Almonds Boost Athletic Performance
If you’re looki
ng to add a source of healthy fats to your diet that also serve as a functional food, almonds may be exactly what you’re looking for. Whether they’re raw, roasted, in flour form, or the ever popular Almond Milk; they can make a delicious and nutritional addition to your diet. Now a new study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has found that almonds appear to have a positive impact on exercise performance. In a ten week study eight trained athletes were given either 75g daily of almonds or an equal amount of calories from carbohydrate over a four week period. Participants were asked to undergo a 125-minute exercise regimen on a stationary bike at the start, and again at the conclusion of the study. Blood samples were collected the day prior to, and again during the exercise test to analyze blood glucose, carbohydrate and fat oxidation, energy expenditure, and oxygen use. The results showed that the group that consumed almonds increased their cycling distance, metabolized more carbohydrates, and utilized oxygen more efficiently than the isocaloric group. This suggests that by simply adding almonds to your regular diet you can improve your exercise efficiency.
http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/18/abstract
Short Men Live Longer
If you’ve b
een struggling to reach things on the top shelf, spent your childhood getting picked last for basketball, and have been called “little man” often that you’ve consider assaulting the next person that lets it slip – settle down, because you might have the last laugh. Researchers from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and U.S. Veterans Affairs have released a study in the online journal PLOS ONE that finds shorter men have a longer lifespan. For the study researchers began tracking approximately 8,000 men in 1965 and continuously monitored their health and lifestyle over the course of the decades. Researchers divided the men into two groups. Those who were 5’2 and below, and those who were 5’4 and above. It was found shorter men had a gene identified as FOXO3, which is known as the longevity gene. Shorter men were much more likely to have the gene in addition to lower levels of blood insulin, and lower incidences of developing cancer as well. It was found that increases in height above 5’4 had a direct negative correlation with lifespan. However, it isn’t all bad news for their taller counterparts. Researchers note that diet and lifestyle modification can have a significant impact on life expectancy despite the fact that taller men may not possess the longevity gene.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140509110756.htm
Popular Dietary Supplement May Potentially Extend Lifespan
There might 
be a supplement sitting in your cabinet, or on your countertop, right now that could be a major factor in extending lifespan. Researchers at the University of California have discovered that a popular ingredient in a number of supplement formulas, alpha keto-glutarate, might be able to mimic the effects of calorie restriction and extend lifespan by 70% according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Roundworms are very similar to humans on the genetic level, and are often used in preliminary experiments before human trials of a substance begin. For the study researchers fed roundworms a diet consisting of high amounts of alpha-KG which allowed them to live approximately 70% longer. They found that alpha-KG slowed the activity of ATP, decreased oxygen consumption by the cells, and increased the process of which a cell relies on some of its own stores for fuel known as autophagy. Although it’s too soon to identify if the same results can be replicated in humans, one researcher pointed out that if the research remains true in humans that alpha-KG would actually have been hindering the muscle growth of supplement users for years. However, you shouldn’t clear out your stash just yet. Until results are able to be replicated in human trials the current study should be viewed with skepticism.
Exercise Addiction Is Similar to Alcoholism
In the purest sen
se, bodybuilding is by-in-large meant to be a pursuit of better health. However, the pursuit of success in the sport is often accompanied by lifestyle factors that do anything but lend themselves to improved general health. It’s been often said that the lifestyle can be addicting, and a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Denmark has found that exercise can become an addiction similar to that of gambling or substance abuse. For the study researchers asked 600 individuals to fill out questionnaires and scored them individually. They found that nearly six percent of participants did in fact show signs of exercise addiction. Researchers identified an addiction to fitness when an individual showed that: exercise is perceived as the most important part of life, exercise causes conflicts with family and friends, although the volume increases he or she is never satisfied, and addicts will typically train several times daily. Examination of the four determined criteria sounds eerily similar to that of an athlete preparing for a contest, which begs the question – has the sport taken an unhealthy turn for the worst?
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/16066359.2013.875537
Manipulation of Growth Hormone for Cancer Treatment
From a clinical perspective growth hormone has tr
aditionally been used to treat diseases that cause muscle wasting in addition to being given to adults with a diagnosed growth hormone deficiency or children who weren’t lucky enough to get the Shaq genes. However, as we are all now well aware, the use of growth hormone in bodybuilding and athletics has taken on a life of it’s on. Now new research conducted by the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience has uncovered a way to potentially treat chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes by targeting specific growth hormone receptors according to a new study published in the journal Science. Researchers have developed a method that allows them to target specific growth hormone receptors and essentially shut them off, disabling the ability of damaged cells to grow or replicate. They are now in the beginning stages of develop specific drugs that will allow them to target various receptors responsible for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, blood disorders, obesity, and osteoporosis. If they’re successful the new method of treatment could revolutionize therapy for a variety of modern diseases.
http://uqnews.drupal.uq.edu.au/article/2014/05/height-protein-could-be-cancer-and-diabetes-treatment-target
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