Spinning and Bone Density

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I have low bone density, so I am concerned about maintaining my bones.  Just like many other medical conditions, it seems like there is very little or confusing information about what I should do.  I got a booklet about the importance of weight-bearing exercise and calcium. When I tell the doctors, “I love spinning,” they quickly retort bike riding isn’t weight-bearing. That doesn’t make sense to me. Here’s why.

What is Weight-bearing?

According to definitions “Weight-bearing exercise is any activity that is performed in a standing position or that requires your bones to support your weight, which would exclude activities such as swimming and biking.(1) (2)

Is Spinning Weight-Bearing?

But Spinning is not biking. In my 45 minute class, we are in the standing position at least 25 minutes during the class.  To me, that seems to qualify as weight-bearing – I’m not sitting, I’m standing. 

Dr. Robert Recker, Director, Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University,  says “If you stay seated, cycling is non-weight-bearing: The bike is supporting your weight. But when you stand in the pedals (as I often do when huffing up a hill or through a sprint), the exercise becomes weight-bearing: Your feet, braced on the pedals, are supporting part of your weight, said Recker.” (3)

So it seems at least one doctor recognizes that there is a weight-bearing component to spinning.

What about the Competitive Cyclists study?

A frequently mentioned study of competitive cyclists showed they have low bone density. The researcher did add the caveats that these competitive bikers were lower weight than normal, trained intensely for several hours a and that perhaps sweating and drinking water played a significant role in the low bone density. The researcher felt that normal people would not have the low bone density problem (4).  Proponents of these studies have pointed out that the studies were not controlled for performance enhancing drugs which impacts bone density.

Bottom Line

If you love spinning as I do, keep it up. It includes some weight-bearing and it gives cardiovascular benefits. But reinforce it with other exercise.  The University of Arizona  Bone Builders site has good information and bone building exercise chart. (5)

References

1. Livestrong.com, Definition of Weight-bearing Exercise
2. Livestrong.com, Definition of a Weight-bearing Exercise
3. Washingtonpost.com, Bone Health: A Weight Bearing Argument , Tuesday, July 27, 2004; Page HE03
4. New York TImes.com, Is Bicycling Bad for your Bones? Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, Health
5. Arizona University, Bone Building Exercise Chart

Exercise Helps Your Brain – Another Motivation to Keep Fit



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Last week I mentioned one benefit of exercise is that it produces hormones that positively affect learning and retention.  This week I’ll cover studies that say no matter what your age, exercise helps your brain.

Increasing Name Memory

Do you find yourself forgetting people’s names? Aerobic exercise can help. Two studies showed that the brain actually grew more nerve cells in people participated in a three month aerobic exercise regimen.  The new neurons in the area of the brain that helps match names to faces one of the first skills to erode as we age. One of the studies showed. vigorous exercise can cause older nerve cells to form dense, interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. (1)

Improving Brain functions in Children

Exercise doesn’t just improve brain activity in adults. Charles Hillman, University of Illinois neuroscience and kinesiology lab, proved kids with the fittest bodies had the fittest minds.  He has studied physical activity against math and reading scores on a statewide standardized test.  Hillman says, “People have been slow to grasp that exercise can really affect cognition, just as it affects muscles.” Dr. Hillman’s preliminary data has shown that after exercise, children’s brains pay more attention to tasks, cognitive processing speed is increased, and cognitive performance improves. He has also assessed brain structure.  These studies show that High-fit children have larger volume of certain areas of their brain which positively affects how well children perform on certain memory tests and cognitive control functions underlying action. (1) (2)

Helping Alzheimer's Disease and ADHD

There are also clues that physical activity can stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, ADHD and other cognitive disorders.  (3) (4) (5) (6)

Growing Neurons

Now with brain scanning tools and sophisticated understanding of biochemistry, researchers are realizing that the mental effects of exercise are far more profound and complex than one thought.  Harvard psychiatrist, John Ratey, "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" notes that with regular exercise, the body builds up its levels of a protein he calls the Miracle Grow for the brain.  Brains with more of this protein, called brain derived neurotropic factor  (BDNF), have a higher capacity for learning.  A bout of exercise also elevates dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine which helps with focus, calming down and impulsivity, says Ratey.

According to UCLA neuroscientist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a brain that's low in BDNF shuts itself off to new information. Until this new research, scientists used to think loss of neurons as people age was permanent. Now they know exercise can induce neuron growth in some parts of the brain.

Scott Small, Columbia University Medical Center neurologist says "Active adults have less inflammation of the brain." They also have fewer 'little bitty strokes that can impair cognition without the person even knowing," says University of California San Francisco, neuroscientist Kristine Yaffe.

To keep all the positive effects, you have to continue the exercise.   No matter what your age, it seems an activity ebony is crucial for building a strong, active mind.

So along with my previous motivation tips, remember, you aren't just exercising your body you're increasing your brain power.

References

1. Newsweek.com, Stronger, faster, smarter, Mary Carmichael, March 26, 2007
2. Charles Hillman Bio, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
3. Mayo Clinic, Preventing Alzheimer's: Exericse is Still Best, Alzheimer's blog, Angela Lunde, March 25, 2008, Angela Lunde
4. Journal of Neuroscience, Voluntary Exercise Decreases Amyloid Load in a Transgenic Model of Alzheimer's Disease, April 27, 2005, Paul A Adlard, et al , Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, University of California, Irvine, Ca
5. WebMD.com, Exercise Amps Up Alzheimer’s Brain? , Study: Being Fit May Reduce Brain Shrinkage in Early Alzheimer’s Disease, Kelley Colihan, WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD, July 14, 2008
6. Health.com, Brain Games and Exercise: A Drug-Free Treatment for ADHD? ,  Get Physical to Get Results, Mara Betsch,  January 19, 2009

Busting Myths About Calories Burned - Walking versus Running

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“It doesn’t make any difference if you walk or run, you’ll burn the same amount of calories per mile.”   I’ve heard that before. So had my sister. So had Amby Burfoot, editor of Runner’s World.  Somehow I felt that wasn’t true, so I decided to research it by testing it myself and reviewing other research.

My Experiment

I used my Polar Heart Rate Monitor to walk and run a mile at the same pace to determine if there was a difference.  Hearing that calorie counts on devices can be inaccurate I also researched the validity of using my heart rate monitor.  I found that since I’ve entered my personal data and done a fitness test, the heart rate monitor is reasonably valid.  I ran this experiment for three days on the treadmill under controlled conditions (same time of day, same starting heart rate, same room temperature,  etc.).  I averaged 60 calories walking one mile at a 4 MPH pace and 88 calories running the mile at the same pace. I burned 47% more calories running.  Jogging the mile at a 4.6 MPH,  I burned an average of 92 calories, 50% more calories, in less time.

Professional  Research

In How Many Calories Are You Really Burning, Runner’s World,  David Swain, Ph.D.in exercise physiology, who has researched “Metabolic Calculations” says "When you perform a continuous exercise, you burn five calories for every liter of oxygen you consume, and running in general consumes a lot more oxygen than walking." (1) The article sites a University of Syracuse study that measured actual calorie burn in 12 men and 12 women while running and walking1600 meters (about a mile) on a treadmill. The men burned an average of 124 calories while running and 88 while walking and the women burned 105 and 74.

So my semi-scientific research plus professional research busts the common myth that walking and running burn the same amount of calories.  If you want insight into the possible origin of this myth, the Runner’s world article explains that this myth probably originated from a misinterpretation of Newton’s Law.

Not a runner?  The Nutristrategy website gives a nice summary of calories burned per hour for many activities based on your weight. (2)

Some Bad News

The good news is if you work harder, you burn more calories. The bad news, however, is that the Heart Rate Monitor calculates Total Calories Burned, not Net Calories Burned (see the Runner's World article). The Net Calories burned gives a more accurate assessment of how many extra calories you are actually burning.  To calculate the Net Calories Burned  you have to subtract your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the rate your body burns calories while doing nothing (see Discovery Health Basal Metabolic Rate to calculate your BMR. That give you the calories you’ll burn all day, so divide it by 24 to get the calories burned per hour.)   In my case, I have to subtract 13 calories from my 88 calories burned, netting only 75 calories, or about 12 grapes.    

Don’t let the fact that you’re not burning as many calories as you think stop you from exercising. Calories aren’t the only benefit of cardio exercise. Cardio exercise increases your metabolic rate overall, increases heart health and helps prevent or manage diabetes. There’s also the psychological benefits: cardio increases the hormones that give you a sense of well-being and affects learning and attention. (3)

1. Runner's World, How Many Calories are you Really Burning, , September 2008, Amby Burfoot
2. Nutristrategy, Calories Burned During Activities, Sports and Exercises Chart
3. Lifestyle, 5 Health Benefits To Cardio Exercise, Brenda Jackson in Lifestyle on Feb 22, 2010

Great Summer Salads

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Summer’s here and the time is right for great salads.  If you aren’t a salad fanatic, I bet you can still find some salads in this list that will interest even the salad haters.  Many of these are dinner salads or can be made into dinner salads by adding chicken, turkey, shrimp or tofu. With packaged salad greens, most of these salads can be ready in 5-10 minutes. Most of these salads are low-fat and low calorie. 

Tips for keeping a salad low cal/low fat:

• Instead of pouring dressing over your salad, dip a fork or teaspoon into the dressing and drizzle it over the salad. You’d be surprised how just a small amount of dressing can still add flavor.
• If you want more dressing, dilute the dressing with a bit of water.
• Don’t add croutons, or limit them.
• When cheese is used, slice it thinly then break it into ½ pieces, big enough for flavor,  and sprinkle it on the top. For softer cheeses, put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to slice.
• When using store-bought dressing, buy the lower-fat version.

Tips for speedy chicken or turkey preparation

• Grill several chicken breasts or turkey on the weekend to have it ready for weeknight dinners
• Purchase frozen pre-grilled  chicken strips (they come in many flavors)
• Buy a roasted chicken at the grocery, remove the skin and slice the meat
• Slice a chicken breast in 1/2 lengthwise to speed cooking time

Here’s a roundup of my favorite salad recipes. I’ve listed the ingredients here, so you can pick the recipes that look intriguing to you based on the ingredients. Of course, you can eliminate or add ingredients and change the dressing, based on your own tastes. Click on the salad name for the recipe.

Sizzling Salad – A favorite where I used to work.  Stir fried ingredients: pick which you want (chicken/beef/shrimp/tofu, mushrooms, red onion), tossed with romaine lettuce, carrot slivers, broccoli bits. Caesar or Honey Mustard dressing.

California Spinach Salad – My aunt, a wonderful hostess, made this salad for us back in the 80s from a California Wine Cookbook. We loved it! The curry dressing adds great flavor and makes this salad a welcome change from the usual salad. Ingredients: Spinach, bacon or facon, mandarin oranges, white wine and vinegar dressing with curry powder.

Roasted Red Potato Salad – One of the five top potato salads from the Good Morning America 2008 Best Potato Salad Contest. Served warm or room temperature. This isn’t totally healthy but you can substitute facon for the bacon (or reduce the amount of bacon) and use low fat mayonnaise. Ingredients: red potatoes, green onions, bacon or facon, rosemary, regular or light mayonnaise.

Gianni’s Salad – One of my favorites, served at a great little trattoria in Chicago. Ingredients: greens, topped with thin apple and pear slices, caramelized pine nuts, mixed goat and gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

McDonald’s Asian Chicken Salad – Ingredients: lettuce, mandarin oranges, edamame, snow peas, topped with sliced almonds, grilled chicken breast (optional).

Houlihan’s Honey Lime Blue - We make this at Thanksgiving and people would ask for seconds and thirds, bypassing some of the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Ingredients: romaine lettuce, red onion, mandarin oranges, glazed walnuts or pecans, golden raisins, crumbled blue cheese, honey lime dressing (or raspberry vinaigrette or honey mustard).

Chili’s  Chicken Caribbean – Ingredients: Chicken breast marinated in teriyaki, chopped lettuce, chopped red cabbage, chopped red bell pepper, pineapple chunks, tortilla chips, pico de gallo, honey lime or honey mustard dressing.

Bon Appetite! Let us know about your favorite salad.