NEWSFLASHES 2

This is where I aim to provide you with some of the latest research in health, performance, nutrition, exercise and more.

Stuff you don't have the time to read I breakdown to the biggest takeaways and what you can do to implement them today!


TRAINING:

Researchers find brief, intense stair climbing is a practical way to boost fitness

BIG IDEA:    10 min stair climbing workout 3 times a week, including warm-up, cool down and recovery periods, improved cardiorespiratory fitness (which is linked to longevity)

"Previous studies have proven the benefits of vigorous stair climbing over sustained periods of time--up to 70 minutes a week--but scientists set out to determine if sprint interval training (SIT), which involves brief bursts of vigorous exercise separated by short periods of recovery, was an effective and time-efficient alternative for improving cardiorespiratory fitness".

"Both protocols, each involving a total time commitment of 30 minutes a week, increased cardiorespiratory fitness, an important healthy marker that is linked to longevity".

"Interval training offers a convenient way to fit exercise into your life, rather than having to structure your life around exercise," says Gibala, who has studied high-intensity interval training for more than a decade and recently wrote a book on its efficacy entitled, "The One Minute Workout." 


WHAT TO TRY TODAY:   No more excuse of not enough time or no gym access. Find some stairs get to work.

     e.g. 3 min warm-up, 3 x 20sec all-out work with 2 min recovery, 2 min cool-down


NUTRITION:

Three Eggs a Day = Doping for Your Heart Health: Larger LDL & HDL, Increased Efflux and Transport + More Benefits

BIG IDEA:   3 eggs daily improved lipid profile more than 1 or 2 eggs a day. Forget what you heard. Eggs are back.

 
"So, what should I remember? It's not just that you can have your egg(s) and still be healthy, it's rather that you can have your (at least three) eggs (per day) and thus be healthy - heart-healthy, as this particular study with its improvements in particle sizes (those have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease - 55% reduced w/ fluffy LDL in Lamarche. 2001; and Williams et al. (2012) show that a higher concentration of the larger, more buoyant HDL is closely associated with decreased CVD risk), cholesterol efflux and transport, as well as the total antioxidant status of the subjects' blood shows".

WHAT TO TRY TODAY:    Eat up to 3 eggs a day to get good quality protein for muscle building and fats for brain function and energy, all while potentially improving your lipid profile (cholesterol levels and particle size). Just make them free range and organic even better if you can!



SLEEP:

The Sound of 'Pink Noise' Improves Sleep and Memory

BIG IDEA:   Pink noise played through headphones at intervals during sleep improved slow wave sleep and performance on memory tests.

"Zee says that the effectiveness of pink noise is all in the timing. “The effect here, at least for memory, is quite related to the ability of the sound stimulus to enhance slow-wave sleep,” she says. “That’s very much tied to what part of the slow wave the stimulus is hitting on.”"

"That doesn’t mean there aren't benefits to other soothing background sounds. Music, nature sounds and white (or pink) noise apps may still help improve sleep, she says—which, in itself, is good for the body and for the brain".

WHAT TO TRY TODAY:   Although playing sounds during sleep may be impractical, you can use mobile apps to listen to pink noise, white noise, binaural beats or other sounds to wind down and prepare the brain and the body for sleep. (Through headphones is better)

I like these:
    White noise app
    Sleep Stream
    Pzizz - Sleep at the push of a button
    Thunderspace