Caffeine is one of the most popular ergogenic (intended to enhance performance, stamina, or recovery) aids on the market, with research frequently demonstrating efficacy in both physical and cognitive domains.

Caffeine's performance benefits have been proven consistently, and it can deliver a real boost for individuals engaging in training or competition. However, to maximize the benefits caffeine offers, its use must be balanced with the potential for negative effects on sleep, a crucial component of peak performance.

This meta-analysis dives into the literature and the potential negative effects of caffeinated evening training and caffeine's negative impact on sleep performance.

The Guest Author Spotlight is back with Korey Van Wyk, a nutrition and exercise education professional, who brings us a systematic review examining the effects of N-acetylcysteine on physical performance and biomarkers.

Cognitive performance is a cornerstone of optimal performance. As more and more attention is placed on this performance area, more and more attention is being placed on ways to improve this aspect of performance.

Creatine is not new. It has been quietly working in the background as a key supporter of strength and power performance. But as new research continues to emerge, creatine is finding a new application: cognitive performance.

This meta-analysis dives into the literature and the potential effects of creatine on cognitive performance. 

Energy availability (EA) plays a critical role in both performance and recovery. Yet in weight- and aesthetic-driven sports, athletes, particularly women, often adopt restrictive eating patterns. These habits can compromise EA, leading to diminished performance and slower recovery.

Currently, two methods are the go-tos for determining EA. The first, calculating an individual’s Resting Metabolic Rate RMR ratio, which is the comparison of an individual's measured Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) to their predicted RMR calculated from personal metrics like height, weight, and age. The second is a comparison of calculated caloric intake and fat-free mass (FFM). 

Thresholds for low energy availability have been established. An RMR ratio of <0.9 and a calculation of <30 kcal/kg FFM/d are considered to be indicative of low energy availability. 

This week, The Research Desk examines a 2025 study comparing the measurement of these two popular methods.

Innovation is more than just randomly repeating the hottest on social. It's about digging deeper to find the small details that matter, which takes in-depth research and extensive collaboration. 

We also know that one source isn’t enough, even when that source is us. With that, we would like to introduce our Guest Author spotlight, where experts in the field share with you what they are sharing with us.  

This week, Tyler Roof, MS, RD CSSD, a Performance Dietitian at Momentous, shares an article examining the effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on bone health in postmenopausal women.

Glycogen stores play a crucial role in prolonged exercise performance, especially in the liver. Unfortunately, these stores are limited. Finding efficient ways to replenish them is paramount for peak performance.

In this issue of The Research Desk, we examine a 2025 study looking at different post-exercise carbohydrate consumption strategies for replenishing liver and muscle glycogen stores.

Strength plays a crucial role in optimal performance. Finding ways to support this side of physical performance beyond resistance training is paramount.

In this issue of The Research Desk, we examine one of the first studies looking at fish oil supplementation and its effects on strength performance in a young population. 

Sleep plays a critical role in peak performance.

It has been well established that sleep supports multiple systems throughout the body, ensuring recovery and adaptation. Nevertheless, sleep still eludes many individuals, especially athletes who are notorious for insufficient sleep performance. 

Today, The Research Desk dives into a meta-analysis of sleep deprivation and physical performance to uncover just where sleep insufficiencies hit the hardest. 

Creatine and ß-alanine are staples of the supplement world and are most commonly stacked together in pre-workout formulas.

Extensive research has shown their individual mechanisms of action and applications. However, very little research has been conducted examining the potential synergistic effects of combining these two powerhouses.

Today, The Research Desk takes a deeper look into the potential synergistic effects and application of combining these two staple ingredients. 

Walnuts are an excellent source of beneficial compounds like omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), peptides, and flavonoids. These compounds have been shown to positively affect cognitive function, especially when consumed chronically. 

Unsurprisingly, there is strong evidence suggesting that chronic consumption of walnuts benefits cognitive function. Despite these reported benefits, there is very little research on the acute effects of walnut consumption. 

Today, The Research Desk takes a closer look at one of the first studies looking at the acute effects of eating walnuts on cognitive function. 

Blueberries are one of our favorite foods for nutritional intervention, mostly because they are packed with beneficial compounds like anthocyanins. These compounds help to scavenge reactive oxidative species and free radicals, helping to decrease oxidative stress in the body and promote a variety of other health benefits. 

Interestingly, blueberries, along with other fruits, are often consumed as processed foods (jams, juices, purees, etc.). Earlier research suggests that food processing can alter nutrient content and delivery. 

Today, The Research Desk takes a closer look at the potential effects of food processing on blueberries. 

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Being at the forefront of human performance means staying up-to-date with the most recent research in the field. It also means revising protocols when the literature calls for changes.

We recently came across two 2025 studies examining vitamin D supplementation protocols, which made us take a deeper look at our current vitamin D recommendation. 

Today, The Research Desk changes a few things up and dives into two studies that convinced us to amend our current vitamin D protocol recommendation. 

While palm cooling has been around for at least a decade, its application and research seem to still be in their infancy.  

Since this method is starting to make its way into sports performance, The Research Desk wanted to take a closer look at its potential efficacy and application.

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Sauna culture has been around for centuries. But over the past couple of years, its popularity has seen some substantial growth with little sign of slowing down. Growing popularity means growing scrutiny. More scrutiny leads to more studies with deeper dives into past research.

This growing popularity piqued our interest. Today, The Research Desk is taking a closer look at sauna bathing and its potential performance and health benefits.

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Sleep is an undeniable cornerstone of performance. However, daytime napping has not been granted the same status. While many agree that napping can be beneficial for sleep-deprived individuals, the benefits of napping come into question after a full night's rest. 

Today, The Research Desk takes a look at a meta-analysis examining the effects of napping after a full night’s rest and after sleep deprivation on performance outcomes. 

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Collagen is a very well-established ingredient when it comes to the supplement game. It has found a home in both the beauty and recovery spaces. Recently, its applications have started to expand. 

Previous research has shown that the compounds found in collagen, like glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, could promote sleep and cognitive performance. 

Today, The Research Desk is diving into a seminal paper expanding on this concept by examining collagen as a sleep and cognitive performance support supplement. 

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Probiotics and gut health aren’t a secret. It seems like everyone has heard about the gut-brain axis and how a healthy gut influences cognitive performance. But where common knowledge stops, the scientific literature has continued to push.  

Gut health research has further expanded in implications and application. While people are still parroting fun facts about serotonin production in the gut, research is finding new connections like the gut-muscle axis and uncovering the gut’s influence on inflammatory responses. 

These findings have found their way into the realm of sport science research and application. 

Today, The Research Desk breaks down a 2025 review of probiotics and their ability to go beyond supporting gut health for the purposes of generalized health and support physical and mental performance through a myriad of mechanisms. 

It is pretty well known that exercise causes damage and stress. When properly managed, these responses help drive adaptation and growth.

However, when these processes are not properly managed, they can compound, resulting in hindered performance and progress. 

Today, The Research Desk dives into a study examining the natural responses to training and how supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids, namely fish oil, can help promote these processes. 

Daniel Jones is off to an impressive start as QB1 with the Indianapolis Colts in the 2025 season. An achievement that only a few individuals in The League can claim.

Maintaining peak performance week to week in the NFL is a daunting task. Football is a collision sport. Many of these impacts are violent and can result in physiological disruption and injury. Without a doubt, resilience is vital for continued success.

Resilience requires inflammation control.

Today, we examine the physiology behind the inflammatory response.

On September 8, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets to win his second U.S. Open, earning his sixth Grand Slam championship and returning to the top of the ATP rankings.

Tennis demands complete athletic versatility, and at the highest level, lightning-fast reaction time becomes one of the most critical skills for success.

Today, we examine the neurophysiological processes that support the complex process of reaction time.

Fighting on any level is extremely demanding. It requires stamina, precision, strength, and power. 

Vitality athlete Tabatha Ricci won her fight against Amanda Ribas via second-round TKO at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26, 2025. Ricci's victory was a significant one, marking one of the biggest wins of her career.

Knockouts require extreme amounts of power. But power is more than strength. There is an element of speed that is required. The faster top-end force can be produced, the more power that is generated. Today, Physiology in the Field takes a closer look at what it takes to generate knockout power through a concept called "Rate of Force Production" or RFD.

Strength performance in barbell sports is the culmination of multiple physiological factors coming together at one exact moment. 

This week, we examine one of the many factors that helped Colton Engelbrecht set an all-time raw powerlifting world record by totaling 1202 kg at a body weight of 120 kg on March 29th, 2025. Not only does this make him the first to break this mark, but it also makes his total 10x his body weight.

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The process of oxygen delivery is a complicated one. Multiple parts must be in sync in order to extract oxygen from the outside environment and successfully deliver it to working tissues. 

Optimizing this system to support high-altitude performance, where oxygen is a scarce resource, is nothing short of extraordinary. 

This week, we examine oxygen delivery and celebrate Vitality athlete Tyler Andrews and his high-altitude speed record on Nepal’s 8,163-meter (26,781-foot)  high Manaslu, which he summited in 9 hours and 52 minutes, shaving more than 2 hours off the previous time.

Welcome to Physiology in the Field, a companion to The Research Desk. 

While TRD explores cutting-edge studies and their implications for personal health and performance, this new companion series flips the lens—starting with extraordinary real-life performances and unpacking the physiological systems behind them.

Physiology in the Field connects our passion for science to real-world excellence. Each note celebrates exceptional achievements, breaks down how the mind and body enable them, and offers practical strategies (grounded in research) to help you or your clients pursue similar performance through lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation.

Our first post celebrates golfer Adrien Dumont De Chassart’s achievement of shooting a 59 at the Korn Ferry Wichita Open. 

This week, we dive into the neurology of a golf swing, one physiological aspect required to accomplish this great achievement. 

Vitality Unlocked Episode 3: [Building a Smarter Pre-workout]

Pre-workout supplements have become a staple in almost every performance regime. But, even now, pre-workout supplements are not as clear-cut and dry as many would like them to be.

In this episode, Vitality Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Dan Garner dives deep into a question he gets quite frequently: "What should I take pre-workout?" This episode will not only clear up the confusion surrounding this supplemental strategy but will also give ingredient protocols to optimize multiple aspects of performance.

There should be no confusion around pre-workout supplementation. This episode takes a scientific approach to pre-workout supplements and their direct application.

Smarter pre-workout supplementation means optimized training and performance.

Tune in below and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Show Notes

Pick up the slides and full resources from this episode here.

Vitality Unlocked Episode 2: [Nutrition is not a Belief System]

Vitality unlocked episode 2, “Nutrition is not a Belief System", has been released and is up on our YouTube Channel.  

The science of nutrition has been overshadowed by a variety of beliefs surrounding food and dieting practices. Despite the beliefs, nothing will erase the fact that performance fueling requires a deep understanding of metabolism and the multiple facets that optimize it.

In this episode, Vitality Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Dan Garner will dive deep into the often-forgotten third pillar: micronutrients. Despite their roles in basic metabolism and physiological processes, micronutrients are criminally under-discussed.

Tune in to learn about the crucial role these compounds play in aligning your physiology to achieve your specific goals and get the exact playbook on how to ensure optimal levels. 

The full episode is up on YouTube. Sign in and watch the full episode now. 

Make sure to subscribe and follow the page for updates.

Show Notes

For the show notes, log onto the show notes page and enter your email to unlock resources. 

Lock in your Micros and realize your full potential.

Know your exact levels with a Vitality Blueprint performance bloodwork analysis plan.

Vitality Unlocked Episode 1: Resilience Redefined

The term "resilience" has been too vague for too long. Vagueness cannot be defined. What cannot be defined cannot be measured. And what cannot be measured cannot be objectively improved.

It’s time for that to change.

In this episode, Vitality Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Dan Garner sets the record straight.

This deep dive into the physiology behind stress and resilience provides clear definitions of what resilience is, how to measure it, the key biomarkers, and methods for building lasting resilience.

Finally, Dan makes a case for skeletal muscle as one of the most important organ systems in supporting reliance, now and with age.

Tune in below and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Show Notes

Pick up the slides and full resources from this episode here.