Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [physical-fitness]

Use this tag for questions explicitly about health approaches that revolve around exercise and diet as a means to attain health.

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Does push-ups on finger tips affect eyesight negatively?

Some time ago I've been told that push-ups on your fingers (instead on fists) can affect eye-sight. The explanation was not clear (something about a lot of nerves in fingertips and pressure on them). According to some teachers of Chinese systems,…
4erkas
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Does exercise affect the number of muscle cells?

Washington.edu reported that: Muscle cell number is affected by exercise level while young and elitefitness.com said: a trainee in the early stages of training would increase cell number Where an unreferenced page on wikipedia said the…
fals dikotame
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Do maximalist shoes reduce injuries?

Maxmimalist shoes (i.e. running shoes with oversized foam midsoles) were the subject of a question at Fitness Stack Exchange, which I answered, but I had to rely on anecdote. Advocates of the shoes argue: First, it feels comfortable underfoot on…
user16797
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Does Pavan Mukta Asana help releasing gastrointestinal gas?

Pavan Mukta Asana As mentioned above, practicing the purvana-mukta-asana will help to release gastrointestinal gas. It is also improves other gastrointestinal problems like upset stomachs and constipation by stimulating the abdominal region. Does…
Aquarius_Girl
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Is taking capsaicin in pill form safe and does it speed up metabolism or help you lose weight?

I see ads for numerous supplements and all of them seem to be a scam. Except I have noticed when I am eating a lot of spicy food and hot sauce I tend to lose weight. I have found capsaicin in pure form via a pill but I don't know if it is safe or…
jethomas
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Does slapping parts of your body increase blood flow and help with physical activity?

I have believed for quite some time that slapping limbs is "good for blood circulation", without ever looking more into it. After getting curious about it, I found a lot of claims that it's good for many things, from emotional well-being to face…
LordHieros
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Does over-training reduce muscle mass?

BodyBuilding.com and LiveStrong claim that over-training (training excessively/while being sore) reduces muscle mass. LiveStrong says: Over-training describes a state where your muscles are not given sufficient time between workouts to recover…
Sim
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Did Diana Nyad swim from Cuba to Florida?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57601879/diana-nyad-team-becoming-sensitive-to-skeptics/ says: Diana Nyad's 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida has generated positive publicity and adoration for the 64-year-old endurance athlete — along with…
user5582
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Is it a healthy habit to walk after having food?

Particularly after lunch, I feel a bit sleepy and I love to take a nap. But many of my friends insist that I take a bit of a walk after my lunch. They recommend it as a healthy habit that helps with digestion. Is it true? Could anyone point me to…
rpattabi
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Does exercise trigger migraines?

Some people think that exercise triggers migraines. This recent online survey demonstrates that the belief is widespread enough amongst women to make many of them avoid exercise for fear of triggering or worsening migraines: Social concerns about…
Scientificpr
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Can Flat Feet be "Corrected" through the use of Minimalist Shoes?

As stated in the title, I'm interested in the claim that flat feet, fallen arches, or other weaknesses of the feet can be corrected through the use of minimalist footware. A visit to my local shoe shop tells me this is not a widely accepted claim.…
John Doucette
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Does a burger require an hour of jogging to burn off?

According to this site, one needs about 1 hour and 5 minutes to burn off the weight gain from a Big Mac. However, I've eaten about two Big Macs a night, with two similar sized meals during the day. All without jogging for hours, and yet I've never…
Muz
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Is exercise on a full stomach more effective at burning Calories?

This article makes a number of interesting claims about health and fitness, but I wanted to focus on this one: In one International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism study, exercisers who ate breakfast before working enjoyed…
Kevin
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Are elliptical trainers the least accurate cardio equipment for estimating calories burned?

I find that seemingly equivalent workouts on my treadmill and my elliptical trainer results in the latter device reporting that I have burned almost twice the calories as the former. However as I tend to feel a lot more tired after running on the…
user29308
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Can joints withstand greater compressive forces than shear forces without injury?

It is a widespread proposition on multiple fitness websites that joints are better able to withstand compressive forces than shear forces. For example: Precision Nutrition and Boot Camp Military Fitness. But I can't find any evidence that this is…
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