Strength training improves vascular function in young black men

Dec. 21, 2012 — Six weeks of weight training can significantly improve blood markers of cardiovascular health in young African-American men, researchers report in the Journal of Human Hypertension.

The researchers measured blood markers associated with inflammation, immune response or the remodeling of arteries that normally occur after tissue damage, infection or other types of stress. They found that levels of two of these markers dropped significantly in African-American men but not in Caucasian men after six weeks of resistance training.

"This suggests that resistance exercise training is more beneficial in young African-American men than in Caucasian men of the same age," said Bo Fernhall, the dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Fernhall led the study as a professor in the department of kinesiology and community health at the Urbana-Champaign campus. The 14 African-American and 18 Caucasian study subjects were matched for body mass index, cardiovascular fitness and age. None had previously been trained in endurance or resistance exercise.

African-Americans are known to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than Caucasians, Fernhall said. In particular, "hypertension, stroke and kidney disease are much, much higher in the African-American population," he said.

Some of these problems start young.

"Higher blood pressures in African-American children have been shown as young as 8 to 10 years of age," Fernhall said. "So there's obviously something going on that predisposes the African-American population to end stage disease, hypertension and stroke and the more debilitating diseases later on in life."

A previous study led by Fernhall and his doctoral student Kevin Heffernan (an author on the new paper as well) found that resistance training reduced levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood of African-American, but not Caucasian, men. This protein is a reliable marker of systemic inflammation. Levels of CRP rise after injury or infection, and chronically elevated levels are sometimes associated with heart disease and cancer.

The new study looked at other markers that could signal trouble in the arteries: MMPs, which help remodel blood vessels after injury or infection; and 8-isoprostane, a marker of oxidative stress involving chemically charged ions or molecules called reactive oxygen species. Both markers went down in the African-Americans, but not the Caucasians, after resistance training. The researchers were surprised to see that initial levels of MMP-9 were lower in African-Americans before the weight training.

"It may be that MMP-9 has a different effect on the vasculature of African-Americans than it does on Caucasians," said Illinois doctoral student Marc Cook, who conducted the new analysis. "We don't know."

The decrease in MMP-9 was significantly correlated with the increase in muscle strength in the African-American men, Cook said. He sees the reduction in MMP-9s and 8-isoprostane as a positive outcome in the African-American men.

Previous studies showed that "aerobic exercise actually reduces oxidative stress, and reduces iosprostane," Cook said. "But nobody had a clue about resistance training."

Cook said he now knows what to say to African-American men who ask him why they should exercise.

"If you don't like cardiovascular exercise, if you don't like running on a treadmill, if you can't play basketball or you're not good at it, you can lift weights and improve your health, especially when it comes to high blood pressure, which happens to run in our family," he said. "If you just want to lift weights and you do it on a regular basis, you could improve your function."

"The overall goal of our departmental research here at the U. of I. is to explore the use of exercise as adjunct therapy for disease, while providing a public health message and evidence about how exercise is beneficial, even at an early age," said Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Jeffrey Woods, a co-author on the study.

This work was partially funded through the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

M D Cook, K S Heffernan, S Ranadive, J A Woods, B Fernhall. Effect of resistance training on biomarkers of vascular function and oxidative stress in young African-American and Caucasian men. Journal of Human Hypertension, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/jhh.2012.48

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Scientific explanation to why people perform better after receiving a compliment

Nov. 9, 2012 — Japanese scientists have found scientific proof that people doing exercises appear to perform better when another person compliments them. The research was carried out by a group lead by National Institute for Physiological Sciences Professor Norihiro Sadato, Graduate University for Advanced Studies graduate student Sho Sugawara, Nagoya Institute of Technology Tenure-Track Associate Professor Satoshi Tanaka, and in collaboration with Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology Associate Professor Katsumi Watanabe.

The team had previously discovered that the same area of the brain, the striatum, is activated when a person is rewarded a compliment or cash. Their latest research could suggest that when the striatum is activated, it seems to encourage the person to perform better during exercises.

Forty-eight adults recruited for the study were asked to learn and perform a specific finger pattern (pushing keys on a keyboard in a particular sequence as fast as possible in 30 seconds). Once participants had learned the finger exercise, they were separated into three groups. One group included an evaluator who would compliment participants individually, another group involved individuals who would watch another participant receive a compliment, and the third group involved individuals who evaluated their own performance on a graph. When the participants were asked to repeat the finger exercise the next day, the group of participants who received direct compliments from an evaluator performed better than participants from the other groups. It indicates that receiving a compliment after exercising stimulates the individual to perform better afterwards.

According to Professor Sadato, "To the brain, receiving a compliment is as much a social reward as being rewarded money. We've been able to find scientific proof that a person performs better when they receive a social reward after completing an exercise.There seems to be scientific validity behind the message 'praise to encourage improvement'. Complimenting someone could become an easy and effective strategy to use in the classroom and during rehabilitation."

This research was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Sciences Research Grant (KAKENHI).

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Institute for Physiological Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Sho K. Sugawara, Satoshi Tanaka, Shuntaro Okazaki, Katsumi Watanabe, Norihiro Sadato. Social Rewards Enhance Offline Improvements in Motor Skill. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e48174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048174

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Obese children more vulnerable to food advertising

Nov. 30, 2012 — Rates of childhood obesity have tripled in the past 30 years, and food marketing has been implicated as one factor contributing to this trend. Every year, companies spend more than $10 billion in the US marketing their food and beverages to children; 98% of the food products advertised to children on television are high in fat, sugar, or sodium. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers used neuroimaging to study the effects of food logos on obese and healthy weight children.

Amanda S. Bruce, PhD, and colleagues from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center assessed 10 healthy weight and 10 obese children, ages 10-14 years, using both self-reported measures of self-control and functional magnetic resonance imaging, which uses blood flow as a measure of brain activity. Dr. Bruce states, “We were interested in how brain responses to food logos would differ between obese and healthy weight children.” The children were shown 60 food logos and 60 nonfood logos, and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans indicated which sections of the brain reacted to the familiar logos being shown.

Obese children showed greater activation in some reward regions of the brain than healthy weight children when shown the food logos. Healthy weight children showed greater brain activation in regions of the brain associated with self-control, when shown food versus nonfood logos. Overall, healthy weight children self-reported more self-control than the obese children. This adds to the body of research showing that in certain situations, healthy weight individuals experience greater activation of control regions of the brain than obese individuals.

“This study provides preliminary evidence that obese children may be more vulnerable to the effects of food advertising. One of the keys to improving health-related decision-making may be found in the ability to improve self-control,” notes Dr. Bruce. Self-control training may be a beneficial addition to obesity and behavioral health interventions, and may lead to greater success in weight loss.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Amanda S. Bruce et al. Brain Responses to Food Logos in Obese and Healthy Weight Children. Journal of Pediatrics, 2012 (in press) DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.10.003

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Intensive weight-loss intervention linked with increased chance of partial remission from diabetes

Dec. 18, 2012 — Among overweight adults, participation in an intensive lifestyle intervention (that included counseling sessions and targets to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity) was associated with a greater likelihood of partial remission of type 2 diabetes; however, the absolute remission rates were modest, according to a study in the December 19 issue of JAMA.

"Diabetes traditionally has been considered a progressive, incurable condition wherein the best case scenario after diagnosis is tight metabolic and risk factor management to forestall vascular and neuropathic complications," according to background information in the article. Some bariatric surgery studies have suggested that many diabetes cases among obese patients can be resolved. "Patients diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes frequently ask their physicians whether their condition is reversible, and some physicians may provide hopeful advice that lifestyle change can normalize glucose levels," the authors write. "However, the rate of remission of type 2 diabetes that may be achieved using non-surgical approaches has not been reported."

Edward W. Gregg, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a study to examine the association of an intensive lifestyle intervention with frequency of partial and complete remission of type 2 diabetes. The study consisted of an ancillary observational analysis of a 4-year randomized controlled trial (baseline visit, August 2001-April 2004; last follow-up, April 2008) comparing an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) with a diabetes support and education control condition (DSE). The study included 4,503 U.S. adults with body mass index of 25 or higher and type 2 diabetes.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive the ILI, which included weekly group and individual counseling in the first 6 months followed by 3 sessions per month for the second 6 months and twice-monthly contact and regular refresher group series and campaigns in years 2 to 4 (n = 2,241); or the DSE, which was an offer of 3 group sessions per year on diet, physical activity, and social support (n = 2,262). The ILI aimed to reduce total caloric intake to 1,200 to 1,800 calories a day through reductions in total and saturated fat intake and by increasing physical activity levels to a goal of 175 minutes/week. Liquid meal replacements were provided to assist dietary goals.

Participants in the ILI group lost significantly more weight than DSE participants at year 1 (-8.6 percent vs. -0.7 percent) and at year 4 (-4.7 percent vs. -0.8 percent) and had greater increases in fitness at both year 1 (20.6 percent vs. 5.3 percent) and year 4 (4.9 percent vs. -1.5 percent). The researchers found that the prevalence of complete remission (i.e., glucose normalization without medication) was more common in the ILI group than in the DSE group across all years of the study. However, the absolute prevalence was low, ranging from 1.3 percent for ILI vs. 0.1 percent for DSE in year 1; to 0.7 percent for ILI vs. 0.2 percent for DSE in year 4.

Additional analyses indicated that ILI participants were significantly more likely to experience any remission (partial or complete), with a prevalence of 11.5 percent during the first year, decreasing to 7.3 percent during year 4, compared with 2.0 percent in the DSE group at both time points. Rates of any remission were notably higher (15 percent -- 21 percent) among persons with substantial weight loss or fitness change, shorter duration of extant diabetes, or a lower HbA1c level (a measure of blood glucose) at entry and those not using insulin.

"The ILI group was significantly more likely to have continuous, sustained remission, as 9.2 percent experienced at least a 2-year remission (vs. for DSE, 1.7 percent) at some point during follow-up, 6.4 percent had at least a 3-year remission (vs. DSE, 1.3 percent), and 3.5 percent had a continuous 4-year remission (vs. DSE, 0.5 percent). The results from the complete case analyses were similar," the authors write.

"The increasing worldwide prevalence of type 2 diabetes, along with its wide-ranging complications, has led to hopes that the disease can be reversed or prevented. These analyses of more than 4,500 overweight adults with type 2 diabetes confirm that complete remission associated with an intensive life-style intervention, when defined by glucose normalization without need for drugs, is rare. However, partial remission, defined as a transition to prediabetic or normal glucose levels without drug treatment for a specific period, is an obtainable goal for some patients with type 2 diabetes."

Editorial: A Look Ahead at the Future of Diabetes Prevention and Treatment

David E. Arterburn, M.D., M.P.H., of the Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, and Patrick J. O'Connor, M.D., M.A., M.P.H., of the HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research, Minneapolis, write in an accompanying editorial that "evidence-based and cost-effective diabetes prevention strategies should be more broadly applied using the full range of available technologies and incentives."

"But that is not enough. Research, education, and policy efforts need to be focused further upstream, toward primary prevention: reducing incident obesity in children, adolescents, and adults, especially among those with a family history of obesity or diabetes. Prevention of diabetes and obesity should be a rallying cry for all clinicians who care about the health of the nation."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Medical Association (AMA).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal References:

Gregg EW, Chen H, Wagenknecht LE, et al. Association of an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention With Remission of Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA., 2012; 308 (23): 2489-2496 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2012.67929Arterburn DE, O’Connor PJ. A Look Ahead at the Future of Diabetes Prevention and Treatment. JAMA., 2012; 308 (23): 2517-2518 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2012.144749

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Five reasons why New Year's resolutions to diet and exercise might be unhealthy

Dec. 19, 2012 — Year after year, one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to eat healthy and lose weight. But as resolutions and health regimens are about to be in full swing, many might find that instead of feeling good they are feeling worse. And the reason might be due to the one thing that should be helping: exercise.

"Not only can new workout routines be difficult for those with asthma, but several allergens can be found lurking in health clubs making this healthy activity bothersome for the more than 40 million Americans that suffer from allergies," said allergist Richard Weber, MD, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "By understanding what triggers symptoms, those with allergies and asthma will be able to feel good and remain active."

To help those with New Year's resolutions succeed, ACAAI has identified the five most common allergy and asthma exercise ailments, with tips on how to overcome them.

• Over Stepping your Boundaries - If you're experiencing shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and unusual fatigue you might have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). The condition affects about 10 percent of Americans. Find relief by using your allergist prescribed inhaler before you begin your workout routine. Breathing through your nose, rather than your mouth, can also help.

• Think Before you Eat - Whether you've signed up for a dieting meal plan or are opting for foods with less calories, be sure to always read nutrition labels before you consume new items. Many products contain hidden food allergens, such as milk, wheat and egg. Energy bars can also be loaded with allergens, including soy and nuts, that affect certain people.

• Choose Equipment Wisely - While most exercise machines won't cause you to sneeze or wheeze, rubber mats, medicine balls and some rubber coated free weights might. Latex can often be found in these items, causing those with latex allergies to develop a rash or hives. Also beware of disinfectant wipes and sprays used to clean gym equipment. They can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can spur an asthma attack or cause skin irritation.

• Explore the Great Indoors - If you're allergic to pollen, grass and other environmental factors, hit the ground running indoors. Not a fan of treadmills and indoor tracks? Take your allergy medication and avoid running outdoors during mid-day and afternoon hours when pollen counts may be highest. Be sure to change your clothes and shower immediately after finishing your workout to remove any particles that might have fallen onto your clothes and hair.

• Opt for Comfort over Fashion - If your workout leaves you itchy and you've ruled out other gym culprits, your clothing might be the setback. Synthetic materials used in everything from shirts to socks could be irritating your skin. ACAAI recommends checking clothing labels and opting for Lycra (spandex) which is higher quality and less likely to irritate your skin. Garments made of natural products can also help. If you have a latex allergy, be wary of athletic shoes and elastic waistbands.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Mobile app boosts weight loss by 15 pounds

Dec. 10, 2012 — Using a mobile app that tracks eating and activity helped people lose an average of 15 pounds and keep it off for at least a year, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

But the technology only aided weight loss when its users also attended regular classes about nutrition and exercise. The app alone didn't help.

"The app is important because it helps people regulate their behavior, which is really hard to do," said Bonnie Spring, lead investigator of the study and a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Most of us have no idea how many calories we consume and how much physical activity we get. The app gives you feedback on this and helps you make smart decisions in the moment."

"The 'widget' is critical but it is not magical by itself," Spring added. "People need all the tools at their disposal."

The study will be published Dec. 10 in Archives of Internal Medicine.

This is the first study to show that technology added to an existing program of weight loss classes can produce sustained weight loss. Spring believes the weight loss app is the first proven to be effective in a published randomized clinical trial. Commercially available apps are not usually evidence based or tested for effectiveness in rigorously designed research, she noted.

In addition, the Northwestern technology is based on validated behavior change techniques including self-monitoring, goal setting, feedback and social support.

The study included 69 overweight and obese adults who were an average age of 58 and primarily men. All participants were offered health education classes on nutrition, exercise and behavior change twice monthly during the first six months and once monthly for the remainder of the year.

Each participant received weekly calorie goals based on his current weight and weekly activity goals based on his current level of activity. Participants receiving treatment as usual recorded their eating and activity on paper. Those in the experimental treatment used the mobile device to transmit their data to a behavioral coach, who monitored their information and provided scheduled telephone coaching for 10 to 15 minutes about twice monthly.

People who used the mobile phone technology and attended 80 percent of the health education sessions lost 15 pounds and maintained the loss for one year. The average weight loss for the mobile phone group -- including those who did not attend the education sessions -- was 8.6 pounds. The control group -- which received the education sessions but no mobile app -- did not lose weight.

The time people spent interacting with the remote coaches was minimal.

"The coaches' most important role was being in the wings," Spring said. "The patients know the coaches are hovering and supportively holding them accountable. They know somebody is watching and caring and that's what makes a difference."

The participants, who were older, did not have prior experience with mobile phone technology and easily mastered the technology. "Some people think older people won't use technology interventions, but that isn't so," Spring said.

One big challenge in treating obesity is the need to provide intensive behavioral treatment in a health care system where physicians don't have the time and training to do it.

"This approach empowers patients to help themselves on a day-to-day basis," Spring said. "We can help people lose meaningful amounts of weight and keep it off. To do that we need to engage them in tracking their own eating and activity, learn how that governs weight, and take advantage of social support."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Bonnie Spring et al. Integrating Technology Into Standard Weight Loss TreatmentA Randomized Controlled Trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1221

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Olympians live longer than general population ... But cyclists no survival advantage over golfers

Dec. 13, 2012 — Olympic medallists live longer than the general population, regardless of country of origin, medal won, or type of sport played, finds a study in the Christmas issue published on bmj.com today.

A second study comparing athletes who trained at different physical intensities, found that those from high or moderate intensity sports have no added survival benefit over athletes from low intensity sports. But those who engage in disciplines with high levels of physical contact, such as boxing, rugby and ice hockey, are at an increased risk of death in later life, the data show.

An accompanying editorial adds that everyone could enjoy the "survival advantage" of elite athletes by just meeting physical activity guidelines.

In the first study, researchers compared life expectancy among 15,174 Olympic athletes who won medals between 1896 and 2010 with general population groups matched by country, sex, and age.

All medallists lived an average of 2.8 years longer -- a significant survival advantage over the general population in eight out of the nine country groups studied.

Gold, silver and bronze medallists enjoyed roughly the same survival advantage, as did medallists in both endurance and mixed sports. Medallists in power sports had a smaller, but still significant, advantage over the general population.

The authors say that, although their study was not designed to determine why Olympic athletes live longer, "possible explanations include genetic factors, physical activity, healthy lifestyle, and the wealth and status that come from international sporting glory."

In the second study, researchers measured the effect of high intensity exercise on mortality later in life among former Olympic athletes.

They tracked 9,889 athletes with a known age at death, who took part in at least one Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936. Together they represented 43 disciplines requiring different levels of exercise intensity and physical contact.

After adjusting for sex, year of birth and nationality, they found that athletes from sports with high cardiovascular intensity (such as cycling and rowing) or moderate cardiovascular intensity (such as gymnastics and tennis) had similar mortality rates compared with athletes from low cardiovascular intensity sports, such as golf or cricket.

However, the researchers did find an 11% increased risk of mortality among athletes from disciplines with a high risk of body collision and with high levels of physical contact, such as boxing, rugby and ice hockey, compared with other athletes. They suggest this reflects the impact of repeated collisions and injuries over time.

In an accompanying editorial, two public health experts point out that people who do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity also have a survival advantage compared with the inactive general population. Estimates range from just under a year to several years.

But they argue that, compared with the successes that have been achieved in tobacco control, "our inability to improve physical activity is a public health failure, and it is not yet taken seriously enough by many in government and in the medical establishment."

"Although the evidence points to a small survival effect of being an Olympian, careful reflection suggests that similar health benefits and longevity could be achieved by all of us through regular physical activity. We could and should all award ourselves that personal gold medal," they conclude.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal References:

P. M. Clarke, S. J. Walter, A. Hayen, W. J. Mallon, J. Heijmans, D. M. Studdert. Survival of the fittest: retrospective cohort study of the longevity of Olympic medallists in the modern era. BMJ, 2012; 345 (dec13 8): e8308 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e8308R. Zwiers, F. W. A. Zantvoord, F. M. Engelaer, D. van Bodegom, F. J. G. van der Ouderaa, R. G. J. Westendorp. Mortality in former Olympic athletes: retrospective cohort analysis. BMJ, 2012; 345 (dec13 8): e7456 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e7456A. E. Bauman, S. N. Blair. Everyone could enjoy the 'survival advantage' of elite athletes. BMJ, 2012; 345 (dec13 8): e8338 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e8338

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here