The 2022 Wayne State University football team in a huddle. Credit: Tamara Hew-Butler The mythology and physiology that characterize winners from losers remains elusive. While physiological profiling—studying biomarkers and body composition and using wearable technology—of “superhuman” athletes continues, our unsatiable quest for greatness often minimizes how our mental health can affect our physical health, athletic … Continue reading Depression and Sports: A Double-edged Sword
Author: American Physiological Society
How COVID-19 Affects the Gut Microbiome
Credit: iStock COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is known as primarily a respiratory disease. However, between 11% and 39% of people diagnosed with COVID-19 report having gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting or belly pain. GI symptoms are associated with a high risk of hospitalization and disease severity. As our understanding of the … Continue reading How COVID-19 Affects the Gut Microbiome
Spotlight On: Hearing
Credit: iStock From the calming sound of birds chirruping to a warning honk of a car, your sense of hearing is integral to your understanding of the world around us. Certain sounds can help you sleep, calm your mind, cause feelings of panic or stress, or even evoke nostalgic memories. You might wonder why this … Continue reading Spotlight On: Hearing
Stay Hydrated to Keep Your Muscles Happy
Credit: iStock Water balance is one of the most important functions of the body. The cells in the body require a stable environment to survive and work like they should. As originally put by the 19th century French physiologist Claude BernardMD: “La fixité du milieu intérieur est la condition de la vie libre, independante” (The … Continue reading Stay Hydrated to Keep Your Muscles Happy
How Your Body Reacts to Being Stressed Out
Credit: iStock Have you ever felt the weight of an upcoming deadline? Are family or relationship issues a constant worry? If this describes you, know that you’re not alone. According to the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” survey, 67% of adults in the U.S. said their stress level has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. … Continue reading How Your Body Reacts to Being Stressed Out
Touching a Nerve: Piezo Receptors
Credit: iStock “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. … Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. … If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.” —David, … Continue reading Touching a Nerve: Piezo Receptors
Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
Credit: iStock Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease caused by mutations, or changes, in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Cystic fibrosis is most common in people of Northern European ancestry, but it occurs in people of all races and ethnicities. People who inherit a mutated CFTR gene from both of their … Continue reading Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
How Our Bones Adapt in Space
Retired astronaut Scott Kelly grew two inches taller while he was in space due to changes in his bones and other organs. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls During space travel, astronauts are exposed to a lack of gravity. This affects their physiology in different ways, including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning, eye changes and immune dysfunction. Studies … Continue reading How Our Bones Adapt in Space
Change Your Mindset—You May Improve Your Health!
Credit: iStock Have you considered how our mind, beliefs and mindset about wellness can affect our health and healing? Scientists have shown that mindset is intricately linked with health outcomes. That is not to say we can simply “think” ourselves better from a major health crisis, nor that it’s our own fault when we face … Continue reading Change Your Mindset—You May Improve Your Health!
2022’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts
Credit: iStock This year, as COVID-19 vaccines and boosters protected most of us from severe disease, scientists and educators returned to labs, classrooms and in-person meetings with a lot of new physiology research to share. In 2022, our member-contributors wrote about the physiology of space travel, new techniques to improve organ transplantation and why exercise … Continue reading 2022’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts