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Volume 4, Issue 5
Heart disease patients are not getting recommend amounts of physical activity
A new study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the majority of Americans who have cardiovascular disease do not participate in the recommended amount of physical activity. National guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend either a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on at least 5 days each week or a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous activity on at least 3 days per week.
This study consisted of a survey of nearly 300,00 Americans. Participants were divided into two groups; some had heart disease while others did not. Physical activity levels were analyzed and then compared between the two groups. The investigators found that people who had cardiovascular disease were much less active than those who did not have the condition. The study concludes with the recommendation that all heart disease patients should be exercising in accordance to guidelines and with the permission of their doctor.
1
Patients with fatty liver disease have lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), or fatty inflammation of the liver, affects 25 percent of US adults. Patients with NAFLD often times do not display any symptoms, however if left untreated, it can lead to more serious conditions such as cirrhosis, liver scaring and cancer. While studies have shown that exercise is an effective treatment for NAFLD, researchers are still trying to understand the link between fitness levels and NAFLD severity.
In a recent study at the University of California San Francisco, researchers gathered 37 patients with NAFLD, measuring the severity of their disease with a liver biopsy. The patients were then put through a serious of tests measuring fitness levels. The results indicated that all of the participants had low levels of cardio respiratory fitness, muscle strength and body composition, and only 20 percent met the recommended guidelines for physical activity. In addition, the study indicated that there is a direct link between cardiorespiratory fitness levels and NAFDL severity.
2
Women who are less physically fit are at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, 28 million Americans, or 7 percent of the population, are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes rates are increasing dramatically and are directly linked to the increasing rates of obesity in America. Research from the University of South Carolina reaffirms that fitness and body weight are risk factors for Type II diabetes.
Investigators monitored over 6,00 female participants ages 20-79 for 17 years, tracking their physical activity levels, body weight and overall health status. All participants were free of diabetes, cancer and heart disease at the onset, but many developed diabetes over the course of the study. Analyses showed that overweight subjects were 2.3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and those who were obese were 3.7 times more likely to develop the condition as compared to women at healthy weights.
3
Lower intensity exercise helps overweight children shed pounds
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 14 percent of 2 to 5 year olds, 19 percent of 6 to 11 year olds, and 17 percent of 12 to 19 year olds are overweight or obese. Researchers predict that this will be the first generation of children in history who have a shorter lifespan than their parents. In order to prevent this theory from becoming a reality, children should begin eating healthier, exercising and losing weight.
In a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine researchers set out to determine the exercise intensity required to burn the most fat (calculated as the VO2 peak) in a group of 12 year old boys, 17 of which were obese and 13 which were lean and healthy. The participants were guided through a series of leg cycling exercises with the intensity increasing at regular intervals. The results showed that the VO2 peak of the healthy boys was much higher than the obese boys, indicating that overweight boys should exercise at a lower intensity in order to burn the most fat.
4
Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial for both mother and baby
Over the years numerous studies have shown that women who exercise before and during pregnancy have easier and healthier pregnancies with fewer complications. A new study which was recently presented at the 121st meeting of the American Physiological Society has uncovered new evidence that shows that exercise during pregnancy is also beneficial to the developing fetus's autonomic nervous system, which controls the body's involuntary actions such as the heart beat and blood pressure.
For this pilot study researchers measured the fetal heart rate in ten pregnant women during months 28 to 36 of pregnancy. Five of the women participated in moderate intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week, while the other five did not exercise. In the end the researchers found that the fetal heart rate in the exercise group was significantly lower and had improved variability as compared with the non-exercise group, indicating improvements in the heart's nervous system.
5
Sources
1 Zhao G, Ford ES, Li C, Mokdad AH. (2008). Are United States adults with coronary heart disease meeting physical activity recommendations? America Journal of Cardiology, 101, 557-61.
2 Krasnoff JB, at al. (2008). Health-related fitness and physical activity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology, 47, 1158-66.
3 Sui X, et al. (2008). A prospective study of cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care, 31, 550-5.
4 British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2008.
5 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society.
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