Majid Koozehchian, M.S.In recent years, strength training with unconventional objects has become popular (1). One unconventional method that has gained recognition by elite athletes is adding chains to the end of conventional barbells. There are many claims that this type of training can improve strength and power above those achieved by traditional free weights (2). In addition, chain-loaded resistance training is also believed to reduce joint stress resistance training during exercises such as...

Seung Kim, M.S.Do you exercise regularly? If so, what benefits do you expect from exercise? Ever wonder whether you’re exercising in appropriate ways? Except for few people who are addicted to exercise, the main reason most people spend time and money for exercise is to maintain/improve their health. In general, the benefits of exercise include health-related risk factor reduction, anti-aging effects, prevention/improvement of disease, etc.However, there are things to carefully consider re...

Josh Avila, M.S.People like to place the blame on their genes for their lack of Herculean strength or Olympic endurance. But is this really fair? Do our genes actually have an effect on our ability to exercise?Improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness made by increasing levels of physical activity have been shown to reduce the level of all-cause mortality regardless of baseline fitness levels. Research has shown that both initial exercise capacity and the response to exercise training are highl...

Divya Talwar, BDS, MPHIn late summer, 2013, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, accompanied by her partner Brad Pitt, revealed at a press conference that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy due to a “faulty gene”. The “faulty gene” that led to Jolie’s difficult decision was the BRCA1 gene, and the preventive procedure reduced the risk of breast cancer from 87% to just 5%. Jolie could have kept the decision private; instead, she chose to share this news with t...

Kevin Shimkus, B.S.In muscle research, we tend to pay a great deal of attention to a particular signaling protein called mTOR, a key regulatory protein that signals for cell growth through the creation of new proteins. Consider protein building similar to a race car. The larger the engine, the greater potential for speed. Similarly, the more mTOR protein present in any given cell, the greater potential for more protein construction. And just like the gas pedal fuels the engine, mTOR is a signali...

Chang Woock Lee, B.A. The chicken or the egg? No, this is not about the famous causality dilemma of “which came first?” but rather about excellent sources of dietary protein. Eggs are a complete protein, provide protein digestibility similar to chicken, and are a good source of protein. Two large eggs (100 grams), according to USDA data, provide 12 grams of protein, while a chicken thigh (meat only, 52 grams) provides 13 grams of protein. However, eggs are much higher in an important...

Meredith Luttrell, Ph.DWe seldom think about physical effects of aging until that first wrinkle appears. While it’s easy to associate aging with changes in appearance, changes that occur within the body, such as impaired blood vessel function, are more likely to affect the quality of life even more. Cardiovascular disease affects 1 in 3 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and the risk of developing it increases with age. The term cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasse...

Brad Lambert, Ph.D, CSCCA-SCCCFor optimal health and fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends both resistance and endurance exercise regularly. Both forms of exercise provide specific benefits for one’s health. Endurance exercise such as jogging or biking has been found to increase aerobic fitness, reduce body fat, and aid in the prevention of a number of metabolic diseases. Resistance exercise is typically found to increase muscle mass, muscular strength, bone density, ...

Kaleigh Camp, M.S.Standing at the starting line of the 2011 San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon with over 30,000 other runners, it was clear how popular these races have become for athletes as well as non-athletes. Running USA, the track and field running information center, acknowledges the surge over the past quarter of a century. At the beginning of the race, salt packets were provided and passed around the population of runners. I wondered whether all runners understand the p...

Steve Bui, M.S.Iron is one of the most essential minerals to health; unfortunately, sometimes we neglect its importance. What makes iron so important? As a major component of red blood cells, it aids in transporting oxygen throughout the body. It can also play minor roles in liver function, prevention of bacterial infections, and cell growth. Iron deficiency can occur with heavy loss of blood, lack of dietary intake, and the inability to absorb iron metabolically. Iron deficiencies appear most o...