Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.
Getting leaner with Brown Fat, Thermogenisis and Chilli Sauce?
Hot sauce may help you burn more fat, although it’s effect varies depending on the person. It’s so delicious though so why not use it anyway? Mmmm, my favorite is Tapatio!
I’m not as paranoid about things like as Ben Greenfield is, but maybe I should be. My biggest problem is that I never use sunscreen, even when I really need it. I just forget to use it. I might make some of the homemade sunscreen mentioned here if I can find all of the ingredients.
Weighty Matters: The BMJ’s Amazing Shock and Awe Assault on Sport Drink Science
There are a lot of myths about sports drinks busted here. I’m not a fan of sports drinks myself, but I admit that I do drink a gatorade occasionally because it just feels refreshing sometimes. When I say occasionally, I mean maybe 2 or 3 times a year, so I don’t worry about it all that much. Anyway, read this article and the studies mentioned so that you can decide for yourself how you feel about using sports drinks.
Science of the Squat – Depth & Load – and How They Impact Your Squatting Muscles
The gist of this one is, either lift heavy for speed and power or squat super-deep to develop quads like a powerlifter.
Need? No. Should? Yes. The key is finding the proper squat variation, form, depth and weight that works best for you. If you feel pain, you’re probably not using the best option for your body.
Caffeine: A User’s Guide to Getting Optimally Wired – Developing Intelligence
“At doses of 600mg, caffeine’s effects on cognitive performance are often comparable to those of modafinil, a best-of-class nootropic.” Wow! This is an excellent article. Interestingly, this article talks only of caffeine and not coffee, which means if you use a supplement you’ll be missing out on the antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that high-quality (not Starbucks or grocery store bought) coffee provides.
The 7 Minute Ab Workout From Hell
This looks killer, but it just seems like too many exercises. I guess all of those exercises would keep things interesting though. Remember, no matter how many ab exercises you do, if you’re body fat percentage isn’t low enough, you’ll never so those abs.
The Fear Of “Bulkiness” and CrossFit
This article doesn’t just apply to crossfit, but to weightlifting in general. If you’re a female who is afraid of bulking up because of lifting weights, and all you’re doing is cardio, you’re really short-changing yourself. Include some weight training in your routine and you can really do some good to your body. If you think you’re genetically predisposed to bulkiness, you’re not. Read this article to learn why.
EFS Classic: How to Cut Maximum Weight for Competitions with a 24-Hour Weigh-In
Holy crap this sounds miserable. Could you imagine trying to drop 30 lbs. of weight within a 24 hour period? I guess it all a part of competing, if that’s what you want to do.
None of the suggestions here really work for me since I don’t live near a lake or river and I don’t have a gym membership, but the tips are really handy for the next time I go to the Boulder Reservoir to do a little swimming. I’ll make sure to turn my next trip there into a swim-run workout.
Why Medicine Might Be Wrong About Salt, Fat & BMI
If you’re looking for some scientific reading that may dispel commonly-held beliefs of the medical community, you’ve found exactly that. This is a long one, but it’s really interesting.