Facts and research about training and how exercise helps keep you healthy in body and mind
STUDY: RUNNERS CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH WITH NEW 10-20-30 TRAINING CONCEPT
Moderately trained runners following a training concept known as 10-20-30 were able to improve both their performance and health, despite a significant reduction in their total amount of training, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Over the course of seven weeks, runners were able to improve performance on a 1500-meter run by 23 seconds and almost by a minute on a 5K run – and this despite a 50-percent reduction in their total amount of training. The runners also had a significant decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in cholesterol in the blood.
The 10-20-30 training concept consists of a 1K warm up at a low intensity followed by 3 to 4 blocks of 5 minutes of running with a 2-minute rest between each block. Each block consists of 5 consecutive 1-minute intervals divided into 30, 20 and 10 seconds of running at a low, moderate and near maximal intensity, respectively.
EXERCISE CURBS FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF COLDS
People who are physically fit and active have fewer and milder colds, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Bouts of exercise spark a temporary rise in immune system cells circulating around the body, say the researchers. Although these levels fall back within a few hours, each bout is likely to enhance surveillance of harmful viruses and bacteria, which reduces the number and severity of infections, such as the common cold.
STUDY: LONG-TERM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAS ANTI-AGING EFFECT AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL
Intensive exercise prevented the shortening of telomeres, a protective effect against cellular deterioration and programmed cell death, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The telomere shortening mechanism limits cells to a fixed number of divisions and can be regarded as a “biological clock.” Gradual shortening of the telomeres through cell divisions leads to aging on the cellular level and may limit lifetimes. The researchers found that intensive exercise leads to the activation of the important enzyme telomerase, which stabilizes the telomere. “This is direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of physical exercise,” said Ulrich Laufs, M.D., the study’s lead author.
Enjoy your training everyone. Seize the endorphins…Warrior On!
