Bodies By M.E.

Moderate chocolate consumption linked to lower risks of heart failure.

Finally a study women can truly enjoy!

If you want to keep your mind and body sharp you may want to take a good look at the amount of fat in your diet. A new study suggest that a high fat diet even for just a few days may have negative effects on short-term memory and exercise performance.

Studies on both rats and humans by researchers at Cambridge University have found a drop in cognitive and physical activity performance following several days of consuming a high fat diet. Lead researcher Dr, Andrew Murray and colleagues compared two groups of rats, the group was fed a normal diet  and trained to run an a treadmill and perform simple cognitive tasks. Half the rats were later switched over to a high fat diet and evaluated how well they completed the same tasks. After a few days the high fat rats performed 30% less and were much less successful in performing cognitive tasks.

It is unclear why a high fat diet impairs cognitive function , insulin resistance is a possibility because it reduces the efficacy of glucose an important fuel for brain function. As far as exercise performance a high fat diet causes the body to release proteins that can reduce metabolic efficiency.

Boomeritis is a new term coined by the Mayo Clinic . More baby boomers are engaging in fitness and seeking to improve  physical fitness even on a competitive level. According to the March issue of the Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Source an increasing number of people aged 50-60 are suffering exercise related injuries. The most common injuries associated with boomeritis include tendonitis, bursitis, stress fractures and tendon tears.

As we age, engaging in a consistent  exercise routine is critical to our overall health, the trick is to find a balance so that we may achieve optimal health without the nagging injuries that can derail any well intentioned athlete.

Prevention and variation is key to staying on track.

Warm up and stretch prior to each workout.

Exercise through out the week and not just on the weekend.

Add variation to your workout in order to avoid any overuse injuries.

Feeling injured ice immediately.

Add a rest day.

Good Luck!

Here in the northeast we are experiencing record heat temperatures making outdoor fitness very uncomfortable if not impossible. This type of heat can create a dangerous environment.

Prehydrate- The best defense is a smart offense and the best way to prevent a heat related illness is to drink 8 ounces of fluid prior to exercise. Proper hydration also enhances performance.
Break for water- Try to drink 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes.
Stayed informed on current hydration requirements- An   average person should consume 96 ounces of water daily. Intake should increase with activity.

Find shade- Working out in the shade can drop heat temperatures by 10 degrees.
Cold blankets and bandannas- Store a blanket or a wet bandanna in an ice chest for a post workout reward.

Excuses, excuses  we all make them for a variety of reasons. Well guess what, “I have no time to exercise” won’t  cut it anymore! A recent study published in The New York Times by Gretchen Reynolds  states fitness can be achieved in less time. How much time is less time and how is this accomplished? Less time is 6 minutes and exercise method is high intensity interval training. If you are serious about weight loss , especially reducing belly fat, and  increasing your fitness level take note.

A study at the National Institute of Health and  Nutrition put rats through a series of swim test. The researchers divided the rats into two groups. One group of rats paddled in a small pool for six hours, divided into two sessions of three hours each. The second group of rats were weighted and made to stroke vigorously for a short but intense period of time. After 20 seconds they were scooped up and allowed to recover for 10 seconds before being placed back into to pool for 20 seconds more of vigorous exercise . The researchers had the rats repeat these difficult intervals 14 times. After the sessions where completed the researchers tested each rats muscle fiber activity and found out that the rats who had gone for a 6 hour swim showed molecular changes that would increase endurance. To the researchers surprise the second group of rats who performed high intensity interval training for less than 5 minutes showed the same molecular change.

Researchers are questioning whether humans, like the second group of rats, can increase endurance with only a few minutes of very strenuous exercise instead of hours. A growing number of scientists say YES!