Human performance, public health, biology, and the science of living well.
Six weeks of supported surfing gave a South African teenager with four limb amputations a chance to test his balance in moving water, learn new physical skills and imagine a future in competitive sport. A year later, he reported that the experience continued to influence how he walked with prosthetic legs and managed stress. The…
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Eighty-six active-duty U.S. service members with depression took part in surf or hike therapy and both activities brought short-term improvements during weekly sessions. A closer look found that the level of effort linked with the strongest improvement appeared to differ between the ocean and the trail. The 2026 study, published in Frontiers in Sports and…
Eighty-seven percent of divers who had previously felt the effects of raised carbon dioxide chose to bail out during a later blinded exposure. Among divers who had only read an information leaflet, 67% took the same action. The difference pointed toward a possible training benefit, although the small trial could not establish that the earlier…
Astronaut bones continued rebuilding for years after two crew members returned from the International Space Station, yet their recoveries followed very different paths. One person regained all measured aspects of bone density and structure within four years. The other retained damage inside the spongy framework of the lower leg, even as thicker outer bone helped…
