Each Tuesday afternoon ACSM members receive ACSM's Sports Medicine Bulletin (SMB) in their inbox. Featured in each issue is the In The News section, which highlights news articles that focus on research published in ACSM journals or that feature ACSM members as subject matter experts. We present the Top 10 most read In The News articles of 2020.

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1. Why Running Won't Ruin Your Knees

The New York Times | Oct. 27

In one of her new Phys Ed columns, Gretchen Reynolds discusses new research published by ACSM member Ross Miller, Ph.D., and cites older research from Dr. Miller that was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®.

Could running actually be good for your knees? That idea is at the heart of a fascinating new study of the differing effects of running and walking on the knee joint.

2. 5 Health Benefits of Stretching: Why It's So Important and How to Stretch Properly, According to Physical Therapists   

Insider | Nov. 17

ACSM Fellows Barbara Bushman, Ph.D., ACSM-CEP®, ACSM-EP®, ACSM-PT®, and Phil Page, Ph.D., P.T., offer insights and tips in this article.

Any healthy workout routine should include stretching exercises. That's because stretching provides a variety of health benefits, from improving flexibility to preventing injury.

3. Your Ultimate, Science-Backed Guide to High-Intensity Interval Training 

Runner's World via msn.com | Oct. 27

This article on high-intensity interval training mentions ACSM’s annual trends release and links to the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2020 published in ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short, was named one of the top fitness trends in the world for 2020, based on an annual survey by the American College of Sports Medicine. This super hard, super effective style of training isn’t just the “it” workout of the moment—of the 14 years ACSM has been conducting this survey, HIIT ranked in the top three spots for six consecutive years.

4. Does Standing in Your Saddle Really Help You Power Up?

Bicycling.com | July 28

This story discusses recent research by ACSM member Ross Wilkinson, Ph.D., that was published in the July 2020 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise_®.

When you’re out on a ride and you see a big hill coming up, you often shift to stand in your pedals in order to tackle it. But is that increased oomph a real thing or just a placebo effect?

5. To Strength Train Right, Trust Your Feelings 

Outside | Nov. 11

This piece on getting the most of resistance workouts cites and links to an ACSM position stand, related studies by ACSM Fellow Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., from McMaster University and ACSM’s Guidelines for Strength Training infographic.

You don’t need an elaborate workout plan to get the most out of your resistance workout; you just need to tune into how you feel.

6. Handgrip Strength Could Be a Simple Way to Predict Fall Risk

Medscape | June 23

This article highlights Silvia Neri’s accepted abstract for the 2020 ACSM Annual Meeting, which is now an ePoster for the ACSM 2020 Virtual Experience.

Handgrip strength might be an effective and easy way to assess the risk for falls in older people, according to results from a new study.

7. Intense Workouts Can Stress Immune System, Heighten Risk of Respiratory Illnesses, Coronavirus: Study

Fox News | Aug. 18

This article cites ACSM’s new call to action statement on COVID-19 and considerations for sports and physical activity that was published in the August issue of Current Sports Medicine Reports and includes comments from author Thomas Best, M.D., FACSM.

Extreme exercise routines like marathon running, Crossfit and working out to exhaustion could make some individuals more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, new research suggests.

8. High-Impact Training Can Build Bone in Older Women

Medscape | July 7

In this piece, ACSM Fellow Belinda Beck, Ph.D., shares insights on the research she presented as part of ACSM’s 2020 Virtual Experience.

Older adults, particularly postmenopausal women, are often advised to pursue low-impact, low-intensity exercise as a way to preserve joint health, but that approach might actually contribute to a decline in bone mineral density, researchers report.

9. The Race Is on to be the Peloton of Weightlifting

The New York Times via Chicago Tribune | Aug.25

ACSM Fellow Michele Olson, Ph.D., offers insights in this article about a current trend in strength-training devices.

While there are tens of millions of unemployed Americans, some are still shelling out thousands of dollars to set themselves up with home fitness equipment. These would-be barbell juggernauts have some heavy lifting to do, though.

10. There's a Better Way to Warm Up than Stretching           

Popular Science | Oct.13

ACSM Fellow Dixie Stanforth, Ph.D., offer insights in this story about engaging in dynamic warmups before you start a workout.

Anyone who played sports as a kid, or even just half-heartedly participated in gym class, may remember prefacing that activity by standing in a circle pulling on your limbs until they were well-stretched. If you’re still doing something similar today, it’s time to end your friendship with pre-workout stretches. Now dynamic warmups are your best friend.