Fitness Factoids: Volume 39
Exercise Pro
tects Women Against Crohn’s Disease
Over the last fifty years there has been a dramatic increase in the reported diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patients diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease can suffer from chronic debilitating pain and may require invasive surgery if conditions are unable to be improved my lifestyle modifications. A new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that women who engage in exercise have a significantly reduced risk for developing Crohn’s disease. The study tracked 194, 711 women as part of a program called the Nurses Health Study. Researchers found that women who exercised as little as 2.5 hours per week had a 6% reduction in developing the diseases as opposed to those who did little to no exercise. Although exercise appears to be able to significantly reduce risk of developing Crohn’s, researchers caution that additional lifestyle interventions may be necessary for those with genetic history of the disease.
http://www.medwirenews.com/41/105112/Gastroenterology/Keeping_active_reduces_womens_Crohns_risk.html
High Activity Levels Linked to Hea
lthy Aging
A new study conducted by the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm has given new meaning to the phrase “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. According to the study which was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, having higher daily activity levels independent of vigorous physical exercise leads to increased longevity and healthier aging. In the study 3,900 men and women over age 60 were tracked over a three year period in which their health history, lifestyle and daily activity levels, medical tests, and measurements were all recorded. According to the data people who maintained the highest levels of daily activity had a lower risk for heart attack, stroke, and dying from any cause over the duration of the study. This study serves as an important reminder that while diet and exercise are important in maintaining good health, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits away from the gym are just as important for sustaining a high quality of life as we age.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/29/us-staying-active-idUSBRE9AS0QC20131129?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
Gut Health Deter
mines Cancer Treatments Effectiveness
Although scientists have only just begun to scratch the surface, the emerging science of uncovering the importance of having a healthy mircobiome or gut health has grown by leaps and bounds, helping us to better understand how the body functions as a whole unit. A new mouse model study by scientists at The National Cancer Institute has found that proper gut health plays a key role in determining the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Scientists found that mice treated with antibiotics showed a decreased ability to respond to immunotherapy that prolongs survival, and a decreased response to popular chemotherapy drugs as well. Antibiotics are often over prescribed by doctors to combat minor illnesses, and scientists warn that unnecessary use could potentially result in the destruction of the microbiome.
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2013/nci-21.htm
Fish Oil Changes Prostate Cancer Cells
Men who eat a low fat, high fish oil diet have lower inflammatory markers
for prostate cancer than men who eat a traditional Western diet according to a new study conducted by UCLA researchers. For the study men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer were split into two groups; group one ate a traditional Western diet consisting of 40% fat coming from pro-inflammatory sources such as corn oil, while group two ate a low fat diet consisting of 15% - the majority of which came from fish or fish oil. The men from the fish oil group had a lower cell cycle progression score, lower levels of the inflammatory marker known as leukotriene which is found in patients diagnosed with cancer, and were less likely to have cancer reoccurrences as well. These findings add to wide range of benefits associated with fish oil supplementation, and demonstrate the importance of reducing damaging levels of systemic inflammation.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131118133048.htm
Optimal T
estosterone Range Found For Longevity
As bodybuilders we tend take on the “more is better” attitude in more ways than one. Eat more food, do more sets, up the dosage. However, new evidence suggests that as we age, more testosterone is not always better. According to new research found in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, having levels of testosterone that are too high or too low elevates our risk of death as we age. Scientists studied 3,690 men from 2001-2004 who were split into four groups according to their testosterone and DHT levels. It was found that men who had the lowest levels of testosterone had the highest mortality rates, while men with the highest levels of testosterone had the second highest mortality rates. They found that men whose testosterone levels fell between 9.8-15.8nmol/L had the longest lifespan. Researchers now plan to conduct additional research in order to improve the health of aging males.
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