Sports « Weekly Gravy

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound are so effective it might seem that a person can lose weight without doing anything at all. But that’s a false notion, experts say. Losing weight properly and keeping it off will require lifestyle changes that extend beyond a weekly GLP-1 injection. “Many patients lose muscle mass in addition to fat mass and have GI symptoms that lead to stopping medication,” senior researcher Dr. JoAnn Manson said in a news release. She’s chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. These potential problems prompted experts to craft a set of diet and exercise tips specifically for people on GLP-1 meds. The suggestions were published July 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine. “We propose an approach to improving outcomes on GLP-1s by preserving lean body mass, ensuring good nutrition, and managing symptoms that can otherwise lead to stopping medications,” Manson said. For example, lean muscle mass accounts for 25% to 40% of the weight a person loses when using GLP-1 drugs, experts noted. “Begin each meal with 20 to 30 grams of protein from foods like fish, beans, chickpeas, or tofu,” the recommendations state. “Aim for 1.0 to 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, if moderately active. If your appetite is very low, use protein shakes with at least 20 g protein per… read on > read on >

Adults who are consistently physically active have an overall lower risk of premature death, even if they pick up the habit later, a new evidence review says. People who get regular exercise are 30% to 40% less likely to suffer an early death from any cause, researchers reported July 10 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Additionally, those who increased their level of physical activity further lowered their risk of death by 20% to 25%, results show. “Initiating physical activity at any point in adulthood can provide health benefits,” concluded the research team led by Gregore Mielke, a senior research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia. For the new study, researchers reviewed data pooled from 85 previous studies on the effect of physical activity on health and risk of death. The studies ranged in size from 357 participants to more than 6.5 million. The team was specifically interested in whether switching to a more active lifestyle could help a person live longer. Results showed that people who started exercising after being inactive were 22% less likely to die prematurely from any cause. Likewise, more active people who increased their physical activity levels were 27% less likely to die, researchers said. All told, people who were consistently active or became active had a lower risk of death when they met recommended weekly physical… read on > read on >

It can sometimes be tough to fill prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, given the overwhelming popularity of the breakthrough weight-loss meds. But people who miss a dose here and there shouldn’t worry about losing ground in their fight against excess weight, a new study says. Folks on GLP-1 drugs can expect to maintain their weight loss if they have a disruption in access, as long as they’ve also adopted healthy lifestyle habits like eating right and exercising, researchers reported at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco. “While unpredictable GLP-1 medication access is frustrating, the good news is that our research shows effective weight loss can still be achieved if paired with appropriate lifestyle changes and coaching support,” lead researcher Kaelen Medeiros, director of data and research at the private weight-loss company Calibrate in New York City, said in a news release. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food. The drugs’ effectiveness in battling obesity has made them wildly popular, resulting in occasional shortages, Medeiros said. They’re also pricey, which means some insurance companies have instituted strict coverage guidelines. “Patients taking GLP-1 treatments like semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) often face challenges consistently accessing their medications due to supply shortages or insurance coverage obstacles,” Medeiros… read on > read on >

Folks who work out to ease their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms might find some relief from an unexpected source – a blood pressure cuff. People who apply pneumatic cuffs to a limb while working out experience reduced pain and improved strength and physical performance, a small-scale study indicates. This new form of exercise – called blood flow-restricted resistance training – could offer fresh hope for people with RA, researchers report in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation. Restricting blood flow to a limb during strength training forces muscles to work harder, even if a person is using lighter weights or less effort, researchers explained. “RA can cause a loss of muscle mass and strength, which affects day-to-day activities, independence, and increases the risk of falls and fractures,” lead researcher Hunter Bennett, a senior lecturer in exercise and sport science at the University of South Australia, said in a news release. “Resistance training is one of the best ways to rebuild that strength, but for people with RA, using heavy weights can be difficult or harmful due to pain, fatigue or injury risk,” Bennett said. “This is where blood flow-restricted resistance training can help.” For the pilot study, researchers had 12 people aged 45 to 75 with RA work out with cuffs restricting blood flow to the limb being worked. The people worked out twice a week… read on > read on >

The age-old “early to bed, early to rise” proverb applies to your daily exercise regimen as well as your health, wealth and wisdom, a new study says. Folks who get to bed earlier tend to be more physically active every day, researchers reported June 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. On average, folks with a typical bedtime around 9 p.m. logged about 30 more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, compared to night owls up ’til 1 a.m., researchers found. Even delaying sleep by a couple of hours can hamper the next day’s workout, results show. Those hitting the hay at 9 p.m. recorded nearly 15 additional minutes of exercise compared to those who delayed their sleep until 11 p.m., researchers found. “Sleep and physical activity are both critical to health, but until now we didn’t fully grasp how intricately connected they are in everyday life,” senior investigator Elise Facer-Childs, a senior research fellow with the Monash University School of Psychological Sciences in Australia, said in a news release. For the study, nearly 20,000 people wore a sleep-and-activity tracker on their wrist for a year. On average, the entire sample tended to nod off around 11 p.m. Results show that sleeping less than usual and falling asleep earlier were both associated with increased physical activity, compared with sleeping longer or… read on > read on >