Health Radar : March 2013

Healing Waters
According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, athletes who utilized an ice bath for recovery were able to maintain a higher power output on subsequent workouts compared to a control group. Interestingly enough, a third group that utilized warm water for recovery also maintained higher power than the control group (but lower than the cold water group). The conclusion? Water truly is the elixir of life.

Don’t Go Green
Nix the green beer chugging during this month’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Alcohol is already toxic enough to your body and adding artificial food colorings and dyes is like throwing gas on a fire. Some dyes have been shown to cause severe allergic reactions and even cancer, so stick to wearing a green hat while you enjoy your holiday beverages.

Backwards Thinking
The newest trend in workouts: running backwards. The fleet feet feat has been studied by biomechanics engineers who claim that backward walking or running using the toe-to-heel motion is gentler on the knees and requires 30 percent more energy. Maybe Kalib Starnes was just ahead of his time.

Smash Hit
Let’s get to work on your physique the blue-collar way. Grab a sledgehammer and an oversized tire and start pounding. Remember to keep your abs flexed and knees slightly bent as you use your legs, core, shoulders, and arms to drive the hammer down. Just don’t expect to be able to do a “Showtime Knee” when you’re finished.

HealthRadar

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