I read research papers on a regular basis. It helps me stay current in the field, but my approach to personal training is based first and foremost on the observations that I make “in the trenches”, not by the observations of scientists. Often, it can take a while for science to catch up.
Case in point, yesterday I received notification for the new issue of Journal of Applied Physiology, and these two studies caught my attention:
- Roller massage decreases spinal excitability to the soleus
- Prior acetaminophen consumption impacts the early adaptive cellular response of human skeletal muscle to resistance exercise
Those abstracts may be a little technical, and you may not be able to understand the terminology, but take a look at what I had to say a couple years ago about foam rolling and pain. I think you’ll get the point.
Furthermore, for well over a decade, I’ve been warning people that acetaminophen may negatively impact their results in the gym. In Heal Like Wolverine, I talk about some of the detrimental effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), and although acetaminophen is not an NSAID, its effect on skeletal muscle may be similar to an NSAID as we’re starting to discover.
Jim Rohn once said: “There are some things you don’t have to know how it works – only that it works. While some people are studying the roots, others are picking the fruit. It just depends on which end of this you want to get in on.”
Bottom Line: Next time someone says to you “show me the research study on that because I haven’t seen one,” tell them to wait a few years for it!
