So...who can you trust?

Are we all being duped by the big corporations? If you don't think so, have a read of the article below and it may change your mind.

'Lack of evidence' that popular sports products work

By BBC News

Consumers could be wasting their money on sports drinks, protein shakes and high-end trainers, according to a new joint investigation by BBC Panorama and the British Medical Journal.

The investigation into the performance-enhancing claims of some popular sports products found "a striking lack of evidence" to back them up.

A team at Oxford University examined 431 claims in 104 sport product adverts and found a "worrying" lack of high-quality research, calling for better studies to help inform consumers.

Dr Carl Heneghan of the Oxford University Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine led the independent research into the claims made by the makers of sports drinks, protein shakes and trainers.In the case of Lucozade Sport, the UK's best-selling sports drink, their advert says it is "an isotonic performance fuel to take you faster, stronger, for longer".

'Minuscule effect'

Dr Heneghan and his team asked manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for details of the science behind their claims and were given what he said scientists call a "data dump" - 40 years' worth of Lucozade sports research which included 176 studies.

Dr Heneghan said the mountain of data included 101 trials that the Oxford team were able to examine before concluding:

"In this case, the quality of the evidence is poor, the size of the effect is often minuscule and it certainly doesn't apply to the population at large who are buying these products. Basically, when you look at the evidence in the general population, it does not say that exercise is improved [or that] performance is improved by carbohydrate drinks."

In response, GlaxoSmithKline said they disagreed with the Oxford team's conclusions: "Over 40 years of research experience and 85 peer-reviewed studies have supported the development of Lucozade Sport and all our claims are based on scientific evidence that have been reviewed and substantiated by the European Food Safety Authority."

GSK is also the manufacturer of the Maxinutrition range of sports supplements, which is endorsed by some of Britain's top athletes, including the Olympic triathalon team and the Rugby Football Union.

Some of GSK's supplements in the Maxinutrition range contain branch chain amino acids which are found in muscle protein. The company says these amino acids "help hard-training athletes recover faster after intense exercise". The supplements sell for as much as £34 a tub.

'Expensive milk'

But the Oxford research team and the British Medical Journal said the science does not back up that claim.

Dr Heneghan said: "The evidence does not stack up and the quality of the evidence does not allow us to say these do improve in performance or recovery and should be used as a product widely."

Nutrition expert Professor Mike Lean of the University of Glasgow described what little evidence there is that certain amino acids, which form part of proteins, may improve muscle strength as "absolutely fringe evidence and I think that that is almost totally irrelevant, even at the top level of athletics".

Prof Lean said the market for supplements is "yet another fashion accessory for exercise… and a rather expensive way of getting a bit of milk."

GSK said in response: "We stand by the evidence that branch chain amino acids can enhance performance or recovery."

But the company said it accepted recently revised rules from the European Food Safety Authority about what claims manufacturers can make about their sports products and supplements and said it will "revise our label accordingly while we gather further evidence required to substantiate the claims we believe can be made".

In the case of trainers, the Oxford team examined the claims made by Puma that their shoes - endorsed by Olympic champion Usain Bolt - are "designed to... minimise injury, optimise comfort and maximise speed".

Dr Heneghan said his team could find no evidence to back up the company's claims and Puma declined to provide his research team with any studies to prove that their shoes can deliver on those claims.

"That should be really underpinned by good quality evidence... I cannot quite understand how you get from the evidence to that claim. If you can't find research for it, how can you then make that claim?"

Puma declined to reply to the BBC about the Oxford team's findings.Professor Benno Nigg of the University of Calgary in Canada, has been studying the biomechanics of running for more than 40 years.

He said the conventional thinking was that cushioning and control were the key health benefits of running shoes - but that idea has been proven wrong by recent studies that showed no difference in injury rates if runners were prescribed structured shoes meant to control how their foot lands as they run.

"The most important predictors for injuries are distance, recovery time, intensity and those type of things... the shoes come very, very later as minor contributors."

Prof Nigg's advice to runners is to find something that fits.

"If you can find a shoe where you just enjoy that activity and you are comfortable, that's all you need."

To view the article, click on the following link:

'Lack of evidence' that popular sports products work, BBC News Health.

Just out of interest, I wrote an article last year on barefoot running with a brief mention of the multi-billion dollar running shoe industry:

The phenomenon of barefoot running, 6/11/11.

And remember, it's always good to have a certain level of skepticism before purchasing products with big claims!

JW

A Burst of Colour

Make your life healthier and more interesting by injecting some bright bursts of colour. And I'm not just talking about updating your wardrobe.

So what is this mysterious element responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their beautiful red, orange, yellow and some dark green hues? Well it is none other than the plant compound: carotenoids - a large family of fat-soluble pigments.

Carotenoids are not just a pretty face, they also play a vital role in decreasing oxidative damage in our cells. Their anti-oxidising power helps body cells to live longer and improve our overall health and longevity.

Since there are over 600 known carotenoids, I have chosen five of the most powerful and health enhancing carotenoids. Also included is a list of carotenoid-rich foods that can easily be included in your diet.

1. Lycopene

A bright red carotenoid pigment, known to be one of the most potent antioxidants. Can protect against heart disease and may decrease the chances of men developing prostate cancer.

Found in: tomato paste/sauce*, watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, papaya, red capsicum

*Unlike other fruits and vegetables, where nutritional content such as vitamin C is diminished upon cooking, the processing of tomatoes increases the concentration of bioavailable lycopene. Lycopene in tomato paste is four times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. For this reason, tomato paste is a preferable source as opposed to raw tomatoes.

2. Lutein

A yellow caretenoid pigment, most often linked to optimal vision (lessen macular degeneration or age-related vision loss) and skin health (protects the skin against UV damage and increases skin hydration and elasticity).

Found in: peaches, mango, oranges, prunes

3. Zeaxanthin

Found in many of the same food sources as lutein and is strongly linked to eye health (protects eyes by filtering out UV light and lessens the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration).

BOTH lutein & zeaxanthin are found in: spinach, kale, broccoli, peas, egg yolks, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kiwis, honeydew melon

4. Astaxanthin

A bright red pigment produced by microscopic plants such as algae, shown to enhance the immune system by increasing the number of anti-body producing cells.

An interesting fact: astaxanthin is unique in how it journeys into the human food chain. Many marine animals eat astaxanthin-rich algae which then becomes concentrated in their shells and flesh, giving them their red colour - this can vary in intensity.

Found in: salmon, trout, prawns, crayfish

5. Alpha & Beta carotene (α & β)

A rich red-orange pigment, classified as provitamin A compounds due to their conversion of retinol into an active form of vitamin A used by the body. Aside from providing your body with vitamin A, both α & β-carotenes protect cells from free radicals, enhance the immune system and support a healthy reproductive system.

β-carotene is the more powerful of the two, having twice the vitamin A activity than that of α. Research shows that β-carotene protects the skin by reducing the redness of UV-induced skin and improving melasma - a dark skin discolouration.

But too much intake of β-carotene can lead to carotenodermina - a yellow-orange discolouration of the skin, resulting in looking like an oompa-loompa! This is usually harmless and disappears once β-carotene intake returns to normal.

Found in: carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, coriander, silverbeet, spinach, rockmelon

All of these carotenoids can be obtained through numerous food sources. Keep in mind that due to their fat-soluble molecular make-up, carotenoids need to be ingested with a healthy fat for optimal absorption in the digestive tract. Adding extra-virgin olive oil or nuts to your meal can do the trick.

So here is my challenge to you - see how colourful you can make your next meal by including as many different carotenoid-rich foods as you can!

JW

References

• www.alive.com

Happy Birthday!

Today A Sense of Health celebrates its first birthday. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has read, supported and helped to spread the healthy word!

Just out of interest, here are some interesting stats for the last year:

• 32 articles written
• Most read article: The Phenomenon of Barefoot Running
• 1661 readers
• 44 different countries
• Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Vietnam

So here's to the next year ahead. May it be a happy and healthy one!!!

JW

The Diet Dilemma

Today there was an article that appeared in The Age's Sunday Life magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald talking about the dilemmas of dieting. So if you thought losing weight was just about eating less then think again and keep reading!


Eat less, weigh less. Simple? Not quite.

By Nick Galvin

Losing weight is simple in principle. The rule of thumb has been that if you cut out 2100 kilojoules a day - the equivalent of two large lattes or a blueberry muffin - you will lose about half a kilo a week until you reach that magic number on the scales. Simple - but, as it turns out, probably way too simple.

It now appears that dietitians, doctors and others may have been getting it wrong all these years. There's a lot more to losing weight than just kilojoules in/kilojoules out.

Losing weight ... just reducing your food intake is not enough.

When you start to lose weight, your body slows down your metabolism. In other words, you use less energy for the same activities.

This reaction has its roots in our primitive past, says Professor Michael Cowley, director of the Monash Obesity & Diabetes Institute. "If you go on a diet, your body says, 'Aha, here is a famine', and it decreases energy expenditure, so you need less energy just to stay at that weight," he says. "This is probably because we evolved in conditions where famine was frequent, and if you had an appropriate physiological response to famine, you were more likely to survive and your genes got propagated."

The result is that if you stay on the same reduced-kilojoule diet, over time the gap between kilojoules in and kilojoules out narrows. In a paper published last year in The Lancet, researchers from the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) found that for a given weight-loss goal, half the loss would occur in the first year, but the remaining kilos would take another two years to lose.

Battling the bulge ... there's a lot more to losing weight than just kilojoules in/kilojoules out.

"The duration of diet you need to achieve meaningful weight loss is much longer than we used to think because there is a law of diminishing returns," says Cowley. "If you are only decreasing food intake, it will take a lot longer for that weight loss to occur because your body fights against it."

All this goes a long way towards explaining why so many dieters shed the first few kilos easily, then get discouraged because it gets harder to lose the rest of the weight (and then hit the nearest bag of chips out of frustration).

The NIDDK researchers also produced an online calculator that shows how many kilojoules you need to consume to lose a given amount of weight and how much you need to reduce your intake for good to maintain that goal weight.

The good news, however, is that it is possible to trick the body and override that primitive instinct to slow your metabolism in times of "famine". You guessed it: exercise.

The National Weight Control Registry is an American research project that tracks people who have lost a significant amount of weight (at least 30 pounds, or 13.6 kilograms) and, critically, kept it off for at least a year.

Researchers are interested in what these successful slimmers have done to keep the weight off. One common tactic is sticking to a regimented diet, but another, says Cowley, is that they "exercise like crazy" for more than an hour a day. "We think this is how they are dealing with the fact that although their body wants to decrease energy expenditure, they are forcing it to [burn energy] by running on the spot or whatever."

But even for those coming from a base of little or no exercise, that doesn't necessarily mean racing out to buy an expensive gym membership. Exercise physiologist John Felton, from The Exercise Clinic in Sydney's Crows Nest, says that, as well as prescribing an exercise plan, one of the things he focuses on are the "activities of daily living".

It is all too easy for people simply to stop moving enough. "If you are in a sedentary job or you have got yourself into a sedentary 'hole' - you come home in the afternoon and sit down and watch television - that sedentary life becomes self-fulfilling," says Felton. In essence, the less you move, the more difficult moving becomes.

Felton has clients wear an accelerometer for a week. The device monitors movement, from waking to going to bed, detecting spikes of energy and periods of inactivity. Incidental exercise can be as simple as doing the ironing or walking to a printer on the other side of the office.

"It doesn't have to be a lot of exercise as long as it keeps people moving during the day to cut down those big periods of sitting," he says. "It's very easy to double the amount of energy expenditure with those daily activities if you start off at a low level."

Another element, however, also contributes to the "plateau" effect in weight loss. Even as we get fitter, we often keep exercising at the same intensity rather than upping the effort and employing a training principle known as "progressive overload".

"A lot of time that is not adhered to," says Felton. "People will do their 40-minute or hour walk, and instead of looking for hills or aiming to maintain a heart rate, they do the same thing. If they maintain the same pace as they get fitter, their efficiency will improve and their heart rate will drop, so they will burn less energy as they do it."

In other words, you have to keep pushing yourself to get the benefit of the exercise as you get fitter.

And stay away from the muffins.

To view the article, click on the following link:
The Diet Dilemma, by Nick Galvin (The Sydney Morning Herald)

So after reading the article, I hope you now have a better understanding of how to (and how not to) lose weight and keep it off!

JW

Getting down and dirty

Picture this: making your way through 10-12 miles of fiery, icy, muddy terrain. If that's not enough of a challenge, why not add in some 10,000 volt electric wires, barbed wire and a giant half-pipe. For Tough Mudders, this is just another normal weekend.

The event, with obstacles designed and tested by British Special Forces is hailed as "probably the toughest event on the planet".

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

The concept of Tough Mudder was created by English native, Harvard Business School graduate, Will Dean. He entered his Tough Mudder business plan in the 2009 Harvard Business Plan Contest with hopes of recruiting 500 participants for for each event. This was met with doubts from Dean's professors. The business plan made the semi-finals.

With the help of a former school friend turned corporate lawyer, Guy Livingston, the two invested £12,000 and with the aid of online social media forum Facebook, recruited 4500 participants for the first event, charging $100 a person.

Since the inaugural Tough Mudder event in 2010 in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, events have been held all over the US. In 2012 Tough Mudder made international waves with the addition of Australia and the UK to the Tough Mudder map.

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT

Unlike many other endurance challenge events where timing is everything, Tough Mudder pushes the elements of challenging your fears and working as a team. Basically it doesn't matter how long it takes you to finish or if you even complete all the obstacles, as long as you challenge yourself and do it with a sense of humour that's all that matters.

Before the start of each event, participants are required to recite the Tough Mudder pledge:

1. I understand that tough mudder is not a race but a challenge

2. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time

3. I do not whine - kids whine

4. I help my fellow mudders complete the course

5. I overcome all fears

At the end of the race, participants are greeted with a beer as part of the post-event celebrations.

Another aspect of Tough Mudder is their partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project - aimed at providing wounded servicemen and women returning from the battlefield with "combat stress recovery programs, adaptive sports programs, benefits counseling and employment services" that aid in their transition back into civilian life. So far, Tough Mudder participants have raised over $2.9 million.

OBSTACLES

Each event is unique with obstacles designed around the local terrain. Some of them include:

1. Let there be fire

Running through the flames, hot coals and ashes is not even the hardest part; it's trying to close your eyes while running to avoid the smoke. This is one obstacle that will bring a grown man to tears.

2. Chernobyl Jacuzzi

There is simply no pleasant way of describing this obstacle: wading through 120,000 pounds of ice while trying to ignore the hypothermia and brain freeze. And you have to submerge your head under the water to get past the planks.

3. Kiss of mud

Bear-crawling through gravel-filled mud is not too bad, it's the barbed-wire sitting 18-inches above the ground.

4. Nature's pocket

This is definitely not for claustrophobics - crawling through war-like trenches under the ground.

5. Everest

Climbing up a half-pipe covered in mud. This obstacle can only be achieved with teamwork (well, unless you're spiderman).

6. Electroshock therapy

Mudders have tried many a way to get through this obstacle without getting shocked: crawling on your stomach - only to realise not only is this impossibly slow OR charging straight through hoping the wires will be too slow to jolt you. It seems there is no way to avoid getting electroshocked - you just have to decide if you want to experience it the slow way or the fast way!

So the next time you find running a marathon or doing boot camp too conventional, why not go crazy and become a Tough Mudder! Plus you get a really cool free orange sweatband, just like this guy!

So, how tough are YOU?

JW

References

• www.toughmudder.com

Fitness Programs 101 series: P90X

Bruno Mars sang about it in 'The Lazy Song' ♫ Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X ♫ but what exactly is P90X?

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

The concept of P90X was developed by elite fitness expert Tony Horton following the successful Power 90 program - a 90 day home exercise program. Horton wanted to created a fitness program for those who wanted a greater challenge which delivers real, achievable results. Building on the foundations of Power 90, Horton, along with a team of leading fitness experts combined science with training to create a "truly extreme workout program" which became known as Power 90 Extreme, or P90X.

As the brains behind, and the face and body of P90X, Horton has revolutionised the home workout.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND P90X

The reason behind P90X's worldwide success is the backing of science. The program utilises a technique called 'muscle confusion' which basically eliminates the 'plateauing effect' of traditional gym workouts. Muscle confusion doesn't allow the body to adapt due to the constant changing of exercises. This essentially keeps the body guessing and the muscles challenged in a way never before done.

Another reason why P90X works is the nutritional plan provided in the program. Horton, along with a team of nutritional experts created the 3-phase plan which is designed to "provide you with the right amount of calories and nutrients so you can burn stored fat while building lean muscles."

Phase 1. P90X Fat Shredder - increased protein to shed fat FAST

Phase 2. P90X Energy booster - balanced mix of carbs and proteins, lower amounts of fats

Phase 3. P90X Endurance maximizer - athletic diet centred around complex carbs and lean proteins

"Scientific evidence shows that the best bodies are built in the kitchen."

P90X WORKOUTS

The P90X system comprises of 12 highly diverse and intense workouts. Horton presents them in a way that is challenging, enjoyable and fun to the exerciser. His humour and natural gift of motivation encourages and supports you throughout all the exercises - no matter what fitness level you are at!

01 CHEST & BACK

Targeted strength and definition workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises.

02 PLYOMETRICS

Explosive jumping cardio routine proven to dramatically improve athletic performance.

03 SHOULDERS & ARMS
Potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements that will leave you stronger.

04 YOGA X

Combines strength, balance, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind.

05 LEGS & BACK

Get ready to squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout like no other.

06 KENPO X

Intense cardiovascular workout with punching and kicking for endurance, balance, and coordination.

07 X STRETCH

Achieve a higher level of athleticism over a longer period of time, plus prevent injuries and avoid plateaus.

08 CORE SYNERGETICS

Build and support multiple muscle groups while conditioning your body.

09 CHEST, SHOULDER & TRICEPS

Target both large and small upper-body muscles to push you to the brink.

10 BACK & BICEPS

Flex those powerful biceps and focus on toning and tightening these showcase arm muscles.

11 CARDIO X

A fun, low-impact cardio routine that will leave you feeling lean and mean.

12 AB RIPPER X

Sculpt the six-pack abs of your dreams and benefit your health and physical performance.

P90X is a challenging program that requires commitment, dedication and drive - 6 workouts a week for 90 days. Most people find this quite difficult and physically demanding to keep up for 90 days but the great thing is that there are options for all different fitness levels.

And on the plus side all you need is a TV, a few weights, a pull-up bar and some chairs and you're good to go!

So in the words of Tony Horton himself, BRING IT!!!

JW

References

• www.beachbody.com/product/p90x.do
• www.extremebodyworkout.com/