Odds and Ends

A variety of training tips and tibbits.

• Maltitol, a sugar substitute made from cornstarch, is not as sweet as sugar and has half the calories. It is found in may sugar-free snacks. A problem with it is that too much of it may cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
• A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people with high-soy diets compared to people with low-diets had no difference in stomach-cancer rates.
• Australian scientists found that people who drank 3 cups of black tea every day for 6 months had a 2-point drop in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
• A Tunisian study found that athletes who completed 3 set of lower-body dynamic stretches, such as butt kicks and knee raises, sprinted more slowly than those who did only 1 or 2 sets.
• A new multinational study found that carriers of the FTO gene (which is associated with obesity) who exercised were 30% less likely than their sedentary counterparts to be obese.
• A Denmark study found that heavy people who drank 1 liter of sugared soft drinks per day for 6 months had a 23% boost in visceral fat and a 139% increase in liver fat compared with diet soda drinkers.
• United Kingdom scientists found that kettle ball swings put just as much demand on muscles with significantly less weight than do barbell squats, with less risk of injury.
• An Australian study found that lifters who performed 8 sets of squats twice a week were about 20% stronger after eight weeks, while those who just did 4 sets were only 14% stronger.
• For explosive movement in any direction, train by doing bench vaults. Place both hands on the bench and in one motion vault over it. Repeat for 30 seconds and rest for one minute. Do 4 sets.
• Lancet reports that over a 13-year period, each additional 15 minutes of daily exercise (up to 100 minutes) slashed people’s risk of death by another 4%.
• A University of South Carolina study found that exercise may make you half as likely to suffer from symptoms of depression. The study found that the benefits come with just 150 minutes of total exercise per week.
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