Research can provide golden information to health & fitness professionals. If you’re a personal trainer, here are some recent findings to help you get ahead of the pack:
One Egg A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
“Based on the results of this meta-analysis, consumption of up to one
egg daily may contribute to a decreased risk of total stroke, and daily
egg intake does not appear to be associated with risk of CHD [coronary
heart disease].”
Source
Note: According to Dr. Eric Serrano, the concern about whole eggs raising cholesterol levels is not an issue at all. In fact, low cholesterol levels may increase your risk of cancer. You can read more about it in My First Go Around With Dr. Eric Serrano (Part 2).
Restrict Your Calories, Restrict Your Size
“These results indicate that CR [calorie restriction] attenuates
resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy, and that it may enhance
mitochondrial adaptations in skeletal muscle.”
Source
Note: Alternate-day fasting is equivalent to moderate daily calorie restriction and may be a better choice for some people, but if you truly want to build muscle, calorie restriction is not the way to go!
There Are More Positives From The Negative
“Eccentric training is a potent stimulus for enhancements in muscle
mechanical function, and muscle-tendon unit (MTU) morphological and
architectural adaptations. The inclusion of eccentric loads not
constrained by concentric strength appears to be superior to traditional
resistance training in improving variables associated with strength,
power and speed performance.”
Source
Note: Eccentric training can catapult strength and athletic performance to a new level if you do it right. Here’s the “lowdown” on eccentric training.
Resistance Training: Good For The Heart And The Liver
“Resistance training may help reduce systolic blood pressure levels,
stroke mortality and mortality from heart disease in people with
metabolic syndrome.”
Source
“Resistance exercise improves NAFLD [non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease] with less energy consumption. Thus, resistance exercise may be
more feasible than aerobic exercise for NAFLD patients with poor
cardiorespiratory fitness or for those who cannot tolerate or
participate in aerobic exercise. These data may indicate a possible link
between resistance exercise and lipid metabolism in the liver.”
Source
“RT [resistance training] as a single intervention can increase muscle strength, aerobic capacity and QoL [quality of life] in patients with CHF [chronic heart failure] and may offer an alternative approach, particularly for those unable to participate in aerobic training.”
Note: Resistance training has a profound effect on the cardiovascular system. In fact, it may be a safer and more effective approach than aerobics for cardiac rehab patients. The evidence is mounting that you can get more from weights than aerobics.
