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
email:
livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
THE “ECCENTRIC” WAY – standard strength training involves
putting tension on a muscle so that the muscle shortens as it contracts. This is called concentric exercise. When doing a bicep curt, you hold a weight
and slowly flex your arm and then quickly return to the starting position. If you did it the opposite way – curled
quickly and then slowly extended your arm to the return position, you would be
performing an “eccentric” exercise.
Most people focus only on concentric
exercise when doing strength training.
But most sports movements contain a natural eccentric component which
contributes to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Including eccentric exercise in your workout
seems to build more muscle than concentric exercise does, and with continued
training, may actually stave off DOMS.
Eccentric exercise may be particularly helpful in older people who are
at greater risk for tendon injury.
There is some evidence that
eccentric exercise can help hard-to-heal tendon injuries, including chronic
tendinitis. A study in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found
that six weeks of eccentric exercise improved strength and reduced pain,
tenderness, and disability in people with chronic tennis elbow better than
standard treatment (stretching, massage, ultrasound, and heat/ice). Other studies suggest it can improve Achilles
tendinitis and tendonopathy of the knee (jumper’s knee). However, eccentric exercise may not help all
tendon problems and may not be better than other therapeutic workouts.
If you are healthy and have no
biomechanical problems, eccentric exercise offers a way to vary your exercise
routine and can provide extra benefits.
It may also increase the risk of injury if you are not careful. Initial attempts at eccentric exercise may
involve just slowing down the muscle-lengthening phase of the exercise. University
of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 02/11.
Probiotics -The average American
experiences two to six colds each year, usually mild viral infections that
resolve themselves after a few days. Probiotics seems to provide both children
and adults with protection against many upper respiratory tract infections,
including the common cold. People who consume probiotics are also less likely
to end up taking prescription antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection.
Probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt, soy yogurt, kefir and in
supplement form. The
Cochrane Library, 12/11.
CORRECTING VISION DISORDERS – untreated vision disorders like cataracts or
glaucoma may increase the risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s
disease. A study from the University of
Michigan, which followed 625 people over 65 with normal mental function at the
start, those with untreated vision problems had a fivefold increased risk of
Alzheimer’s over a 10-year period.
People with dementia are less likely to get treated for poor vision, but
poor vision may also contribute to dementia by preventing mental, physical, and
social activities, which have been linked to a lower risk of dementia. University of California Berkeley Wellness
Letter 06/10.
ANOTHER MUSCLE FOOD – while studying muscle atrophy in
animals, University of Iowa researchers discovered that ursolic acid, a
compound found in apples, not only slowed muscle breakdown but actually
stimulated growth. Ursolic acid
increases the effect of insulin-like growth factor 1, a key muscle-building
hormone. Men’s Health 11/11.
Alcohol, Good Or Bad? Red wine has been shown in
many studies to benefit the immune system and cardiovascular system, but women
who drink even moderately (as few as three drinks a week) increase their risk
of breast cancer. Women who abstain from all alcohol may find that a potential
benefit of lower breast cancer is more than offset by the increased risk of
cardiovascular disease. Harvard
Medical School 10/11.
MEN MORE LIKELY TO BINGE - men are more likely to binge drink
than women. Research shows that drinking even a small amount of alcohol
increases cancer risks, though moderate amounts of alcohol can show
cardiovascular benefits that outweigh such risks. Men can play it safe by having
no more than two alcoholic drinks per day. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 11/11.
Preventable Strokes - One in six people will suffer a stroke and
someone dies from a stroke every 6 seconds. 85 percent of these people have
risk factors that can prevent a stroke, if identified. Six steps to reduce
stroke risk: 1) Learn the warning signs of a stroke: sudden numbness, in
particular if it only affects one side of the body, loss of balance or sudden
vertigo, sudden difficulty in speaking or seeing, and severe headaches with no
apparent cause. 2) Check your personal risk factors: high blood pressure, high
cholesterol levels and diabetes. 3) Exercise regularly and keep physically
active. 4) Eat a healthy diet and avoid becoming obese. 5) Avoid cigarette
smoke and seek help to stop if you are a smoker. 6) Restrict your alcohol
consumption. World Stroke
Organization, 10/11.
The Skinny On Coffee - The more coffee an adult
drinks, the lower the risk seems to be for developing basal cell carcinoma
(BCC), a common type of skin cancer. Women who had at least three cups of
coffee daily had a 20 percent lower chance of developing BCC, compared to those
who consumed less than one cup per month. Men who consumed at least three cups
of coffee per day had a 9 percent lower risk of BCC. Harvard Medical School, 10/11.
LIFT FIRST, CARDIO SECOND – Japanese scientists have discovered that lifting
weights before cardio exercise help to burn more fat during the cardio-exercise
phase. People who performed a
weight-lifting routine and then hopped on a stationary bike burned twice as
much fat as those who only had cardio-exercise.
Resistance exercise stimulates the release of fat-burning hormones,
which trigger the body to use more fat for energy. Men’s Health 05/07.
Acid Reflux Up - reports of acid reflux
experienced at least once a week have increased by 47 percent in the last
decade. The prevalence of any acid reflux symptoms rose 30 percent, while the
more severe symptoms rose by 24 percent. There is concern that these findings
will lead to an increase in cancer of the esophagus, a once rare but now more
common malignancy that is very difficult to treat. Acid reflux, also known as
gastro-esophageal reflux, is where the stomach contents (food and acidic
digestive juices) escape upward into the esophagus. This can irritate the
esophagus and cause heartburn and other symptoms. Being overweight is a risk
factor for acid reflux. Gut,
12/11.
WARNING FOR RADIATION THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER – two herbal supplements marketed for “prostate
health” – Trinovin (isoflavones) and ProstateRx (saw palmetto) – had adverse
effects on normal prostate cells during the treatment, according to a study in
the International
Journal of Radiation Oncology. Previous studies have found that antioxidant
supplements can have adverse effects in people undergoing chemotherapy. University of California Berkeley Wellness
Letter 06/10.
SPEED DOESN’T KILL – at least when it comes to the walking speed of
seniors. In an analysis of nine studies involving
more than 34,000 people age 65 and older, faster walking speeds were associated
with living longer: Predicted years of remaining life for each age and both
sexes increased as gait-speed increased, with the most significant gains after
age 75. In addition, researchers found that predicting survival based on gait
speed was as accurate as predictions based on age, sex, chronic conditions,
smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index and hospitalization. Walking
is a reliable tool to measure well-being because it requires body support,
timing and power, and places demands on the brain, spinal cord, muscles and
joints, heart and lungs. Slowing down is associated with getting older. By age
80, gait speed is approximately 10 percent to 20 percent slower than in young
adults. USA Today 01/04/12.
Cancer Prevention In Your 30s - One begins to lose muscle
mass after age 30. Strength training can prevent muscle loss, build bone
density and help the body burn calories faster to keep you at a healthy weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help decrease the risk of cancer. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center 11/11.
Wide Waists Trim Lifespan - since the mid-1970s, when Harvard published "The Nurses Study," we've been told women with waists
over 40 inches raised their risk of early death by 40 percent vs. women who
maintained waists in the 26-27 inch measure. Pounds add up. Studies show that
obesity is starting earlier than ever: 18 percent of children ages 12-18 are
reported as being obese and 66 percent of baby boomers (81 million born between
1946-1964) are either obese or overweight. New
England Journal of Medicine, 09/11.
