Ditch the sports drinks during exercise

Ditch the sports drinks during exercise: Bananas may be just as beneficial

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Newswise — BOONE—Bananas have long been a favorite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients, and are easy for cyclists, runners or hikers to carry.

Research conducted at Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in the Kannapolis-based North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) has revealed additional benefits.

“We wanted to see which was more beneficial when consumed during intense cycling – bananas or a carbohydrate sports drink,” said Dr. David C. Nieman, director of the human performance lab and a member of the College of Health Sciences faculty at Appalachian.

“We found that not only was performance the same whether bananas or sports drinks were consumed, there were several advantages to consuming bananas,” he said.

The bananas provided the cyclists with antioxidants not found in sports drinks as well as a greater nutritional boost, including fiber, potassium and Vitamin B6, the study showed. In addition, bananas have a healthier blend of sugars than sports drinks.

The study, funded by Dole Foods, has been published in the peer-reviewed online journalPLoS ONE published by the nonprofit Public Library of Science (May 17, 2012 10.1371/journal.pone.0037479.

For the study, trained cyclists consumed either a cup of carbohydrate drink or half a banana every 15 minutes during a 75-kilometer simulated road race lasting 2.5 to 3 hours. Blood samples taken from the cyclists before and after the exercise were analyzed at the NCRC Metabolomics Laboratory for more than 100 metabolites – molecules associated with metabolism.

“Bananas come prepackaged with fiber, nutrients and antioxidants,” said Nieman, adding the research translates to any exercise.

“The mode of exercise is not the issue. I think there are a lot of athletes who don’t like the thought of drinking carbohydrate sports drinks, which are essentially flavored sugar water,” he said. “This type of research shows that you can have healthier carbohydrate sources before and after exercise that will support athletic performance just as well as a sports drink,” Nieman said.

About the research team
Other members of the research team from Appalachian were Dr. Dru Henson, Department of Biology; Dr. Andrew Shanely, Human Performance Lab; Dr. Amy M. Knab, Human Performance Lab; Dr. Lynn Cialdella-Kam, Human Performance Lab; Dr. Nicholas D. Gillitt, Dole Nutrition Research Laboratory, N.C. Research Campus; Dr. Wei Sha, UNC Charlotte and N.C. Research Campus; and Dr. Fuxia Jin, Dole Nutrition Research Laboratory, N.C. Research Campus.

About the N.C. Research Campus

Boasting partnerships with academia, industry and government, the North Carolina Research Campus is driving innovation at the intersection of human health, nutrition and agriculture. This innovation means the discovery of new solutions for the prevention, treatment and development of cures for the world’s most prevalent and debilitating diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Founded by visionary David H. Murdock, owner of Dole Foods and Castle and Cooke Inc., the NCRC opened in October 2008. The NCRC is anchored by the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI), the Rowan- Cabarrus Community College Biotechnology Training Center, the LabCorp BioRepository, eight of North Carolina’s top universities, and nine corporate and non-profit partners. The NCRC is an unprecedented teaming of scientists, nutritionists, public health experts, physicians, information analysts, farmers, food companies and entrepreneurs. The collaborative atmosphere has spawned more than $26 million in federal research grants and spurred new public-private research collaborations.

In addition to Appalachian, campus partners are: Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, UNC Charlotte, NC Central University, N.C. A&T State University, UNC Greensboro, Dole Nutrition Research Institute, General Mills, Monsanto, LabCorp, Carl Zeiss MicroImaging, Carolinas Healthcare System, Cabarrus Health Alliance, Sensory Spectrum and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Yoga is medicine

Yoga is medicine: it may help stroke rehab patients

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Researchers looking into the value of adapted yoga for stroke rehabilitation report that after an eight-week program, study participants demonstrated improved balance and flexibility, a stronger and faster gait, and increased strength and endurance.

The study, involving researchers from the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and IU Bloomington, exposed older veterans recovering from stroke to yoga. The men and women had completed their post-stroke occupational and physical therapy before the study but continued to have impairments.

The findings from two new analyses of the study will be presented on Wednesday during the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in San Francisco.

Arlene Schmid, rehabilitation research scientist at the Roudebush VA Medical Center and principle investigator of the VA-funded study, said loss of functional strength, flexibility and endurance is common after a stroke, which can lead to long-term disability. She said 5 million Americans are living with the consequences of stroke, which can alter patients’ lifestyles through decreased independence in activities of daily living, limited mobility and reduced participation in society.

“Clinicians need methods to manage and improve these post-stroke physical impairments,” said Schmid, also an assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at IUPUI.

Her analysis, “Physical Improvements After Yoga for People With Chronic Stroke,” examined gains in functional strength, flexibility and endurance as a result of the yoga and found significant improvements in all areas. The yoga activities, she said in her report, might have “improved neuromuscular control, likely allowing for strength improvements in affected limbs, sides or areas of disuse.”

Tracy Dierks, associate professor of physical therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, focused his analysis of study findings on how well study participants could walk after the program.

In “The Effect of Balance Exercise Therapy on Gait Parameters in Individuals With Chronic Stroke,” he reports that after the yoga program, the study participants showed improved balance and faster gait speeds with longer steps or strides. But, while the veterans could walk faster, they were unable to sustain this faster speed for the duration of the six-minute test.

“The gait findings from our study have the potential to greatly impact clinical practice for gait recovery,” Dierks said. “The yoga intervention was designed to improve balance, not gait; we did not focus on improving gait at all. Yet we saw major improvements in most clinical gait measurements. But one often overlooked deficit remained: the inability to sustain gait speed for endurance.”

Schmid concluded in her presentation that it might be appropriate to include yoga in the in-patient or out-patient rehabilitation people receive after a stroke. Such a class should be taught by a yoga therapist who has had additional training in anatomy and physiology and how to work with people with disabilities.

Dierks is discussing his findings at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, during the gait session. Co-authors are Peter A. Altenburger, IUPUI, and Schmid and Kristine K. Miller, Roudebush VA Medical Center.

Schmid is discussing her findings at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, during the session on cardiovascular system, cardiovascular disease management, children and the elderly. Co-authors are Miller, Linda S. Williams, Erin DeBaun and Teresa Damush, IUPUI/Roudebush VA Medical Center; Marieke Van Puymbroeck, IU Bloomington; Dierks and Altenburger, IUPUI; and Nancy Schalk, Heartland Yoga.

Source

Fatty acid found in fish prevents age-related vision loss

Fatty acid found in fish prevents age-related vision loss: U of A medical research

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, known as DHA, prevented age-related vision loss in lab tests, demonstrates recently published medical research from the University of Alberta.

Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry researcher Yves Sauve and his team discovered lab models fed DHA did not accumulate a toxic molecule at the back of the eyes. The toxin normally builds up in the retina with age and causes vision loss.

“This discovery could result in a very broad therapeutic use,” says Sauve, whose work was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

“In normal aging, this toxin increases two-fold as we age. But in lab tests, there was no increase in this toxin whatsoever. This has never been demonstrated before – that supplementing the diet with DHA could make this kind of difference.”

The team recently started another study, looking at people who have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that results in the loss of central vision and is the main cause of blindness in those over the age of 50. The researchers will look for DNA markers in the blood of study participants. The team wants to determine if participants with certain genetic markers will respond better to increasing amounts of DHA in their diet and if so, why.

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Sauve is a researcher in both the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Physiology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A.

Various organizations funded the research, but the primary funder was the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Source

Group performance is better when there is more hierarchy

Group performance is better when there is more hierarchy, less equality among members

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Despite our inclination to believe equality within a team or group is important, new research suggests that a built-in hierarchy leads to fewer group conflicts and higher productivity.

The research finds a team or group with all high-performers will not outperform teams or groups with an established hierarchy. Teams in which everyone has high power are likely to experience elevated levels of conflict, reduced role differentiations, less coordination and integration, and poorer productivity than teams with a broader distribution of power and status.

The new study, published online inPsychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, was conducted by Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; Richard Ronay of Columbia University; Katharine Greenaway of University of Queensland; and Eric M. Anicich of Columbia University.

The study confirmed the researchers’ theory that “there will be greater conflict with all high-power individuals as each member jostles to take control,” thus undermining group performance.

“We found that a clear hierarchy, division of labor and patterns of deference reduce conflict, facilitate coordination and ultimately improve group productivity,” said Galinsky, Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School. “On the other hand, when there are too many leaders or too few followers, group performance suffers.”

The research illustrates how the composition of a group ― from sports teams to corporate work teams to political groups ― affects the way the group functions. When a group requires lots of coordination, such as when performing tasks that call for interdependence among the group members, hierarchy wins out. This is the first study that manipulated overall levels of hierarchal differences in groups and measured the effects on group productivity.

“Despite the overt appeal of egalitarian social structures, there remains an enduring implicit preference for hierarchy,” Ronay said. The study suggests that this preference has its roots in “the utilitarian value of distributed power.”

The authors found similar findings among animals, as well. Previous studies discovered egg production among chickens declined when all the high-producers were placed together. Citing this example, the authors note that “pecking orders, it seems, are not just for the birds.”

Two Experiments

In the first experiment, 138 undergraduate students were randomly assigned one of three experimental conditions (high-power, low-power, baseline) and organized into same-sex teams of three high-powered participants, three low-power participants or teams with one high-power, one low-power and one baseline.

Next, the researchers had the teams perform a task that required group interdependence. In this task, each member was required to make words from 16 letters and then work as a group to combine the words into as many sentences as possible. They also measured how the groups functioned on a second task that did not require individuals to coordinate their efforts.

The experiment showed that groups with hierarchies were more productive than groups with either all high-power or all low-power individuals. It also showed that hierarchy is most beneficial when group members are working on a task together, providing no advantage to individuals when working alone.

In the second experiment, Galinsky and his co-authors examined the biological basis of hierarchal differentiation to determine whether individual differences play a role in the formation of naturally occurring hierarchies. The researchers sought to test whether limiting variance in testosterone, a hormone associated with the pursuit of dominance and status, would disrupt development of a hierarchy and reduce group productivity. To measure individual differences in prenatal testosterone exposure, they calculated the ratio between the length of the index finger and the ring finger, with lower ratios indicating higher levels of testosterone during prenatal development. Next, they created groups of high-testosterone, low-testosterone or a mix of both and average testosterone. The participants took part in the same word-and-sentence game which is a procedurally interdependent task as described in the first experiment while the researchers measured the conflict within the groups.

They found that the mixed testosterone groups outperformed the all high and the all low-testosterone groups, conceptually replicating the first study. Furthermore, decrements in performance by the all high-testosterone groups were driven by increased conflict.

The experiments tested for the first time the central prediction of the functional theories of hierarchy: “When power is distributed, intragroup conflicts decrease while coordination and productivity increase,” the researchers note. Both sets of experiments supported that conclusion.

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These findings are consistent with an earlier study co-authored by Galinsky that revealed hierarchal pay structures on National Basketball Association teams increased performance, promoted coordination and enhance cooperation on teams.

Source

Michael Chiesa and Al Iaquinta set to meet in The Ultimate Fighter® Live Final

EPISODE 12 ‘REALITY CHECK’

FLASH QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Michael Chiesa and Al Iaquinta set to meet in

The Ultimate Fighter^® Live Final

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighter^® Live episode 12 – ‘Reality Check’ – aired Friday evening and saw Team Faber nab both semifinal wins in the final episode of the famed reality series. Michael Chiesa defeated James Vick by knockout at 1:55 of the 2nd round while Al Iaquinta walked away with a unanimous decision victory over Vinc Pichel.

The fights are now set for The Ultimate Fighter^® Live Finale Friday, June 1 at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms in Las Vegas. All but four of the fighters will appear on the three-hour season finale on FX.

Mike Rio, who suffered a rib injury in training and AndyOgle, who was medically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after being knocked out in the quarterfinals, will both miss the Finale. Following his knockout loss, Vick has also been medically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and will not compete on June 1. Due to this, Pichel will be unable to fight and will make an appearance on a future UFC card. The complete list of match-ups is below.

TUF Live 1 Finale – The Ultimate Fighter^® Live bouts

Jeremy Larsen VS Joe Proctor

Sam Sicilia VS Cristiano Marcello

Chris Tickle VS Daron Cruickshank

Chris Saunders VS Myles Jury

John Cofer VS Justin Lawrence

Michael Chiesa VS Al Iaquinta

Here’s what everyone had to say about the evening’s livefights:

UFC President Dana White:

“There’s no doubt that Vick won that first round but I think the biggest mistake he made was going for that submission at the end of it. I think he should have tried to finish it. He’s a young, tough, bright kid and has a big future in front of him. Chiesa was doing a lot of things to try and make stuff happen in the second round and that’s what he did. The odds said he was supposed to lose twice and here he is. This kid has got a ton of heart.”

“The first round [between Iaquinta and Pichel] was tough to score. I actually think Pichel did more damage but the judges gave Iaquinta the round because of his two takedowns. [Iaquinta] definitely came out and won the second round and got that fight. Al has looked good in both his fights. He looked like he was in great shape. Still moving, still punching and his wrestling was on. This is going to be one hell of a final.”

 Michael Chiesa:

“I feel great. It has been quite a journey. A lot of ups and downs but I feel like I’ve earned my spot in the finale and I’m very excited to seize the moment.”

 Al Iaquinta:

“I couldn’t have done it without a great team, great roommates. Everyone really helped me out. The coaching staff was just awesome. Everything was a dream come true. When I left I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Now I have the toughest fight of my life ahead of me, and I’m ready for it.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to catch behind the scenes action by following the fighters on Facebook and Twitter. Find all these links andmore onwww.ultimatefighter.com.

Photo credits: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

About Ultimate Fighting Championship^®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 liveevents annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world.  In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This includes the longest-running sports realityshow on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now air on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions and in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in Quebec through Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website,UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed^® video game franchise distributed byTHQ, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

UFC 146: THE HEAVYWEIGHTS : 2400lbs OF FIGHTER!

UFC 146: THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

BIGGEST FIGHT NIGHT OF ALL TIME

FIRST EVER ALL-HEAVYWEIGHT PAY-PER-VIEW

2400lbs OF FIGHTER!

^{(LEFT TO RIGHT: STEFAN STRUVE, STIPE MIOCIC, ROY NELSON, CAIN VELÁSQUEZ, JUNIOR DOS SANTOS, FRANK MIR, ‘BIGFOOT’ SILVA, DAVE HERMAN, SHANE DEL ROSARIO, LAVAR JOHNSON)}

Las Vegas, Nevada – Literally the biggest fight card of all time will detonate at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Saturday night as the Ultimate Fighting Championship^® organization presents UFC 146: THE HEAVYWEIGHTS on Pay-Per-View.

The first ever all-heavyweight main card is headlined by UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos making his first title defense against the most successful heavyweight of all time, two-time champion Frank Mir. This titanic main event is supported by four other heavyweight collisions and, in total, 10 of division’s elite – and over 2400lbs of fighter - will be throwing leather in Las Vegas on Saturday.

UFC President Dana White said: “Fans have been going nuts for this all-heavyweight card. You’ve got 10 of the baddest men on the entire planet all going at it, including Junior dos Santos looking for some revenge against the man who just broke his mentor’s arm in Frank Mir. There’s going to be over 2400lbs of heavyweight on the main card – something we’ve never done in the history of the UFC. I’m looking forward to some brutal knockouts and some great submissions on Saturday night.”

UFC^® 146: DOS SANTOS vs. MIR will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

                                                                                                                    

Reigning UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos will defend his crown against former two-time champion Frank Mir and former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez – now fully healed from his knee injury - returns to action against the dangerous Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

                              

Plus, in the first-ever all heavyweight UFC card, Roy Nelson takes on Dave Herman, unbeaten heavies Stipe Miocic and Shane Del Rosario collide and 6ft 11.5inch Stefan Struve takes on KO specialist Lavar Johnson.

Reigning and defending UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos said: “The excitement for this event is kind of crazy. We just did the press conference at the MGM Grand and the fans were there cheering and screaming. I am so excited to defend my belt on such a huge show.”

Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion and current No1 heavyweight contender Frank Mir added: “I’ve been in the UFC for longer than almost everybody; I’ve seen some great fights and have fought on some great cards. This is the biggest fight of my career. Everyone loves heavyweights, and you’ve got 10 of the baddest men on the planet all in action. Junior is a dangerous boxer, but when this hits the ground, he’s done.”

ABOUT THE UFC

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC® produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world.  In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions and in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in Quebec through Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website,UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter.  Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.