1ST SET
FITNESS
GOOD BREW
There’s more to the good
vibes that come from beer than
just booze: A special ingredient
called hordenine, which is found
in malted barley, can stimulate
the brain’s reward centre and
boost your spirits, according
to recent research published in
the journal Scientific Reports.
HIIT NOT FOR EVERYONE
HIIT is tough for even top athletes. But
when out-of-shape people try it, they
often abandon it, according to a recent
study from Iowa State U. When you’re
pedaling/running/rowing/jumping as hard
as possible, that means your workout
will be fairly unpleasant. And while some
type A masochists enjoy CrossFitting
themselves to a pulp every morning, that
same workout intensity can inevitably
propel regular, I-just-wanna-lose-five-
pounds folks away from exercising.
RETHINK THAT CHEAT MEAL
JUST ONE HOUR
A NEW META-ANALYSIS THAT APPEARED
IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
FOUND THAT JUST 60 MINUTES OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY PER WEEK COULD REDUCE
DEPRESSION DIAGNOSES BY 12%—THAT’S RIGHT,
JUST ONE HOUR A WEEK. AND ANOTHER STUDY
PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL SPORTS MEDICINE
FOUND THAT HITTING THE IRON CAN REDUCE
SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY SIMILARLY TO THE
EFFECTS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY OR MEDICATION.
STEP IT UP
As you get older, fat will start
creeping onto your waistline.
But a new study out of the
U. of Jyväskylä in Finland on
more than 1,000 adults who
either increased, maintained, or
decreased their daily step count
over four years found that those
who bumped up their step count
by 2,000 maintained their BMI,
but those who kept their activity
at the same level or dropped off
increased their body weight.
OIL UP WITH SOYBEAN
Pigging out on “bad fats”—
even just for 24 hours—
could be more damaging
than originally thought. In a
small study at Loughborough
U. in the U.K., researchers
fed 15 healthy, young adults
a diet packed with greasy
stuff like bacon, sausage,
and cheesecake for one
day. They then gave the
participants a sugary drink
followed by an oral glucose-
tolerance test. The finding?
After eating all that fat, the
participants’ bodies were
substantially worse at
handling sugar, which is
linked to a reduction in
insulin sensitivity.
A new Iowa State study
found that when 12 young
adults ate varying levels
of soybean oil with their
salad ingredients, their
bodies could more easily
absorb eight nutrients,
including alpha and beta
carotene, lutein, lycopene,
and vitamin A. About
32 grams (or about
two tablespoons) of oil
allowed for the maximum
absorption of the nutrients.
JANUARY 2018 | FLEX
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