The fear of breast cancer among women has been very high recently, but heart disease has actually become a more significant health risk.
Do you just love to exercise? Well, if you don't, you probably just haven't done it long enough. According to an article in the November '97 issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, most people start to exercise for some specific goal (like losing fat, and/or gaining muscle); but, many people leave their goals behind, and continue to exercise just because it makes them feel good.
I can relate to that. Twenty-some years ago I weight trained regularly, and hated it. I went because I thought it was probably good for me, but I left every session almost depressed. I just did not enjoy it. Now I am still regularly weight training, but enjoying it. It's the same for running; although with a difference - I always have liked to run. I still do it, although I have been betrayed by my body and can only do sort of a jog-walk-jog routine these days. I have no more illusions about building big muscles, or great strength, or running marathons - too many body parts that don't work so well anymore; but I enjoy the feeling of muscle movement. Exercise is fun, and only incidentally beneficial in other ways. The peace-of-mind that I get from exercise makes it all worthwhile.
Homocysteine, an amino acid, circulates in the blood, and may cause health problems similar to those attributed to blood cholesterol. High levels of homocysteine in the blood may cause damage to arterial walls, leading to a build-up of cholesterol; and potentially, arterial blockage. The risk of heart disease seems to rise with an increase of homocysteine; but while it is created in the body, ordinarily it is converted into more benign amino acids. This conversion is a result of three B vitamins - folacin (or folic acid), B-6, and B-12. Therefore, a deficiency of these vitamins may result in a homocysteine buildup, with ensuing increased heart risk. The homocysteine connection is still fairly theoretical, and it isn't known if lowering homocysteine actually lowers the risk of heart disease. But just in case, it is recommended that we be sure to get enough of the identified B vitamins.
Folacin and B-6 are easy to acquire. They are in leafy greens, whole grains, some fruits, and fortified breakfast cereal. Starting in January of this year, many products have been fortified with folacin by government mandate. Vitamin B-12 is more of a problem as it is found in foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats; but some B-12 is found in fish, milk, lean meats, fortified cereals and soy products. And check your multivitamin supplements, if you use them.
Here is a more comprehensive list of food sources:
I have always been suspicious of supplements, except vitamins. I take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement daily, but now it seems that even they are suspect - not just things like Fen-phen. The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) requires that multivitamin/mineral supplements should meet a standard for dissolving - called "dissolution." The standard for riboflavin (vitamin B2) and iron is that 75% of each will dissolve within one hour of being mixed in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. This standard is designed to show absorbability, and though not foolproof, is considered reasonably indicative of absorbability. The dissolution rate for iron and riboflavin does not mean that the absorbability of all components of a supplement would pass the test, but it is considered a good indicator. The USP label on a supplement is supposed to show that the product has been tested and passed; but there is no official mechanism to run the dissolution test, so unscrupulous companies can use the label with little chance of being caught. Tufts University tested five USP labeled and five unlabeled supplements. All of the labeled products passed; but two of the other five failed - one miserably. Of course supplements aren't considered to be drugs, so there is no strict government regulation. The two that failed were Geritol Complete and GNC Women's Solotron.
GNC Women's Solotron, the most expensive product tested, by far; failed the worst, by far. The company admitted that they don't check dissolution, so they didn't have a clue about their product's absorbability. Interesting. This is why I am generally not a fan of supplements - individual minerals or vitamins, herbs, ergogenic aids, weight loss "aids" (Like Fen-phen, which was recently pulled off the market because of a nasty side-effect: it can kill by damaging heart valves.), weight gainers, and on-and-on. You often don't know exactly what you are getting - either its effectiveness, or damaging side-effects. You might buy a bottle of XYZ, but you don't know how much you got, its purity or lack of it. You don't really know if there is any XYZ in that bottle at all, and even if there is there is no guarantee that your body will absorb any of it.
If you do decide to buy a supplement, here are some suggestions to follow while making your choice:
There are some calcium uncertainties: not whether we need it or not: we can't live without it. The uncertainty is how much of what we ingest do we absorb. No, this isn't another vitamin D story. As you know, the primary sources of calcium are ordinarily dairy products. It also is found, to a lessor degree, in plants (e.g., spinach), but these sources also contain a substance which interferes with calcium absorption (oxalic acid - more on this later).
Calcium absorption seems to be a problem. For example, when you have some cereal (wheat bran - high in fiber) and milk, the fiber and calcium bind together, which degrades calcium absorption. [This is contrary to what I have frequently read - that milk and cereal is a great way to start the day, at least nutritionally. That this combo starts you on your way to achieving an adequate daily amount of protein, calcium, and fiber. I guess that combination is still a good start to the day, but maybe with less calcium than previously expected.]
In addition to taking in enough calcium (recently the recommended daily amount has been increased from 800 mg per day to 1000 mg for those aged 31-50, and 1200 mg for those 51 and older), and vitamin D (see last month's Newsletter). Getting an ample amount of calcium is not the end of the bone density issue; however, resistance exercise also needs to be part of the bone density equation. Physical stress (weight training is ideal) on the bones makes them stronger, just like physical stress on muscles makes them stronger.
Here is a short aside - still about calcium, but with nothing about calcium absorption. It seems that calcium has a cardiovascular system connection. Some "experts" think that not enough calcium raises blood pressure, thereby increasing risk of heart attack - also kidney failure and stroke. It is thought that calcium encourages the production of nitric oxide, which tends to open up blood vessels to reduce pressure. The best source still seems to be milk because it includes vitamin D, potassium, and magnesium - all important for calcium's role in maintaining healthy blood pressure. Calcium supplements have a similar effect, but not as strong as with calcium-rich food.
So, could milk (dairy products) help fight both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease? Maybe, but even if it turns out that calcium has no connection to cardiovascular disease, there are still bones to benefit.
Again, what are good calcium sources? There is milk, of course. Especially good for its high level of calcium and potassium, magnesium and vitamin D. Use skim milk and get fewer calories (a few less) and more calcium than fatter milk.
There is also cheese and yogurt; and, as with milk, nonfat varieties are best.
Then come non-dairy sources - fortified juices (orange, apple, or grapefruit) are nearly equivalent to milk in terms of calcium content. Broccoli and tofu are two more sources. There are some other calcium carriers, but they are not nearly as good a source as dairy products or fortified juices.
Remember that calcium absorption is reduced by meals with a lot of animal protein, wheat bran, or oxalic acid (found in spinach, green beans, peanuts, and summer squash - all good healthy foods, on their own); therefore, you must take this into consideration, and realize that your calcium intake may not be as good as it seems.
An example from one study showed that a one-and-a-half ounce serving of wheat bran cereal resulted in a reduction of the calcium in the milk by one-third. Some calcium supplementation may be in order to insure adequate intake in view of the aforementioned potential absorption problems.
If you do take calcium supplements, it is better to take them with a meal. Also, it is more effective to take smaller doses, rather than one large one.
When choosing a supplement, pay attention to the calcium source. Pills made from calcium carbonate are 40% calcium; those from calcium phosphate are 38% calcium; and those from calcium citrate are 21% calcium. The easiest way to go is to simply use extra strength Tums (calcium carbonate) - each pill contains roughly as much calcium as a glass of milk.
One last comment, don't rely exclusively on milk; there have been studies that have shown that the amount of vitamin D in a container of milk is not always the same as that claimed.
We just covered some vitamin D information in last month's Newsletter, but it is important enough that it deserves some additional comments.
We can expect that 5-15 minutes of sunshine exposure is pretty easy for most younger people to get, but remember that sun block (even at a quite low SPF) decreases the amount of ultraviolet light that can be converted to vitamin D. Also, as we age (50 and up) our bodies become less efficient at this conversion process, and a little more exposure becomes necessary.
For those who live above 42 degrees latitude (think of a line from the California-Oregon border to Boston) the angle of the sun is such that in the winter vitamin D conversion can't be done. Vitamin D is stored in body fat, but the surplus can become a deficit toward the end of winter, especially in the northernmost states in the U.S.
To help maintain the surplus, it helps to eat fish, eggs, liver, meat; and milk, of course. A multi-vitamin may solve the problem.
And don't neglect the resistance exercise that is needed to promote bone density. The absolute best thing you can do to preserve/build bone density is to get enough calcium, and do some exercise (walking, jogging running, jumping rope, basketball, etc.), and add some strength training to complete the program.
What causes muscle cramps? Unfortunately, no one knows for sure, so here are some unproved theories on potential causes (reported in the November '97 issue of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter).
One is the "dehydration theory." It is common to tell athletes to keep well hydrated to avoid muscle cramps, and that is good advice, but it has never been proven that dehydration is in any way related to muscle cramps.
Theory two is that "electrolyte imbalance" is the culprit. Is too much or too little potassium or chloride the cause? Maybe, maybe not?
Third is the "environmental theory." Maybe exercise in too much heat or humidity is the cause? Very likely all three of these theories have some merit, but none have been proven incontrovertibly.
A new theory has popped up based on the fact that electromyographic activity [measurement of electrical activity] is especially high during a cramp, but is lower in between cramps. It is thought that the high electrical activity consists of the nervous system sending out messages to a muscle to contract, and that they result from fatigue.
All of these theories relate to cramps during muscular activity, and probably all contribute to muscle cramps. Individual differences account for varying responses to the same stimuli. At any rate, keep well hydrated, eat lots of fruit and veggies, stay out of high heat and humidity when possible; and when possible stretch. There is anecdotal evidence, but again no scientific evidence, that stretching helps prevent muscle cramps, in addition to curing them.
Shingles is a second coming of a virus that causes chicken pox. Sometimes when a person gets chicken pox, the virus that caused it is not completely killed off by the immune system. The residual bioterrorists (a.k.a. virus) are able to remain dormant inside nerve cells by your brain or spinal cord. Years later this dormant virus may be reactivated, and it travels along nerve fibers toward your skin causing pain. Upon reaching the skin, a rash and blisters are produced - called "shingles" (actually "herpes zoster").
Shingles usually break out on your chest or back, but sometimes it can occur on your face, inside of your mouth, or on an arm or leg.
Unfortunately, when the virus moves, it can cause pain, even before rash and blisters appear. Likewise, the pain can persist even after a rash and blisters disappear (a condition called "postherpetic neuralgia").
Shingles is developed in one in five adults, typically after the age of 50. And in rare cases people get shingles more than once.
Postherpetic neuralgia affects half of those over age 60. Postherpetic neuralgia results from nerve damage from shingles. The damaged nerve fibers are then unable to transmit nerve messages from the skin to the brain in a normal fashion. These degraded messages then cause pain. The pain may take several forms - normal sharp or burning, deep and aching; it may even take the form of skin sensitivity. For that group, just the touch of clothing can cause pain. Even a change in temperature can cause pain.
Itching and numbness may occur at the site of shingles blisters even after they're gone. The virus may also affect nerves that control muscle movements, leaving the afflicted muscles weak, or even with tremors or paralysis.
At the first signs of shingles (localized blistery rash) get thee immediately to a physician. If you discover it within about three days, treatment can reduce the effects of both shingles and postherpetic neuralgia.
Both conditions are treated with anti-viral drugs, anti-inflammation drugs, pain relievers, and antidepressants to reduce pain (the seratonin connection).
To relieve the condition the drugs of choice are:
Ba gb dhrfgvbaf naq nafjref. Guvf zrffntr vf n grfg. Ubj znal bs lbh pna qrpvcure vg?
(Q) What is a plyo push-up?
D.B.F., Eugene, OR
(A) You've been doing them for years, but didn't know it. You were once told to do a push-up with a difference - go down to softly touch your chest to the floor, and then to push up forcefully so your hands came up off of the floor. A similar push-up adaptation had you push up off the floor and clap your hands before returning to the floor. So, it is down and push, down and push; to 100 or whatever you normally do. Now that "plyometric" exercise (training for power and speed) has become popular, we have a new name for an old exercise.
(Q) What happens to my fitness gains if I go into a period of detraining (cessation of exercise, maybe from an illness or injury, or just a vacation)?
D.G., Salem, OR
(A) Here is a fairly cursory answer. In a feature article next month, more detail will be provided.
An individual who has been exercising will experience significant, measurable metabolic and working capacity decreases in only one to two weeks. A number of training gains will be lost within a few months of the start of detraining.
Max Vo2 decreases, as does max stroke volume and cardiac output. In addition, there is a decrease of between 14% and 25% of the number of capillaries in trained muscles within about three weeks of detraining. In other words, your level of fitness is dropping after all of your hard work, but it isn't dead yet.
(Q) What can I do to train my rear deltoids? By-the-way, I do belong to a well-equipped fitness center.
G.L., Winnemucca, NV
(A) Use a Reverse Fly Pec Dec - it varies from a regular Pec Deck machine in that you sit with your chest against what would ordinarily be the back rest, and take ahold of the handles. Your arms should be stretched out to your sides at shoulder level, and with your elbows nearly straight. Now pull the handles back until your elbows are behind your back. Pause, then return to the initial position. This exercise concentrates on the rear delts, and also works the trapezius, rhomboid, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles in the back.
_____________________________________
For questions or comments call MAF at (408) 739-0501,
send snail mail to: 965 Ponderosa Ave., # 25, Sunnyvale, CA, 94086,
or click here to send an email to the author, Mike Fenner
To see the MAF FITNESS NEWSLETTER archives, go to http://www.dinc.com/maf/