Science Weekly
A weekly round up of scientific research for personal trainers. Join for free to get Science Weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox.
 Interesting topics came up in the past two weeks in fitness, nutrition and sports science, some around the always actual topic of obesity, the role of vitamin K in older age, risks of drinking alcohol even in small amounts and one for the geeks about the smalles motor ever developed. Here are the highlights
60 minutes of endurance training is enough to shift body clock in miceNew research shows that just one 60 minutes bout of exercise shifted the muscle clocks of mice by around an hour in either direction. If this research is replicated in humans, it makes a case for prescribing exercise for night-shift workers and for treating diseases like heart disease, both of which can result in disrupted clocks throughout the body. Source: The Physiological Society The smallest motor in the worldA research team has developed a molecular motor which consists of only 16 atoms and rotates reliably in one direction. It could allow energy harvesting at the atomic level. The special feature of the motor is that it moves exactly at the boundary between classical motion and quantum tunneling -- and has revealed puzzling phenomena to researchers in the quantum realm. Source: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) Following a variety of healthy eating patterns was associated with lower heart disease riskGreater adherence to a variety of healthy eating patterns was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Even 'low-risk' drinking can be harmfulIt's not just heavy drinking that's a problem -- even consuming alcohol within weekly low-risk drinking guidelines can result in hospitalization and death, according to a new study. Source: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Vegetarians tend to be slimmer and less extroverted than meat eaters, study findsThe less animal products someone consumes, the lower his body mass index on average and the less he tends to be extroverted. A connection with depressive moods as other studies had found could not be confirmed. Source: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Multi-ethnic study suggests vitamin K may offer protective health benefits in older ageOlder adults with low vitamin K had higher death risk over 13 years compared to those with adequate vitamin K levels A new, multi-ethnic study found adults aged 54-76 with low circulating vitamin K levels were more likely to die within 13 years compared to those with adequate levels, suggesting vitamin K may offer protective health benefits as we age. Source: Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus Essential components of dietary restriction revealedStudies have provided a new understanding into the roles two essential amino acids play in metabolic health, which may help scientists in the fight against obesity. Source: Monash University New approach to turning on the heat in energy-burning fat cellsResearchers have discovered a new set of signals that cells send and receive to prompt one type of fat cell to convert fat into heat. The signaling pathway, discovered in mice, has potential implications for activating this same type of thermogenic fat in humans. Source: University of Michigan 'Fat burning' molecule has implications for treatment of obesityScientists have recently identified a small mitochondrial uncoupler, named BAM15, that decreases the body fat mass of mice without affecting food intake and muscle mass or increasing body temperature.
Source: Virginia Tech |
