Q: During the hot days of summer, is spending too much time in air conditioned buildings bad for your health? A: Numerous institutions and scholars list air conditioning as one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. They are widely used in westernized countries and global use is growing rapidly, but is it bad [...]
Q: How do “blood thinners” reduce blood viscosity? A: Blood Thinners have no impact on the viscosity (thickness) of blood. Instead, blood thinners prevent the blood from clotting or existing clots from getting larger. They do not dissolve existing clots. Blood thinners fall into two categories: anticoagulants and antiplatelets. Anticoagulants, such as heparin, lengthen the time [...]
Q: What causes my lungs to have a burning sensation during exercise? A: At some point in our lives, we all have experienced a burning sensation in our lungs or airway while we were exercising. What causes this feeling? Fitness level/activity intensity - If you are new to exercise, coming off a layoff, or increasing [...]
Q: How does fitness level impact the amount that a person will sweat? A: There are a number of factors that determine how much sweat a person will produce. Some of these factors include: gender, body composition, number of sweat glands, skin surface area, environmental conditions, and genetics. Another factor is fitness level. People that [...]
Q: Why is spring considered the worst time of the year for facial, mouth, and head injuries? A: Spring is the worst time of year for these injuries. As a matter of fact, April is National Facial Protection Month. April was named National Facial Protection month and is sponsored by several Sport and Dental associations [...]
Q: Why shouldn’t you eat or drink certain citrus fruits while taking certain medications? A: Grapefruits, Sevilleoranges, Tangelos, and the juices made from them have many health benefits, but they can also interfere with some prescription and non-prescription medications. The interference is generally called drug-food interaction. Specifically, the fruits and juices speed up the rate [...]
Q: What causes a side ache when running or swimming? A: Side ache refers to the nagging abdominal pain that tends to result from running or swimming. The scientific term, "exercise-related transient abdominal pain" (ETAP), has plagued exercise enthusiasts for centuries and yet there is still no definitive explanation to the cause of the pain. [...]
Q: January is National Oatmeal Month. What are the benefits of adding oatmeal to your diet? A: Each month the Whole Grains Council recognizes a staple of the worlds’ grains. January is Oatmeal’s month because more oatmeal is purchased in January than any other month of the year. The main reasons for this behavior are [...]
Q: Do some vegetables grow better in cool weather? If so, does the cooler weather limit their nutritional value? A: Vegetables generally fall into two categories: cool season and warm season. As the names imply, cool season vegetables have adapted to cool climates and grow best in temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm season vegetables [...]
Q: Does strength training have any impact on the brain? A: Past research has found regular exercise to be a good way to help protect your brain from the normal deterioration that occurs due to aging. Normal deterioration includes memory loss and the decline of cognitive abilities. The exercise that is most often researched is [...]