Sports and alcohol are a famous pair. Whether you’re a fan or an athlete, it’s common to follow up a great game with a drink or two. But does that drink affect your recovery after your workout? Researchers at California Polytechnic State University think that it might. Rafael Jimenez, Amy Engel and a team of … Continue reading To Play Better, Skip the Post-Game Drink
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Running a Thousand Miles Can Be Exhausting. How Do Iditarod Sled Dogs Do It?
Have you ever had a morning where you just did not have the energy to go out for your five-mile run? What if you woke up in New York City and had to run to Miami? That is the distance Alaskan Huskies run every year at the annual Iditarod sled dog race. How these amazing … Continue reading Running a Thousand Miles Can Be Exhausting. How Do Iditarod Sled Dogs Do It?
Don’t Be Cold-Hearted: Understand and Protect Yourself from the Cardiovascular Risks of Cold Weather
Winter storms, like those that hit the East Coast in January, are often followed by sad reports of deaths from heart attacks related to winter weather. These reports often seem to be isolated incidents, but emerging evidence reveals a clear association between winter temperatures and heart attacks, particularly severe heart attacks. Recent research demonstrated that … Continue reading Don’t Be Cold-Hearted: Understand and Protect Yourself from the Cardiovascular Risks of Cold Weather
Football Safety Tips from Birds? How Woodpeckers Avoid Concussions after Head Impact
The NFL has been under a lot of heat over concussion injuries in its players and the long-term brain injury and health impacts. With the size of the player and the speed he runs, it’s not hard to imagine the sheer force and damage that can occur from even a single collision. Woodpeckers, though, bang … Continue reading Football Safety Tips from Birds? How Woodpeckers Avoid Concussions after Head Impact
Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
I live in South Dakota where the winter days can be frigid and very dry. Many people, including me, have difficulty breathing while exercising in the winter because our airways temporarily narrow during exercise. This condition is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), formerly known as exercise-induced asthma, and it’s often triggered by working out in cold, … Continue reading Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? The Dangers of Freediving
The appeal of freediving may lie in its freedom. Freedivers, without cumbersome scuba gear and noisy regulators, easily glide through tranquil waters toward coral or rocky reefs with scenes unobstructed by bubble trails. With dives often exceeding five minutes, they get to see up close and personal the colorful marine life that typically flees from … Continue reading How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? The Dangers of Freediving
Could Fresh Breath Cause High Blood Pressure?
Good ol’ mouthwash: Sure, it makes your breath minty fresh, especially after eating garlic bread with extra garlic. But did you know that using it could also raise your blood pressure? Surprisingly, it’s all related to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring chemical in the body involved in the process of widening the … Continue reading Could Fresh Breath Cause High Blood Pressure?
Look to the Sky for Lessons in High Blood Sugar
So much of what we hear in health news today involves how what we eat or how much we move affects the way we live. For example, if we overeat sugar or unhealthy foods and don’t get enough exercise, we can find ourselves at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These can affect our … Continue reading Look to the Sky for Lessons in High Blood Sugar
Water: Can You Get Too Much of a Good Thing?
Water is arguably the best drink on Earth. Drinking water provides undisputable benefits to humans, other animals and plants. We know it’s possible to overwater a plant, but what about us humans? Can we drink too much water? And is it worse to be over-hydrated or under-hydrated? “Many, many more people die from over-hydration than … Continue reading Water: Can You Get Too Much of a Good Thing?
Keep Bones Strong by Making Workouts a Priority
As a species, our bones have gone through many changes over time. A recent report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer culture to farming our food, our bones became weaker. Today in the U.S., approximately 50% of women and 25% of men over 50 … Continue reading Keep Bones Strong by Making Workouts a Priority