Tea and Cocktails
Can green tea allow you to drink more? A study done on mice shows that we may be able to decrease the amount of alcohol that goes into our bloodstream by drinking green tea before a night on the town. The antioxidants in green tea, ECGC’s, are known to inhibit intestinal lipid absorption. What this means is that inhibited lipid absorption will also inhibit absorption of lipid-soluble alcohol. Author’s conclusion: “These findings support the development of GTE + PEG or GTE +...
Read MoreIntensity for Body Composition
I don’t blame people who continue, week after week, to log hours on the treadmill or elliptical trainers. When they were novice trainers, anything they did in the gym got results, regardless of the efficiency. They continue to beat a dead horse, not knowing any better. To play off recent research, an August 2012 study in the Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine demonstrated the significant improvements of muscle glycogen uptake after intense exercise compared to...
Read MoreProbiotics: Not Quite There
Our gut contains an immense amount of bacteria that assist in digestion and defend us from harmful pathogens. Some interesting research also shows that our gut biota may also weigh in on our body mass. In a study done on mice, gut biota from obese mice was transplanted to healthy mice, whom immediately started to show signs of deterioration. The researchers believe that in the future, healthy gut bacteria could become a major tool in the fight against obesity. This is where...
Read MoreUse the Roller
This is should not be much of a surprise, however recent research has shown that self-myofascial release can increase range of motion of a joint before exercise. In the study, the participants used a foam roller to break up the fascial tissue of muscles around joints, thus improving range of motion. This is different from stretching, which has been shown to decrease strength and power when done before working out. The foam roller had no effect on strength. When you can move weight...
Read MoreStaying Hydrated
We humans are somewhat inefficient in converting energy into movement. The byproduct of this inefficiency being heat, leading to sweat. This is one of the main reasons to stay hydrated. Our sweat deals with the excess heat created through movement so our bodies do not overheat. However, staying hydrated may be beneficial well beyond when we are actually working out. A study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition studied the effects of staying hydrated...
Read MoreZeigarnik Effect
The Zeigarnik Effect could be that sub-conscious motivation that drives us to finish even the most challenging CrossFit workouts. Defined, the Zeigarnik Effect is the tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about an objective that was once pursued and left incomplete. The automatic system signals the conscious mind, which may be focused on new goals, that a previous activity was left incomplete. It seems to be human nature to finish what we start and, if it is not finished, we...
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