Here's good news for anyone who does not have the time or inclination to linger in the gym and grunt through repeated, hourslong sets of various weight-training exercises in order to build muscular strength. A new study on weight training found that we may be able to gain almost the same muscular benefits with a single, brief set of each exercise. The catch is, that set has to be draining. For the study, 34 volunteers worked out three times a week for eight weeks. One group completed five sets of each exercise, taking almost 70 minutes total time. A second group completed three sets, working out for about 40 minutes. The third group finished only one set, finishing after a brisk 13 minutes. After two months, all of the young men were stronger. But more surprising, the strength improvements were essentially the same, no matter how many — or few — sets the men completed.
Is whole-fat dairy good for the heart?
A large new study links whole-fat dairy food consumption to a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. The study, published in Lancet, included 136,384 people in 21 countries followed for an average of nine years. Total intake of two or more servings of full-fat dairy food was associated with a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease, a 34 percent lower risk of stroke, and a 23 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. (A serving was 8 ounces of milk or yogurt, a teaspoon of butter or a half-ounce slice of cheese.) The findings raise questions about dietary guidelines, which suggest substituting fat-free or low-fat dairy for full-fat products.
Researchers find infant walkers are safety risk
More than 230,000 children younger than 15 months were treated in emergency rooms for injuries incurred while using infant walkers from 1990 to 2014. An analysis published in Pediatrics found that 6,539 of them had skull fractures, 91 percent of them from falling down stairs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the devices be banned in the U.S. The number of injuries went down in 1994 with the introduction of stationary activity centers. Injuries declined again after the adoption of federal mandatory safety standards in 2010. "There are no advantages to using walkers," said the senior author, Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Parents should be told not to use them."
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