Normal 0 Fitness Factoids 10
Testosterone Found to
Promote Honesty in Men
Researchers from the University of Bonn have conducted a study that ties higher levels of testosterone in men to higher levels of honesty. For the experiment scientists recruited 91 men, issuing 46 men a dosage of topical testosterone gel, while issuing the other 45 a placebo. The following day endocrinologists checked serum levels of testosterone in the blood for each of the participants. The test subjects then played a simple game of dice in separate booths. The higher their scores, the higher the amounts of money they received as a reward. “These experiments were designed such that the test subjects were able to lie,” said Dr. Bernd Weber. “Due to the separate booths, nobody knew whether they were entering their real scores into the computer or higher ones in order to get more money.” The researchers compared the results from the testosterone group to those from the control group. “This showed that the test subjects with the higher testosterone levels had clearly lied less frequently than untreated test subjects.” This research may finally dispel the age old myth that all bodybuilders lie about their weight. Or maybe not.
http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/11/testosterone-seems-to-boost-honesty/45937.html
Discovery Could Lead to an Ex
ercise Pill
Researchers have discovered a hormone that has the effect of exercise on muscle tissue, burns calories, improves insulin sensitivity, and could possibly even boost strength. The hormone, known as irisin, is naturally occurring in humans and mice according to researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston. Mice given irisin lost a few grams in the first 10 days after treatment. The study shows that certain genes involved in powering the cell were turned on. Irisin also appeared to reduce the damage done by a high-fat diet, protecting mice against diet-induced obesity and diabetes. “We are hopeful, though we have no evidence, that this hormone may embody some of the other benefits of exercise, perhaps in the neuromuscular system,” Spiegelman says. If so, it could also be used to treat disorders like muscular dystrophy and muscle wasting. Science may have finally be on the verge of producing that miracle pill advertised on late night infomercials that promises viewers can eat whatever they want and look great, all without ever moving their ass from the couch.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/426587/discovery-could-lead-to-an-exercise-pill/?p1=A1
Leucine Burns Fat and Spares Muscle During Exercise
Research on Mt. Everest climbers is adding to the evidence that the amino acid leucine found in foods, dietary supplements, energy bars and other products may help people burn fat during periods of food restriction, such as climbing at high altitude, while keeping their muscle tissue. In a pilot study of the feasibility of supplementing the diet of climbers with the branch 
chain amino acid leucine, scientists studied 10 climbers for 6-8 weeks as they ascended Mt. Everest, which towers 29,000 feet above sea level. Researchers went to base camp and measured expedition members' fat and muscle by using an ultrasound device placed on the skin. They are currently examining the data to see whether climbers who ate the leucine bar retained more muscle than those who ate a bar without leucine. Bodybuilders have known the importance that BCAA’s, and leucine in particular, can have on sparing muscle tissue. This study provides further evidence to support something that’s been said time and time again. Bodybuilders are at least ten years ahead of the mainstream when it comes to nutrition.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110828171215.htm
Green Tea Could Mask Testosterone Doping
As athletes, we’re always searching for something that will allow us to gain an edge over the competition. For the athlete who competes in drug tested competitions, using masking agents to cover up the use of PED’s has become a necessity. The most common tests for exogenous testosterone rely on detecting unusual ratios of testosterone to epitestosterone in the urine. Researchers at Kingston Unive
rsity London discovered that compounds called catechins, found in tea, inhibit an enzyme called UGT2B17. This enzyme attaches glucuronic acid to testosterone, making it more likely to be excreted in urine. Athletes dosing themselves with testosterone may be able to reduce the amount of hormone entering their urine by drinking green or white tea. Tea alone may also boost circulating levels of testosterone by blocking its excretion. In the study researchers found using the equivalent dosage of one strong cup of green tea was enough to elicit the desired effect.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328574.700-green-tea-could-mask-testosterone-doping.html
Scientists Find Long Term Benefit in Psychedelic Drug
On a recent episode of Heavy Muscle 
Radio Dave and Aaron discussed their adventures in Amsterdam which included stories about their first experience with mushrooms. As it turns out, scientists at Johns Hopkins University have found the powerful effects of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in mushrooms, to have a long-term positive impact on an individual’s well being. During the experiment, 36 men and women who took the drug were monitored during an eight-hour laboratory visit and two months later. In the new study scientists followed up the volunteers a year after the experiment. Scientists found that the volunteers taking the drug reported that their experience made them feel better even 14 months after the study took place. Almost two-thirds of the participants of the study said that they experienced one of the five most spiritually strong feelings.
http://www.infoniac.com/science/scientists-find-long-term-benefits-in-psychedelic-drug.html
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