Interpreting Research

January 15, 2019 | John Paul Catanzaro

I read research papers on a regular basis and I always highlight sections that I feel are important. Here are some examples from papers that I read recently along with my interpretation of the data.

Vegetarian Diet

“Our study has shown that Austrian adults who consume a vegetarian diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower quality of life, and also require more medical treatment.” (Source)

Excess Protein

“When mammals are ingesting excess protein, amino acid amounts larger than needed for synthesis of proteins and other nitrogenous compounds cannot be stored or excreted, and the surplus is oxidized or converted to carbohydrate and lipid.” (Source)

My Interpretation: When it comes to protein intake, too much or too little is not ideal. A moderate amount is best.

Magnesium and Vitamin D

“Our findings suggest that optimal magnesium status may be important for optimizing 25(OH)D status.” (Source)

My Interpretation: If you’re taking vitamin D and your levels haven’t budged, make sure that magnesium intake is adequate. Magnesium is one of our most popular supplements.

Minute Oscillation Stretching

“In conclusion, minute oscillation stretching improves extensibility of the muscle belly without decreasing strength. Furthermore, the augmented flexibility to a similar extent to static stretching is retained for 30 min in minute oscillation stretching and within 15 min in static stretching.” (Source)

My Interpretation: Stretching on a vibrational platform may elicit similar results to this study, i.e., retain an increase in range of motion for a longer period of time without compromising strength. I talk about this form of stretching in my book The Warm-Up.