Fitness Factoids: Volume 19
High Glycemic Foods Trig
ger Additive Response In The Brain
A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that consuming high glycemic foods triggers a response in the brain similar to that of substance abuse. The study, which was conducted by the Harvard Medical School, found that rapidly digested carbohydrates such as sugar, potatoes, and white bread stimulate regions in the brain involved in hunger, cravings, and addiction. Consuming rapidly digestible carbohydrates activates a region of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens, a critical region involved in addictive behaviors. Researchers suggest that limiting ingestion of simple carbohydrates is the best way combat cravings and limit the urge to overeat.
http://hms.harvard.edu/news/addicted-food-7-3-13
Green Tea Associated with Improved Glucose Control
A meta-analysis conducted by Chongqing Medical
Nutrition Research Center in China has shown that drinking green tea can improve the body’s ability to regulate glucose. An analysis of 17 trials that included 1,133 participants found that individuals who consumed green tea or green tea extract for at least two weeks improved their fasting blood glucose levels. The study found that green tea consumption was only beneficial when participants consumed at least 457mg of green tea catechins per day. It was also noted that obese individuals or those suffering from metabolic syndrome seemed to receive the greatest benefits, while already healthy individuals didn’t note any significant improvement.
Low Dose Psychedelics Improve Neurogenesis
A new mouse study has found that a low dose of psilocybin, the psychedelic component of mushrooms, was shown to help the brain rapidly unlearn conditioned fear responses. In the study researchers treated two groups of mice with psilocybin, and exposed them both to conditioned stimuli or “fear conditioning”. Group one received a high dose of psilocybin, while group two received a significantly lower dose. Group two, the mice that received low dose psilocybin, showed the ability to “extinguish fear” due to psilocybin’s ability to alter neuroplasticity. In essence, low doses of psychedelics rewired the brain to un-learn fear. The next time you’re attempting a new one-rep max a little extra pre-workout “supplementation” may help break through that mental barrier.
Exercise Makes the Brain More Resilient To Stress
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience and cond
ucted by the University of Princeton has discovered that exercise has the ability to reduce stress and calm anxiety in the brain. In this study mice were split into two groups; group one was placed inside cages with exercise wheels, while the cages of group two had no exercise wheels. After six weeks the mice were exposed to a stressor – cold water – for a brief period of time. The mice in group one showed increased activity in the ventral hippocampus, an area of the brain known to regulate anxiety, along with increased production in the neurotransmitter GABA, while the brains of the sedentary group two lacked the ability to shut down the body’s stress response.
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S37/28/70Q72/index.xml?section=topstories
Exercise Alters Fat Cells on an Epigenetic Level
New research conducted by the University of Lund in Sweden has shown that exercise has the ability to affect fat cells at an epigenetic level. Each cell in the body contains DNA, and our DNA contains our genes. Although you cannot change your genes or DNA, you can control the expression of some of these genes through diet, exercise, and lifestyle. The methyl groups attached to our genes determine whether or not each gene will be expressed. In this study researchers studied the methyl group in fat cells of each parti
cipant as they regularly attended exercise or aerobic classes over the course of six months. Researchers found that the methyl groups in the genes linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity had been altered, which suggests that exercise and physical activity have the ability to deactivate expression of certain genes.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=132649&CultureCode=en
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