Fitness Science Explained : A Practical Guide to Using Science to Optimize Your Health, Fitness, and Lifestyle

✍ Scribed by Michael Matthews; James Krieger

• Publisher: Oculus Publishers
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 182
• Series: Muscle for Life Book 9
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Want to know how to read, understand, and use scientific research to optimize your health, fitness, and happiness?
This book is the shortcut.
Have you ever wondered why science can appear so contradictory and confusing?
Why it seems like there’s a study to “prove” or “disprove” just about any claim about diet, exercise, and lifestyle?
And what it really takes to protect yourself from bad science and benefit from good science?
If so, then Fitness Science Explained is for you.
It’s a crash course in reading, understanding, and applying scientific research to get fitter, healthier, and happier, and it’ll get you up to speed quickly regardless of your educational background.
Whether you want to discover and use evidence-based methods for building muscle or losing fat faster, reducing your risk of disease and dysfunction, or maximizing some other aspect of your body, mind, or life, this book will show you the way.

✦ Table of Contents

Also by Michael Matthews

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Contents

Introduction

1 Good Science, Bad Science: The Difference and Why It Matters

1. Media Misrepresentation

Confusing Correlation with Causation

Oversimplification and Sensationalism

Why Can the Media Get Away With This?

1. Cherry Picking Versus Going by the Weight of the Evidence

2. Different Quality Levels of Studies

3. Science Moves Slowly

4. Science Often Deals in Shades of Grey Rather Than Black and White

5. Lack of Reproducibility/Replication

6. Poor Research Design/Execution

7. Unpublished Research

8. Fabricated Research

2 How to Think About Science

What Is Science?

The Limitations of Science

External Validity

Sample Size

Animal vs. Human Research

Lack of Control in Free-Living People and Inaccuracy of Self-Reporting

3 Welcome to the Hierarchy (of Evidence)

Anecdote and Tradition

Observational Research

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of RCTs

4 The Anatomy of Research

Research Terminology

Population

Sample

Prospective Study

Retrospective Study

In Vitro Study

Control Group

Placebo

Double-Blind

Single-Blind

Randomized

Matched

Crossover Design

Washout Period

Mean

Standard Deviation (SD)

Standard Error

Confidence Interval

Effect Size

Cohort

Cohort Study

Cross-Sectional Study

The Anatomy of a Scientific Study

Abstract

Introduction/Background

Methods

Statistical Analyses

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Funding/Competing Interests

5 The Anatomy of Statistics

Statistical Inference

Estimating Error

Comparing Groups

Type I and II Errors

The Multiple Comparison Problem

It’s Important to Be Normal

Examples of Good and Not-So-Good Statistics in Research

The Not-So-Good Study

The Better Study

6 How to Rapidly Evaluate Research

Putting It All Together: Evaluating Two Studies

Study #1 Low-Carb vs. High-Carb For Fat Loss

Study #2 BCAA vs. Carbohydrate Supplementation on Body Composition

7 The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Journals

What Are Scientific Journals?

Some Journals Are Higher Quality Than Others

Journal Impact Factor

How to Get Access to Journals and Studies

The Most Popular Fitness Journals

Exercise

Nutrition

Supplementation

How to Find Studies on Topics You’re Interested In

PubMed Search Examples

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

Would You Do Us a Favor?

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Glossary

Endnotes

✦ Subjects

A Practical Guide to Using Science to Optimize Your Health, Fitness, and Lifestyle