Spanish researchers have demonstrated that the relationship between marathon running times and the age of the athlete is U-shaped. The work shows the unusual fact that it takes an 18-year-old athlete the same amount of time to finish a marathon as a 55- or 60-year-old runner.

The genes of 894 men and women over the age of one hundred in Spain and Japan have revealed that the secret to longevity, at least in southern Europe, lies in a variant on chromosome 9p21.3, which had already been associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from the University of Murcia have analysed the impact of injuries on possible changes to the mood of footballers. The study confirms that after suffering an injury, footballers show higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Catalan researchers have studied the acquisition and development of language in babies on the basis of the temporary coordination of gestures and speech. The results are the first in showing how and when they acquire the pattern of coordination between the two elements which allows them to communicate very early on.

A team of researchers from Gregorio Marañón Hospital, the company GMV and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have started the first cancer operation room with a navigator. This image-guided system will allow for increased intraoperative radiotherapy safety.

The combination of tomato, olive oil, garlic and onion in a sofrito increases the amount of polyphenols and carotenoids. These bioactive compounds respectively help to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This is contained in a study carried out by the University of Barcelona and the CIBERobn network, Spain, which confirms sofrito as an essential part of the Mediterranean diet.

A review in the journal ‘Sports Medicine’concludes that our ancestors´ lifestyle would help modern athletes to adapt better to training and improve their performance.

Spanish researchers have studied adults’ accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition.