Science Weekly - 1st Oct 2021

The papers published in the past week has been studying a wide range of topics within the fitness, nutrition and exercise science field. We might have an explanation for why people trying to quit smoking start to gain weight, how children's diet affect their mental health or why we shouldn't put ourselves or clients through an intense workout close to bedtime.

Here're the highlight:

• ​Healthy changes in diet, activity improved treatment-resistant high blood pressure
• ​Intense workouts before bedtime won’t guarantee a good night’s rest, new research shows
• ​​Children who eat more fruit and veggies have better mental health
• ​Study identifies mechanism by which nicotine withdrawal increases junk food consumption
• ​​Study identifies protein important for motor coordination and exercise performance
• AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Healthy changes in diet, activity improved treatment-resistant high blood pressure

A healthy eating plan, weight loss and improved aerobic fitness can significantly reduce blood pressure and improve heart health in people with resistant hypertension -- a condition in which blood pressure remains high despite the use of three or more antihypertensive medications.

Source: American Heart Association

Intense workouts before bedtime won’t guarantee a good night’s rest, new research shows

A new meta-analysis assessed data from 15 published studies to see how a single session of intense exercise affects young and middle-aged healthy adults in the hours prior to bedtime. And while no two bodies are the same, the researchers did find that the combination of factors would interact to enhance or modulate the effects of exercise on sleep.

Source: Concordia University

​Children who eat more fruit and veggies have better mental health

New research finds that children who eat more fruit and veg have better mental health. The study is the first to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intakes, breakfast and lunch choices, and mental wellbeing in UK school children. The research team studied data from almost 9,000 children in 50 schools. They found that the types of breakfast and lunch eaten by both primary and secondary school pupils were significantly associated with wellbeing.

Source: University of East Anglia

Study identifies mechanism by which nicotine withdrawal increases junk food consumption

Opioid system may play a role in overeating during nicotine withdrawal, study suggests
​New data collected by researchers demonstrate a clear connection between nicotine withdrawal and poor eating habits. Their findings point to the opioid system, the brain functions responsible for addiction and appetite regulation, as a possible cause for smoker preference of energy-dense, high-calorie food during nicotine withdrawal.

Source: University of Minnesota Medical School

Study identifies protein important for motor coordination and exercise performance

Researchers have identified a protein that improves muscular metabolism, motor coordination and exercise performance in mice. The findings could be of therapeutic value for patients with muscle and neurological diseases, such as ALS.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Researchers have developed a dynamic respirator that modulates its pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier when the highest levels of filtration are not required.

Source: American Chemical Society