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Lead Stories: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Strong Legs For Strong Knees

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 8:30 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

Doctors have known for many years that having weak quad muscles (in the front of your upper legs) increases risk for damage to the cartilage in your knees. A study from Purdue University shows that strengthening these muscles slows down knee cartilage damage and may even improve knee function (Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 2006).

The researchers placed 221 adults in their sixties and seventies either on a program of strengthening their muscles in their upper legs or just moving their knees in a series of range-of- motion exercises. The subjects exercised three times per week (twice at a fitness facility and once at home) for 12 weeks. This program was followed by a transition to home-based exercise for 12 months. Older people weaken naturally with aging, but the range of motion exercisers lost more strength than those who exercised against progressive resistance. The strength training helped retain joint space, signifying that this group had less loss of cartilage.

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Eating carbohydrates and protein for muscle growth

Posted January 6th, 2007 at 6:02 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Exercise

If you want to become very strong, you should lift heavy weights, eat carbohydrates before you lift and eat plenty of protein afterwards.

Normal amounts of insulin help muscles grow, and eating carbohydrates causes your blood sugar to rise, which, in turn, causes your pancreas to release insulin. Taking in large amounts of protein after a workout helps muscles to recover faster from hard exercise, so you can do more hard work and grow larger and stronger muscles (Journal of Physiology).
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Does creatine build larger muscles and/or delay fatigue?

Posted December 6th, 2006 at 11:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness

Creatine can help to strengthen muscles, but athletes who take these supplements need to know how much they can take safely before they harm themselves. When you exercise and your muscles get as much oxygen as they need, they burn carbohydrates, fats and protein for energy. When you exercise so intensely that you cannot get all the oxygen you need, your muscles use creatine and ATP. So when you exercise so intensely that you can’t get enough oxygen, you can delay fatigue by taking creatine and it allows you to do more work, which makes you stronger.

The body of a 160 pound man contains 120 grams of creatine and he takes in and uses about two grams a day. No good studies have been done to show what amounts are safe to take beyond what your own body makes, so let the buyer beware. Creatine may allow you to lift more weights and make you stronger, but it may also harm you.
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Use different types of exercise for fitness and muscle strength

Posted December 3rd, 2006 at 11:00 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

You can’t train for heart muscle fitness and skeletal muscle strength with the same exercises. To strengthen your heart muscle, you must exercise vigorously enough to speed up your heart rate and keep it elevated for a while. To strengthen your skeletal muscles, you need to exercise against increasing resistance in short, hard bouts. Read the rest of this entry »

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Resveratrol (RSZ) found to double endurance in recent study

Posted November 26th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jennifer Lipman

Section: Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness

In an age when performance-enhancing supplements are running rampant, it’s hard for consumers to discern which products really help improve endurance and which are mere marketing ploys.

However, a recent scientifc study may have helped to clear upon the confusion. These recent tests show the drug, resveratrol (RSV), found in natural foods, such as peanuts and the grapes used in wine, can double endurance while improving your health. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lifting Weights Can Also Make Your Bones Stronger

Posted October 29th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

An interesting study from the University of British Columbia shows that lifting weights strengthens the bones of women in their late sixties.

The women were asked to use several weight machines three times a week for one year. At the end of that year, the women gained a tremendous amount of muscle strength, and they also had denser bones.

If a woman lives long enough, she will certainly develop osteoporosis which can shorten her life. This study shows that it is never too late to strengthen bones. Read the rest of this entry »

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