The first 20 minutes

As a runner and someone who likes to stay fit I found some of the myths that this book busted to be both useful and surprising. The main drawback of The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by for me was that Gretchen Reynolds took a lot of words to describe exactly what the conclusions and recommendations from the studies described actually were. I personally would have preferred a summary right up front, in a crib sheet form, and the detail to be presented later to give you the choice of reading it (or not). And as my desired crib-sheet wasn't in the book I've taken the liberty of creating one below:

- Moving, even just walking, provides substantial long lasting benefits
- Low exertion exercise, e.g. walking: aim for 150 minutes /week split into small manageable chunks: note this won't have an “after burn” metabolic ramp-up effect; only intense exercise provides this.
- High exertion exercise, e.g. running: aim from 75 minutes /week
- Factor in weight training too for maximum benefits
- Sitting for extended periods isn't great for you, even if you exercise afterwards
- Drink only when you're thirsty
- Almost all mortality reductions are due to the first 20 minutes of exercise
- Don't increase training volume (intensity or duration) by >10% /week
- Static stretches before endurance exercises aren't recommended
- Use low intensity warm-ups before exercise anything else will affect your subsequent performance
- Ice-baths and massages aren't as great as you think for recovery
- Schedule in rest and recovery days
- Don't bother to carb-load
- Exercise alone doesn't really help weight loss because humans are great at compensating for the calories used
- Only ingest carbs if your endurance sessions are >1 hour
- Mix protein with carbs for a more effective post-exercise recovery drink (think, chocolate milk)
- Train in a fasted state (for example, when you first wake)
- Eat breakfast (the book recommends eggs) to consume fewer calories during the remainder of the day
- Crunches and situps may cause spinal problems
- Weight lifting should feel hard after 8 /10 reps
- Lifting less weight more times produces greater strength gains than the reverse
- The squat is the single best exercise
- Pickle juice (2.5 ounces) helps stop and cure cramps in less than 90 seconds
- Don't buy expensive running or tone-up shoes; they're not necessary
- Exercise helps the brain stay nimble, promotes happiness and wards off the effects of aging
- Goal: run a 10 minute mile (ideally an 8 minute mile) to stave off the chance of heart disease later in life
- Set the treadmill to 1% incline to simulate outside running
- Cooling your neck helps before workouts in hotter environments
- Balance training is important to prevent trips and falls in later life
- Collagen is important for older exercisers
- Factor in interval sessions to stay competitive (e.g. 3 min high intensity, 3 min low intensity)
- Stand to burn more calories
- Ibuprofen has a negative impact on the effect of the exercise

How this will change my fitness regime:

- Set a goal to run at least <10 minute miles
- Ensure I run for at least 75 minutes /week (drink water only during these sessions)
- 2 x interval treadmill session – incline at 1% (24 minutes): Warm-up for 3 minutes, then run hard for 3 minutes, slow for 3 minutes, then jog for 3 minutes
- 1 x slower session (30 minutes)
- Develop and use a weight training regime (avoid sit-ups and crunches)
- Move continuously during the day
- Schedule in warm-ups and balance board sessions
- Exercise as soon as I wake, then drink a milk based protein shake and eat eggs for breakfast
- Stand during work meetings
- Take daily glucosamine sulphate and collagen supplements

So in summary this is a useful and recommended book if you're planning on exercising for the first time or if you are a competitive sports person looking to optimise your training regime.