Entries by Chet Zelasko

Does Weight Loss Ruin Metabolism?

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The health headlines two weeks ago were focused on what we can call “The Biggest Loser Study.” Researchers published the results of a six-year follow-up of contestants in Season 8 of the reality show “The Biggest Loser.” It turns out that most contestants gained back a significant amount of weight. Why? Based on the research, decreased resting metabolism was identified as the most likely suspect. Headlines shouted that weight loss caused metabolic rates to fall more than expected and therefore made it hard, if not impossible, to maintain weight loss.

I believe that all research has merit, even . . .

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The Bottom Line on SIT

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Let’s take a closer look at the study on Sprint Interval Training (1). Researchers recruited 30 sedentary and overweight men, average age 27. They randomly assigned the subjects to one of three groups: a control group who just kept on with their sedentary lifestyle; a group who performed moderate-intensity exercise for 50 minutes three times per week; and the sprint interval group who did three 20-second all-out sprints interspersed with warm-up, recovery, and cool down for a total of 10 minutes, also three days per week. All exercise was performed on exercise bikes and . . .

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SIT to Get Fit?

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The researchers from Canada are at it again. The same group that brought you H.I.I.T now tries to go one step further with SIT. Too many acronyms? HIIT stand for high-intensity interval training; SIT stands for sprint interval training. What’s the difference?

HIIT uses intervals that last from one minute to four minutes in duration with an equivalent amount of rest between intervals; the intensity is adjusted to be able to last the interval time. In prior studies, this research group found that four 1-minute intervals with three minutes rest had positive effects on . . .

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I’m Alive V2.47

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If you’re a long-time reader, this message may be familiar. Whenever I have a message scheduled for May 10th, I always use an updated version of the same message: 47 years ago today, my dad died at the age of 41. From the time I turned 41, every day I wake up on May 10th, I believe I have at least another year to live. It makes absolutely no sense, but it’s what I feel.

I didn’t know my dad well; my parents were divorced when I was very young. He could have seen me any . . .

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Raising HDL: Weight Loss

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Before I finish up this week’s look at HDL cholesterol, I want to wish every mother a Happy Mother’s Day. I hope it’s a great day with your children.

The number one way to increase HDL cholesterol is to lose weight. Losing fat helps increase HDL levels while simultaneously lowering LDL cholesterol. We still don’t know precisely why, but there’s really nothing debatable about it.

I’ll give you my theory of why weight loss helps raise HDL cholesterol. In order to lose weight, you have to eat less and/or move more; more than . . .

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Raising HDL: Exercise

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For many years—even back when I was a graduate student—we’ve known that one of the benefits of regular aerobic exercise is increased levels of HDL cholesterol, AKA the healthy cholesterol. If you want to increase your HDL, you should exercise regularly.

There are still many questions that need to be answered. What is the best type of exercise: aerobic or resistance training? How intense does the exercise have to be? Is walking intense enough or does it have to be faster? There are more questions, but you get the idea.

The reason we don’t know is . . .

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Why You Should Raise Your Cholesterol

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Would you like to have a vacuum cleaner that sucks out the cholesterol from the plaque in your arteries? You would? Well, all right! That vacuum cleaner is called HDL-cholesterol, AKA the good or the healthy cholesterol. The problem is that most people, especially men, don’t have enough. Before we get to ways you can improve it, let me explain how it works as simply as possible.

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein and indicates that the molecule is denser than other lipoproteins such as LDL. Adding the word cholesterol means that it carries cholesterol. The question is . . .

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The Bottom Line on E-Cigarettes

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The logic behind the use of e-cigarettes is that they’re better than traditional cigarettes and that vaping will help people quit smoking. Let’s take a look.

The major benefit attributed to e-cigarettes is less exposure to toxic chemicals resulting in fewer harmful effects. In a few of the studies on chemicals found in the nicotine liquid, some metals such as cadmium, aluminum, and nickel were identified as well as the expected ingredients such as glycol and polyethylene glycol from glycerin usually found in e-cigarette liquid as a propellant (1). We don’t know whether they . . .

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The Safety of E-Cigarettes

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One of the purported benefits of e-cigarettes is the decrease in exposure to harmful chemicals found in regular cigarettes. It makes sense to avoid the chemicals that could be found in the soil and on the tobacco leaves. Harvesting and processing won’t remove those from tobacco products.

The problem is that we just don’t know, because the liquids that contain the nicotine are not tested for safety. Many brands add flavorings to the liquid. While fruits may seem to be great flavors, when the juice is burned, the by-products may not be healthy even if sourced . . .

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What Is Vaping?

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Last week’s message on smoking resulted in several questions about electronic cigarettes, a subject I haven’t addressed before. Let’s start with the basics.

An electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is a nicotine-delivery system. There are three essential components: the nicotine source, a heat source used to vaporize the liquid source of nicotine, and a power source in the form of a battery. The last two are pretty straightforward. The heat has to get high enough fast enough to vaporize the fluid quickly, hence the term vaping instead of smoking.

The nicotine source provides the drug. That . . .

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