In The News - Let's Get Physical

Science News

Sedentary Lifestyles Associated With Accelerated Aging Process

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2008) — Individuals who are physically active during their leisure time appear to be biologically younger than those with sedentary lifestyles, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Regular exercisers have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis, according to background information in the article. "A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related disease and premature death," the authors write. "Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases but also because it may influence the aging process itself."

Lynn F. Cherkas, Ph.D., of King's College London, and colleagues studied 2,401 white twins, administering questionnaires on physical activity level, smoking habits and socioeconomic status. The participants also provided a blood sample from which DNA was extracted. The researchers examined the length of telomeres--repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes--in the twins' white blood cells (leukocytes). Leukocyte telomeres progressively shorten over time and may serve as a marker of biological age.

Telomere length decreased with age, with an average loss of 21 nucleotides (structural units) per year. Men and women who were less physically active in their leisure time had shorter leukocyte telomeres than those who were more active. "Such a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and physical activity level remained significant after adjustment for body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity at work," the authors write. "The mean difference in leukocyte telomere length between the most active [who performed an average of 199 minutes of physical activity per week] and least active [16 minutes of physical activity per week] subjects was 200 nucleotides, which means that the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger, on average." A sub-analysis comparing pairs in which twins had different levels of physical activity showed similar results.

Oxidative stress--damage caused to cells by exposure to oxygen--and inflammation are likely mechanisms by which sedentary lifestyles shorten telomeres, the authors suggest. In addition, perceived stress levels have been linked to telomere length. Physical activity may reduce psychological stress, thus mitigating its effect on telomeres and the aging process.

"The U.S. guidelines recommend that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits," the authors write. "Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines. They show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals. This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential anti-aging effect of regular exercise."

Journal reference: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:154-158.

This study was supported in part by a grant from the Welcome Trust, grants from the National Institutes of Health and a grant from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Editorial: More Research Needed to Verify Exercise-Aging Link

Additional work needs to be done to show a direct relationship between aging and physical activity, writes Jack M. Guralnik, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Md., in an accompanying editorial.

"Persons who exercise are different from sedentary persons in many ways, and although certain variables were adjusted for in this analysis, many additional factors could be responsible for the biological differences between active and sedentary persons, a situation referred to by epidemiologists as residual confounding," Dr. Guralnik writes. "Nevertheless, this article serves as one of many pieces of evidence that telomere length might be targeted in studying aging outcomes."

Editorial reference: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:131-132.

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

Adapted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

Flipping The Holiday Calorie Equation In Our Favor

Or Putting The Happy Back In Happy Holidays or Give Me The Gift of Muscle.
















The majority of dieters, weight watchers, and casual exercisers view the holidays and feasting that accompanies them as a minefield. Each get-together or party is a potential calorie-laden bomb to be feared, viewed with suspicion, and pussy footed around. If I had a penny for every stressed out dieter who resented the Holiday season I could buy out Gold's Gym.

This is wrong thinking on two points (not the part about buying Gold's Gym, I could happily live in one). For one creating stress over your diet or anything is a bad influence on the hormones necessary for fat burning and can actually make you fatter. And two it overlooks the opportunity to put those extra calories to work for us by fueling a ramped up workout schedule. (Which by the way is a great way to cope with the holiday stress you can’t avoid).

Am I saying we should abandon all dietary reason and fall face first into the pumpkin pie and gravy soaked potatoes? No, of course not! But relaxing and enjoying the opportunities to eat luscious foods that can aid in changing your body composition is a wonderful thing.

Making judicious food choices like portion controlling calorie disasters like pecan pie and switching the full fat gravy for a lower calorie version are still essential for mitigating damage to your waistline. I am saying an extra serving of lean protein like turkey or ham (many delicious low fat versions are available) and a few extra carbohydrates like potatoes and stuffing can actually be beneficial to a well planned and well executed workout schedule.

To make this work forget about fat loss until after New Years Day and aim for muscle gain. If you gain a few pounds of body fat along with muscle so what. You can burn it off later and the extra muscle gained will help with that. How much muscle you actually gain will depend on your sex, protein intake, adequate rest, stress avoidance, and how intense you make your resistance training workouts.

With six weeks until New Years Day how much muscle could one expect to gain in this short period of time? The opinion on that varies but one informed source states “…know that beginner and intermediate trainers who train hard and train intelligently towards mass gain can and often do receive gains of 20 or 30 pounds over a 10-12 week period.”

Okay, for a little female squirt like me at five foot even and 115.9 pounds, and with little natural testosterone, this may be an unreasonable goal. But my numbers on Power 90X for two 12 week rounds was 9 pounds of muscle gained. That’s 0.375 pounds of muscle a week or almost 4 ounces. This is a very acceptable goal to me especially since I can eat more now and not gain body fat. I WANT MORE MUSCLE! So over six weeks I could expect to gain 2.25 pounds of muscle. That means I can expect to burn roughly 100 calories more a day from adding that much muscle.

Just think if you’re bigger than me, and particularly male, you can beat that number. How much will depend on the factors listed above.

So I’m game. Bring on the turkey, the free weights, and a butt load of Power 90X workouts.

My starting stats: 115.9 pounds (fluctuates between 116 and 114 in a week), 24 pounds body fat, 20.9 percent body fat, and 92 pounds lean mass. Bust 33.5 - Waist 27.5 – Hips 35.8 – Thighs both 19 – Biceps 11.5.

I’ll report on my progress here including what I ate and my workouts.

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Resistance Training Dos and Don’ts Part Three – Supplements

So you’ve finally bit the bullet and started a resistance training program. You’ve signed up at the gym and recruited a personal trainer to walk you through a weightlifting program or you’ve bought a set of dumbbells or resistance bands and you’re working out to a resistance training video. You’re eating plenty of protein (at least 0.8 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight) and you’ve discovered the meaning of DOMS. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

You’re ready to take your training to the next level and want to add supplements to your program. But you don’t know where to start. And you certainly don’t want to waste your money on a load of supplements just because you saw them advertised in Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development or MuscleMag. After all, that stuff is for the big guys, the pros who want to get HUGE. You just want to build enough muscle to burn some fat and look better in a swimsuit.

Wrong. Those supplements are for anyone who is serious about building muscle. And chances are you’ll never get big like the pros for several reasons; they’re genetically gifted, they workout several hours a day, and nearly all of them are taking illegal anabolic steroids and/or testosterone shots. Those supplements you’re about to eschew are your only legal edge in the muscle game.

As always with any health, nutrition, or fitness advice, ALWAYS ask your physician first before implementing any advice.

So let’s start with the basics, these five supplements that are considered “must haves”.

1. Protein Powder

Choosing a protein powder is like choosing the right dog at the local animal control. You can’t tell from looking who's all bark and no bite until it’s too late. Quality is always an issue and so is digestive upsets. I've bought brands that almost made me gag. You’ll have to factor into your decision cost, taste, digestive issues and more. Personally, I alternate between a whey and a soy protein. Here’s a few good links that explain the ins and outs of choosing the right protein powder. What? Did you think I was going to waste my time rehashing it here?

Protein Pros and Cons

Choosing A Protein Powder

2. Creatine – Creatine Monohydrate is a natural compound made by our bodies. It’s also found in some foods like beef but in smaller quantities than is of maximal value to muscle building. Creatine is a metabolite used to replenish muscles and raises ATP (adenosine triphosphate) our muscles ultimate fuel source. So supplementing is necessary to optimize its value to our muscles.

Creatine comes in many forms but powdered is very popular and mixes well with protein powder.

For more on Creatine go here.


3. BCAA’s - Branch Chain Amino Acids are mong the most beneficial and effective supplements in any sports nutrition program. These are the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They come in a powdered form easily added to protein powder. Basically you're leveraging your protein intake to maximize these aminos and support muscle recovery and growth.

More on BCAAs.

4. Multiple Vitamin – This is a no-brainer. Everyone should be taking a multivitamin because foods today are depleted. They’re grown in over farmed soil and are often processed or denatured. Taking a multivitamin is a minimum requirement for anyone doing resistance training. Think minimal nutritional support.

Why Take Vitamins?

5. CLA – Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a fatty acid known commonly as CLA and has been shown to support body fat metabolism. CLA is a naturally occurring free fatty acid found mainly in meat and dairy products in small amounts. But getting enough CLA from your diet would require considerable intake of these types of foods. And this would have a negative impact on your weight due to the high caloric amounts. Supplementing with CLA – usually taken it capsule form – is an easy way to maximize your nutrition for fat loss. In one study, women on this supplement lost nine percent of their body fat.

Recommended dose is 3-5 grams a day.

CLA FAQ

That’s certainly not a comprehensive list of muscle building supplements but it’s a good place to start if you’re a beginner. If you get serious and stay serious about resistance training you will want to further explore the world of supplements. Below are a few links to start with:

T-Nation Supplement Articles

Bodybuilding For You Supplement Guide

Supplements 101

Wiki on Bodybuilding Supplements

Water – The Free Supplement

"Our bodies are over 70% water and it needs a large amount of this liquid to maintain its daily functions. Water helps to flush our systems and remove harmful toxins. When you don't drink enough water, your body actually holds onto the water. This in turn will leave you bloated.

Water is also a great no-calorie source to fill up your stomach which helps keep you feeling fuller. If you actually drink ice cold water you will burn more calories. This is because your body has to heat up the ice cold water and it uses energy (calories) to do so. This is otherwise known as the "thermogenic effect". You can burn an additional 100 calories a day by drinking one gallon of ice cold water!"