Brandon Macias, Ph.DMost folks, especially those who do not suffer from bone debilitating diseases, might forget that their skeletons are “alive.”  Yes, the bone that protects your vital organs and works with your muscles to get you out of bed in the morning is constantly remodeling.  Bone cells called osteoblasts lay down new bone matrix, and bone cells called osteoclasts, “eat” or resorb bone tissue.  In a normal healthy human, this bone-forming activity ...

Majid Koozehchian, M.S.Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid (i.e., an amino acid not used in proteins) normally present in the blood. Hcy is a by-product of normal diet but high levels in the blood can endanger cardiovascular health. It is formed from methionine, a proteinogenic amino acid, and can biosynthesize back to methionine or into cysteine, another proteinogenic amino acid, as well as several other substances. Benefits of Hcy are unknown; however, its harmful effects...

Brad S. Lambert, Ph.D, CSCCA-SCCCHas there ever been a time when you decided to begin an exercise program or turn your current exercise program up a notch with an increase in workout time or intensity? Also, have you ever experienced prolonged muscle soreness days after doing so? If so, you have probably experienced delayed onset muscle soreness. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a phenomenon that often arises at the beginning of a new exercise training regimen or if the int...

Chang Woock Lee, B.A.Cholesterol is perhaps the most notorious biological molecule of all. To many people, cholesterol is simply a synonym for heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease because excessive blood cholesterol and lipid contributes to development of plaque build-up in the arteries and can eventually narrow and clog the blood vessels. Thus, cholesterol has become a nemesis to be overcome and destroyed. People try to eliminate cholesterol from their diet, and the media constantly ...

Priscila Caçola, Ph.DHave you ever wondered why a child learning to strike with a tennis racquet has trouble “finding” the ball? For adults, research shows that holding a racket or any tool that increases the ability of the body to reach further makes the brain recognize that tool as part of the “body schema.” The “body schema” is how we represent our body dimensions in our minds, so we can calculate distances and how we fit in the space surrounding us....

Vincent C.W. Chen, B.S.Metabolic syndrome, a condition including insulin resistance (causing diabetes), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids), hypertension, and heart disease, is mainly due to high fat diets and lack of physical activity. It has become a major health concern in modern society. Recently, a substance called PPAR-delta has been identified as a potential therapeutic remedy for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. PPAR-delta is the most abundant isoform among the three PPARs (p...

Majid Koozehchian, M.S. In our bodies, oxygen constantly produces toxic substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as oxidants. Antioxidants, biomolecules that combat oxidant damage, are produced by the body and can also be taken in supplement form. Disruption of normal cellular function by ROS is termed oxidative stress, and can be considered an imbalance between ROS production and the body’s production of antioxidants, weighted on the oxidant side (Fig.1). Low level...

Emily Schmitt, Ph.D.Should I “Enhance” Athletic Performance with Dietary Products?This is one of the questions that constantly arise in the sports medicine and performance world. And to be honest, it is a difficult question to address. Researchers have studied diet manipulation for years in relation to delaying the onset of fatigue, and these studies have resulted in mixed conclusions. Scientific publications conclude that carbohydrate (products such as energy gels or ...

Nina Laidlaw Rumler, B.A.Headlines about vitamin D abound. Is it as good as they say? How does it impact exercise and athletes?Advocates claim a wide range of proven or implied benefits, such as: Improved physical performance Bone strengthening (rickets, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, gum/tooth diseases) Strengthening of the immune system –fewer colds, flu, pneumonia, allergies. Inhibition/prevention of hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart dis...

Nina Laidlaw Rumler, B.A.You might not have heard of sarcopenia, but it touches everyone – everyone who lives long enough to undergo this normal physiological process. A lessening of muscle mass and function, its cumulative effect is becoming a significant public health concern. Two factors contribute: lessened physical activity and increased longevity, eventually resulting in frailty in the elder years. The word means "poverty of flesh," a pitiful image. Age-related, it is ...