Parents, we know it can be difficult at times to get your kids away from the video games and burn a few calories. But we have some good news: playing some of those video games can burn calories.
Thanks to the advent of exergaming (video games that include a physical component), kids no longer have to remain couch spuds in order to play their games. A new study published online recently in the journal Pediatrics found that some exergames provide as much or more activity than walking at a moderate or intense pace.
The study focused on a small group of children --14 boys and nine girls age 10 to 13. Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center compared their energy expenditure while resting and watching television, playing Dance Dance Revolution at two skill levels, playing Wii bowling and boxing, and walking at various speeds on a treadmill.
The video games measured up rather well. Compared with watching TV, boxing, bowling and both levels of DDR had energy expenditure levels that were the same as or more than moderate to intense walking. The kids also burned three times moore calories playing the games than at rest. One interesting note: the Wii games, which rely more on upper than lower body movement, still kicked up the calorie burn.
"An important feature of exergaming," wrote the authors in the study, "is the entertainment factor, which may motivate some users more than traditional exercise modes. Active games such as DDR or Wii may offer an alternative to sedentary screen games and could be incorporated into more structured exercise programs as a complement to activities such as walking and cycling."
Most people hit the gym, bike path or track because of what it does for their bodies. But regular physical activity may have brain benefits as well.
Two studies recently presented at the Alzheimer's Assn.'sInternational Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Vienna this week showed how exercise provides a boost to mental acuity. In one, researchers looked at physical activity and results from a cognition test in 3,075 men and women aged 50 to 79 who were part of the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Their levels of physical activity (determined by how many minutes they walked per week) and cognitive function were noted at the beginning of the study and at two, four and seven years. Those who didn't develop dementia and maintained or increased their levels of exercise had substantially lower rates of cognitive decline than those who were more sedentary, or saw their physical activity decline.
In another study, 90 women aged 60 to 63 were asked to report how much strenuous and moderate recreational activity they did from high school through menopause. The women were also given neuropsychological tests that measured memory and frontal lobe function.
Those who engaged in more moderate activity did better overall on brain function tests, and those who did more strenuous exercise throughout the years performed more poorly on the tests. Researchers noted that though long-term strenuous exercise has a protective effect for breast cancer, it could have harmful effects on cognition, although larger-scale studies are necessary to better understand the implications for recommending activity and lifestyle regimens.
The stereotype of cops hanging out at donut shops may not be true (we see them more often at Starbucks these days chugging chai lattes), but some law-enforcement officers, like the rest of the planet, are fighting the battle of the bulge.
Because a leaner, fitter cop is probably a more effective crime fighter than a chubby, out-of-shape cop, some thought it a good idea to give peace officers a little boost in their efforts to lose weight. For the second year in a row, the Battle of the Badges has been waged, a friendly competition among law enforcement officers from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff's Department to see which group could lose the most weight. Ten participants from each department agreed to try to lose at least 10% of their body weight in 10 weeks, but we've heard that everyone exceeded that goal. Some teens, many of them related to the officers, also took part.
The winning team will be revealed Wednesday at a ceremony and final weigh-in at the Santa Ana Police Dept., but some results released show terrific progress: an average 11% reduction in blood sugar, a 48% decrease in triglyceride levels, a 27% reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol and a 9% reduction in waist circumference. Blood pressure came down too, putting everyone in a normal range. Some who had been on blood pressure and cholesterol medication have been able to go off the meds.
The competition was so popular the first time around at the O.C. Sheriff’s Dept. that program coordinator Donna Muleady said she got almost 50 applications within an hour of her posting. Obesity isn't an overwhelming problem in the department, she added, but some deputies could benefit from dropping a few pounds and getting into shape.
"This isn't just about losing weight," said Cynthia Graff, chief executive of Lindora Medical Clinics, the event sponsor. "It’s about learning healthy lifestyle habits." The program seems to have many factors that can result in successful weight loss: a medical work-up, healthful eating strategies, counseling, nutrition guidelines, encouragement to exercise and accountability via weekly weigh-ins.
Winners don't receive any grand prize, buy participants do get a $50 gift card to El Pollo Loco, where the menu features a meal with a grilled chicken breast, salad and steamed vegetables that comes in at 276 calories and 8 grams of fat.
And what if an officer uses that certificate to buy something more fattening?
Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament, one of four main knee ligaments, are all too familiar to serious athletes and even weekend warriors. ACL tears commonly happen when the knee is hyperextended during activity, or is suddenly torqued.
Two recent studies present new takes on ACL surgery and recovery.
NFL players who underwent ACL surgery had longer careers than their peers who had meniscus repairs, or who underwent both procedures. Researchers analyzed a database of NFL player injuries from 1987 to 2000 and found 54 who had had meniscus repairs, 29 with a history of ACL reconstruction, and 11 with a history of both. They were matched with a control group with no prior surgeries and matched by position, year drafted, round drafted and other injury history. ACL surgery alone didn't substantially shorten the careers of the players, either by year or game number. However, the careers of those who had had meniscus repairs shrunk were about 1.5 years shorter, or 23 games. And players who had both procedures had careers cut by almost two years, on average, and 32 games.
"A combination of ACL reconstruction and meniscectomy may be more detrimental to an athlete's durability than either surgery alone," said lead author Dr. Robert Brophy of the Washington University School of Medicine, in a news release. "With further research, we will be able to better understand how these injuries and surgeries impact an athlete's career and what can be done to improve long-term outcomes."
ACL surgery in young athletes is becoming more common. But some health experts (and parents) worry that such surgery could carry risks because bones haven't finished growing. But a new study suggests that delaying surgery might have even worse consequences. Researchers examined records of 70 children 14 and younger who had ACL reconstruction surgery between 1991 and 2005. A little less than half (29) who put off treatment for more than 12 weeks had four times as many medial meniscus tears, 11 times as many lateral compartment chondral injuries, and three times as many patellotrochlear injuries. They also had more instability in their knees.
Muscle pain often sends people scrambling for muscle rubs -- but do they actually work?
Not in all cases, according to a recent Cochrane Library study, which reviewed previous studies comparing muscle pain relief via rubefacients -- topical rubs that cause skin redness by dilating the capillaries and increasing blood flow -- to topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Here, in part, is what the BBC had to say about it:
"They looked at 16 studies involving nearly 1,300 patients using creams containing salicylate -- a close drug relative of aspirin.
"Results from four of the studies showed topical salicylates performed better than dummy (placebo) creams against acute pain, but when lower quality studies were excluded, the results were not statistically significant.
"Again, when used for chronic conditions, salicylates performed better than placebos.
"But only one in six patients with chronic pain from conditions like osteoarthritis benefited substantially from using the muscle rubs compared with one in three using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller gels like ibuprofen or diclofenac."
The review concluded that more research -- specifically large, good-quality clinical trials -- is needed to determine the effectiveness of muscle rubs.
Considering how many athletes and exercisers (including weekend warriors) use these rubs, the study's conclusion is worth considering. But keep in mind that topical NSAIDs are not without their side effects, such as gastrointestinal problems, although some studies show they have fewer complications than oral NSAIDs.
Living together or being married might have some health benefits, but losing weight may not be one of them.
Couples who marry or cohabit are more likely than their single-and-dating counterparts to be obese, according to a new study in the July issue of the journal Obesity. Those living together for two years or more are also less apt to be physically active, part of the recipe for obesity.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a large study tracking students from Grade 7 through adulthood to age 27. The data also included a couples sample, which included the study participants' heterosexual romantic partners.
Here's the breakdown of their romantic life: about 41% transitioned from single-and-dating to dating, 29% transitioned to single, 17% transitioned to living with someone, and 13% transitioned to marriage. Men and women who shifted from single-and-dating to married were more likely to become obese than those who made the transition from single-and-dating to dating. And women who went from single-and-dating to single, or single-and-dating to cohabiting, were more likely to become obese.
Living with a romantic partner for one year or more increased women's chances of becoming obese. Men who lived with a romantic partner for one to two years were twice as likely to become obese compared to men not living with a significant other.
Marriage didn't seem to have much of a slimming effect. Overall, couples who lived together or were married had less healthy habits for obesity, exercise and screen time than dating couples. Married couples also tended to have one or two fewer active partners in them than those who were dating, and cohabiting couples were more likely to have two sedentary partners in them. Couples who lived together for two years or more were considerably more likely to have one or two partners in them who were obese, less physically active, and more sedentary.
As for the whys of all this, researchers speculate that a couple's living conditions may contribute to the added poundage. The actions of one partner -- eating fattier foods, for example -- could influence the other, perhaps with bad results. But knowing that, they add, may also lead to more effective interventions.
So maybe registering for a Wii Fit for your wedding isn't such a bad idea after all.
Oscar Pistorius is faster on two prosthetic legs than many are on two intact legs, which makes some people believe those legs give the South African athlete an advantage.
While controversy has been simmering about the curved "Cheetah" carbon fiber legs for some time, a new study comparing various aspects of his athletic performance with able-bodied runners sheds some light on the situation. Ultimately, however, it might also make things even muddier.
Pistorius has competed (and won medals) for years in the Paralympics, but in 2007 he ran in an international competition against able-bodied runners. That year the International Assn. of Athletics Federations placed a ban on technical devices incorporating springs, wheels or other elements that could give a benefit to the user, although it denied the ban was linked to Pistorius.
Subsequently, scientists determined that the prosthetics did give Pistorius certain advantages, and in 2008 the athletic association decided he couldn't run in competitions. However, that ruling was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport later that year, saying there wasn't enough evidence supporting the claims that the prosthetics gave him an edge (As it turned out, Pistorius didn't qualify for the 2008 Olympics in either the 400 meters or the 4 x 400 relay.).
What the Court of Arbitration saw was a study conducted by several researchers and done at the Locomotion Laboratory at Rice University in Houston. The results were published in the June issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. Three things were tested: how much energy Pistorius expended during running, how resistant he was to fatigue, and his sprinting mechanics. His results were compared with competitive male runners with intact limbs.
As for energy expenditure, Pistorius runs slightly more economically than able-bodied runners, but the results were not statistically different, says Peter Weyand, associate professor of applied physiology and biomechanics at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. However, he uses 17% less energy than sprinters. "That was exactly what I expected," he said. "He has 20% less limb musculature. Other athletes use their calf muscles to generate force, but he doesn't have that."
But that doesn't necessarily mean the South African runner is better off. "He does use less energy, but it's because he has less muscle," Weyand says. In a V02 max test (the maximum amount of oxygen, in milliliters, that the body uses in one minute, per kilogram of body weight), researchers found that while Pistorius used less energy than other sprinters to achieve his maximum, his maximum level was also comparatively lower by the same amount. "It’s like he’s a smaller car that uses less gas, but his engine is smaller in comparison," Weyand says.
Another belief is that since Pistorius runs on blades and has no muscle fibers below the knee, he doesn't get as fatigued as other runners. Fueling that speculation is the fact that able-bodied runners run the first half of a 400-meter race quickly, but finish more slowly. Pistorius' m.o. is the opposite -- he opens slowly, due to a lack of ankles and Achilles tendons, but finishes fast.
"He looks faster at the end because he is," Weyand says. "Because his pacing is different from the intact-limb athletes, that fed into the idea that he's going to have better endurance and less fatigue."
In a treadmill test for this study, all runners began at a certain speed, eliminating the start. With this method, researchers concluded that Pistorius could hold his speed over longer sprint distances the same as able-bodied runners, leading them to believe he was no less fatigued than they were.
Pistorius appears to have different sprinting mechanics than his able-bodied counterparts. Previous tests have shown, Weyand says, that the amount of time it takes for someone to lift their leg off the ground and place it down again while running is virtually the same for everyone. "Slow pokes and speed demons are the same," Weyand says. "That’s the way the system works -- you can't reposition them any faster. I expected [Pistorius] to conform."
But he didn't. He spent 34% less time in the air between steps and took 21% less time to reposition his limbs than the able-bodied runners. That, according to Weyand, is likely due to the fact that he has less mass because of the prosthetics. But wait -- there's more.
Pistorius does not hit the ground as hard as runners with intact limbs, again probably due to the lighter weight prosthetics. Also, his foot stays in contact with the ground 14% longer on each sprinting step.
So ... drum roll ... do Pistorius' prosthetic limbs give him an advantage or not?
"I can’t answer that question," Weyand says. "Those of us who conducted the test do not agree on that."
But he adds that more information will be revealed in another study to be released some time in the future.
"It’s not at all a wash, so then it becomes a matter of interpretation," Weyand says. "Could he run that fast if he had biological limbs? Or, alternatively, if you took an average person and gave them blades, would they be able to swing their legs as fast?" Couple that with the fact that running prosthetics will no doubt continue to evolve and, needless to say, this will surely be continued.
Skip exercise now, pay later -- that's the warning from a study that found that younger people who didn't exercise were more likely to develop diabetes in 20 years than those who stayed fit.
Researchers examined data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, a longitundinal study of 5,115 adults initially ages 18 to 30 that looked at lifestyle and how cardiovascular disease risk factors changed over time. The participants were given a treadmill test at the beginning of the study, then at year seven and 20. They were also tested for diabetes.
At the study's start, white men were the most fit, followed by black men, white women and black women. White and black men had the highest fasting glucose levels in the beginning, followed by white women and black women.
Body mass index was the strongest predictor of developing diabetes. And despite the fact that black men and white men started off on a fairly even BMI level at the beginning of the study, BMI was a bigger predictor of developing diabetes for black men. Researchers also found that the less fit people were, the higher the incidence of diabetes.
Via a release, lead author Mercedes Carnethon, assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, said, "The overwhelming importance of a high BMI to the development of diabetes was somewhat unexpected, and leads us to think that activity levels need to be adequate not only to raise aerobic fitness, but also to maintain a healthy body weight. If two people have a similar level of fitness, the person with the higher BMI is more likely to develop diabetes."
So the next time your mother says, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," maybe you'll listen to her.
The study appears in the July issue of the journal Diabetes Care.
For most people, a marathon or triathlon or even an ultra race is the pinnacle of physical accomplishments. But not for Tim Borland. He wasn’t satisfied with one or two marathons, or even four or five. Or 20.
In fall 2007 the then-31-year-old from Los Gatos ran 63 consecutive marathons in 63 days, an almost unfathomable triumph. The feat was made into a movie, aptly titled, "Feat," which is slated for a couple of film festivals as producers seek distribution.
"Feat" tells the story of Borland, who ran 14,000 miles in 29 states (and part of Canada) to raise awareness for ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare childhood disease with which a friend's daughter had been diagnosed. For this A-T CureTour, Borland ran while pushing a stroller either occupied by a child wtih A-T or a with sign bearing the name of a child who had died from the disease. The movie also follows three families with children going through various stages of A-T.
Borland was included in a story we did in September 2007 on people who attempt monumental physical exploits to garner awareness -- and sometimes funds -- for various causes. Such exploits have a long history, but not all who attempt them achieve their goals. Many run out of money, some run out of energy, and others are derailed by in-fighting and poor planning.
A-T may not have become a household name everywhere, but Borland is happy with what he accomplished. And he did it, he says, with little physical trauma. Yes, there were some rough days in the beginning (including diarrhea), but after the fourth week it was pretty much smooth sailing.
"I never once got a blister," he says. "I never had a toenail turn black, never had any chafing. I did have some muscle cramping, and a couple of days my legs flared up." But starting at week five, he says, his times started improving.
"I felt just ... not human," he says, and laughs. "I was like a machine, able to crank these things out." Borland consumed about 8,000 calories a day and figures he went from about 18% body fat to 8%, but only dropped about 10 pounds as he added muscle.
He credits his success to a combination of being passionate about this cause, his religious faith, expert training and good genes. It makes those lame excuses most of us come up with to avoid exercise seem even more lame. But he also believes much of the increased interest in marathons and triathlons overall can be chalked up in part to people wanting to run for a cause or charity to which they feel tied: "It's amazing the inspiration they have," he says, "to get off the couch."
Borland has more amazing feats in store -- he's in the process of planning a marathon a day for 143 days in 2010 to draw attention to the plight of the world’s 143 million orphans. He wants to take this event global (stay tuned to his website for more information). In December he heads to Dallas for Strides Across Texas, a 481-mile run to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
"I feel like I was given a gift to do things like this," he says. "If I could survive the A-T CureTour in the health I did, maybe it means I have something most people don't, and maybe I can do life-changing things with it."
-- Jeannine Stein
Tim Borland runs with supporters and members of the Charleston Running Club in Charleston, S.C., on day 52 of the A-T CureTour in 2007. Photo credit: Feat Productions
More is better when it comes to alleviating lower back pain -- more exercise, that is.
Although many who suffer back pain don't exercise, fearing it will exacerbate the problem, a recent study found that exercising four days a week gave people greater relief from back pain than those who worked out fewer times per week, or not at all.
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: one did a strength training program two days a week, one did it three days a week, and one four days a week. A control group did no exercise, but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the workout program included bench presses, lat pull downs and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain -- 28% -- compared with 14% for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less. In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas.
Robert Kell, an assistant professor in the department of social sciences at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus, was the lead author of the study presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
Tami Dennis, who takes the word "skeptic" to previously uncharted territory, is the Times' Health and Science editor. She's adamant that pitches promoting awareness days, weeks or months are, by their nature, non-stories. And, because she's an adult, she refuses to use words like "veggies," "tummy" and "yummy."
Rosie Mestel, deputy Health and Science editor, studied genetics before abandoning flies, fungi and DNA for health/medical writing. Her hero is the biologist Ernst Haeckel, whose jellyfish paintings inspired snazzy chandeliers. Her favorite toast-spread is Marmite, a British delicacy made of yeast extract. Her least-favorite word is "millenniums."
Melissa Healy is a staff writer for the Health section reporting from Washington D.C. Healy's a veteran of The Times' National staff, having covered the Pentagon, Congress, poverty and social welfare, the environment, and the White House before shifting to Health in 2003. She writes frequently about mental health and human behavior, about federal health policy, prescription medication and ethics in medicine. More wonk than wellness freak, Healy chooses to believe in the health benefits of coffee and wine, and considers water a better work-out medium than beverage.
Karen Kaplan covers genetics, stem cells and cloning. She and colleague Thomas H. Maugh II comprise about 25% of the unofficial MIT-Alumni-in-Journalism Club, and she is proud to have taken more math (5) than English (0) courses in college. Her contributions to Booster Shots will, she hopes, appear more frequently than postings to her mommy blog.
Thomas H. Maugh II has been a science and medical writer at the Times for 23 years. Before that, he was on the staff of the journal Science for 13 years.
He has bachelor's degrees in English and chemistry from MIT and a doctorate in chemistry from UC Santa Barbara.
After a brief stint as a sports writer, Shari Roan turned to health journalism and has covered the topic for The Times for 18 years. She is the author of three books and the mother of two daughters, both teenagers who refer to her as a "health freak." She likes to jog, watch baseball and is very happy that dark chocolate contains some health benefit.
Jeannine Stein writes about fitness, sports medicine and obesity for the Health section. She’s a gym rat from way back and never met an elliptical trainer she didn’t like. Well, maybe one or two. She tempers exercise with a steady diet of reality television because she believes it’s all about balance.
