Aging & Health

Study: Is Too Much HIIT Training Detrimental?

April 4, 2021 Tim Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that extreme exercise training causes mitochondrial functional impairment and lowers glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers. The right amount of exercise training absolutely influences metabolic health through enhanced mitochondrial oxidative potential and increased glucose regulation and is also the preferred treatment in various metabolic complications. But too much of anything is not good, and it also applies in exercising. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Some studies show that intense blasts of exercise improve the number of mitochondria in our muscle cells, and more mitochondria provide better cellular and metabolic health. But there was also research where people did HIIT three times a week for six weeks, but there were no changes in their [Read more …]

Study: Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Per Day Reduces Risk of Death

March 4, 2021 Tim Comments Off

A new research study released by the American Heart Association (AHA)[1] shows that five servings of fruits and vegetables are the number of servings you need to eat everyday to live the longest. According to the study, two of those five servings should be fruits, and the other three should be vegetables. “This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public,” said lead author Dr. Dong Wang, a nutritionist and epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. What was the Goal of the Research Study? However, there are variations in benefits depending on the fruits and vegetables you are [Read more …]

Best Time to Exercise? Study Determines Afternoons are Better

February 4, 2021 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that it is better for our bodies to work out at specific times of the day. Exercise training brings out higher metabolic effects in the afternoon instead of in the morning in metabolically compromised humans. It is because the circadian clock and metabolism are tightly associated. Therefore, the exact timing of interventions that target metabolic changes may influence their efficiency. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Previous experiments imply that every tissue in our bodies holds a kind of cellular clock that signals in response to biological messages related to our daily exposure to light, food, and sleep. Adjusted by our lifestyles, these clocks generate multiple circadian rhythms inside of us that induce [Read more …]

Study Shows ‘Fat but fit’ is a Myth

February 2, 2021 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that the concept of being fat but healthy is not valid and that having excess body fat means you are still prone to heart diseases. According to previous studies, being physically fit could alleviate the harsh effects of having extra weight on heart health. However, a recent study shows that those who are overweight are still very susceptible to having an unhealthy heart. What was the Goal of the Research Study? The study aimed to prove that even when maintaining an active lifestyle, one can still be vulnerable to heart health issues if the excess body fat isn’t eliminated. It also focuses on clarifying that being fat and being fit are not mutually exclusive. Just [Read more …]

Research Study: 11 Minutes of Bodyweight Exercise Can Improve Cardio Fitness

January 21, 2021 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that as little as eleven minutes of burpees, jump squats, and other exercises can improve aerobic fitness, according to one of the first randomized, controlled trials to test the effects of brief body-weight workouts. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Few experiments studied the effects of short body-weight workouts on endurance and strength, and those few had shortcomings. They concentrated on people who were already fit, and none met the scientific gold standard of being randomized and being an inactive control group. Therefore, researchers’ confidence in short body-weight training benefits may have been expected, but there was no proof. What were the Research Methods of the Study? Researchers from the McMaster University community [Read more …]

Cardio Fitness – The More, The Better

January 26, 2021 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that higher physical activity is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Being physically active is beneficial for you, especially in preventing diseases like heart attacks and strokes. According to the new study headed by the University of Oxford, indulging yourself in regular physical exercise or getting more activity may even be more profitable for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. But, it also showed that the people with the highest level of activity reaped the greatest benefits. More is better. What was the Goal of the Research Study? The study’s goal was to prove that higher levels of physical activity can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. There was skepticism about the previous methods [Read more …]

U.S. Dietary Guidance for Sugar and Alcohol Intake Remains Unchanged

January 14, 2021 VA Worker Comments Off

Every 5 years the US government releases revised dietary guidelines for optimal health and longevity. The newest recommendations[1] have left unchanged the amount of added sugar and alcohol consumption that is recommended on a daily basis – despite the input to the contrary of the scientific advisory council. This is puzzling because prior studies show that lowering sugar and alcohol consumption reduces the risk of an individual getting diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. What is the Goal of the Nutrition Guidelines? The goal of these nutrition guidelines is to encourage Americans to live a healthier lifestyle. It aims to educate Americans to follow a healthier dietary pattern. It should also help maintain good [Read more …]

Research Study: Is Diet Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories?

December 24, 2020 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] presents that particular dietary regimens may impact rates of mental deterioration. It appears that the foods we eat have a direct influence on our cognitive acuity in our later years. It is uncertain how long-term food consumption affects Fluid Intelligence among adults with or without a genetic history of Alzheimer’s Disease. Still, greater age-related Fluid Intelligence deterioration escalates the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease. What was the Goal of the Research Study? The study aims to monitor how the total diet is linked with long-term cognition among mid-to-late-life populations at-risk and not-at-risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. What were the Research Methods of the Study? Among 1,787 mid-to-late-aged adult UK Biobank participants, 10-year Fluid Intelligence trajectories were designed and [Read more …]

Research Study: Counter the Effects of Sitting with 11 Minutes of Exercise a Day?

December 18, 2020 VA Worker Comments Off

A new research study[1] shows that a mere 11 minutes a day of exercise could decrease the unwanted health consequences of sitting for several hours. Low levels of physical activity and high amounts of sedentary time are associated with higher morbidity and mortality risks. In contrast, other large-scale meta-analyses and cohort studies examining the joint associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviors suggest that high levels of physical activity attenuate or even eliminate the associations between sitting time all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Some older studies in 2016 suggested that if you do about 30 minutes of exercise most days but sit for eight hours at work a day, it is still [Read more …]

Research Study: Higher Muscle Mass Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk

December 22, 2021 Tim Comments Off

Do you have cardiovascular disease as part of your family history? Do you want to prevent heart disease, which is known as one of the most common mortality factors? A new research study[1] shows that the more muscle mass a person has upon entering middle age, the lower their risk of cardiovascular disease as they grow older. What was the Goal of the Research Study? An international group of researchers published their paper in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health with the goal of assessing the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and cardiovascular disease incidence over a 10-year span of time. The study was conducted on adults who were 45 years and older and were [Read more …]