Science Weekly - 18052020

The first "busier" weeks since the pandemic really kicked off n the Western world and we had a fair few intriguing studies published from across the fields. If you're a personal trainer who is doing their best to stay on top of science, check the papers below!

This week's highlights
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• ​​Healthy eating behaviors in childhood may reduce the risk of adult obesity and heart disease
• ​A combo of fasting plus vitamin C is effective for hard-to-treat cancers, study shows
• ​Aerobics may be a smart workout for your brain at any age
• ​Excess coffee consumption a culprit for poor health
• ​Vitamin D determines severity in COVID-19 so government advice needs to change, experts urge
• ​Coffee linked to lower body fat in women
• ​Vitamin B3 revitalizes energy metabolism in muscle disease
• ​New hope for ACL injuries: Adding eccentric exercises could improve physical therapy outcomes
• 'Metabolic signature' can determine adherence to Mediterranean diet, help predict CVD risk

Healthy eating behaviors in childhood may reduce the risk of adult obesity and heart disease

Encouraging children to make their own decisions about food, within a structured environment focused on healthy food choices, has been linked to better childhood nutrition and healthier lifelong eating behaviors. Parents and caregivers can play a significant role in creating an environment that helps children develop healthier eating behaviors early in life, which can reduce the risk for overweight, obesity and cardiovascular disease as adults.

Source: American Heart Association

A combo of fasting plus vitamin C is effective for hard-to-treat cancers, study shows

Researchers have discovered that a fasting-mimicking diet could be more effective at treating some types of cancer when combined with vitamin C. In studies on mice, researchers found that the combination delayed tumor progression in multiple mouse models of colorectal cancer; in some mice, it caused disease regression.

Source: University of Southern California

Aerobics may be a smart workout for your brain at any age

It's never too late to lace up some sneakers and work up a sweat for brain health, according to a new study. The study suggests older adults, even couch potatoes, may perform better on certain thinking and memory tests after just six months of aerobic exercise.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Excess coffee consumption a culprit for poor health

Cappuccino, latte or short black, coffee is one of the most commonly consumed drinks in the world. But whether it's good or bad for your health can be clarified by genetics, as a world-first study shows that excess coffee consumption can cause poor health.

Source: University of South Australia

Vitamin D determines severity in COVID-19 so government advice needs to change, experts urge

Researchers point to changes in government advice in Wales, England and Scotland
​Researchers are urging the Irish government to immediately change recommendations on vitamin D supplements given recent changes by Welsh, English and Scottish governments.

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Coffee linked to lower body fat in women

Compounds in coffee may have anti-obesity properties
​Women who drink two or three cups of coffee a day have been found to have lower total body and abdominal fat than those who drink less, according to a new study.

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

Vitamin B3 revitalizes energy metabolism in muscle disease

Scientists have reported that vitamin B3, niacin, has therapeutic effect in progressive muscle disease. Niacin delayed disease progression in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, a progressive disease with no previous curative treatments.

Source: University of Helsinki

New hope for ACL injuries: Adding eccentric exercises could improve physical therapy outcomes

People with anterior cruciate ligament injuries can lose up to 40% of the muscle strength in the affected leg -- with muscle atrophy remaining a big problem even after ACL reconstruction and physical therapy.

Source: University of Michigan

'Metabolic signature' can determine adherence to Mediterranean diet, help predict CVD risk

A newly identified 'metabolic signature' can evaluate an individual's adherence and metabolic response to the Mediterranean diet and help predict future risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health