Science Weekly - 17122018

Learn what scientists have discovered in the past two weeks in the fitness and nutrition field from this week's round-up of scientific research.

Scientists sometimes find what they were looking for, find the opposite or stumble upon a new finding while researching a completely different topic. This week's highlights:

• effects of sedentary lifestyle on our health
• why alcohol intake should be cut for people battling Type 2 Diabetes
• the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for pregnant women and their child
• why amateur runners are at more risk when enrolling onto a full Marathon race
• one workout can make a difference for a few days
• psychology of winning in team sports
• another research into the gut microbiome
• obesity and pregnancy
• BMI turns out to be still a great way to measure health
• fighting obesity with clay?
• Magnezium optimises D vitamin status

Study takes stand on true health benefits of getting up out of your chair

A new health study provides fresh insights on the energy cost of sitting versus standing for sedentary workers.

Source: University of Bath

Alcohol intake may be key to long-term weight loss for people with Diabetes

A new study suggests that alcohol consumption may attenuate long-term weight loss in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

A Mediterranean diet in pregnancy is associated with lower risk of accelerated growth

Over 2,700 women and their children participated in this study that highlights the benefits of a healthy diet.

Source: Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)

Running a marathon can increase cardiac strain in amateur runners

Amateurs running full-length marathons could be significantly raising levels of several key biomarkers of cardiac strain. Levels of two proteins -- troponin I and troponin T -- were highest after runners completed a full marathon compared to a half marathon, and a 10K race, as were other biomarkers of cardiac stress.

Source: American Heart Association

Single workout can boost metabolism for days

A new study shows neurons in mice that influence metabolism are active for up to two days after a single workout.

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center

Gene that lets you eat as much as you want holds promise against obesity

It sounds too good to be true, but a novel approach that might allow you to eat as much as you want without gaining weight could be a reality in the near future. When a single gene known as RCAN1 was removed in mice and they were fed a high fat diet, they failed to gain weight, even after gorging on high fat foods for prolonged periods.

Source: Flinders University

In team sports, chemistry matters

Researchers analyzed game statistics across major sports and online games, revealing that past shared success among teammates improves their team's odds of winning future games.

Source: Northwestern University

Modeling the microbiome -  Physicists develop new mathematical approaches to analyze interactions between gut bacteria

The gut microbiome -- the world of microbes that inhabit the human intestinal tract -- has captured the interest of scientists and clinicians for its critical role in health. However, parsing which of those microbes are responsible for effects on our wellbeing remains a mystery.

Source: University of California - Santa Barbara

​Obesity intervention needed before pregnancy

New research supports the need for dietary and lifestyle interventions before overweight and obese women become pregnant.

Source: University of Adelaide

Performance on exercise test predicts risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer

Performance on an exercise test predicts the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes, a new study finds. Good performance on the test equates to climbing three floors of stairs very fast, or four floors fast, without stopping. The findings underline the importance of fitness for longevity.

Source: European Society of Cardiology

BMI is a good measure of health after all, new study finds

A new study supports body mass index as a useful tool for assessing obesity and health.

Source: University of Bristol

Fighting obesity: Could it be as plain as dirt? - UniSA research digs up the fat-fighting power of clays

It costs the global economy an estimated US $2 trillion annually and has been dubbed a modern day health epidemic, but new research has unearthed a possible cure for obesity -- and it is as plain as dirt!

Source: University of South Australia

Magnesium optimizes vitamin D status, study shows

A randomized trial indicates that magnesium optimizes vitamin D status, raising it in people with deficient levels and lowering it in people with high levels.

Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center