Science Weekly - 23022020

​This week's articles cover a variety of topics on nutrition, fitness and sports science. Check it out!

The highlights:

• Breakfast may help with bigger calorie burn
• Roundworm experiment suggest brain cells may protect muscles from wasting away
• New ruling for Paralympic sprinters may be pointless
• How does our food affect our memory?
• Could eating too much fat and sugar lead to skin issues?
• No evidence found that herbal medicines aid weight loss
• Why poor sleep increases heart disease risk in women

People who eat a big breakfast may burn twice as many calories

Study finds eating more at breakfast instead of dinner could prevent obesity
Eating a big breakfast rather than a large dinner may prevent obesity and high blood sugar, according to new research.

Source: The Endocrine Society

Brain cells protect muscles from wasting away

Several processes in the roundworm C. elegans boost the stress response in cells, incidentally making worms resistant to a high-fat diet and extending their lifespan. Researchers have found another: cells called glia that release a hormone that boosts the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum of the worm's cells, effectively doubling lifespan. This could lead to interventions to tune up peripheral cells, such as muscle cells, and prevent age-related deterioration in humans.

Source: University of California - Berkeley

For 'blade runners' taller doesn't necessarily mean faster

Rule limiting height for Paralympic sprinters is baseless
The governing body for the Paralympics recently lowered the allowable height for sprinters who use prosthetic legs, or blades, during competition. The rules are based on the assumption that the taller you are the faster you run. But a new study has found otherwise.

Source: University of Colorado at Boulder

Memory games: Eating well to remember

A healthy diet is essential to living well, but should we change what we eat as we age? Researchers have found strong evidence of the link between food groups and memory loss and its comorbidities. Her findings point to a need for age-specific dietary guidelines as the links may vary with age -- people aged 80+ with a low consumption of cereals are at highest risk of memory loss and comorbid heart disease.

Source: University of Technology Sydney

Western diet rich in fat and sugar linked to skin inflammation

Dietary components, rather than obesity itself, may lead to skin inflammation and the development of psoriasis, a study has found.

Source: University of California - Davis Health

Insufficient evidence backing herbal medicines for weight loss

Researchers have conducted the first global review of herbal medicines for weight loss in 19 years, finding insufficient evidence to recommend any current treatments.

Source: University of Sydney

The skinny on why poor sleep may increase heart risk in women

A new study suggests that for women, poor sleep could contribute to unhealthy food choices, increasing the risk of obesity and heart disease.

Source: Columbia University Irving Medical Center