| By Mindy Wallace |
| Published:
| 221
Comments | 193
Recommend |
 When we think
of a "fat
burner," typically what comes to mind is something we ingest, like a
pill or powder.
However, science has shown
us that a whole other realm of fat fighters exists that
don't come in a bottle. Among the
most potent of these unconventional diet supplements, according to recent
research, is music.
The fact that we're influenced by music should come as
no surprise. Those who exercise to music have long recognized the
intoxicating power of an adrenaline-boosting song.
But recent studies show that music does more than just
get us going or "pump us up." It may actually alter the body's physiology,
or as Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana puts it, "rearrange the
molecular structure of the listener."
Faster-Paced Music
Fuels Fat Loss
The most recent of these studies investigating this
peculiar phenomenon comes from the Department of Life Sciences at England's
Nottingham Trent University. In this study, published last year in the
Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, Dr. Attila
Szabo and colleagues set out to investigate whether musical tempo and its
manipulation during exercise affect maximal workload (measured in watts)
achieved during progressive cycling.
To test this, the researchers recruited 24 male and
female college students and had them each cycle in five separate test
sessions that included exercising to no music (the control group); slow
music; fast music; slow-to-fast music; and finally fast-to-slow music. In
the last two conditions, musical tempo was changed when the participant's
heart rate reached 70 percent of maximum.
In all the test sessions, the participants started to
cycle at 50 watts and then the workload was increased in increments of 25
watts every minute until self-declared exhaustion. Maximal-effort cycling
was defined as the workload at the last completed minute of
exercise.
According to Dr. Szabo, results showed that a
significantly higher workload was accomplished when the participants worked
out to progressively "faster-paced" music. "The participants referred the
slow-to-fast music sessions more than the other sessions," says Dr.
Szabo.
"Switching to slow-to-fast music during progressive
exercise results in the accomplishment of more work (and increased fat
burning) without proportional changes in heart rate."
Whether these effects are due to an actual
"rearrangement of the molecular structure" of the exerciser or simply to
distraction from fatigue isn't clear. What is apparent, however, is the
powerful effect progressively faster paced music can have on increasing
exercise workload.
Of course, consistency is the key to achieving greater
fat-loss results with music. If done consistently over a period of weeks,
listening to progressively faster-paced, uplifting music during your
workouts could very well be associated with increased cardiovascular
conditioning, but greater fat loss, as well.
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Study results showed increased performance and fat
loss was seen when the participants worked out to progressively
"faster-paced" music.
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| Research
Update |
| Acupuncture May Relieve
Depression, New Research
Suggests |
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The ancient art of acupuncture may be
just as effective as certain prescription
medications for relieving depression, according
to new
research.
Researchers at the University
of Arizona at Tucson split
34 depressed
subjects into three groups: 12
subjects received acupuncture
specifically designed for
depression, 11 got acupuncture
designed to treat other conditions
like back pain or headache
and 11 got no
treatment.
After
eight weeks,
the people who received the
depression specific acupuncture reported a
reduction of
symptoms four times higher than
that seen in the other
acupuncture group.
When all the people in the
study were placed on the specific
program for another eight
weeks, nearly two-thirds of them
showed complete remission (relief)
of their
depression.
That rate
is about the same seen in
patients who receive
antidepressant medication or psychotherapy,
says lead study author
John J.B. Allen,
Ph.D.
While traditional
acupuncturists believe
the technique restores balance
between yin and yang
forces within the body, some Western
researchers theorize it
works by releasing endorphins,
natural body chemicals that
relieve pain and enhance feelings of
pleasure.
Whatever the mechanism, “These
findings suggest
that acupuncture
is sufficiently effective against
depression to warrant a much larger
trial,” says Dr. Allen.
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| Sunlight May Brighten Your
Mood, Research
Shows |
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As the spring and summer
months draw near,
some of us notice a
dramatic increase in
energy, quality of
sleep, a reduction in
food cravings and an
overall improvement
in mental
focus.
So what’s this
all about?
These improvements in quality
of life may
have to do with the
soothing effect
increased
sunlight has on a
condition
called
Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD).
Individuals
with SAD
experience depression
during the
fall and
winter but feel
fine during the spring
and summer.
SAD appears to be
more common the
farther north you go. In the
South,
less
than one percent of the
population experience SAD, while in
Alaska and Canada as
many as 10 percent suffer
from SAD.
Researchers believe SAD
results from
a
lack of sunshine and the colder
temperatures associated with the
fall and
winter seasons.
Under these colder,
darker conditions, the “biological
clock” in some
people simply runs slower,
causing hormonal
disturbances and depression.
Fortunately, numerous studies
show treating sufferers with bright
light can reset the
“biological clock” that regulates
hormones, sleep and mood. In
fact, as
little
as 30 minutes of light therapy per
day can yield
about 75 percent clinical
remissions.
So get out and enjoy the
warmer weather, and remind yourself
that it may offer you more than just fun
in the sun. It may offer you a
prescription for
good mental
health.
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