news698407441 Creatine, one of the most popular supplements among gym-goers and athletes, does not appear to have the anti-inflammatory effect that many imagine. This conclusion comes from a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in Brazil by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP), which evaluated clinical trials in humans. The study indicates that, to date, there is no consistent evidence that creatine reduces inflammatory markers in the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-creatine-physical-necessarily-inflammation.html Mon, 18 May 2026 19:40:03 EDT news698343182 A supplement widely promoted for athletic performance may interfere with some of the heart's beneficial adaptations to exercise, according to new Dalhousie University research published in Scientific Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-popular-workout-supplement-blunt-heart.html Fri, 15 May 2026 13:00:01 EDT news698064661 The "talk test" is often used as a low-tech way to measure exercise intensity: If you can easily talk or even sing, your workout is fairly light, but if conversation is difficult, you are exercising vigorously. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-voice-youre-exerting-effort-machines.html Thu, 14 May 2026 11:10:01 EDT news697883138 University of California, Irvine researchers have invented a wearable, wireless, battery-free, bioelectronic sensor to monitor users' health by analyzing molecular biomarkers in human sweat. The device is called the In-Situ Regeneratable, Environmentally Stable, Multimodal, Wireless, Wearable Molecular Sweat Sensing System, or IREM-W2MS3, and is described in a study published today in Nature Biomedical Engineering. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-wearable-sensor-multiple-biomarkers-days.html Wed, 13 May 2026 15:51:33 EDT news697906218 You've just finished a workout, lungs burning, heart pumping, and you feel energized and ready to take on the day. That's your brain rewarding you with a hit of dopamine—the feel-good hormone that exercise is known to trigger. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-generosity.html Wed, 13 May 2026 12:47:37 EDT news697895221 A research team from the School of Public Health at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has found that brisk interval walking performed once a week can significantly improve body fat reduction and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with central obesity, comparable to exercising three times a week—the traditional recommendation for exercise frequency. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-weekly-brisk-interval-rivals-thrice.html Tue, 12 May 2026 12:40:02 EDT news697807861 Recess isn't just a fun break for grade schoolers. It's crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-schools-recess-years-pediatric-guidance.html Mon, 11 May 2026 04:40:01 EDT news697691831