Should you do cardio or lift weights?

C

ardiovascular workouts and weightlifting are two types of exercise that differ in intensity, duration, and the groups of muscles that they use. They also burn calories in different ways. While cardiovascular exercise helps the body burn more calories per session, lifting weights allows the body to burn more calories in the long term.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) define aerobic exercise as any activity that uses large muscle groups, is possible to maintain continuously, and is rhythmic.

Cardiovascular exercise (cardio) is a form of aerobic activity. It increases breathing rate, burns calories quickly, and improves overall endurance. Examples of aerobic exercise include cycling, dancing, jogging, and swimming.

The ACSM define anaerobic exercise as intense physical activity of short duration, which uses fuel from energy sources within the contracting muscles rather than relying on inhaled oxygen. Lifting weights and sprinting are both examples of anaerobic exercise.

Strength training, including weightlifting, helps people gain muscle, which speeds up metabolism and burns more fat in the long term.

How long do the effects last?

Cardiovascular exercise has a less lasting effect than weightlifting.

Cardio generally has a less prolonged aftereffect than lifting weights.

In many studies, experts use "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption" (EPOC) to measure this effect.

For example, the researchers working on a 2014 study used it to measure the positive effects of cardio on men with metabolic syndrome. EPOC refers to the amount of oxygen that the body requires to return to its pre-exercise or resting state.

Lifting weights usually leads to higher EPOC levels than cardio, resulting in more significant muscle breakdown. This means that the body continues to burn calories even after completing a weightlifting workout.

A 2018 study looking at the effect of resistance training in sedentary adult women found that this activity, which includes weightlifting, elevated the participants' overall basal metabolic rate (BMR) for up to 48 hours. The BMR is the number of calories that the body burns at rest.

Which anaerobic exercises burn the most calories?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following high-intensity anaerobic exercises to burn calories effectively:

·         jogging or sprinting

·         competitive sports, such as football, basketball, and soccer

·         jumping rope

·         inline skating or rollerblading at a fast speed

·         cross-country skiing

·         swimming laps

How can I lose weight?

Maintaining a healthy weight can help promote overall health and reduce the likelihood of a variety of conditions. Learn more about weight loss here.

READ NOW

Calculating the calories that weightlifting burns

Online calculators can help a person establish how many calories they burn, taking their weight and physical activity of choice into account.

For example, the Calorie Burn Rate Calculator outlines various calorie burn counts depending on body weight and the type and intensity of physical activity.

Similarly, the Omni Calculator uses the activity type and duration to estimate the total number of calories that a person burns. It also helps predict how much weight a person can expect to lose.

Another useful calorie calculator is Cornell University's METS to Calories Calculator. The term MET refers to "Metabolic Equivalent of Task," or metabolic equivalent. This calculator works out the number of calories that a person burns by assessing their body weight, activity level (METS), and the duration of the physical activity.

Making the most of your exercise program

Stretching before and after exercising can help prevent muscle strain.

Regardless of the chosen form of exercise, people can use the following safety tips to help make sure that they maximize the effectiveness of their workout:

·         Take 5 to 10 minutes to warm up and cool down by doing stretches.

·         Make gradual increases in physical activity, especially if not very physically active.

·         Rest between strenuous workouts, and do not exercise too much if feeling faint or ill.

·         Do not rush to lift heavy weights. Correct form and strength building takes time, so start with light weights to master the techniques.

·         Do not do any high-intensity exercise in hot, humid conditions as this can lead to severe dehydration.

·         Stop exercising if signs of overheating occur, such as a headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps, or heart palpitations.

·         Wear clothes and shoes that are suitable for the type of physical activity.

Takeaway

Both cardio and weightlifting exercises have advantages and disadvantages, and their benefits and effects vary between people.

Evidence shows that lifting weights burns more fat and has more promising long-term results. However, the type of exercise that is better ultimately depends on a person's goals, physical fitness, and capabilities.

Most experts recommend a combination of the two for overall health and fitness.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

How stress eating might prime the body to store fat

U

sing a mouse model, researchers discovered that insulin controls a molecular pathway in the brain that activates during stress and leads to more weight gain.

New research explains why eating high-calorie foods when stressed may lead to more significant weight gain.

Researchers have long been aware that stresscan lead to addiction and increase the risk of disease. Studies have also shown that chronic stress can change eating patterns and affect food choices. Although some people eat less while under stress, most tend to overeat and increase their intake of high-calorie foods.

When stress occurs, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol, which increases appetite and motivates a person to eat, especially foods high in fat, sugar, or both. In combination with high insulin — one of the hormones that control food intake, high cortisol levels are a key factor in so-called stress eating.

Eating patterns vary from person to person, but some research suggests that a person's biological sex may affect their stress-coping behavior. A Finnish study, which included almost 7,000 adolescents, showed that females were more likely than males to overeat when under stress and had a higher risk of obesity.

Understanding what controls stress eating

Professor Herbert Herzog, head of the Eating Disorders laboratory at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Darlinghurst, Australia, recently led a team of researchers conducting a study in mice to understand what controls stress eating. The researchers published their findings in the journal Cell Metabolism.

"This study indicates that we have to be much more conscious about what we're eating when we're stressed to avoid a faster development of obesity."

Prof. Herbert Herzog

A part of the brain called the hypothalamus plays the most significant role in controlling food intake, while scientists have implicated the amygdala in emotional processing. In this study, the researchers made a discovery: an insulin-controlled molecular pathway in the brain that may lead to excessive weight gain.

"Our study showed that when stressed over an extended period and high-calorie food was available, mice became obese more quickly than those that consumed the same high-fat food in a stress-free environment," says Dr. Kenny Chi Kin Ip, lead author of the study.

How might obesity affect the brain?

Cutting-edge MRI scans reveal brain changes in people with obesity.

READ NOW

The molecule at the center of this pathway in the brain is called NPY. The brain produces this molecule naturally during stressful times, and the study showed that NPY stimulates the intake of high-calorie foods in mice.

"We discovered that when we switched off the production of NPY in the amygdala, weight gain was reduced. Without NPY, the weight gain on a high-fat diet with stress was the same as weight gain in the stress-free environment," explains Dr. Ip.

Stress and calorific foods create vicious cycle

The researchers analyzed the nerve cells that produced NPY in the amygdala and found that they had receptors for insulin, a hormone that the pancreas produces, which helps the body store and use glucose.

In a stress-free environment, after a meal, the body produces insulin, which is responsible for delivering the glucose from the bloodstream to the cells so that they can use it for fuel. It also signals to the hypothalamus that it is time to stop eating.

By comparing mice under stress with those that were stress-free, the researchers showed that the production of insulin increased only slightly during stressful times. However, when they compared stressed mice on a high-calorie diet with stress-free mice on a normal diet, they found that the levels of this hormone became 10 times higher in the former group.

These high levels of insulin caused the nerve cells in the amygdala to become desensitized to insulin and to boost NPY levels.

"Our findings revealed a vicious cycle, where chronic, high insulin levels driven by stress and a high-calorie diet promoted more and more eating," concludes Prof. Herzog.

The research team was surprised to discover that insulin had such a significant effect on the amygdala. The results show that insulin does not only regulate functions in the peripheral regions of the body, but it may also affect important pathways in the brain. The team hopes to investigate these effects further in the future.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

How do alcohol and caffeine affect A-fib?

Some people with atrial fibrillation say it feels like their heart could flop out of their chests. Others feel like they're about to pass out. And still others feel nothing at all.

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, affecting 2.7-6.1 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although A-fib disorders may appear with a variety of symptoms, they all have the same cause - irregular and rapid beating of the upper chambers of the heart.

Episodes of A-fib can be unsettling and uncomfortable, but are not generally life-threatening. However, if untreated, A-fib can lead to dangerous health conditions.

People with A-fib are around five times more likely to have a stroke than people without the condition, and strokes can lead to permanent disability or death.

A-fib can weaken the heart muscle over time, which triples the risk of heart failure. Risk of dementiadoubles also.

Caffeine and alcohol: Effects on A-fib and the heart

The overall impact of alcohol on the heart is the subject of ongoing discussion in the medical community.

Researchers have found it can have both positive and negative impacts on the heart.

The positive effects of alcohol, associated with moderate drinking only, include:

·         raising levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL

·         preventing platelets from forming blood clots

·         reducing the buildup of plaque in the circulatory system

The following negative effects of alcohol on the heart are usually associated with heavy drinking:

·         high blood pressure

·         heart failure

·         weight gain, leading to high blood pressure

·         enlarged heart

According to the American Heart Association, although caffeine has many effects on the human body, at present no links have been confirmed between caffeine intake and heart disease.

In addition, studies have not found a link between caffeine and arrhythmia. However, reports indicate that drinking more than 5 cups of coffee each day can raise blood pressure.

Are alcohol and caffeine triggers that can cause A-fib?

Many health experts believe there is a connection between caffeine, alcohol, and A-fib, and that either substance can trigger an attack. However, researchers are still investigating the specific causes.

Many factors identified as possible triggers for A-fib may work alone or together to cause the condition. This makes it difficult to establish what is or is not a trigger.

As a result, it is also hard to work out how much coffee or alcohol could trigger an episode of A-fib.

Alcohol is a known trigger for a specific form of A-fib known as holiday heart syndrome (HHS). HHS is the sudden appearance of A-fib in individuals who are otherwise healthy, but who recently took part in binge drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define binge drinkingas more than five drinks for men and four drinks for women in a 2-hour period.

Researchers have noticed these cases are more frequent after weekends and holidays linked with increased alcohol use, which is how HHS got its name.

In addition, some studies have found a connection between the risk of A-fib and chronic, alcohol use. A connection was not found for moderate drinkers.

A 2005 study exploring caffeine use in Scandinavia did not find any connection between A-fib and caffeine use.

Are alcohol and caffeine safe with A-fib?

The scientific community is divided on whether or not people with A-fib can consume alcohol or caffeine safely.

The American Heart Association advise individuals with A-fib to avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine.

However, a report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that even moderate use of alcohol increased the risk of A-fib. The risk rose by around 8 percent with each additional drink taken per day.

A third study found that two drinks each day for women did not increase the risk of A-fib, but three or more did. Another study found that the risk did not increase for men until they had more than five drinks per day.

There is some concern among experts regarding energy drinks. This is due to the high level of caffeine they contain and observed increases in the heart's contraction rate. Healthy young adults could tolerate this increase, but it could be a problem for children and those with pre-existing heart conditions.

 Source: Medical News Today

A-fib and exercise: Health benefits and risks

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat caused by faulty electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. In people with atrial fibrillation, the heart beats irregularly and often too quickly.

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) can result in the heart not pumping enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body, which may cause symptoms like heart fluttering, weakness, and dizziness. It may eventually lead to serious complications including stroke and new or worsening heart failure.

Is it safe to exercise with A-fib?

A-fib may reduce a person's ability to exercise. It is generally recommended that people with A-fib do some exercise. However, people with A-fib should consult with their doctor and take proper precautions before starting any exercise program.

In some cases, a heart specialist may not want a person to start or increase an exercise program before treatment for A-fib starts. In other cases, moderate exercise and increases in current routines may be encouraged.

Some general tips for exercising with A-fib include the following:

Increasing exercise slowly

Sudden, drastic increases in exercising can lead to injury. For people who have A-fib, exercise can trigger new heart symptoms or make existing symptoms worse. Instead of starting with high-intensity or long workouts, people with A-fib should start with shorter, lower-intensity workouts. These include walking or riding a bike for 5 to 10 minutes. The key is to build up gradually.

Wearing a heart monitor

Heart monitors have become increasingly popular among fitness professionals and other people who exercise regularly, so they can reach target specific heart rates. For people with A-fib, monitoring their pulse during exercise can be essential to help reduce the risk of flares caused by exercise. People with A-fib should talk to their doctor who can recommend the best heart rate for them when exercising.

Staying vigilant

People with A-fib should remain aware of their symptoms while exercising. If symptoms start to flare, they should stop their workout. Pain, extreme fatigue, and an inability to catch one's breath are all reasons to cut a workout short.

Safety tips and recommendations
Exercising with A-fib can be a very important lifestyle change. However, because A-fib is related to the heart, it is important to take safety tips very seriously.
The best exercise routine involves moderate exercise. This type of exercise is one at a level where people are able to talk during the activity but not able to sing.

Some safety tips include:

·         warming up properly

·         staying hydrated during exercise

·         stopping exercise due to pain, extreme fatigue, or other signs of an A-fib flare up

·         easing into exercise

·         keeping exercise moderate to light

·         not exercising too much

·         keeping weights lighter when lifting and avoiding grunting through or holding breath while lifting

·         considering interval training consisting of periods of moderate exercise, followed by rest

·         stretching and cooling down

·         wearing safety equipment during exercises that warrant it

Safety equipment is particularly important for people taking blood-thinning medication who may get injured and bleed more heavily.

It's crucial for people with A-fib to set realistic exercise goals to help them stay safe and achieve a healthful lifestyle within the parameters of the condition. A doctor can help set realistic exercise goals and make more specific recommendations for people with A-fib who want to exercise.
Exercising with A-fib does carry some degree of risk. However, the benefits of exercise generally outweigh the risk.
People with A-fib who do exercise may experience a flare of symptoms. Typically, symptoms might flare with more intense exercise. These symptoms can include:

·         racing heart

·         dizziness

·         faintness

·         extreme fatigue

In some cases, people with A-fib may experience pain when exercising. If this occurs, the person should stop exercise immediately and seek medical attention.

For people using blood thinners, the results of an injury are potentially more severe. A cut, scrape, or fall could result in more excessive, uncontrolled bleeding.

 Source: Medical News Today

Ways to stop an A-fib episode

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is an irregular heartbeat. People with A-fib may have a rapid heart rate or feel a fluttering sensation in their chest. It can also cause fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

A-fib episodes can come on suddenly and are often alarming. They can last for a few hours, a few days, or be continually present. Sometimes, the episodes stop without intervention, but other times it is necessary to take action.

This article provides strategies to help stop an attack once it starts and suggests ways to prevent future A-fib episodes.

Fast facts on how to stop an A-fib episode:

·      The condition of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, affects at least 2.7 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

·      Slow and focused breathing can relax the heart and bring back a normal heartbeat.

·      Regular physical activity can play a role in the prevention of A-fib episodes.

What is atrial fibrillation?

A-fib is an irregular heartbeat.

It occurs when the atria of the heart (the upper chambers) quiver instead of beat as they should.

This may happen because some health problems, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), interfere with the electrical signals that control the heartbeat.

There are three types of A-fib:

·         Paroxysmal: Symptoms begin suddenly and can resolve within 7 days. Most commonly, they stop in less than a day.

·         Persistent: The abnormal heartbeat lasts for more than 7 days. Sometimes treatment is necessary.

·         Permanent: This type is continually present (for 12 months) and does not respond to treatment.

While A-fib itself is not usually life-threatening, people should take this medical condition seriously because it can lead to complications, such as heart failure and stroke. In fact, the AHA estimate that A-fib occurs in up to 1 in 5 people who have strokes.

Ways to stop an A-fib episode

There are several methods that may help stop an episode of paroxysmal or persistent A-fib once it starts.

These include:

1. Take slow, deep breaths

To practice deep breathing, sit down and place one hand on the stomach.

Inhale deeply through the nose, all the way into the stomach, for a count of 4 seconds.

Do this to slowly fill up the lungs with air gradually, until they are completely filled.

Hold this breath for a moment, before exhaling through the mouth for the same amount of time.

2. Drink cold water

Slowly drinking a glass of cold water can help steady the heart rate. This tip is especially useful for those whose A-fib episode has been brought on by dehydration.

3. Aerobic activity

Some people report feeling better after exercising. A 2002 case study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that a 45-year-old athlete with paroxysmal A-fib stopped symptoms by engaging in a low impact aerobic activity. In this case study, the athlete used an elliptical machine or a cross-country skiing machine.

People wishing to try this method of dealing with an A-fib attack should speak to their doctor first.

Source: Medical News Today