Microbiomes? What are those?

I came across an interesting article about microbiomes in athletes. That seems pretty esoteric, doesn't it? We all have our own microbiomes, microbes in our guts that protect against germs and break down food. It turns out, negative impacts to our microbiomes can make our lives quite difficult.

It turns out research has shown "athletes had more diverse microbiomes than healthy nonathletes." It's not clear yet why that's so, but it does raise a couple of questions Nordic walkers should find interesting.

• Do athletes get that way because of exercise or other reasons?
• If by exercise, how much or how intense is the exercise that leads to this quality?
• If by exercise, would regular Nordic walking contribute to a healthy microbiome?

Perhaps research will quickly yield some answers. Until then, happy walking!

Time to move!

A fascinating article in Time about the importance of exercise.

Key point: "…the most effective, potent way that we can improve quality of life and duration of life is exercise."

Important points:

• "…many positive changes occur throughout the body during and right after a workout."
• "…only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week."
• "…more than half of all Baby Boomers report doing no exercise whatsoever."
• "…80.2 million Americans over age 6 are entirely inactive."
• "People with low levels of physical activity are at higher risk for many different kinds of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and early death by any cause."
• "…the scientific benefits of exercise--slower aging, better mood, less chronic pain, stronger vision, the list goes on--are real, measurable and almost immediate."
• "…exercise is, as of now, the best way to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's."

How to you carve out time to exercise so you can reap the benefits? That's what I like about Nordic walking. Because it turns walking into a full body activity, I know I'm involving all parts of my body in a single activity. Because I know I'm exercising as soon as I walk out the door and Nordic walk in my neighborhood, I can save the time it takes to drive to the gym.

Incredible shrinking people

Sarcopenia happens as we age, but it doesn't have to be that way. Why does it happen, and what can we do about it?

Found via RealClear Science. The problem: "Up to a quarter of adults over the age of 60 and half of those over 80 have thinner arms and legs than they did in their youth."

Why it matters:

• "Loss of muscle mass is associated with—and possibly preceded by—muscle weakness, which can make carrying out daily activities, such as climbing stairs or even getting up from a chair, difficult for many seniors."
• "This can lead to inactivity, which itself leads to muscle loss at any age."
• "Thus, older people can enter a vicious cycle that will eventually lead to an increased risk of falls, a loss of independence, and even premature death."

The antidote: "…exercise can stave off and even reverse muscle loss and weakness."

How sarcopenia happens.

Muscle stem cells:

• "…muscle growth and repair are made possible only by the presence of muscle stem cells."

Mitochondrial contributors:

• "To work efficiently, skeletal muscle needs a sufficient number of fully functional mitochondria."
• "…mitochondrial dysfunction may be driving sarcopenia."

Protein quality control:

• "Even if they eat plenty of protein, older people often cannot maintain muscle mass, probably because their bodies cannot turn proteins into muscle fast enough to keep up with the natural rate of the tissue’s breakdown."

Role of exercise in countering sarcopenia:

• "…the number of satellite cells can be increased by exercise, and active elderly people have more of these cells than more-sedentary individuals do."
• "A lack of exercise decreases the efficiency and number of mitochondria in skeletal muscle, while exercise promotes mitochondrial health."
• "Exercise can even spur muscle cells to maintain more-youthful levels of gene transcripts and proteins."
• "Exercise also appears to influence autophagy."
• "…exercise can also apparently restore levels of myokines that decline with age."

Overall benefit of exercise:

• "…exercise can improve overall strength in the elderly, and specifically, the metabolic vigor of skeletal muscle."
• "…regular exercise combined with good nutrition is still the most effective way to fight sarcopenia, and possibly aging overall."

What kind of exercise? "…high intensity interval training in aerobic exercises such as biking and walking had the greatest effect at the cellular level at combating age-related loss and weakness."

How can you do interval training when you're Nordic walking?

• Use a route that has small hills/inclines and try to maintain your pace uphill.
• When in a group, line up single file and walk at a moderate pace. Have the person at the end of the line walk forward at a faster pace. When that person gets to the head of the line, the next person (now that the rear) walks forward to the head of the line. Repeat until everyone has had a chance to do the routine.