Credit: iStock You may be familiar with the feeling known as “the burn”—the tingling soreness emanating from deep within your muscles, telling you to stop what you’re doing and rest. The burn can appear during the last few reps at the gym, the end of a long jog or even during the last few twists … Continue reading Embrace the Burn: Dispelling Years of Lactate Misconceptions
Exercise
The Irony of Exercise and Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Credit: iStock/PonyWang The irony of exercise is that while it works wonders for heart health, it actually increases short-term risk for experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while you’re working out. The acute risk of SCA is higher when you’re unfit, when you’re engaging in high-intensity exercise, and you have underlying cardiovascular disease. How does fitness … Continue reading The Irony of Exercise and Sudden Cardiac Arrest
The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
Credit: iStock/gustavofrazao It’s been another “ph-un” filled year of physiology on the I Spy Physiology blog! We’ve featured posts ranging from marijuana research and bone cancer in children to how many steps do we really need to take per day and if alkaline water lives up to the hype. To complement our Women’s Health Research … Continue reading The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
How Exercise Protects You from Dementia
Credit: iStock More than 7 million people in the U.S. live with neurodegenerative disorders. These are chronic diseases of the nervous system that worsen over time. Degenerative disorders are difficult to slow or reverse when nerve cells (neurons) stop working the way they should or die. Examples include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and … Continue reading How Exercise Protects You from Dementia
Stay Cool with Sunscreen, Even on the Move
Credit: iStock/aldomurillo Exercise is essential for our health. And when you’re exercising—or doing anything—outdoors, using sunscreen is important to protect your body from skin-damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Overexposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer. However, many people who are active outdoors think that sunscreen reduces exercise performance by making us overheat. But, rest assured: … Continue reading Stay Cool with Sunscreen, Even on the Move
Exercise and Healthspan Go Hand in Hand
Conference attendees listen intently at a 2024 American Physiology Summit session. “Healthspan” is a new buzzword recently added to our vocabulary. It reflects the length of time we stay healthy rather than simply being alive. While the average lifespan in the U.S. is around 79 years, the average healthspan (the age at which someone develops … Continue reading Exercise and Healthspan Go Hand in Hand
The COVID ‘15’: Staying Healthy and Informed during a Pandemic
Credit: iStock When the world came to an abrupt halt in early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, some people who had been keeping up with a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition and exercise, slid out of these habits. This happened for a variety of reasons, such as lack of access to exercise equipment, … Continue reading The COVID ‘15’: Staying Healthy and Informed during a Pandemic
Get Up and Dance: It’s Good for Your Body
Credit: iStock The music starts, and you can’t help it. Your toes start tapping, and before you know it, you’re dancing. It’s a great way to exercise, meet new people if you take a class or hit a night spot, and just have fun. So, what’s going on inside your body when you get moving … Continue reading Get Up and Dance: It’s Good for Your Body
Try Fidgeting to Control Blood Sugar
Credit: iStock We usually associate autumn with several sensations that delight the senses, including crisp air, warm colors and the smell of woodsmoke. Many of us will spend time surrounded by loved ones, which may include benevolent grandmothers and aunts indulging us with food and sweets. Pecan pie, pumpkin pie and cobblers may be delicious, … Continue reading Try Fidgeting to Control Blood Sugar
Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Credit: iStock Whether your favorite sport is swimming, track and field, fencing, field hockey or another of the 33 sports with competitions in Tokyo this summer, watching elite athletes perform is often an awe-inspiring event. You may ask yourself “how do they do that?” as you watch the incredible feats. However, more and more scientists … Continue reading Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science