Welcome to my weekly summary of the latest research from the world of sports science!
This week’s sports science research roundup explores whether HIIT or video games lead to faster reaction times, just how much vegans benefit from creatine supplementation, and why plyometrics deliver proven results across strength, speed, and agility—read on.
HIIT Increases Reaction Time Just as Much as Video Games
This study compared how four weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) alone versus HIIT combined with mobile gaming affected reaction time in young adults. Sixty male medical students aged 18–25 were randomly assigned to either do HIIT workouts alone or HIIT plus playing “endless runner” style mobile games over a 4-week period. Both groups then completed a Stroop Colour and Word Test before and after the intervention—a well-established tool for measuring mental speed and focus.
Both groups significantly improved their reaction time over the 4 week period, but there was no added benefit from the mobile gaming. This suggests HIIT by itself is enough to improve selective attention, processing speed, and cognitive control—skills especially valuable for sports that rely on fast reactions like soccer, hockey, or martial arts.
My thoughts: There’s research showing that playing mobile games can improve reaction time—especially as we age. But this study shows that HIIT training delivers the same cognitive benefit, without the screen time. I don’t think my kids will be thrilled when I trade their iPads for rowing machines and dumbbells—but it might just be better for both their minds and bodies.
Creatine Supplementation is Highly Effective for Vegan Athletes
This study looked at how creatine supplementation affects intramuscular creatine levels, strength, and sprint performance in vegan vs. omnivorous resistance-trained men. Participants included 16 trained adults (7 vegans, 9 omnivores) who supplemented with 5g of creatine monohydrate per day for 12 weeks while continuing their regular resistance training. Researchers measured muscle creatine content, one-rep max strength, and repeated sprint performance before and after the intervention.
While vegans began with significantly lower muscle creatine levels, after 12 weeks of supplementation, their levels matched those of omnivores. However, neither group saw statistically significant improvements in sprint or strength performance—possibly due to the small sample size or the choice of sprint tests as the main performance metric.
My thoughts: II’ve been following the question of creatine and plant-based athletes for years, and this study confirms half the theory: yes, vegans have lower baseline creatine levels, and yes, supplementation restores them. But the link to performance—at least in this small sample—remains unclear. They used sprint output as the main performance test, but I’d love to see studies using broader strength metrics like grip strength, 1RMs, or power endurance. Still, for vegan athletes, this is one more reason to consider Blonyx HMB+ Creatine.
Plyometric Training Improves Speed, Power, Agility, and More
This review analyzed 70 randomized controlled trials to determine how plyometric training impacts lower-body performance in athletically trained adults. Across more than 1,700 participants, researchers looked at metrics like jump height, sprint speed (10–30m), agility tests, body composition, and lower-limb strength. The results showed consistent performance benefits. Plyometric training improved jump ability, sprint speed, squat strength, agility, and even reduced body fat. This progress was seen across a range of sports and training backgrounds, making plyometrics a well-supported option for boosting explosiveness and athleticism.
My thoughts: There’s one in every gym—an athlete bounding between boxes and springing off platforms—and it turns out they’re onto something. This study confirms what coaches have known for years: plyometrics are a powerful tool to build explosive strength, speed, and agility. But it also shows they help with fat loss and injury resilience. I believe everyone, not just power athletes, should incorporate some form of plyometrics into their training.
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or my growing list of weekly research summaries where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
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