Weight Training Rejuvenates Aging Muscles

Weight training reverses aging damage in muscles: study

Healthy seniors benefit from strength training by rejuvenating their muscle tissue, say Canadian and U.S. researchers who found the proof at the molecular level.

Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, director of the neuromuscular and neurometabolic clinic at McMaster University in Hamilton and Simon Melov of the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, Calif., compared tissue samples from 25 healthy older men and women who did six months of weight training and a similar group of 26 younger people.

The researchers looked at the molecular "fingerprint" of aging in mitochondria, the powerhouse that supplies energy to cells. Studies suggest poor mitochondrial function is involved in the loss of muscle mass and function commonly seen in older people.

Older adults showed a decline in gene activity for mitochondrial function, but exercise was linked to a reversal back to levels similar to those of younger adults, the team reports in Wednesday's issue of the journal PloS One.

Before exercise training, the older adults were also 59 per cent weaker than the younger adults, but after the training, their strength was only 38 per cent weaker.

After four months of follow up, most of the older adults were no longer exercising at a gym but continued to do resistance exercise at home by lifting soup cans or elastic bands.

"They were still as strong, they still had the same muscle mass," Tarnopolsky said in a release. "This shows that it's never too late to start exercising and that you don't have to spend your life pumping iron in a gym to reap benefits."

Aging reversal

While aging studies on worms, fruit flies and mice have shown similar results, Melov said the researchers were surprised at the extent of the results in humans.

"The fact that their 'genetic fingerprints' so dramatically reversed course gives credence to the value of exercise, not only as a means of improving health, but of reversing the aging process itself, which is an additional incentive to exercise as you get older."

The younger participants were 20 to 35 with an average age of 26, while those in the older group were all over 65 with an average age of 70. Both groups were similar in terms of diet and exercise, and none took medication or had diseases that affect mitochondrial function.

The hour-long resistance training sessions were done twice a week on standard gym equipment, involving 30 contractions of each muscle group.

Tissue samples were taken from the thigh muscle, and the strength test was based on knee flexion.

Future studies are planned to determine if resistance training has any genetic impact on organ tissues. The researchers also want to determine whether endurance training such as running or cycling affects mitochondrial function and aging.

Source: CBC.ca

Potential Spot Reducing Effects of Cardio Training

Source: Women's Health May 2007

Training Order Priority for Efficiency

Source: Men's Health May 2007

Laughing Health Benefits

According to a study in the INternational Journal of Obesity, laughing out loud can help you burn more calories. For 90 minutes 45 people watched videos that were funny (Austin Powers) or big snooze fests (a show about the English countryside) while scientists measured their heart rate and calorie burn. Laughing out loud increased both numbers by up to 20% compared with watching quietly. So giggle for 15 minutes a day could burn as many as 50 calories.
Source: Women's Health April 2007

Sweat Stats

Source: Men's Health March 2007

BMI Inaccurate Indicator According to 'New' Research

Research shows BMI often not an accurate indicator of body fat

Body mass index, or BMI, long considered the standard for measuring the amount of fat in a person’s body, may not be as accurate as originally thought, according to new research.

A research team from Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University measured the BMI of more than 400 college students – some of whom were athletes and some not – and found that in most cases the student’s BMI did not accurately reflect his or her percentage of body fat.

The research is published in the March issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

BMI is determined by this equation: A person’s weight divided by his or her height squared. Generally a BMI of 25 or above indicates a person is overweight; 30 or above indicates obesity. A person with a higher BMI is thought to be at a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and other weight-related problems.

“The overlying issue is the same criteria for BMI are used across the board,” said Joshua Ode, a Ph.D. student in the MSU Department of Kinesiology and an assistant professor of kinesiology at Saginaw Valley. “Whether you’re an athlete or a 75-year-old man, all the same cut points are used.”

“BMI should be used cautiously when classifying fatness, especially among college-age people,” said Jim Pivarnik, an MSU professor of kinesiology and epidemiology. “It really doesn’t do a good job of saying how fat a person really is.”

The problem, especially among younger people and athletes, is that BMI does not distinguish between body fat and muscle mass, said Ode.

“A previous study of NFL football players found that a large percentage of them – around 60 percent – were considered obese,” he said. “But when you look at an athlete like that, you see that in many cases he is not obese. Many athletes have huge BMIs because of muscle mass, but in many cases are not fat.”

The answer, said Pivarnik, is instead of having one cutoff point for everyone, perhaps have different classifications for different people.

“Is a BMI of 25 for overweight and 30 for obese the right ones to use with 20- to 29-year-olds in terms of disease risk?” he asked. “Maybe it could be as simple as this: If you’re a regular exerciser or an athlete, maybe 28 is overweight for you and 33 is considered obese.”

BMI, said Pivarnik, is used as a “surrogate” for percent fat, even though body fat doesn’t really fit into the equation.

“What if you take fat out of the equation?” he said. “Is there something unique about BMI that may increase a person’s risk of chronic disease, unrelated to fatness? Are people with high BMIs but low fatness as much at risk of heart disease as other people? The answer is no one knows.”

In their research, Ode and Pivarnik used carefully measured height and weight to calculate BMI in more than 400 college-age people. They then used a standard method of measuring body fatness and found that BMI was not providing an accurate portrayal of the amount of fat a student had.

Other members of the research team included Mathew Reeves, an associate professor of epidemiology at MSU, and Jeremy Knous, a Ph.D. student in the MSU Department of Kinesiology.

Source: newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3009/content.htm

Worthwhile Steps

Source: American Council of Exerise

Brain Fitness for Better Memory and less Dementia

Exercising your brain can improve memory and cut the risk of developing dementia.

By Christopher J. Gearon

If you think electronic games are just for your grandchildren, you've somehow missed the marketing blitz aimed at older adults. Computer- and video-game makers are targeting seniors and baby-boomers with products that claim to boost the power of an aging brain. But can games such as Nintendo's Brain Age or Web sites such as MyBrainTrainer.com really stave off dementia?

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Scientists have found that certain exercises conducted in a laboratory, such as matching and counting games, could improve memory. But it's unclear whether a regimen of such exercises could help aging adults remember to take medication, follow directions and engage in other activities of daily living that enable seniors to remain independent.

But researchers say you can take measures to increase cognitive function and delay dementia, even Alzheimer's disease. "My advice: Travel, go to the theater, go to museums, take a dance class," says Denise Park, director of University of Illinois' Roybal Center for Healthy Minds, which studies cognitive function and aging.

The Aging Brain
Weighing in at three pounds, the adult brain begins shrinking even before middle age. The clues are common: You can't find your keys, or you forget where you parked. You can easily adapt to such minor changes, by perhaps putting keys in the same place every day, for example. By the mid sixties, such cognition lapses become more noticeable. After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer's disease doubles every five years.

Over the past 30 years, however, scientists have found that engaging in a range of basic activities can improve a person's memory and mental health. "Everyday life gives us an opportunity," says George Rebok, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Continue to be as active as you can. Search out new ways to stimulate yourself mentally, socially and physically."

The key to any brain-training regimen is physical exercise. Research shows that blood flow stimulated by exercise improves short-term memory and concentration. One study showed that six months of brisk walking by healthy adults between the ages of 58 and 78 led to big benefits. The walkers were able to pay closer attention while disregarding distracting information.

Staying socially connected is also linked to reduced cognitive decline. Volunteering may be especially helpful. Case in point: A Hopkins study of Experience Corps, a program that places older volunteers into urban schools to mentor students, found benefits for the seniors. Researchers studied 128 volunteers ranging in age from 60 to 86, who worked at least 15 hours a week. Cognitive stimulation, as well as physical strength and social interactions, increased. "We think volunteer experiences will make a big impact in terms of cognitive ability," says Rebok.

Frequent intellectual stimulation could also re-duce dementia. A National Institute on Aging study found that adults who regularly listened to the radio, read newspapers, played puzzle games and visited museums over a four-year period cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 47%.