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In the first article in his new series on diabetes, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick discusses the long history of diabetes research and introduces several models for understanding the causes of the disease, as well as its progression. While the mechanism underlying Type 1 diabetes is generally agreed upon, debate continues over whether Type 2 is related to fat consumption or raised insulin levels resulting from carbohydrate intake. Kendrick explains and evaluates the arguments for each model.

This June 2019 article (published in French) covers the first CrossFit high school sports program in France. The program, located in the Jamot-Jaurès school district, fills the gymnasium twice a week with students from the vocational and general secondary schools. Teacher Jérémy Lascoux remarks, “Ces jeunes ne se rendent pas compte du potentiel physique et mental qu’ils ont. Avec le CrossFit, ils apprennent à se dépasser” — "These young people are not aware of the physical and mental potential they have. With CrossFit, they learn to surpass themselves.”

Several studies support the hypothesis that diet, particularly carbohydrate consumption, affects vision. One study compares the eyesight of hunter-gatherer and industrialized groups and finds myopia skyrockets when indigenous populations adopt a Western diet involving more refined carbohydrates. Another study explores the mechanism behind dietary contribution to myopia and finds increases in insulin promote eyeball elongation in animal models. A third study explores dietary sugar’s links to glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. Its authors ultimately recommend avoiding high glycemic index foods.

On Jan. 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 1582, the “Dietetics and Nutrition Licensing Act,” ushering in a regulatory regime that could imperil the right of CrossFit trainers to share essential information on nutrition and health. CrossFit affiliates should be aware of this potential threat to their free speech on nutrition, as well as their rights under the law. Since the bill’s introduction in 2018, CrossFit, Inc. has worked with New Jersey affiliates to limit the scope of its restrictions through tenacious advocacy with the state legislature. CrossFit, Inc. will continue to monitor the outcome of this specific legislation and advocate on behalf of its affiliates in New Jersey.

Brain insulin resistance is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment, and the regions of the brain most closely associated with Alzheimer’s pathology are also the regions richest in insulin receptors. The authors of this 2019 review argue these associations may be causal and explore ways hyperglycemia and impaired brain insulin signaling may directly contribute to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

"Trainers… apply exercises to their clients in order to induce adaptations in structure and function that lead to improved fitness. In order to do this effectively, reliably and safely, the working trainer must understand the structures they are stressing with exercise to produce the functional change that is fitness. This is the primary reason we learn anatomy and physiology."

“A Federal court in California has ruled in favor of the popular training program CrossFit in its lawsuit against a nonprofit group — a competitor in fitness training — awarding the workout company nearly $4 million in sanctions. Why are you reading about this case on Retraction Watch, you might ask? Well, at the heart of the suit, first filed in 2014, was a now-retracted 2013 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research — published by the NSCA — showing, erroneously, that CrossFit was linked to an increased risk for injuries.”

A 2015 review explores behavioral and mechanistic links between diabetes and depression.

“Estimates for the global vegan food market now expect it to grow each year by nearly 10% and to reach around US$24.3 billion by 2026. Figures like this have encouraged the megaliths of the agricultural industry to step in, having realised that the “plant-based” lifestyle generates large profit margins, adding value to cheap raw materials (such as protein extracts, starches, and oils) through ultra-processing. … today, private interest and political prejudices often hide behind the grandest talk of “ethical” diets and planetary sustainability even as the consequences may be nutritional deficiencies, biodiversity-destroying monocultures and the erosion of food sovereignty.”

Georgia Ede argues the dramatic fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels caused by eating high-glycemic-index foods lead to a variety of negative psychological effects.

The 2020 CrossFit Open national champions are announced. Across the world, 239 individuals have won the right and will receive invitations to represent their country at the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin. This year, CrossFit crowns seven additional champions from countries new to the CrossFit Open, demonstrating the continued international growth of the world’s largest participatory sporting event.