Archive for September, 2009

Preventing Loss of Muscle Strength with Aging

Submitted by Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin
As you age, you lose muscle size and strength much faster than you lose endurance or coordination. Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England show that a major cause of loss of muscle is that aging prevents muscles from responding to insulin and that exercising helps [...]

What Causes Prostate Cancer?

Submitted by Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin
We don’t know what causes prostate cancer, but a study from Harvard School of Public Health shows an association between the common sexually transmitted infection, Trichomonas vaginalis, and risk of the type of prostate cancer that kills (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, September 9, 2009). Researchers [...]

Use Lactate Threshold instead of Maximum Heart Rate

Submitted by Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin
My report on the unreliable Maximum Heart Rate formula brought many questions on how heart rate SHOULD be used for training. Competitive athletes often use a guide called lactate threshold (LT). When you exercise, your muscles require oxygen to convert food to energy. If you exercise so [...]

NSAIDs Interfere with Proper Training

Submitted by Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin
Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs - Motrin, Advil, Alleve and so forth), taken before or after exercise, interfere with the benefits of training for fitness and athletic competition because they delay healing of damaged muscles (British Journal of Sports Medicine, August 2009). You train [...]

Three Foods That May Help Lower High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure has been nicknamed the silent epidemic because of its far-reaching consequences. Today, nearly one of every three adults has hypertension. It is the 13th largest cause of death in the United States. What’s needed is an innovative nutritional approach. And here it is…

Your Appendix is Not Useless

Submitted by Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin
You may have had your appendix removed because doctors believed that it was a useless vestigial organ. Now researchers have found that it serves as a storage tank for healthful germs that live in your intestines. These good bacteria help to break down food so you can [...]