'Eight hours' sleep! And you must eat breakfast!' The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) It’s easy to think that science is constantly changing its mind on all things dietary and health-based – if you have never suffered headline whiplash from trying to keep up with whether or not wine is good for you, you probably aren’t paying attention. In fact, our collective understanding is getting more nuanced, with ever-emerging longitudinal studies and meta-reviews getting us closer and closer to the truth about what is good for our bodies. Here are some widely held beliefs and what science says now – so you can start making informed health decisions this year.

‘Lifting weights will make you bulky’

This obviously isn’t true: just look at an Olympic weightlifter like Team GB’s Zoe Smith, who, while in undeniably good shape, has smaller shoulders than literally millions of men she would effortlessly outclass in the clean and jerk. To understand the science, though, you have to realise that there are two main ways to get strong: increasing the size of individual muscle fibres or coaxing more of them into firing at the same time. Bodybuilders aim to do the first, by doing many repetitions in each set of exercises, lifting until their muscles fail, and using training tricks to further exhaust their fibres. Athletes aim to do the second, by lifting heavier weights for fewer reps, and avoiding muscular failure. Also working for Zoe (or against her, depending on your perspective) is that muscle distribution and hormone levels are different in men and women: men have far more upper body muscle mass and higher levels of testosterone. Most gym-goers have trouble putting on as much muscle as they want to – you won’t do it by accident.

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’

This is a tricky one. Although there is nothing about the first meal of the day that makes it especially magical, the timing of meals is increasingly recognised as an important factor in weight loss, alongside metabolic and cardiovascular health. One study on overweight female volunteers found that those who ate a large breakfast saw greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction than another group who had a low-calorie breakfast and larger dinner, even when overall calories were controlled for.

“This might be because skipping breakfast leads to increased hunger levels later in the day, resulting in people overeating,” says Brady Holmer, a researcher at Examine.com, a database of nutrition and supplement research. “People who eat a big breakfast instead of a big dinner also tend to lose more weight, feel less hungry and can regulate their blood sugar levels better.” Although the evidence is mixed, some studies have found that eating more calories earlier in the day could have benefits for metabolic health. ................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/04/truth-behind-10-of-the-biggest-health-beliefs

[tanyev]

1. Marking to read later.

[underpants]

2. Just did a set in the weight room at work. 100/200

Lifting weights really helps in weight loss. I do 3 sets of 5 with just a 45 pound bench bar twice a week.
Over my head front and back. Curls. Etc.

100 sit-ups / crunches a day and 200 push-ups a week - I’ve worked up to be able to actually drop and do 20.

[hibbing]

4. What's that on your chest mister? A pledge pin? Now drop and give me 20! n/t

[underpants]

5. Back to the Army days for me

I’ve been doing this since September I think. I couldn’t do any workouts the first 1/2 of last year for medical reasons.

[hibbing]

6. It takes awhile to get back in shape

I just started swimming again for the first time since college, after running was screwing up my body, about died the first time I hopped in thinking I was 20 again!


Peace

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Interesting article

👍🏽