From: Abstract (provisional) of “Arginine and antioxidant supplement on performance in elderly male cyclists: a randomized controlled trial”
A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (23 March 2010) has shown that an arginine and antioxidant-containing supplement increased the anaerobic threshold at both week one and week three in elderly cyclists.
Background to the Study
Human exercise capacity declines with advancing age. These changes often result in loss of physical fitness and more rapid senescence. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in improvement of exercise capacity through vascular smooth muscle relaxation in both coronary and skeletal muscle arteries, as well as via independent mechanisms. Antioxidants may prevent nitric oxide inactivation by oxygen free radicals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an L-arginine and antioxidant supplement on exercise performance in elderly male cyclists.
To carry out the study, sixteen male cyclists were randomized to receive either a proprietary supplement (Niteworks(R), Herbalife International Inc., Century City, CA) or a placebo powder. Exercise parameters were assessed by maximal incremental exercise testing performed on a stationary cycle ergometer using breath-by-breath analysis at baseline, week one and week three.
Result
L-arginine and antioxidant supplementation can improve exercise performance in the elderly.
You can read a provisional pdf version of the full study here.
Physicians and nutrition scientists from around the world gathered today in Orlando for the opening of the Global Nutrition Transition Conference in order to discuss emerging trends and grass roots solutions to the global obesity epidemic employing balanced nutrition and teaching healthy active lifestyles.
The conference is addressing what is termed the “Nutrition Transition” – the effect of the globalization of the Western diet which is changing dietary patterns and the incidence of overweight and obesity throughout the world. Conference presenters focused on the dramatic increases in the incidence of overweight and obesity in countries where, until recently, obesity was virtually unknown.
Today’s speakers included Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, Seattle; Dr. Anoop Misra, director of the Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases department of the Fortis Group of Hospitals in New Delhi, India; Dr. Nataniel Viuniski of Unimed Hospital, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Dr. Linong Ji of Peking University in China; and Dr. Marion Flechtner-Mors of the University of Ulm, Germany.
As developing countries become more prosperous, they begin to share some of the health problems of the industrialized world – including huge increases in the number of adults and children who are carrying excess weight. In countries such as India and China, the recent migration to cities [click to continue…]
Fruit, whole or as juice, is an indispensible part of a healthy breakfast. Now, it seems, we have to watch out how our juices are packaged if we want to avoid causing the opposite to what we intend.
Scientists University of Copenhagen found that bottles of fruit juice and squash/cordial contain levels of antimony that were 2.5 times higher than deemed safe in drinking water under EU guidelines. In some cases the levels of antimony were ten times higher.
What is antimony? Antimony is often used in the production of PET bottles, the clear plastic bottles in which we like to buy our fruit juices.
The study has now shown that sugary drinks (fruit juices…) can be dangerous if bought and stored in these clear plastic bottles. Other studies have shown that the danger is not only that of cancer but also of disruption to our endocrine system. This means that this causes disruption to the functioning of our body’s own hormones.
Healthy breakfast, balanced meals, healthy snacks – are these just slogans that others wield to make us feel guilty? Or do they have solid, scientifically based foundations that can offer us guidance for day-to-day living?
A few weeks ago, …
…at dinner in one of our local eateries, my friend pointed to his plate: “It’s great, this is a balanced meal; carbs, protein, vegetables, fat. Everything the body needs. You should be proud of me the way I’m eating.”
On the face of it, he was right about the pizza in front of him. His pizza did offer all these goodies. Only they weren’t all that good when you looked at them in detail. [click to continue…]
If people don’t know what’s going on their plates and into their mouths, how can they follow a balanced diet?
Many of us know little about what’s in our food so rely on producers to be transparent on front of pack and responsible in their use of health and nutrition claims, not exploiting our naivety.
Occasionally, I’ll invite guest contributions. Today’s post is by Benton Chandrel
It is essential to emphasize the value of breakfast in our everyday lives because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s why those who take that seriously never skip on their breakfast.
Even people who would like to lose weight should eat breakfast because studies have shown that those who don’t eat breakfast in the morning tend to eat a lot more than what their body needs during lunch. But just like any other meal, you should make sure that what you eat in the morning is healthy because you wouldn’t want your most important meal to be composed of nothing but junk food.
Avoid grabbing breakfast from a fast food joint if you’re on the go because these types of foods contain enormous amount of fat. Healthy breakfast foods can be easily prepared and doesn’t have to be time consuming so even a person who’s always on the go in the morning can have a healthy breakfast in the morning. Here are some examples of healthy breakfast ideas:
A bowl of oats or cereals with fruits or nuts together with skim or low fat milk
Any whole grain pastries with your healthy spread of choice
Healthy sandwich
Fresh fruit smoothies
Yogurt topped with fruits
One whole piece of fresh fruit
Granola bar with low-fat content
These are just some of the many ideas that you can have for breakfast. All of these could be eaten by anyone who’s always in a hurry by the moment they wake up and even for those who don’t want to leave the house in the morning with an empty stomach. These foods are also healthy breakfast foods that could give you energy for your daily morning needs and could keep you in shape at the same time. Remember that breakfast is a very important meal so you should never skip it.
Benton has been writing articles about diet, fitness and weight loss online for nearly 3 years. You can also check out his latest website on polo sweatshirts and polo sweatpants.
In the column immediately to the right of this blog post, you’ll see a box with books that I wholeheartedly recommend. They are some of my favourites. I’ll be reviewing them here not least because they cover topics that are central to our health: Water and Hydration, Heart Health For Everyone, Special Breakfast Recipes, All About Nutrition, Power Shakes and Why They Are Essential, How To Pick The Right Color Fruit and Vegetables.
You can sample these books for free on Amazon: look inside, check the table of contents, scan the index, read sample chapters, and get a good feel for them.
I look forward to sharing these books with you. If you want to see a list of my reviews, simply click on the category “Recommended Reading” in the second sidebar on the right. Enjoy.
You will have noticed that I like Herbalife, at the very latest when you had a look at my recipes on my website.
I also get lots of questions about the company, questions hat are frequently founded on misinformation, rumours and prejudice. Here is an objective answer to all those questions: Jim Cramer, CNBC’s “Mad Money” guy, talks to Herbalife CEO Michael O. Johnson.
Enjoy:
If you have any questions about Herbalife, just ask.
(This is an excerpt from a longer article published by Dr. Mercola)
In today’s modern world of medicine the FDA just will not let companies that sell products make medical claims about them unless they have been tested at great expense, and approved as a drug. But this was not always the case.
In a 1924 booklet published by the Arm & Hammer Soda Company, the company starts off saying, “The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:
“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks.”
Recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:
During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals
During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals
During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured
