11 Science-Backed Ways to Boost Your Fitness in 2019
Become a stronger, faster runner in the new year.
Whether you want to beat your marathon PR or simply be able to do a 5K without stopping, runners of all levels are always looking for ways to improve their performance. And what better way to do that than rely on the latest research to help you out? There have been tons of scientific studies published in 2018 aimed at figuring out how people can get give their overall fitness a boost. Here are 11 with results that offer some serious benefits.
Get All Your Zzzzs
If you get a full night’s sleep each night, you’re in luck. A study in the journal Sleep found that logging eight hours decreases your chances of being dehydrated. Participants who slept six hours a night were between 16 and 59 percent less hydrated than the participants who got the full eight.
Dehydration can mess with cognitive performance and physical performance (like feeling sluggish on your run), according to the study’s author. And if you’re already dehydrated before a run, losing sweat during your workout will make things even worse.
Drink (More) Coffee
There are few things runners love more than a cup (or two) of joe. (Okay, maybe a PR.) And multiple studies show that caffeine offers a ton of benefits when it comes to running: It can make you faster, give your muscles more power and help them recover quicker, and improve your focus. So go ahead, have a cup before your workout.
Up Your Vitamin D
There are plenty of vitamins and minerals runners should get in their diets. One of the most important? Vitamin D. In a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, participants who had higher vitamin D levels also had a higher VO2 max—a marker of good cardio fitness.
A vitamin D level of 20 nanograms/milliliter to 50 ng/mL is considered normal, while less than 12 ng/mL indicates a deficiency in vitamin D. But to know these levels, you have to take a blood test.
To make sure you’re getting enough of the vitamin, eat plenty of foods like egg yolks and fatty fish—and spend some time outside, too.
Pack in More Protein
Want to PR in the 5K? In addition to following a training plan, your diet matters, too. More specifically, the amount of protein you’re eating. Consuming a high amount—.82 grams per pound of bodyweight—ran a a 5K 1.5 percent (about 16 seconds) faster than those who ate lower amounts, according to a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
So according to this research, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should be getting around 107 grams of protein per day. Foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, tempeh, and beans are all good sources of protein that will help give your performance a boost.
Don’t Be Scared of the Weights
Adding lifting to your training schedule as a form of cross-training may add years to your life, according to a study from the American Journal of Epidemiology. Those who regularly strength trained decreased their risk of early death by 23 percent. So hit the gym, find a trainer, or buy a home gym set and get to work.
Eat This Snack Before Bed
Eating one cup of cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before hitting the hay can help you build muscle during sleep, according to new research from the British Journal of Nutrition. More muscle means you can run faster for a longer amount of time, so your training and racing will get a serious boost.
[Smash your goals with a Runner’s World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.]
Can You Pass This Stair Test?
No matter how fast or long you can run, stairs always seem to be a doozy for us all. But a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s EuroEcho-Imaging 2018 found that those who could climb three or four flights of stairs in 45 to 55 seconds without having to stop were more aerobically fit and less likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other illnesses. So don’t ignore those stairs you have to climb each day in favor of an elevator.
Never Skip Breakfast!
More proof that breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day: A study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism found that eating this meal helps your body burn more carbs, and therefore boosts endurance. Your best bet is a breakfast full of mostly carbs and some protein. Try something like oatmeal with milk, which provides more than 25 grams of carbs and 8 grams of protein.
Get More Iron in Your Diet
While you’ve probably heard of iron, you might not be 100 percent sure what it is or why you need it. But this mineral is important for runners—it gives you energy and helps fuel your muscles. Foods like clams, red meat, oysters, eggs, salmon, tofu, raisins, whole grains, spinach, and legumes are all good sources of iron to regularly include in your diet.
Think Like Your Favorite Elites
Wonder how runners like Des Linden and Eliud Kipchoge win races? Of course they train, but they also have a ton of mental tricks they use when the going gets tough. And one study, published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that using the same strategies as the pros—like focusing on breathing or using motivational self-talk—can improve your overall performance.
And Keep on Running
Running regularly is great for a lot of things: It boosts your mood and relieves stress to name a few. But logging miles on a regular basis throughout your life has also been linked to having the cardio capacity and muscle health of someone decades younger, according to a recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Men in their 70s who have been running for the last 50 years had VO2 maxes similar to people 35 years younger, and women of the same age who have been running the same amount of time had VO2 maxes similar to people 15 years younger. Additionally, the older participants had muscle composition similar to those of people in their 20s.
Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She's a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women's Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.
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