Train like an Olympian and live longer

According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, researchers compared the life expectancy of 15,174 Olympic athletes, who won medals between 1896 and 2010, with that of the general population and found that they lived 2.8 years longer. The authors suggested possible explanations included genetics, physical activity, a healthy lifestyle and wealth and status that comes from international sporting success. However an accompanying editorial suggests that those who do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous intensity activity can gain similar survival advantages over the inactive general population. The authors concluded, "although the evidence points to a small survival effect of being an Olympian, careful reflection suggests that similar health benefits and longevity could be achieved by all of us through regular physical activity. We could and should all award ourselves that personal gold medal."

Why a Low Calorie Diet Doesn't Work

For many years the old mantra of calories in and energy out has been used in the media and some areas of the fitness industry to explain that if you consume the average amount of calories (males 2500/females 2000) needed for the body to perform its daily functions than you will not put on any weight. If you use up more energy than you consume, you will therefore lose weight and if you consume too many calories the body needs than it will store any excess as fat. This is a commonly held belief across the general public and the scientific world and has been upheld for many years. However if you look more closely at the data and the studies that have been done in recent years you will see that it's not as simple as calories in and energy out. France consumes a higher than average amount of calories as well as the highest consumers of fat at 42% of daily intake but have the second lowest obesity rate in all of Europe! Whereas some countries such as Serbia and Montenegro have low calorie intakes but much higher obesity levels. So what is going on? Research is now suggesting that it may be a combination of a variety of influences such as genetics, hormones and the environment. It was observed that some animals and humans appear to have an increased susceptibility to gaining weight compared to others. Studies showed that weight gain in obesity prone mice is higher than wild mice fed the same high fat diet. Obesity prone mice seem to prefer high fat diets. Subjects with a predisposed tendency to become obese seem to have an impaired ability to increase the speed of burning fat and carbohydrates in response to a high fat diet. Women with a family history of obesity had a stronger risk of gaining weight when exposed to a high fat diet than those who had none. There are many hormones in the body that can influence what we eat, how much we eat and how often. Ghrelin is released to stimulate hunger when the body needs more energy. The interesting thing about this is it has an inverse relationship with BMI. So in thin people it drives them to consume more and in overweight and obese people who have lost weight, the levels increase as well to encourage the body to return to its original weight. This is why weight loss can be hard to maintain in the obese population. In obese humans the central nervous system just like lean muscle (see last blog for details) can become insulin resistant and signals do not reach the brain to tell it the stomach is full and therefore too much is consumed resulting in an increase in body weight. A study in 2002 (Pirozzo) proved that although a calorie and fat restricted diet worked for the first 6 months over a longer period of time, 12 and 18 months, weight began to slowly creep back on. Other studies have shown the average maintained weight loss, 3-5 years after starting a low calorie diet was only 3KG. The average regain in weight at the 3-5 year follow up represented 76-85% of the initial weight lost (Grodstein et al, 1996 and Anderson et al, 2001). So as you can see it's a combination of factors that can cause obesity rather than simply the amount of calories you are consuming. It seems that one factor will not cause weight gain but a series of events will, such as a person who has a tendency for weight gain consuming processed foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates on a regular basis and is not active. If you're overweight or obese it's better to try to consume natural foods which are high in proteins and fats, such as meat, fish, chicken and dairy products that will keep you fuller for longer and exercise regularly rather than relay on a low calorie and fat diet.

Whose The Real Enemy Fats or Carbohydrates?

For as long as I can remember we have been told that fats are bad for us and should be reduced and the majority of our dietary intake should be from complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. Government guild lines inform us that half of our intake should come from these carbohydrates and 35% from fats, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fat. The final 10-15% needs to come from protein sources, in order to have a balanced diet. These guild lines are fine if you are a healthy weight, however there is an increasing amount of scientific evidence to prove that if you are obese (BMI of 30 or more), than this advice will only make matters worse. As carbohydrates are consumed they are broken down into glycogen, the body's preferred energy source. The body will then produce insulin to help transport the glycogen into the muscles for use or storage. However over time there maybe too much glycogen and insulin in the body and the muscles can become more resistant. Although lean muscle becomes resistant, fatty tissue is much slower in becoming resistant and so the excess glycogen is pushed easily into this tissue and is stored as fat. Other macronutrients such as protein and fats do not cause such a high insulin response and as there is a reduced amount of glucose in the system, the body is encouraged to burn energy from its fat stores rather than the glycogen. Foods that have naturally occurring fats in them such as meats, chicken, oily fish, nuts and dairy products, tend to have a higher amount of protein in them too and together they will make you feel fuller quicker and for longer. Foods which are processed will be high in saturated fat, such as pies, sausage rolls, crisps, cakes, french fries and pizzas and these tend to have a low amount of protein but a high amount of carbohydrates. This will cause too much insulin to be produced and further lean muscle resistance and increased fat storage. These foods will also not keep you fuller for longer and therefore will encourage you to eat more later on. So if your BMI is about 27 or more and you are struggling with getting your weight down then try lowering your carbohydrates intake by having 1-2 carbohydrates free meals a day to encourage your body to burn energy from your fat cells instead. Combine this with exercise, which also helps decrease muscle resistance and you may be surprised by the results. Have a go and let me know how you get on as I would love to hear from you. Good luck.

3 fold increase of obesity patients going to hospital

According to the papers this week in only the last 5 years there has been a triple increase of people going to hospital and being diagnosed with obesity. The medical conditions which obesity was the main contributor included, breathing problems, bedsores and heart conditions. There were 11,740 such admissions last year with 3 times more women admitted than men according to the findings from the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Their findings found that fewer than 2 in 5 (37%) of adults in England are classed as 'normal' weight according to Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the comparison of a person's height to their total body weight. A BMI of 25-29 would be considered as overweight with 30+ as obese. While in 1993 half of women were considered a healthy weight, the proportion has now dropped to 39%. The proportion of men dropped from 41 to 31% over the same period. Hospitals are also performing more weight-loss surgery with 8,790 operations carried out last year including stomach stapling and gastric bypass. This compares with only 1,950 procedures 5 years ago. Most operations were performed on women, 6,710 compared with 2,080 men. A toxic environment of easy available ready meals, high fat and sugary foods, take-aways and fast foods, which often are loaded with high saturated fats and salt and fizzy drinks, which are filled with sugars and less activity in our daily lives are to blame for this obesity epidemic. But the power of reversing this tide of ill health is in your hands. By making some small changes you can make a huge difference to your health. Start off with cutting down on foods which are loaded with saturated fats such as fried chicken and chips and replace with grilled chicken and jacket potato. Aim to have your 5 a day of fruit and veg and only have a take-away treat once a week. Cut out or down on chocolate, sweets, crisps and biscuits. Cut out the fizzy drinks for water or squash. Aim to do activities that are enough to make you sweat and be out of breath for 150 mins per week-this works out as 30 mins, 5 days per week. You can even break this down to 3 x 10 mins sections if you are time restrained or not fit enough to do moderate exercise for 30 mins in one go. Drag your family away from the computer and t.v and out for a walk in the woods or play a ball game in the park. Start taking these small steps and see how you can make a difference to yours and your families health in next to no time. Let me know your experiences and how you're getting on.

New Boxercise Class starts soon

I'm starting a new Boxercise class at Simply Studio, 120 North Street, Romford on Wednesday mornings at 10.00-11.00 am. This fun and dynamic fitness class starts on 27th Feb and brings effective drills and techniques taken from the worlds of martial arts and boxing to help burn fat, tone muscle, increase stamina, flexibility and combat stress. This non-sparring circuit class will use pads and shields and help tone and strengthen muscles like never before. Price per class is £5.00. Why don't you tell all your friends and come along.

High Sugar Diet Can Kerb Learning

A study of rats by the University of California found that too much sugar can prevent learning, while omega-3 is thought to boost it. Two groups of rats were fed drinking water laced with a sugar solution. One group was also given flaxseed oil, which contains omega-3, the fatty acid that is found in oily fish. The rats were all given standard rat food to eat for five days before consuming the sugared water. Twice a day the rats were placed in a maze, fitted with markers to help them remember their route. After 6 weeks of testing and feeding them the solution, the study concluded that the rats that were given the flaxseed, navigated the maze much quicker than those that did not receive the omega-3 fatty acids. The rats that were on the sugar solution had a reduced ability to think clearly and to recall the route that they'd learned 6 weeks earlier. They also started to display insulin resistance, which was the most likely cause of their memory loss. This is because insulin helps to regulate how brain cells use and store sugar for the energy that is needed to process thoughts and emotions. So if you want to think more clearly, rather than grabbing an energy drink grab yourself a tuna sandwich or some susi instead!

Benefits of wearing a sports bra during exerise

Up to 72% of women who exercise report breast discomfort while exercising, which can be caused by too much movement and skin chaffing, both of which can reduce performance. Research carried out has reported that 44% of women train in an ordinary bra rather than a dedicated sports bra. In a survey, 85% of women who wore a sports bra said it helped to improve their enjoyment of exercise. With the average 36C sized breast weighing in at 300 grams, uncontrolled movement caused by training in an ordinary bra may not only cause discomfort during exercise but could be damaging the fagile breast tissue, which over time can cause sag. Research has shown training in a sports bra helps to reduce breast movement by up to 38%. Sports bras are often made with performance enhancing materials such as breathable fabric that allows the skin to breath properly while exercising. This allows air to circulate to cool the body down and take sweat away from the skin to reduce rubbing. Often the material and fastenings are made stronger and are more durable than an ordinary bra. So if you are training regularly or are thinking of doing so soon, than investing in a sport bra could be a wise decision and help improve your sports performance.