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What the Infomercials don't tell
you
A new study published on the National
Institutes of Health Web site pulls together
a body of previous studies and makes it
clear that middle-age and older adults
should be doing anaerobic
exercise—high-intensity wind sprints—rather
than, or in addition, to standard, long,
slow cardio like walking. Anaerobic
sprinting types of exercise—running,
cycling, swimming, cross country skiing—are
shown by medical researchers to make the
body produce significant amounts of
anti-aging, growth hormone. It's no secret
that several well-known entertainers take
growth hormone (GH) injections for its
bodyfat cutting, muscle toning, youth
rejuvenating properties, but there can be
serious side-effects from GH injections.
Unquestionably "natural" Natural is always
best. And producing growth hormone from
high-intensity exercise is unquestionably
"natural." Growth hormone injections are
given to children with clinical stature
growth problems to help them grow normally.
Growth hormone does not make adults grow
taller." For middle-age adults, GH can
reverse several measurable clinical factors
of the middle-age bulge - officially named
"the somatopause" by researchers.
The middle-age somatopause is signified
by energy decline, weight-gain (around the
middle, and hips), loss of muscle, and
wrinkled skin after the age of 30.
Researchers report: "Aging is often
associated with a progressive decrease in
the volume and, especially, the intensity of
exercise. A growing body of evidence
suggests that higher intensity exercise is
effective in eliciting beneficial health,
well-being and training outcomes. In a great
many cases, the impact of some of the
deleterious effects of aging could be
reduced if exercise focused on promoting
exercise produced growth hormone." (The
exercise-induced growth hormone response in
athletes, Godfrey, Sports Med.
2003;33(8):599-613.2003)
Can you handle the truth about fitness?
Here's the truth. Being overweight causes
cancer. The researchers aren't talking just
about obesity, they mean obesity and being
"overweight."
Being overweight, which is far less than
obesity, now accounts for 14 to 20% of
deaths by cancer, report researchers in a
major new study, (Overweight, obesity,
and mortality from cancer in a prospectively
studied cohort of US adults, 2003, Calle).
This wasn't a small, out-of-context study
conducted over a few months. Over 900,000
adults were studied for 16 years.
Researchers estimate that more than 90,000
cancer deaths each year could be avoided if
every American maintained a healthy weight:
"We estimate that current patterns of
overweight and obesity in the U.S. could
account for 14 percent of all deaths from
cancer in men and 20 percent of those in
women." The study also shows that the risk
of dying from cancer - caused from being
overweight - is 52% greater than men of
normal weight. And it's 62% higher for
women, and all the more reason to start and
maintain a lifestyle that makes fitness
training a priority.
Long, slow, and boring
Long and slow forms of cardio—like
walking—are great ways to begin for someone
who is inactive. But don't be misled. The
research is clear. This form of exercise
doesn't compare to the benefits of anaerobic
exercise. We're talking about the difference
between kindergarten and college.
Low-intensity exercise is absolutely
necessary as a starting point, but it needs
to be the starting point and a stepping
stone that leads to moderate-intensity
exercise, which in turn, needs to be a
stepping stone for high-intensity anaerobic
exercise.
Low-intensity does not prevent death from
heart disease For years, the gold standard
for exercise was 30 minutes of activity a
day. And walking for 30 minutes a day was
said to be adequate enough to delay heart
disease and premature death. Not true,
report researchers. A new study of 2,000
men over 10 years destroys the
low-intensity, walking standard. Researchers
show that low-intensity does nothing to
prevent death from heart disease. Nearly
2,000 men, ages 45 to 59, were tracked for
10 years. Initially, none of the men had any
evidence of heart disease. Exercise was
performed and measured by three levels of
intensity; low, moderate, and high.
Low-intensity included walking & bowling.
Golf & dancing qualified as
moderate-intensity. Running & swimming were
placed in the high-intensity category.
Of the 252 deaths that occurred during
the 10 year study, 75% were linked to heart
disease and stroke. And cancer accounted for
25%. Conclusion: Walking 30-minutes five
times a week is not enough to prevent early
death from heart disease. Moderate-intensity
also failed to reduce premature deaths.
Only the highest levels of exercise
intensity lowered death rates.
Solution - add anaerobic exercise…wisely
Be wise. Don't read this and go run a 200
meter sprint full speed. Pulling a hamstring
or killing yourself to improve fitness
misses the point. Anaerobic exercise is
the most productive form of exercise, and it
should be a part of every fitness routine.
However, anaerobic exercise is also the most
dangerous form of exercise. Physician
clearance is a must.
A progressive build-up program—from low,
to moderate, to high-intensity—is necessary.
The progressive build-up will help prevent
injury, and it will condition and develop
the body so you can receive all the benefits
from increasing exercise-induced growth
hormone. |
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