A Single Session of Moderate-Intensity Exercise Benefits Your Cells in a Big Way

It may stimulate your mitochondria, which is responsible for turning fuel into energy. Here’s why that’s important.

By Elizabeth Millard

Apr 6, 2021

Jason Frank

• One session of moderate aerobic exercise can charge up your cells, according to a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
• Exercise may stimulate small changes in mitochondria—which is responsible for turning fuels like fats and sugar into energy—and when stacked up over time, could increase efficiency in fuel metabolism.

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If you’re starting an exercise routine for the first time or getting back into it after a winter break (or, let’s face it, a pandemic year), here’s some good news to keep you motivated: Just one session of moderate aerobic exercise can charge up your cells, according to a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Researchers recruited 15 women and men in their 20s and 30s, who reported being generally sedentary, and had them ride a stationary bike for an hour at a moderate intensity.

Muscle biopsies done before and then 15 minutes after showed a significant post-exercise difference in cell mitochondria—the part of the cell responsible for turning fuels like fats and sugar into energy (think of it as the calorie furnace for the body). After cycling, participants’ mitochondria burned about 12 to 13 percent more fat and 14 to 17 percent more sugar.

“Exercise stimulates many aspects of metabolism,” lead author Matt Robinson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University, told Runner’s World. “We wanted to investigate the short-term effects of exercise directly on skeletal muscle mitochondria, which are the main site of fuel metabolism.”

Although the effects were mild with just one session, he added, they were consistent. That means a single session of exercise may stimulate small changes in mitochondria, and when stacked up over time, could increase efficiency in fuel metabolism.

One limitation here is the small participant number and inclusion of younger people only. However, it’s very likely that the result would be similar across age ranges, added study co-author Sean Newsom, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University.

“People of all ages can increase mitochondrial fuel metabolism with aerobic training,” he told Runner’s World. “Findings like these are very encouraging, particularly for aging populations that often have declines in mitochondria.”

In other words, younger people may appreciate the calorie-burning effects of improved mitochondria function, but those who are older may benefit even more. As we age, the accumulation of cell damage—prompted by everything from illness to slower cell turnover —can cause a decline in mitochondrial function, previous research has noted.

Does that mean one session of riding prompts your cells to perk up enough to slow the aging process? Maybe not, but as you increase those sessions, you could be giving your cell function a healthy boost.

Elizabeth Millard Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food. 

Want to Improve Your Memory? Just 15 Minutes on the Bike Is Enough

New research suggests it doesn't take much to kickstart better brain health.

 

By Elizabeth Millard

skaman306Getty Images

• According to new research in the journal Scientific Reports, just 15 minutes of high-intensity cycling could help improve your memory.
• Parts of the brain that are associated with memory and motor processes are fired up after a more intense cycling session.

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If you want to improve your brain power to learn a new skill or if you just want a memory boost, a recent study suggests a quick 15-minute ride could help—especially if you up the intensity.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers recruited 15 young, healthy men who didn’t exercise regularly, and had them perform memory tests on three occasions: One was after 30 minutes of moderate cycling, another after 15 minutes of intensive cycling—defined as 80 percent of their maximum heart rate—and the third after a rest period.

The memory test was a simple one, with participants pressing buttons related to a pattern of dots appearing on the screen. Because there was a clear sequence, it allowed researchers to evaluate how movements were learned, according to lead study author Blanca Marin Bosch, Ph.D.(c), of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

“This measured motor learning, much like when you first learn to type on a keyboard, for example,” she told Bicycling. “In this case, the higher intensity resulted in better memory performance.”

Because researchers also did blood tests and functional MRI scans, they were able to determine that the hippocampus and the caudate nucleus—parts of the brain associated with memory and motor processes—were fired up after the more intense cycling session. In a previous study, the same research team showed moderate-intensity exercise can have an effect as well, but that works best on associative memory, said Bosch. That’s the type used more for recall than learning, and it allows you to make connections between separate items. For example, remembering someone’s name when you see their face.

“The takeaway here is that not all forms of memory use the same mechanisms and pathways in the brain, and exercise of different intensities can be useful for different functions related to memory,” Bosch said.

The current study has limitations—it featured a small number of participants, included men only, and had a short timeframe. But the association between physical activity and memory performance is well established in previous research, and other recent studies have suggested intensity can play a major role.

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For example, a 2019 study found that high-intensity workouts improved memory so much in older study participants that researchers suggested they could be used as a main intervention for reducing dementia risk.

A similar study on older adults, published earlier this year, found that high-intensity interval training—which often comes in around the 15- to 20-minute mark for a session—produced significant memory performance, even for generally inactive participants.

So hopping on your bike—even if you have a limited amount of time in your schedule—can result in some pretty solid benefits for your brain.

Elizabeth Millard Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food. 

Saturated Fat Is Not Your Heart’s Enemy

A research review finds no evidence for limiting whole foods that are high in saturated fat, contrary to popular belief.

By Selene Yeager

Jun 23, 2020

 

• Limiting foods rich in dietary saturated fatty acids has no benefit for heart health or overall risk of death, according to a study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology.
• Saturated fat does increase LDL cholesterol, but generally the large, “fluffy” LDL particles that are not considered harmful, rather than the small, dense LDL particles that raise your risk of heart disease.
• Focusing on eating whole foods rather than eliminating or limiting fat is a preferable health strategy, according to the researchers.

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Eating a diet that includes whole foods rich in saturated fats won’t raise your risk for cardiovascular disease or lead to an early death, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The research review was published in advance of the release of the new USDA Dietary Guidelines later this year, with the intent of making the case to remove the long-standing ceiling on saturated fat intake.

In 2016, after decades of urging Americans to watch their overall fat intake, the USDA officially removed the upper limit from total daily fat. They kept the cap on saturated fats, however, which recommends keeping saturated fats to no more than 10 percent of daily calories, a guideline that has been in place since 1980.

Now after poring through decades of data on saturated fats and health, a group of scientists says it’s time to lift that limit as well.

Summing up meta-analyses and other studies that include hundreds of thousands of people, the study concludes that reducing foods rich in saturated fatty acids doesn’t reduce risk of cardiovascular disease or death from any cause. On the contrary, some research suggested that there was a lower risk of stroke with a higher consumption of saturated fat. It’s true that eating saturated fatty acids like stearic, palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids—which are found in full-fat dairy, meat, eggs, and other fat-rich foods—increases levels of undesirable low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, but in most people, it doesn’t increase this kind of “bad” cholesterol.

Specifically, saturated fat doesn’t generally increase levels of small, dense LDL cholesterol, which raises your risk for heart disease, but rather increases levels of larger, more bouyant LDL particles, which are not related to increased risk.

By wholesale limiting “saturated fats,” you could miss out on foods that provide high-quality nutrition, and possibly substitute it with a far less healthy option, like processed or starchy carbs, which actually do raise your risk for heart disease, according to the researchers. So it’s better to focus on the overall quality of foods in your diet rather than any specific macronutrient.

“Among foods that are usually called ‘saturated fats,’ some are healthy and some are not, so that the amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in a food is not a good predictor as to whether it is healthy,” study researcher Tom Brenna, Ph.D., professor of Human Nutrition and Pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin, told Bicycling.

“That is, considering only the saturated fat content would lead to avoidance of very healthy foods—whole dairy, fermented foods [yogurt, cheeses], and others. As a general rule, whole traditional foods are generally healthier than highly processed foods,” Brenna said.

Dairy, for instance, is a major source of saturated fatty acids, but food-based meta analyses have found that eating more cheese and yogurt is linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk, researchers said.

Likewise, eggs are rich in saturated fatty acids, but they’re also nutrient dense and provide antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin that are hard to get in other foods. Studies have gone back and forth over the years regarding the relationship between egg consumption and heart disease, but a number of meta-analyses have found that higher egg consumption is not associated with risk of CHD and may be associated with lower risk of stroke, say the researchers.

Dark chocolate contains stearic acid, a fatty acid that neither raises nor lowers CVD risk. But if you skip the cocoa-based confection because of its saturated fat content, you also miss out on flavonols, which reduce inflammation, are good for your vascular health, and can even raise your VO2 max (how efficiently you use oxygen).

Finally, although processed meat, like sausage and hot dogs, has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, unprocessed meat has not, which indicates that the saturated fat in meat itself is not the culprit behind the elevated risk, the researchers said.

The bottom line: Eating real food is better for your heart and your overall health than stressing over any particular macronutrient.

It’s worth noting that six of the 11 researchers on the paper have received funding from dairy, beef, and other food associations and foundations. Many of the 130 papers cited have no competing interests or claim no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, and results interpretation.

Selene Yeager “The Fit Chick” Selene Yeager is a top-selling professional health and fitness writer who lives what she writes as a NASM certified personal trainer, USA Cycling certified coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, pro licensed off road racer, and All-American Ironman triathlete.

3 Tips to Help You Be a Fitter, Healthier Athlete at 50+

Nick Beer Feb 8, 2019

As we get older, the training focus needs to shift toward preservation and protection.

As we roll into our 50s, the health benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle become much more apparent. This is partly due to the decline in our physiological systems that are affected by the aging process. The importance of including strength training should no longer be considered a recommendation, but rather a necessity. The training focus needs to shift toward preservation and protection, instead of pushing and powering through. Take a look at why, and what we can do about it:

Decreased Ability to Preserve Muscle Mass

We are in a constant state of muscular breakdown, which can greatly increase our chances of injury. Incorporating exercises, like the ones below, are a huge benefit to maintaining muscle mass and bone density:
• Deadlifts
• Squats with weights
• Press ups
• Pull ups

A Loss of Balance and Control

It is not uncommon for some of our motor skills—such as balance— to slowly decrease as we age. This can impact our technique and lead to injury. Exercises that may help manage coordination and retain overall neural awareness include:
• Single-leg standing hold
• Single leg on an uneven surface (BOSU)
• Single-leg hops
• Landing drills

Reduction in Muscular Strength and Endurance

Our bodies naturally slow down as part of the aging process. Training becomes harder, and recovery takes longer. Below are core and injury prevention exercises
that can be added to any strength program:
• Side leg raise
• Side + full plank
• Standing high knee raise
• Clamshell raise

Nick Beer is a former elite triathlete from Great Britain. Having competed around the world in some of the top races, he’s now a strength and conditioning coach, specializing in sports-injury rehabilitation.

What to Know About Red Meat Nutrition Before Your Next Burger Night

Lately, the news surrounding this American diet staple has been bleak. But you might not need to give it up just yet.

By Jordan Smith

When it comes to planning out your meals, you might feel conflicted about which protein to choose. You want to reach for the steak, but are instantly reminded of the latest news stories saying that red meat is bad for your health.

But the reality is that red meat has long been known as a good source of protein—and we know athletes need protein. So, we tapped Natalie Rizzo, M.S., R.D. and Amy Goodson, M.S., R.D. to find out more about red meat’s nutrition, and what all the buzz is about.

The Claim:

Red meat is unhealthy because it’s high in saturated fats. Consuming a diet high in saturated fats can lead to high cholesterol and put you at risk of heart disease, so you should avoid when you can.

The Evidence:

Scan the meat aisle at any grocery store and you’ll find rows and rows of burgers, ribeyes, T-bones, and more. In fact, the average American consumes 4.5 servings of red meat per week (but 10 percent of people eat at least two servings per day), according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

But research has linked eating red meat regularly to the development of chronic health issues, such as heart disease, cancer, and even early death. One study in particular observed more than 13,000 women and how often they ate red meat. The results showed that women who ate red meat more than three times per week had higher risk of cardiovascular disease. (It’s worth noting that these are are observational studies that show correlation, not causation, and don’t always take other lifestyle factors into account, such as smoking, drinking, and physical activity.)

Certain red meats—especially if they’re processed like beef hot dogs and deli meats—are high in saturated fat and calories, and can have carcinogenic (cancer-causing) nitrates, which you want to avoid when you can, says Rizzo. And, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that red meat (and white meat) increased levels of LDL or “bad cholesterol” compared to a plant-based diet,

While it’s easy to see results like these and want to swear off all red meat forever, it’s really all about the types and portion sizes you’re consuming. The misconception is thinking of eating red meat as devouring a 16-ounce ribeye versus a 3-ounce filet. Choosing a healthy cut of meat in a proper portion size—3 ounces of cooked lean meat, according to the American Heart Association (AHA)—will ensure you get the protein benefits of red meat without going overboard.

In fact, the BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that 4 ounces of lean beef a day actually helped lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in study participants. The same results were found when participants consumed 5.4 ounces of lean beef a day.

“It is important to note than when you compare 3 ounces of chicken breast to 3 ounces of lean beef—like eye of round roast—chicken contains 3 grams of fat and 0.9 grams of saturated fat, and beef contains 4 grams of fat and 1.4 grams of saturated fat,” Goodson says. “It really boils down to choosing a lean cut of beef and eating an appropriate portion size.”

There are over 29 healthy cuts of red meat, according to Goodson, which usually have the words “round,” “loin,” or “sirloin” on the package. These lean cuts of red meat contain 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, choline, selenium, and vitamins B6 and B12, Goodson points out.

“I think the main benefits are the protein, iron, and B12 content,” Rizzo says. “Most Americans get plenty of protein in their diet if they do eat meat, but red meat is a surefire way to meet your protein needs in a day.” Protein helps with muscle recovery after exercise, which can contribute to strengthening performance.

Plus, for athletes like cyclists, beef boasts a variety of nutrients that can help improve performance. Nutrients found in beef, like iron, help carry oxygen to the muscle cells, which may help you have higher energy levels during exercise. Selenium is a strong antioxidant that helps with recovery and helps the immune system flight off disease and illness, Goodson adds.

Iron and vitamin B12 are necessary for energy and growth, and the iron in meat is more absorbable than the iron in plants. For women who have iron deficiency issues, which is common in athletes, red meat is a good way to get easily absorbable iron, Rizzo says.

Keep in mind you can also get protein from poultry, fish, eggs, and plenty of plant-based proteins if you’re looking to cut down on your consumption for your personal health or an environmental standpoint.

The Verdict:

Red meat isn’t inherently unhealthy and can be a part of an athlete’s healthy diet as long as you stick with the correct portion sizes and cuts. It’s important to note there can be negative effects to eating too much of any food, Goodson says. The AHA recommendation for daily saturated fat consumption is 5 to 6 percent or less of total calories, so the fat found in a serving of beef (about 4.5g in a cut of lean beef) fits in that range.

Various cuts of sirloin and round are the leanest, but you can also find lean ground beef, Goodson explains. And beef can be cooked in a variety of healthy ways such as roasting, sautéing, and grilling.

While you can get protein from a variety of foods, no other protein packs the nutrient package that beef does, Goodson says. Plus, in order to get the same amount of protein found in 3 ounces of red meat, you would have to consume 3 cups of quinoa or 6 tablespoons of peanut butter, which is more than three times the amount of calories found in a 3-0unce portion of red meat. “Most people cannot manage eating that many more calories on a regular basis.”

The Mediterranean diet also supports eating red meat one to two times per week, and it’s always named one of the healthiest diets in the U.S., says Rizzo. “I think that’s a perfect way to practice red meat moderation.”

Overall, getting a variety of foods is key, Goodson says. Your best bet is to still get plenty of heme iron—or iron that comes from animal protein—vitamin B12, and protein from sources like red meat, chicken, turkey, or fish.