physiology

Latest in physiology

A person walking barefoot across a fallen tree trunk in a forest.

How to start hiking barefoot, if you’re into that kind of thing

By Alisha McDarris

A sweating young man with a yellow towel.

How does your body stay balanced inside? Thank homeostasis.

By Eva Botkin-Kowacki

A person wearing barefoot shoes that form around their toes, sitting on a rock overlooking a body of water.

For a better hike, try swapping clunky boots for barefoot shoes

By Alisha McDarris

x-ray of impacted wisdom tooth

We finally know why we grow wisdom teeth as adults

By Sara Chodosh

art illustration of person reaching for their toes

Ask Us Anything

Why can’t we all touch our toes?

By Claire Maldarelli

A person wearing running shorts holding their thigh on a beach, potentially wondering what happens when you pull a muscle, because they probably just did.

Ask Us Anything

Here’s what really happens when you pull a muscle

By Nicole Wetsman

11 people are pictured running in a group on a rain-slicked road from the waist down. Most are wearing black shorts, the leader is wearing black, full length leggings. Their legs are muscular and their shoes are all bright colors like neon greens, blues, cherry red, and purple.

4 high-tech running shoes that could help Tokyo Olympians hit record-breaking times

By Lauren Leffer

What actually works for muscle recovery—and what doesn’t

Fitness & Exercise

What actually works for muscle recovery—and what doesn’t

By Claire Maldarelli

Surfers are riding a wave of new technologies to their Olympic debut

Eliud Kipchoge just ran a marathon in less than two hours—how much faster does science say humans can get?

Fitness & Exercise

Eliud Kipchoge just ran a marathon in less than two hours—how much faster does science say humans can get?

By Claire Maldarelli

American and British scientists split the Nobel Prize for work on how cells handle hypoxia

American and British scientists split the Nobel Prize for work on how cells handle hypoxia

Women soccer players usually peak in their 20s—here’s why some excel into their 40s

Women soccer players usually peak in their 20s—here’s why some excel into their 40s

By Nicole Wetsman

What running ultramarathons and giving birth tell us about the limits of human endurance

Fitness & Exercise

What running ultramarathons and giving birth tell us about the limits of human endurance

Space changes your brain in bigger ways than we thought

International Space Station

Space changes your brain in bigger ways than we thought

By Neel V. Patel

The biomechanics behind Michael Jackson’s impossible dance moves

The biomechanics behind Michael Jackson’s impossible dance moves

By Sara Chodosh

The world’s best freedivers seem to have evolved super-sized spleens

The world’s best freedivers seem to have evolved super-sized spleens

By Claire Maldarelli

Scientists still don’t understand how freedivers can survive such crushing depths

Scientists still don’t understand how freedivers can survive such crushing depths

By Kevin Fong/The Conversation

A six pack won’t make you a better runner, but these deep core exercises might

Fitness & Exercise

A six pack won’t make you a better runner, but these deep core exercises might

By Claire Maldarelli

Can you really die from a broken heart?

Can you really die from a broken heart?

By Claire Maldarelli

Does a fever always mean you have an infection?

Ask Us Anything

Does a fever always mean you have an infection?

By Cassidy Mayeda