ATPerformance

04/08/2025

March Research Roundup is ready to read!

Table Of Contents:

- Nitrates & Exercise Performance: The Latest Evidence
- How Many Sets Should You Do Per Muscle Group In A Workout?
- Curcumin: A “Natural” Supplement For Blood Lipids?
- ISSN Position Stand: Weight Cut Strategies For Combat Athletes

(Read the previous month’s research roundup here)

04/03/2025

Contrast Training is a method that pairs heavy resistance exercises with explosive movements targeting similar muscle groups. This approach leverages post-activation potentiation (PAP), where the heavy exercise primes the neuromuscular system to enhance subsequent explosive activity. In the short term and long term, it is used to improve power, sprint speed, and jump performance in higher level athletes.
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PAP is a physiological phenomenon where muscle performance, such as force or power output, is temporarily enhanced following a high-intensity exercise or contraction.
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To make the most out of PAP, your movement should have explosive intent, regardless of if you’re moving fast (with lighter weights) or slow (with heavier weights).
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Romanian deadlifts are great for developing the posterior chain (back, glutes, and hamstrings), which is involved in running fast and jumping high. Banded kettlebell swings can be used to complement the same hinge pattern.

03/25/2025

The adductors: under-appreciated and under-trained muscles that are involved in almost everything.•The adductors primarily consists of four muscles: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracilis. •Adductors contribute significantly to kicking mechanics, with distinct activation patterns in both the kicking and supporting legs, to promote force production and stability/balance, respectively.•Furthermore, adductors play a crucial role in sprint performance, particularly for acceleration and top-speed running. Also, they are important for deceleration and directional changes.•Last but not least, adductor injuries are one of the most common injuries in this sport. Strong muscles are resilient muscles. Combined with the fact that most people neglect to train them, you’ll be one step ahead of the competition if you do.

03/21/2025

The gastrocnemius muscle (the bulky part of your calf) is indispensable for sprint performance, contributing significantly to both acceleration and maximum velocity phases.
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I know that the seated calf raise is popular, but that does not train this muscle (it trains the soleus). The legs need to be straight, the knees cannot be bent.
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Sprinting is also a unilateral movement, so training each gastroc. individually may also be slightly better.
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Last but not least, recent evidence suggests lengthening the calves will yield greater growth (PMID: 37015016, PMID: 39959841). This can be easily accomplished by standing on the edge of a plate, step, thick/dense mats, etc.

03/18/2025

The best dribblers aren’t always the speed abusers that simply outrun opponents.

The ability to move laterally is a key trait of those that don’t solely rely on pace to be able to win their 1 on 1’s.

Slow / controlled reps are for building bodies that compete in physique competitions, not necessarily for building explosiveness in athletes.

The intention with your movement should be rapid loading of the joint and exploding in a different direction.

03/17/2025

Ozempic & Drugs Alike: Killing Obesity, You, Or The Fitness Industry? Part 2 ✌️

Key Points:
- Weight loss drugs, like semaglutide, are not quick fixes. They require lifestyle changes for sustained success.
- They help suppress “food noise” and provide an opportunity for individuals struggling with obesity to ingrain healthier habits into their day-to-day living.
- Critics often misunderstand the challenges of obesity and oversimplify solutions.
- These drugs may reduce healthcare costs by preventing obesity-related complications and improve workforce productivity, while also reshaping industries like food manufacturing and fitness.
- The fitness industry may fear losing business due to these drugs, but can adapt by focusing on services that promote muscle maintenance/growth and strength, as muscle loss is a common side effect of extreme weight loss.
- Trainers should embrace the opportunity to support clients using weight loss medications rather than oppose them (partially because it’s not a trainers place to decide which drugs their clients are prescribed), as demand for fitness services may shift toward muscle- and strength building goals, as these drugs become more widely-used, affordable, and accessible.

Weight loss drugs, like semaglutide, are not quick fixes. They require lifestyle changes for sustained success. They help suppress “food noise” and provide an opportunity for individuals struggling…

03/10/2025

In a sport that requires an abundance of unilateral leg actions (sprinting, kicking, jumping, etc), leg strength and stability are essential for performance and injury prevention.
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It is easy to overlook the importance of leg strength in a sport where skill and game intelligence separate the good players from just being good athletes. However, if you want to be the best that you can be, you’ll have to sharpen all of your edges.
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Strength training programs should at least put just as much emphasis on unilateral training (split squats, single leg deadlifts) compared to popular bilateral training (squats, deadlifts). Bulgarian split squats (unweighted or weighted) are a tool to give you an edge over those that neglect to properly train in the weight room.

03/08/2025

The longevity of your athletic performance can be dictated by your ability/luck to stay injury-free. Of course, not all injuries are preventable, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.
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According to one study, hamstring injuries in professional soccer account for 1/4th of all injuries (PMID: 36588400).
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Injury recurrence rates range from 4-68% (PMID: 33306929). In other words, the likelihood of re-injury is increased after an initial injury.
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Bulletproof your hamstrings with the Nordic hamstring curl. One systematic review and meta-analysis suggests it can slash the injury risk in half across a spectrum of sports/athletes (PMID: 30808663).
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03/07/2025

February Research Roundup is finished! A lot less to report, relative to other months (especially last month).

Table of Contents:

- Seed Oils Improve Metabolic Health?

- Females Gain Muscle At The Same Relative Rates As Males?

- Probiotics For Athletic Performance?

(Read the previous month’s research roundup here)

02/23/2025

Ozempic & Drugs Alike: Killing Obesity, You, Or The Fitness Industry? Part 1

Key Points:

- GLP‑1 RAs have potential drawbacks, including gastrointestinal issues, loss of lean mass, weight regain after discontinuation, and high costs.

- Excessive body fat also carries significant health risks, some of which overlap with the side effects of GLP‑1 RAs, while others are unique to being overweight or obese.

- In addition to promoting significant weight loss, GLP‑1 RAs may provide a range of metabolic and psychological benefits. Emerging evidence suggests they may also help treat drug and alcohol addiction, as well as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly known as NAFLD).

- For most individuals who need these medications and have no contraindications, the potential health benefits of GLP‑1 RAs likely outweigh their risks when compared to the risks of chronic, excessive body fat.

- For those considering a prescription, it is essential to consult a qualified medical professional with relevant experience who stays up to date with the evolving science surrounding GLP‑1 RAs.

Number of Scientific Sources: 38