Statins, fibrates and beta blockers increase fatigue during moderate intensity exercise

This study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1997 Mar;43(3):291-300

 

Study title and authors:

The effects of combined treatment with beta 1-selective receptor antagonists and lipid-lowering drugs on fat metabolism and measures of fatigue during moderate intensity exercise: a placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects.

Eagles CJ, Kendall MJ.

Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9088584

This study examined the effects of different combinations of beta blockers (metoprolol and atenolol) and cholesterol-lowering drugs (fluvastatin and bezafibrate), on fatigue during moderate intensity exercise in healthy young volunteers. The study included 14 healthy men and women, average age 21.9 years, who completed five, 90 minute walks after been treated with either four different combinations of metoprolol or atenolol and fluvastatin or bezafibrate, or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Fat oxidation was between 24% to 40 % lower in subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs compared to subjects on placebo. 
(b) Ammonia levels were between 51% to 170 % higher in subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs compared to subjects on placebo. (High ammonia levels can lead to lack of energy and brain damage).
(c) Scores on the feeling scale were significantly lower in subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs compared to subjects on placebo. (i.e. subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs felt worse compared to subjects on placebo).
(d) Subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs found it took between 12% to 40% more perceived cardiorespiratory effort to complete the walks compared to subjects on placebo.
(e) Subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs found it took between 22% to 40% more perceived leg effort to complete the walks compared to subjects on placebo.
(f) Subjects treated with beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs suffered 22% to 45% more perceived leg pain compared to subjects on placebo.

In healthy volunteers, this study revealed that combinations of beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs were associated with increased fatigue during moderate intensity exercise.

Analysis of 1,430,141 people finds that high levels of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by a third

This study was published in Stroke 2013 Jul;44(7):1833-9

Study title and authors:
Cholesterol levels and risk of hemorrhagic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Wang X, Dong Y, Qi X, Huang C, Hou L.
Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23704101

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship of cholesterol levels with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The study was an analysis of 23 previous studies and included 1,430,141 participants.

The study found:
(a) Those with the highest cholesterol had a 31% decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared to those with the lowest cholesterol.
(b) Those with the highest levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol had a 38% decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared to those with the lowest levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
(c) Every 1 mmol/L (38 mg/dL) increase in cholesterol levels decreased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 15%.
(d) Every 1 mmol/L (38 mg/dL) increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels decreased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 10%.

High levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

Healthy Identity (Keto Update)

My (awesome) workplace is hosting an active week right now and today we had a discussion about overcoming barriers to making a healthier lifestyle a reality. While participating, I got to thinking (and sharing) about my general attitude towards health and wellness.

One of the biggest things that came to mind was how I choose to think about healthy behaviors. It's not something I "have" to do, not even a choice, really. Over the past few years, I've solidified my feelings about food and movement into a very important part of my identity. Just look at how I chose to name my blog: Healthy Amelia. It's how I am -- not even who I would like to be or plan to be. It's who I am. I am Healthy Amelia. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect or even that I'm where I'd like to be, but it's still who I am.

I have managed to embrace the process instead of focusing on the outcome. The latter brings nothing but frustration, in my experience. I regress from time to time, lamenting that I'm not "there" yet. "There" is always a moving target, though, so putting my attention on that is futile. Coming back to a love of the process and joy in taking the very best care of myself, regardless of outcome, makes this whole endeavor not only easier, but more worthwhile and enjoyable.

I'm not exactly sure when this shift happened but I'm grateful it did.

Noodle Obsession (Keto Update)

I am officially obsessed with making noodles with my spiral slicer and the website dedicated to all things spiralized: Inspiralized.com. This egg drop soup variation is my latest recreation and it is so delicious. Making it with homemade beef broth really made it sing. I've also been having fun just putting tomato sauce on zucchini noodles with the odd meatball and/or Parmesan cheese. I've also whipped up some macadamia nut pesto, which is amazing on zucchini noodles.

I've tried my hand at veggie based noodles before with a Julienne Peeler but my new gadget is definitely superior in every way. It's faster, easier, and the noodles are much more appealing. It's hard to describe, but the effect is a more round, spaghetti-like noodle that tastes a lot better and produces a great texture. I also like that it wastes far less of the vegetable, particularly when using zucchini.

I've also had luck with yellow squash (almost the same as zucchini) and carrots. The carrots require a little more pressure but they come out wonderfully. I've put the carrot noodles in a pan with butter and sage for some amazing noodles and even put them in with eggs for an easy omelet. I put off getting a spiral slicerfor a long time, thinking it's a useless gadget, but now I am so happy I changed my mind!

So far, I've only been using the spaghetti-like blade. I will see if the others are just as good. The best news is incorporating all of these vegetable-based noodles into my diet has really helped up my daily veggie quotient. The result: lower carb and calorie counts on my daily totals on My Fitness Pal! Win/win, if you ask me.

How do YOU like your veggie noodles? 

The Shaolin Guide To Believing In Yourself

John Wooden, an American basketball player and coach said,

" Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can"

I see this in the students who come and do personal trainingwith me. They focus on what they can't or perceive they can't do. I train them hard so that there mind can no longer keep up with their body, it's then that all thinking stops and they surprise themselves by doing something their mind had told them was impossible.

It's the same with people who train with my DVDs. I've created a graded path starting from beginner level and working up so that all you need is yourself and a DVD player. You don't need any equipment and you need very little space. The teachings are exactly the same as what is taught at the Shaolin Temple in China. Exercises designed to help you let go of your thinking mind and get a direct experience of Zen.

Through making these DVDs I've removed the can't. If you really want to train then you can. You don't need to go to China. You don't need to go to a gym or a dojo. So stop making excuses. Start where you are. Now is the only place. Now is the perfect place. The way you approach your training gives you an insight into the way you approach your life. 

www.shifuyanlei.com

Buckwheat Crepes Revisited

One of my most popular posts of all time was a recipe I published in 2010 for sourdough buckwheat crepes (1).  I developed this recipe to provide an easy, nutritious, and gluten-free alternative to flour-based crepes.  It requires no equipment besides a blender.  It's totally different from the traditional buckwheat crepes that are eaten in Brittany, in part because it's not really a crepe (I don't know what else to call it, maybe a savory pancake?).  I find these very satisfying, and they're incredibly easy to make.  They're especially delicious with fresh goat cheese, or scrambled eggs with vegetables, but they go with almost anything.  Chris Kresser also developed his own version of the recipe, which is fluffier than mine, and more like a traditional pancake (2).

Buckwheat is an exceptionally nutritious pseudograin that's rich in complete protein and minerals.  In contrast to most whole grains, which have low mineral availability due to phytic acid, buckwheat contains a high level of the phytic acid-degrading enzyme phytase.  This makes buckwheat an excellent source of easily absorbed minerals, as long as you prepare it correctly!  Phytase enzyme works best in an acidic environment, which may be part of the reason why so many cultures use sour fermentation to prepare grain foods.  My original recipe included a sour fermentation step.

But there's a problem here.  Buckwheat doesn't ferment very well.  Whether it's because it doesn't contain the right carbohydrates, or the right bacteria, I don't know, but it spoils rapidly if you ferment it more than a little bit (using a strong sourdough starter helps though).  Others have told me the same.  So here's my confession: I stopped fermenting my buckwheat batter about a year ago.  And it tastes better.

Read more »

Lipitor significantly worsens erectile dysfunction

This study was published in Kardiologia Polska 2013 Oct 21

Study title and authors:
The effect of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on erectile dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Nurkalem Z, Yıldırımtürk O, Ozcan KS, Kul S, Canga Y, Satılmış S, Bozbeyoğlu E, Kaya C.
Siyami Ersek Training and research hospital department of cardiology. serhandr@gmail.com.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24142756

The IIEF-5 (International Index of Erectile Function-5) is an international questionnaire for identifying erectile dysfunction. A low score represents severe erectile dysfunction, whereas higher scores indicate better erectile function.

The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of different statin types on erectile dysfunction in "patients" with "high" cholesterol. The study lasted for six months and included 90 healthy men, (average age 50 years), with low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels above 160mg/dL (4.1 mmol/l). Patients were divided into two different groups. One group received rosuvastatin while the other group was given atorvastatin.

The study found:
(a) The IIEF-5 scores of men taking rosuvastatin (Crestor) decreased by .4%.
(b) The IIEF-5 scores of men taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) decreased significantly by 8.5%.

The results of the study reveal Lipitor significantly worsens erectile dysfunction.