Healthy Bits

A new study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology (March 2014) showed improved physiological changes and better quality of life for those who regularly practiced yoga. Patients in varying stages of breast cancer (0 to III) were divided into groups; for three times a day over a six-week period, one group practiced yoga while the other employed stretching routines as they all progressed through radiotherapy. While both groups showed a reduction in fatigue, the group doing yoga had greater increases in physical functioning and generally felt better.
Study: http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2014/03/03/JCO.2012.48.2752.abstract?sid=08bf821b-a558-4134-8774-8375a2f837e7

According to a study published in Cell Metabolism Journal, there was an upside to this winter’s “polar vortex.” Research shows that when people are cold, their bodies releases a hormone called irisin, which stimulates fat tissue. This stimulation helps the body produce heat in order to maintain its core temperature. An increase in this hormone turns the body’s white fat into the more metabolically active brown fat, which helps the body burn more calories.
Study: http://cell.com/cellmetabolism/retrieve/pii/S1550413114000060#ExperimentalProcedures

Some supplements may actually be hurting your endurance training instead of helping it. In a Norwegian study published in The Journal of Physiology, researchers found that some supplements, such as vitamins C and E, when taken at high dosages, could lower mitochondrial creation. Mitochondria produce the body’s chemical energy, the chemical commonly known as ATP or adenosine triphosphate. It’s particularly crucial for athletes because ATP makes muscles contract, regulates blood circulation, controls cardiac function, and provides fuel for cells, so limiting mitochondrial creation is not a desired result. However, both supplement and placebo takers were found to be more fit at the end of the study.
Study: http://jp.physoc.org/content/early/2014/01/31/jphysiol.2013.267419.full.pdf+html