If you’re lacking the motivation to keep up with your new exercise regime, keep in mind that it might start to get a little easier the more you workout.
A new study conducted by the University of Iowa revealed that exercise causes the release of a peptide called ‘musclin’ that builds the muscle’s capacity for energy production. The study also showed that increased levels of musclin circulating within the bloodstream triggers a signalling cascade that not only improves muscle performance, but also promotes the production of mitochondria. An increase of mitochondria was shown to improve aerobic capacity within the mice tested during this study. This means that the more exercise we do, the easy it may feel, as our muscles may produce more energy. This also means that we can perform longer, or more intense forms of exercise, due to the increase of mitochondria. So keep at it, it’ll get better!
If your fat loss has stalled and your wondering why, try and re-evaluate just how stressful your life is, as this could be the reason.
Researchers from the University of Florida have discovered that chronic stress stimulates the production of betatrophin, a protein they found to inhibit an enzyme involved in fat metabolism. During the study, mice experiencing metabolic stress were found to produce significantly more betatrophin, whilst their regular fat-burning processes slowed down. This protein is considered to suppress the enzyme ‘adipose triglyceride lipase’ – one that breaks down stored fat within the body. The researchers concluded that, as a result, long-term stress proves detrimental to human health. So if you find yourself in a constant state of stress, take some time out to relax, wind down and chill out. Your body will thank you for it.
For anyone harbouring severe allergies, this latest addition to the health tech industry is something you’ll want to keep close.
Revealed to world at the CES 2016 expo, the Veta Bluetooth EpiPen case is designed to prevent you from ever leaving the house without that life-saving injection. The minute you step outside the house without it – and outside of Bluetooth range – the Veta sends a notification to your phone using its iOS or Android app. If you’re struggling to find the case itself, it sounds an alarm and flashes a bright white light, making sure you’ll be able to find it again. Not only does this case alert you, it also alerts your emergency contacts if you’ve left it behind. For parents, alerts will also be sent out if the EpiPen has been removed from the case. If this hasn’t been done for an allergic reaction, the child can send an ‘I’m OK’ notification to prevent parental panic. A truly life-saving piece of tech.
Calling all midnight fridge-raiders, eating after hours will not only affect your waistline, but your brain function, too.
Researchers at the Semel Institute within the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have found that cognitive ability and long-term memory could be reduced as a result of regular eating during the hours we reserve for sleep. Their study on mice revealed that, after being regularly fed during sleep-time, their longterm memory and ability to recognise objects were both dramatically reduced. Both of these abilities are governed by the hippocampus, an area within the brain that plays an important role in our ability to associate senses and emotional experiences with memory, and to organise and store new memories. Being fed at the wrong time also caused a reduction in the activity of the CREB protein, which has been shown to play a part in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease when the protein itself is less active. This means that, no matter how strong those midnight cravings may be, avoiding the midnight binge will help to keep your brain in top condition.
Here’s another one to add to your shopping list; Tart Cherry Juice has become a top health supplement due to it’s significant list of benefits.
It contains three cancer-fighting chemicals – perillyl alcohol, limonene and ellagic acid – which have been found as particularly useful when tackling cancers of the lung, breast, liver and skin. Cherry juice also contains quercetin, an incredibly powerful antioxidant that has been shown to reduce risks of heart attack and strokes as a result of oxidised LDL cholesterol, whilst also helping to reduce blood pressure. If this wasn’t enough to convince you to stock up on it, cherry juice has also been shown to reduce pain and strength loss as a result of exerciseinduced muscle damage, and has also been proven to help ease the pain caused by arthritis via the anti-inflammatory properties it has. Sounds like a winner.
Another great piece of tech revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 was the ‘UV Patch’ developed by the team at L’Oreal Paris.
The sticker-like monitor has been designed to keep track of sun exposure levels using photosensitive dyes that change colour when exposed to UV rays. The heartshaped monitor is only 50 micrometers thick – half that of a strand of hair – but is set to be an incredibly powerful tool in the fight against UV-induced skin damage. To check the level of exposure, the wearer just has to take a picture of the monitor and upload it to the corresponding app on their smartphone. The only downside to this product is that users may not be too keen on wearing the monitor on a part of their skin regularly exposed to the sun, such as their face. Nevertheless, it’s a giant step in the right direction.
Man’s best friend is soon to become man’s best workout partner, as the first ‘Man and Dog Fitness Video’ is released on Youtube, with Olympic medalwinning gymnast Louis Smith taking the lead.
The 11-minute fitness video sees Smith performing a mixture of simple cardio, muscular and core-strengthening exercises designed to make you break a sweat and feel the burn. At the same time, your pooch will get a healthy run around in order to supplement the outdoor exercise that most pets typically miss out on during those wet wintry months. The exercises shown in the video include Figure of Eights – in which the owner squats whilst leading the dog through their legs in a figure of eight motion – and Bicycle Crunches, during which the dog jumps in between the owners alternating legs. The video comes as a response to the increase in overweight pets, as owners fail to exercise themselves and their dogs regularly. Winter now offers no excuses for either you or your pooch to be unfit. Get training!
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