REPORTING POINT 05/09
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...Live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK
TAKE IT SLOWLY – does eating more slowly mean you eat less? Yes, according to researchers who told normal-weight test subjects to eat as much lunch as they wanted either:
Quickly – using a soup spoon and eating as fast as possible with no pauses between bites, but not to the point of discomfort, or
Slowly – using a small spoon, taking small bites, putting down the spoon between each bite, and chewing each bite 20 to 30 times.
During the quick meals, which averaged nine minutes in length, the test subjects consumed more calories (645) than during the slow meals (580), which averaged 29 minutes and the test subjects reported feeling fuller after the slow meals.
Taking it slowly during a typical Southwest multi-leg day can be difficult, but if it is possible, slow down, enjoy your meal, and in the process, consume less calories. Nutrition Action Healthletter 10/08.
MOTORCYCLE MORTALITY – motorcycles are more popular than ever in the U.S. and the average age of riders has gone up. An analysis of federal data found that motorcycles account for 2 percent of vehicles but 10 percent of all traffic fatalities. Nearly half of riders killed are age 40 or older (up from just 9 percent in 1985); a quarter of the riders are 50 or older. Though helmets save lives, helmet use has declined, largely because only 20 states now require them for all riders (47 states did in 1985). University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/08.
MORE ON VITAMIN D – this vitamin is looking more like a “wonder” nutrient. According to a Creighton University study presented at the annual American Dietetic Association, vitamin D deficiency is not only on the rise in the United States, but also may be associated with the development of cancer, diabetes, and more. To get more vitamin D in the diet, consider eating salmon, eggs, or milk. Supplements can also help if they provide at least 100 IU a day. Men’s Fitness 10/08.
HITTING “THE WALL” DURING STRENUOUS EXERCISE? – glycogen (the body’s fuel for muscles) depletion has traditionally been the concern of endurance athletes as well as serious strength athletes. The brain requires glucose all the time. If blood sugar is not maintained, then symptoms of fatigue, disorientation, confusion and deterioration of performance is inevitable. In healthy individuals, a complex cascade of hormones helps the body maintain proper glucose levels despite the demands on circulating sugar, muscle glycogen stores, and liver glycogen reserves.
At the start of endurance athletic sessions, the body relies heavily on stored muscle glycogen. Blood glucose and circulating fatty acids pick up the slack as time goes on. If muscle or liver glycogen runs out, you will “bonk” and be unable to continue at the desired level of exercise.
Muscle glycogen levels following multiple resistance sets can be reduced by as much as 40 percent; doubling the intensity of the workout doubles the breakdown.
By consuming a carbohydrate or carbohydrate/protein sports drink during a workout, muscle glycogen levels can be maintained throughout a strenuous workout.
John Ivy, Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology) and Robert Portman Ph.D. (Biochemistry) have studied the effect of carbohydrate supplementation during resistance exercise. They found that when the carbohydrate supplements were provided, the decline in muscle glycogen was 50 percent less and that subjects could perform more work than subjects receiving flavored water.
The latest research now shows that the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement during resistance exercise offers further advantages in terms of preserving muscle protein, increasing protein synthesis, and even extending endurance. The addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement promotes the metabolism of the ingested protein and lessens the demand for amino acid release from the muscles which delays fatigue onset. These results were attained by adding protein to a carbohydrate supplement provided at the beginning of exercise.
The addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement has been shown to extend muscular endurance for extended exercise sessions. Researchers at the University of Texas Austin found that a carbohydrate/protein drink improved endurance 57 percent compared with water and 24 percent compared with a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink. The improvement in endurance was thought to be due to a sparing of muscle glycogen.
Another indicated result of taking this protein/carbohydrate supplement before strenuous exercise was the reduction of immune system suppression. During moderately-intensity exercise, immune function is heightened, increasing resistance to infection. However, with strenuous and sustained exercise, the immune system is suppressed and the risk of infection is increased.
The immune system is closely linked to the neuroendocrine system, which controls the release of hormones. During strenuous and sustained exercise, this system is activated, causing the release of cortisol. Cortisol lowers the concentration and activities of many of the important immune cells that fight infection.
Carbohydrate supplementation during exercise helps maintain immune system function and blunts the rise of cortisol. Combining protein with carb supplements offers additional endurance benefits and also enables the body to recovery more quickly after a hard workout. Nutrient Timing – the Future of Sports Nutrition, Bicycling 10/08.
HEALTHIEST AIRPORTS – Health magazine has ranked the healthiest airports from the passengers’ perspective which considered amenities and services that promote healthy living and lower passenger stress.
The criteria included food, relaxation zones, walking paths, music, lighting, environmental programs and safety technology. Industry data and a panel of experts were used in compiling the list. The ten top airports listed include six on the Southwest system:
PHX – cited for “healthful” restaurants, video-paging system, two pet parks and clean bathrooms.
BWI – soft music and lighting, a spa and a hiking path near the airport.
ORD – healthy restaurant food, children’s play areas and the fitness facility in its on-site Hilton Hotel
DTW – storm-ready police officers and employees who are trained as bad-weather spotters, healthy restaurant food
DEN – solar energy panels, recycling of de-icing fluids, an art collection, free Wi-Fi and healthy restaurants
DCA (Washington Reagan) – art collection, a walking and biking path
DFW – children’s play areas, hybrid/CNG vehicles, healthy restaurant food
BOS – environmental initiatives, CNG shuttle buses
PDX – a paved bicycle and walking path, covered bicycle parking, local musicians playing in the terminals
PHL – a health clinic, free Wi-Fi on weekends. (Pass on the Philly cheesesteak!-LK) USA Today 12/07/08.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU GETTING? – humans absorb radiation from a variety of sources. Most experts believe that the average adult can absorb 3 mSv per year quite safely and up to 20 mSv if one has medical tests that call for CT scans.
mSv is a millisievert, the scientific unit of measurement for radiation dose. At high levels, radiation can mutate the structure (genetic components) of a body’s dividing or reproducing cells and increase cancer risks.
The following table shows radiation exposure from a variety of sources:
RADIATION AMOUNT
CT scan, full body 10-12 mSv
CT scan, chest or pelvis 4-8 mSv
Natural background radiation (from sunlight, radon gas) from
living in high-altitude cities per year(i.e. Denver, Salt Lake City) 6 mSv
Natural background radiation from living at sea level (LAX-PHX) 3 mSv
Mammogram 1-2 mSv
High-mileage frequent flying (100,000-450,000 miles per year) 1-6.7 mSv
X-ray of chest (or ankle to diagnose broken bones) 0.1-0.6 mSv
DEXA (bone-density scan) .01-.05 mSv
Dental X-ray (bitewing) 0.02 mSv
Single flight, coast to coast .01-.03 mSv
(Of course it is important to remember that radiation exposure is dependent upon altitude and latitude. The higher the altitude and the higher the latitude; the greater the exposure to cosmic and solar radiation for flight crews – LK.) Health 6/08, American College of Radiology, American Association of Physical Medicine.
COLONOSCOPY PREP PILLS CARRY KIDNEY RISK – those who have had a colonoscopy know that the preparation for the procedure is the most unpleasant part of the experience. The colon must be clean for an effective inspection by the doctor.
Now the FDA has issued a warning that two prescription bowel cleansers that contain sodium phosphate may cause kidney damage.
The FDA, which can require warnings only on prescription drugs, also indicated that no over-the-counter sodium phosphate products should be used for bowel-cleansing. This led the largest manufacturer of these non-prescription products (Fleet Co.) to issue a voluntary recall of Phospho-soda, which is used in colonoscopy preparation.
Some gastroenterologists recommend switching older patients or those susceptible to kidney damage to fluid bowel-cleansers that do not contain sodium phosphate and avoid taking the pills in colonoscopy preps.
If you are considering a colonoscopy in the future, consult with your physician about the alternatives to prepping with products containing sodium phosphates. USA Today 12/16/08.
OMEGA-3 FORTIFIED FOODS NOT AS BENEFICIAL AS FISH SOURCES – omega-3 fats are being added to many foods, from mayonnaise and eggs to cereals, pastas, breads, and toaster waffles. There are two different sources of omega-3s. The types from fish [(eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexenoic acid (DHA)] –have known heart benefits.
Most fortified foods contain small amounts of the related omega-3 fat found in plants called alpha-linolenic acid, which our bodies convert inefficiently into EPA and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid (found in flaxseeds and walnuts) may have some health benefits of its own, but it cannot replace those from fish. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/08.
