Science Weekly - 01102018

​This week's fitness and nutrition research has ventured into less known research subjects, like the connection betwen exercise and memory function, how mental imagery technique can boost weight loss results, the beneficial effects of milk protein on people going through cancer treatment or how Nepal's Sherpa people have muscles specially adapted to their environment that makes them more resistant to muscle fatigue. 

​Even mild physical activity immediately improves memory function

Researchers found that even very light workouts can increase the connectivity between parts of the brain responsible for memory formation and storage.

Source: University of California - Irvine

Weight loss can be boosted fivefold thanks to novel mental imagery technique

A new study has shown how overweight people lost an average of five times more weight using Functional Imagery Training (FIT) -- a brief individual motivational intervention that teaches self-motivating skills using mental imagery -- compared with talking therapy alone.

​Source: University of Plymouth

Milk protein shown to alleviate chemotherapy side effects

Chemotherapy can wreak havoc on the taste buds and olfactory senses, depriving recipients of the intricate interplay between taste and smell that is critical to enjoying foods. Over time, taste and smell abnormalities can lead to a loss of appetite and anorexic behaviors, compromising patients' ability to recuperate. Researchers investigated the feasibility of lactoferrin, a highly bioactive protein found in saliva and milk, as a treatment.

Source: Virginia Tech

Lowlanders are no match for Nepal's Sherpa

The Sherpa people of the Himalayas have long been recognized for their unique ability to excel physically in the thin air of higher altitudes. But new research now suggests that their specially adapted muscles give them up to twice the resistance to muscle fatigue of lowlanders.

Source: University of British Columbia Okanagan campus

Physical exercise improves the elimination of toxic proteins from muscles

A new study could contribute to the development of alternatives to treat muscle weakness and atrophy. An article describes how rats subjected to an aerobic exercise routine preserved their muscle's contractility properties and their autophagic system's memory even after having a sciatic nerve injury induced.

Source: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo