From the scientific journals we bring you the latest research from exercise labs around the world, both online and in our magazine. Here are the best fitness studies  of 2012.

1. Ditch the Treadmill
Think twice before hitting the gym for your next run. According to a study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, walking or running indoors requires less effort than moving at the same speed outdoors. Researchers tracked how much energy people burned walking outside and on a treadmill, and found that choosing a 3 percent slope on the treadmill best matches the energy requirements of walking on flat ground outdoors.

2. Create the Perfect Warmup
Your next personal best is only a warmup away. Incorporating squatting and whole-body vibrations into your next pre-exercise routine may be enough to boost your sprint power by 6 percent, says a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Problem is: You may not have a whole-body vibrating machine. Instead, follow this three-step program proven by researchers at Bloomsburg University to boost your golf stroke speed by up to 24 percent: Take 2 minutes to do aerobic exercises like walking lunges, stretch for another 3 minutes, and then take practice swings for another 2 minutes.

Painful, but effective!

3. Cool Off to Recover Better
Take the polar plunge for a performance boost. According to a review published in The Cochrane Library, cold water immersion (CWI) can reduce muscle soreness between 15 to 20 percent in the 24 to 96 hours after an intense workout session. Researchers compared the effects of CWI to passive recovery (basically doing nothing), active recovery (slowly jogging for several minutes), and compression (from socks and other tight clothing). The results: The ice baths were about as effective as active recovery or compression.

4. Run Before Lifting
Which should come first: Cardio or strength training? If you want to boost your testosterone levels, pick the cardio. In a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, researchers found doing 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise before you hit the weight rack can boost your testosterone levels more than doing the same workout in reverse order.

5. Get Teenage Strong
Think you’d dominate your high school pick-up basketball game? Think again: According to German researchers, the average 25-year-old is only as fit as a 15-year-old kid. Researcher tested the running speed and chinup strength of 8,000 German students, and compared their numbers to guys in their 20s. The results: Both the average kid and 25-year-old could hold a chinup for 40 seconds and complete a 1,000-meter run in 270 seconds. Ouch. Your move: Hammer out intervals three times a week to burn three times as many calories compared to a moderate-pace run that’s twice as long, according to researchers at the University of New South Wales.

6. Lighten Up
You can lift light and still build big muscles, says new research from theJournal of Applied Physiology. Guys who did three sets of knee extensions with light weights three times a week increased their muscle volume as much as guys doing the same exercises with heavy weights. The key: Both groups worked out until failure, meaning they couldn’t lift the weight again at the end of each session.

7. Go Low to Get High
Need to add a few inches to your vertical jump? Try squatting deeper. According to a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research,bringing your squats below parallel when you’re squatting is the best way to improve your vertical jump. Before you start deep squatting, take a look at your heels: If they lift off the ground as you go low, use box squats to build mobility and strength before dropping to the floor.

8. Strap Up
Not only will you look like a SWAT team badass, weighted training vests may improve your quickness and agility, finds a study from Australian and Finnish researchers. Eight recreational athletes wore weighted vests 3 days a week whenever they weren’t exercising or sleeping, and after 3 weeks, they shaved more than a tenth of a second off their times on a figure-8 running course. A tenth of a second might not seem like much—but the course was just 20 yards long and took only 5 seconds to complete.

9. Concentrate for Stronger Pecs
Are you working out like a zombie? You might be missing out. Paying attention to the specific muscles used during basic lifts—like thinking about your pecs during a bench press—make your muscles work 22 percent harder, per research in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning. For extra credit: Tighten your butt to boost your bench. “Dig your feet into the ground and keep your glutes tight throughout. It’ll keep you more stable during this move, and allow you to handle more weight,” Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., cofounder of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts.

10. Go Longer with a Buddy
Having trouble staying motivated? Grab a training partner. Hitting the gym with a buddy can double the length of your workout, say researchers at Michigan State University. Even better: Join a team. Participants who rode together on the same team exercised for 2 minutes longer than their counterparts who rode with a single partner.

11. Bring Java to the Gym
The best performance-enhancing drug may be a legal one. Caffeine may help you lift more weight and reduce your perception of pain, finds research in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Guys in the study who drank the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee completed three more bench press reps at 60 percent of their maximum load compared to guys who downed a placebo drink. They also found the lifting to be easier and experienced less soreness, the researchers reported.

12. Clench Your Teeth for More Power
The pros wear ‘em for a reason: A study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found mouthguards can improve your performance on upper and lower body power exercises. Researchers found that people who used a mouthguard could jump higher on a vertical jump test than those who didn’t have anything in their mouths. What gives? Researchers believe that clenching your teeth—what you do when you’re wearing a mouthguard—can increase blood flow to the areas of the brain associated with motor control and timing—skills you need to maximize your explosive power.