NP fitness

Before I review this month’s research article, I’d like to wish all of you reading this a Happy New Year.  One of my goals for this year is to add 50 blog entries this year.  Thankfully I write out my goals so this should be an easy one to track and reach!

Ok, onto this month’s study.  Back in April 2010, the Journal of Applied Physiology published a study looking at strength training versus aerobic training to modify risk factors for metabolic syndrome.  The authors define metabolic syndrome as such:

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by central obesity, elevated blood pressure, high fasting glucose and triglyceride levels, and low HDL levels.

I’d like to add poor sleep quality to that list as well since more research is coming out associating a link between sleep and metabolic health.  But that’s for another entry…  The authors took 43 people with these risk factors and split them up into one of 3 groups:

• Aerobic training
• Strength training
• Combination of the two

There was a control group as well.  The frequency and duration of the exercise protocol was 3 times a week for 12 weeks.  The combo group did aerobic work twice a week and strength once a week.  I would have split that up a bit better, but I did not contribute to this study.  There were a couple of positive results after 12 weeks.  All 3 groups saw a reduced waistline with the strength training group coming out on top.  Only the aerobic and combo groups saw an improvement in aerobic power and work efficiency.  Strength levels went up in the strength and combo groups. 

My theory as to why the strength group did not see any improvement in work efficiency is that the exercises were done on machines and not with free weights, therefore, overall muscle demand was much lower.  I’m sure very few subjects got a “cardio” workout from any of the weight machines.  No changes were seen in bodyweight, plasma glucose, and HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  Another surprise was that subjects were asked to keep up their usual diets.  It just goes to show that even ONE small change in diet could have major, positive effects on health and how you look.  What if they added a protein shake after their workout, and kept everything else the same?  What if they took a survey and gave people Omega-3 supplementation, like fish oil?  Only future research will tell.

(Source: jap.physiology.org)