• Physical fitness effective in alleviating obesity-related inflammation in diabetes
- Wall squats, planks best at lowering blood pressure
- Exercise can promote learning, wellbeing at secondary school
- Four hours exercise weekly boosts women’s sex lives, helps arousal, increases chances of orgasm
More studies are providing reasons Nigerians should embrace regular exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming and cycling. In fact, recent studies indicate that regular exercises reduce risk of so-called incurable chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and hypertension as well as boost brain power and sex drive in men and women.
Indeed, promising new research suggests a total of just 4.5 minutes of vigorous activity that makes one huff and puff during daily tasks could reduce the risk of some cancers by up to 32 percent.
As few as four to five minutes of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity or ‘VILPA’ was associated with a substantially lower cancer risk compared to those who undertook no VILPA.
Researchers at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre to
describe the very short bursts of activity, around one minute each,
coined vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA), people
do with gusto each day. This includes activities like vigorous
housework, carrying heavy shopping around the grocery store, bursts of
power walking or playing high-energy games with the kids.
“VILPA is a bit like applying the principles of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to your everyday life,” said lead author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis of the Charles Perkins Centre.
He said adults who don’t exercise are at increased risk of developing certain cancers like breast, endometrial or colon, but until recently, the impact of less structured forms of vigorous physical activity was unable to be measured.
“We know the majority of middle-aged people don’t regularly exercise which puts them at increased cancer risk but it’s only through the advent of wearable technology like activity trackers that we are able to look at the impact of short bursts of incidental physical activity done as part of daily living,” says first author, Professor Stamatakis.
The study is observational, meaning it isn’t designed to directly explore cause and effect. However, the researchers say they are seeing a strong link and refer to previous early-stage trials showing that intermittent vigorous physical activity leads to rapid improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness, which may provide a possible biological explanation for reduced cancer risk. Other likely contributors include physical activity’s role in improving insulin sensitivity and chronic inflammation.
“We need to further investigate this link through robust trials, but it appears that VILPA may be a promising cost-free recommendation for lowering cancer risk in people who find structured exercise difficult or unappealing,” says Stamatakis.
The current study analysed the impact of VILPA on overall cancer incidence, as well as for 13 cancer sites associated with physical activity; these include liver, lung, kidney, gastric cardia (a type of stomach cancer), endometrial, myeloid leukaemia, myeloma, colorectal, head and neck, bladder, breast and esophageal adenocarcinoma (cancer of the oesophagus).
They excluded study participants that could skew the results
including due to previous cancer diagnosis or diagnosis within a year of
enrolment. Other influences such as age, smoking status, Body Mass
Index (BMI), cardiovascular disease, sleep; diet and hereditary cancer
risk were also considered.
VILPA was assessed based on the participant’s activity levels as measured by wrist accelerometers worn over seven days at study outset. This is consistent with other wearable studies, as physical activity levels remain relatively stable at the population level over adulthood.
New cancer events were recorded via cancer registries, and hospitalisations or deaths attributable to cancer.
“We are just starting to glimpse the potential of wearable technology to track physical activity and understand how unexplored aspects of our lives affect our long-term health – the potential impact on cancer prevention and a host of other health outcomes is enormous,” said Stamatakis.
ALSO, several studies have shown that Physical Activity (PA) can alleviate the negative effects of diabetes. In a recent study, scientists review the available literature to determine whether PA can be used as an effective intervention to mitigate obesity-related inflammation in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and gestational diabetes (GDM).
The study titled, “Physical Activity as a Modern Intervention in the Fight against Obesity-Related Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Gestational Diabetes” was published in Antioxidants.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that leads to severe health
conditions, including stroke, renal failure, and heart disease.
Autoimmune-mediated pancreatic cell destruction leads to type 1
diabetes, which is diagnosed based on the presence of islet cell
antibodies. T2DM is the most common type of diabetes and is affected by
several factors, including age, obesity, as well as genetic and
environmental factors.
Insufficient PA, increased consumption of alcohol and other drugs, and a lack of sleep affect metabolic processes. A dysregulated metabolic process leads to obesity and T2DM. Currently, one-third of the current global population is obese or overweight.
GDM can arise in pregnant women and often involves IR and glucose intolerance. In most cases, GDM resolves soon after delivery. The frequency of GDM ranges between five per cent and 20 per cent of all pregnancies.
Alterations in the maternal hormone pattern and metabolism associated with GDM lead to an irregular pattern of fetal growth. This increases the risk of obesity and glucose intolerance in the child during adolescence. As compared to non-GDM pregnancies, GDM pregnancies increase the risk of T2DM for the child later in life.
Pregnancy-induced insulin resistance (IR) ensures an adequate supply of glucose for foetal growth and development. It is important to increase insulin secretion as pregnancy progresses to maintain glucose levels in the normal range.
Issues related to insulin sensitivity in pregnant women have been largely related to pre-pregnancy body weight. In fact, obese women are at a higher risk of developing GDM as compared to non-obese or overweight women.
Recently, the Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study established a strong relationship between higher body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy complications, including premature birth, preeclampsia, stillbirth, and cesarean section.
A previous study using an animal model of obese T2DM revealed that
regular exercise training can prevent the accumulation of
pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pancreas. This condition improves the
overall insulin sensitivity of the body. Regular PA improves the
expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the pancreas. Exercise
positively affects β-cells by preventing apoptosis and increasing
proliferation in islets. Previous studies have shown that exercise
significantly controls the number of β-cells in the diabetic pancreas
and improves the number of small islet cells.
Increased muscle insulin sensitivity has been observed after completing exercise. Several clinical trials have reported positive effects of PA on inflammatory status in obese patients with T2DM.
Regular PA, a balanced diet, and not smoking significantly decrease the risk of developing GDM.
PA progressively decreases from the first to the last trimester. However, regular physical training is beneficial for glucose homeostasis and weight control, with both of these conditions extremely beneficial for pregnant women at risk of or with GDM.
Different forms of PA, including aerobic and resistance exercise, are favourable in GDM. Likewise, stationary cycling, walking, and water aerobics are also associated with positive glycaemic control. Resistance exercise improves muscle mass and reduces the need for insulin in patients with GDM.
MEANWHILE, in a recent study, researchers examined a wide range of lifestyle variables in the context of multi-morbidity of chronic non-communicable illnesses.
The study titled, “Lifestyle factors related to prevalent chronic disease multi-morbidity: A population-based cross-sectional study” was published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Multi-morbidity is a global health concern involving the coexistence
of multiple chronic conditions in the same person. Importantly,
multi-morbidity is linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory
illnesses, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, thus leading to higher
healthcare costs and increased mortality.
Lifestyle medicine aims to improve clinical care by reducing symptoms, increasing medication effectiveness, and encouraging disease remission. Understanding the prevalence and specificity of lifestyle-associated risk factors for multi-morbidity linked to chronic diseases would help determine future clinical treatment recommendations.
In the present population-based study, researchers evaluate the association between exercise, nutrition, substance abuse, stress, relationships, and sleep to multi-morbidity. For the purposes of the current study, multi-morbidity was defined as the presence of two or more chronic respiratory diseases, including airflow obstruction and asthma, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2D), and cancer.
The study used the Lifelines Cohort Study data of 79,345 adults living in the northern parts of the Netherlands. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression modeling, which adjusted for factors such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic position, educational attainment, and household income.
Baseline data were obtained between December 2006 and December 2013
if they contained all lifestyle variables and multimodality outcomes
required to determine multimorbidity.
Pre-bronchodilator spirometry
was used to measure airflow restriction. Asthma was considered present
if diagnosed by a clinician or if the patient took asthma medications
and reported two or more symptoms of wheezing and dyspnea at rest and
upon waking up.
Prevalent T2D cases were defined as those who self-documented T2D or diabetes with missing type data and those who used diabetic medication or had fasting blood glucose (FG) of at least 7.0 mmol/L or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) less than 6.5 per cent.
The Lifelines Diet Score (LLDS) was used to assess diet quality, whereas the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to analyze diet during the preceding month. According to the Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (SQUASH), the Lifelines Physical Activity Score (LLPAS) assessed physical activity.
Acute stress was assessed using the List of Threatening Experiences (LTE), Dutch version, while chronic stress was assessed using the Long-term Difficulties Inventory (LDI). Total self-reported sleep for every 24 hours was classified using the American National Sleep Foundation’s age-specific parameters.
About 28 per cent of research participants had a single chronic condition, five per cent with multimorbidity, and 4.3 per cent with two chronic diseases. When compared to the single- and no-disease groups, the multi-morbidity group was older and more likely to be overweight or obese. Inadequate sleep was common, with 22 per cent of individuals with multimorbidity patients reporting insufficient or slightly inappropriate sleep periods.
The most frequent ailment was chronic respiratory disease at 22 per cent, followed by cardiovascular diseases (CVD), T2D, and cancer at 11 per cent, 3.0 per cent, and 2.3 per cent, respectively. The most common multi-morbidity combination was generated by the two most common chronic illnesses of respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease. Taken together, 4.7 per cent of study participants with a mean age of 54 years had multi-morbidity and tended to live less healthy lives.
Individuals with multi-morbidity reported more physical inactivity,
inadequate sleep, and chronic stress with ORs of 1.2, 1.7, and 2.1,
respectively. Multimorbid individuals were current smokers, watched
television, and consumed less alcohol.
No association was observed between food quality and morbidity.
The study findings indicate that inadequate sleep and chronic stress should be considered when developing supportive lifestyle programmes for people with multi-morbidity. Physical inactivity and smoking were also identified as key lifestyle factors among people with multiple chronic diseases.
Additional research is needed to assess the impact of every lifestyle component on disease prognosis, devise lifestyle therapies for multimorbid patients, and examine the influence of lifestyle interventions on clinical outcomes and life quality.
ALSO, strength-training exercises such as wall squats or holding the plank position are among the best ways to lower blood pressure, a study suggests.
Current guidance focusing mainly on walking, running and cycling should be updated, the British researchers say.
Analysis, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, of trials involving 16,000 people found all exercise lowered high blood pressure.
But wall squats and planking led to larger falls than aerobic exercise. These isometric exercises are designed to build strength without moving muscles or joints.
The plank position, which resembles a press-up, with elbows directly beneath shoulders, legs stretched out behind, strengthens the abdomen.
Wall squats involve positioning the feet 2ft (60cm) from a wall and sliding the back down it until the thighs are parallel to the ground.
Isometric exercises place a very different stress on the body to
aerobic exercise, says study author, Dr. Jamie O’Driscoll, from
Canterbury Christ Church University.
“They increase the tension in the muscles when held for two minutes, then cause a sudden rush of blood when you relax,” he says.
“This increases the blood flow, but you must remember to breathe.”
High blood pressure puts strain on the blood vessels, heart and other organs, increasing the risk of conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
Treatment often involves medication but patients are also advised to eat healthily, reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking and exercise regularly.
Over-40s are advised to have their blood pressure checked every five years.
The
pressure of blood in the arteries is measured in millimetres of mercury
(mmHg). Below 130/85mmHg is healthy while more than 140/90 mmHg is
high, according to the study.
The higher number equates to pressure of blood in the arteries when the heart beats, known as systolic blood pressure.
The lower number is pressure between beats and is known as diastolic blood pressure.
Current UK guidelines say adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening exercise twice a week.
In addition, Dr O’Driscoll says they should consider two minutes of wall squats, or holding the plank position four times with two minutes’ rest in between, three times a week.
ALSO, four hours of exercise a week can work wonders for a woman’s sex life, research shows.
Scientists found it boosted arousal and increased the chances of orgasm. But exercising at higher levels – six hours or more a week – had the opposite effect, reducing sexual satisfaction.
Regular physical activity is known to reduce the risk of erection problems in men, so Italian researchers wanted to see if there were similar effects in women.
A team at the University of Florence recruited 322 women mostly in their mid-forties for the study.
They were asked about their sex drive and had ultrasound scans to measure blood flow to the clitoris.
The women were also asked to supply information on how often they exercised and how intensely.
The results, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed those doing less than one hour a week of activity had high levels of sexual dysfunction.
Those doing more than six hours a week had worse sex lives, complaining of lack of interest, low arousal and failure to orgasm.
Those averaging four to six hours weekly – or 35 to 50 minutes a day – had the best chance of being sexually fulfilled.
Scientists said being sedentary was likely to trigger weight gain, sapping women’s self-confidence and damaging their love lives.
Women who exercised too much were more likely to have underlying body
image issues or psychological problems sapping enthusiasm for sex, the
researchers added.
MEANWHILE, a new study suggests that men who perform just a few minutes of strenuous exercise are more likely to feel aroused than those who do not work out.
German researchers determined that men who carried out a three-minute strength test were far more responsive to sexual stimuli in the form of sexual photos after physically exerting themselves.
Their findings were published in the journal Psychophysiology.
They maintained that just a few minutes of stress on the body in the form of physical exercise is enough to jumpstart the sympathetic nervous system that governs the body’s response to arousal, such as blood pressure and heart rate increases.
The men in the study who were asked to exert more energy in three minutes showed a higher heart rate and faster pupil dilation when presented with sexual images than people who exerted very little energy, suggesting that the after-effects of working out make a person more easily aroused.
Experts from the University of Siegen and the University of Trier in Germany set out to determine to what extent exercise impacts a man’s ability to become turned on.
Their findings suggest that heightened physical responses to exercise, such as elevated heart rate and breathing, lend themselves to an even greater physical response to sexual stimuli.
The study enrolled 45 healthy male university students who were neither underweight nor obese, had no psychiatric or underlying illnesses, and were not excessive smokers or drug users.
At the start of the experiment, the men were attached to equipment that would measure their baseline heart rates, blood pressure, and other physiological responses.
The men in the study had to perform a grip strength test by holding
on to a testing device as hard as possible, followed by a 10-minute rest
period to record their stress, arousal, and anxiety levels on a scale.
The study participants were randomly assigned to two groups, the
control group, which would exert very little energy and the ‘stress’ or
exercise group. The latter had to grip the measurement device at 45
percent of their maximum grip strength, per the study, and keep that
same amount of pressure for three minutes.
For men who need to last a bit longer in the bedroom, rolling out a yoga mat may be a good idea. A scientific review suggests yoga or running can tackle premature ejaculation.
The control group, meanwhile, gripped the testing device with just 10 per cent of their maximum grip, considered very weak pressure, followed by a seven-minute rest period.
The men were shown pictures depicting violence, sports activities, sex, everyday social situations, and natural landscapes. An eye-tracking device was used to measure each person’s eye-blink reflex.
The experts behind the study also measured skin conductance, or the electrical properties of the skin. When met with certain external stimuli, the skin temporarily becomes a better conductor of electricity.
Arousal often induces sweating, and sweat is rich in electrolytes such as sodium and potassium which, when mixed with water, conduct electricity.
The group of men that exerted more energy saw more drastic heart rate changes and greater skin conductance when shown sexually explicit images than those who spent very little energy.
The authors of the study wrote: “Taken together, our findings provide strong evidence for enhancement of sexual processing by acute stress exposure in men and suggest differential involvement of parasympathetic versus sympathetic mechanisms.”
Elevated heart rate and clammy skin are trademarks of arousal
governed by the facet of the nervous system that takes care of
involuntary bodily processes including blood pressure and digestion.
MEANWHILE, a study led by the University of Eastern Finland suggests
that adolescents who engage in active school transport and leisure-time
physical activity perform better at secondary school than their inactive
peers. Regular leisure-time physical activity, even in moderate doses,
was also associated with lower odds of school burnout. The findings were
published in the European Journal of Public Health.
The relationship of physical activity with learning and academic achievement is complex. However, prior studies have found that especially school-based physical activity, such as physical education, can improve classroom performance — particularly in mathematics. Despite this, few studies have examined the association between active school transport and educational outcomes. Regarding physical activity and school wellbeing, most of the previous evidence is focused on university-level students.
In the recently published study of over 34,000 adolescents, researchers observed that active school transport was associated with higher odds of high perceived academic performance and self-reported competency in academic skills. The association was even stronger for leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Similar to prior studies, the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and mathematical skills stood out.
“The results regarding active school transport were particularly intriguing as researchers are increasingly interested in the health benefits of travel-related walking and cycling. Being physically active before school could, for example, enhance concentration in the classroom, explaining our observations. However, due to the cross-sectional design, our study cannot establish causality,” says Juuso Jussila, a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.
“There were no surprises regarding the strong association between
leisure-time physical activity and perceived academic achievement due to
support from prospective and intervention studies. Although we do not
know all the explanatory mechanisms, improved coordination and
perceptual-motor skills, required in various team sports, for example,
can at least partially explain these observations. Leisure-time physical
activity is also typically more intense than active school transport,
leading to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factors in our
circulation and, thus, improvements in cognitive performance.”
Leisure-time physical activity was also inversely associated with school burnout. As little as 30 minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous activity was associated with 24 per cent lower odds of school burnout. Adolescents who engaged in leisure-time physical activity for four to six hours a week had 46 per cent lower odds of school burnout compared to their physically inactive peers. Both leisure-time physical activity and active school transport were also positively associated with school enjoyment.
“To the best of my knowledge, this was the first large-scale study to examine the association between physical activity and school burnout among adolescents. Leisure-time physical activity can be an effective way to disconnect from schoolwork and the potential stress related to it. If we can increase the amount of leisure-time physical activity among youth, both learning and well-being benefits can be significant,” Jussila summarises.
The study was conducted in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the nationwide School Health Promotion study. Jussila works as a researcher in the Climate Nudge project, which is funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland.
The Laurels International Magazine
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