The Mobile Physical Co.

I was asked about cellulite recently and thought it would make an excellent subject for the blog today, so here is some information I researched:

What is it?

Cellulite is a skin alteration often described as an ‘orange peel,’ ‘mattress,’ or ‘dimpling’ appearance on the thighs, buttocks and sometimes lower abdomen of otherwise healthy women. Although some men may get it, 90-98% of cellulite cases occur in women. The name originated from the French medical literature over 150 years ago. The original name, cellulite, implies that it is a disease. But years of study now disprove this theory. As a matter of fact, some of the scientific literature refers to this changed skin condition as ‘so-called cellulite.’

The outermost layer of skin is referred to as your epidermis. Immediately under this is the dermis, which is richly filled with hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels, nerve receptors and connective tissue. The next layer of tissue is the first of three layers of subcutaneous (which means beneath the skin) fat. It is changes to this area we describe as cellulite. This uppermost layer of subcutaneous fat has been described as “standing fat-cell chambers” separated by connective tissue. From these fat-cell chambers, small projections of fat cells protrude into the dermis. This unevenness and irregularity of the subcutaneous fat gives skin the ‘bumpy’ appearance we call cellulite.

The reason cellulite is rarely seen in men (obese and non-obese) is because the epidermis, dermis and uppermost part of the subcutaneous tissue is different in males. Men have thicker epidermis and dermis tissue layers in the thighs and buttocks. More distinctively dissimilar, the first layer of fat, which is slightly thinner in men, is assembled into polygonal units separated by crisscrossing connective tissue (See below).

The differences in subcutaneous fat cell structure in men and women occur during the third trimester of fetus development and are manifested at birth. Variations in hormones between genders largely explain this skin structure deviation. It has been shown that men who are born deficient in male hormones will often have a subcutaneous fat appearance similar to females.

Do any of the Herbal Treatments Work?
The basis of most of the herbal treatments is to enhance the microcirculation in the dermis area. It is interesting to note that research has shown a slight decrease in thigh girth with herbal treatments but a return to normal when the application ceased.

Does Massage Help Minimize Cellulite?
Massage and body manipulation techniques are employed to enhance the removal of fluid in the dermis area. These techniques do not remove the cellulite, but may have a temporary effect in reducing the amount of ‘dimpling’ appearance.

What about Skin Kneading Methods Such as Endermologie?
Endermologie (LPG, Fort Lauderdale, Fl) is a skin kneading technique developed about 10 years ago in France. This type of device has two rollers attached to an electrically powered device. Users wear nylon stockings to decrease the amount of friction. Treatments range from 35 to 45 minutes of rolling the skin of the hips, thighs, legs, buttocks and stomach. The little published research with this device does not show any legitimate efficacy in the treatment of cellulite.

So, What Are Some Realistic Recommendations?
Several studies note that female athletes, who generally have a lower percent body fat regularly have less cellulite. So, a caloric-restricted diet plan to help reduce some of the underlying body fat should be implemented. Aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week for at least 20 to 60 minutes will help create a satisfactory caloric deficit. Choose a mode of exercise that you enjoy such as walking, jogging, aerobic dance, elliptical training, rowing, cycling, swimming or stair stepping. If available, alternate modes of aerobic exercise to regularly give your body some variety. Perhaps most essential to your exercise agenda is your resistance exercise program. The subcutaneous fat rests on top of muscle, and if the muscle is weak and flaccid, this can contribute to the ‘bumpy’ effect of cellulite. Although there isn’t one best system of sets and repetitions to firm all of your leg muscles, regularly include the following exercises in your resistance training program.
Squats and leg press for the buttocks and thigh muscles.
All types of lunges for the thighs and buttocks.
Hip adduction exercises for the inner thighs.
Hip abduction exercises for the outer thighs.
Leg curls for the back of the thighs.

Click here to see the full article

I found the following from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008

No evidence that antioxidant supplements prolong life

Many people take antioxidants in the belief that they will prolong their life expectancy. However, data from 67 randomised trials that involved just under a quarter of a million people failed to support this idea, a Cochrane Systematic Review has discovered. “We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases,” says Goran Bjelakovic, visiting researcher, who performed the systematic review at the Copenhagen Trial Unit at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

The idea that antioxidants can extend life comes from human and animal laboratory research and has been boosted by some observational clinical studies. But other studies have indicated neutral or even harmful effects. Cochrane reviews are based on peer reviewed published protocols that aim to identify randomised, published and unpublished, trials. Following Cochrane methodology, relevant data are extracted and pooled together from the identified trials, which are also assessed and subdivided into unbiased and biased in terms of methodology of their conductance, so that unbiased assessments of intervention effects can be conducted.

“The findings of our review show that if anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality. There was no indication that vitamin C and selenium may have positive or negative effects. So regarding these antioxidants we need more data from randomised trials,” says Bjelakovic. “The bottom line is that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general healthy population or in patients with certain diseases.” Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007176. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD007176.

See BBC Article

Marks tip ‘Get Your vitamins from a balanced diet before you try vitamins’

An important new study from Australia has shown for the first time that taking a protein/creatine/glucose bodybuilding supplement immediately before and after resistance training leads to significantly greater improvements in strength and body composition than taking the same supplement at other times of the day.

Twenty-three recreational male body-builders completed 10 weeks of structured, supervised resistance exercise training, taking a protein/creatine/glucose supplement (1g per kg of body weight twice daily on training days only) under two different conditions:

• One group took their supplements immediately before and after their four-weekly workouts;
• The other group took the same supplements first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

The researchers tracked changes in 1rep max (RM) strength, body composition and the vastus lateralis muscle in the frontal thigh before and after the 10 weeks of training.

They found that the body-builders who took their supplements before and after workouts showed significantly greater improvements in 1RM strength and body composition (ie an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in body fat percentage) than those who took them at either end of the day.

‘We conclude’, they said, ‘that supplement timing represents a simple but effective strategy to enhance the adaptations that are desired from [resistance] training.’

Med Sci Sports Exerc, vol 38, no 11, pp1918-1925

I was asked this yesterday as I was doing a training session and realised I did not know what the latest take on Salmonella and raw eggs was. I had been trying to get a clients protein intake up in the morning and he had told me he was having a few egg whites to do this. I used to do the same a number of years ago in the good old days but now things have changed. I knew this was still not a great idea but wanted to check out the Food Standard Agency for latest information.

I found this article and it is not good news.

Between November 2005 and January 2007, eggs purchased from 1,567 catering premises in the UK were tested for salmonella contamination. Eggs from eight different countries were tested. Most of the eggs originated from the UK (89.0%).

Salmonella was found on the shells of six samples, of which one was also contents positive, giving a prevalence of 0.38%. Five of the positive samples were from the UK and one was produced in Germany. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most common serotype (0.31%) with phage type (PT) 4 being the most common phage type (0.19%).

The survey showed evidence of poor egg storage and handling practices in catering premises. Half (55%) did not store their eggs under refrigerated conditions, a fifth (20.7%) of egg samples had expired best before dates or were in use after three weeks of lay indicating poor stock rotation, and 37.1% mixed and pooled eggs for use during the day.

Get the full article here

These could be as useful as a pair of running shoes

Weight training could be as effective as endurance exercises like running when it comes to burning fat and warding off diabetes, a study suggests.

American scientists created mice which carried a gene that, when switched on, gave them muscles similar to those produced by weight training.

When the gene was off, the mice – which were fed a fast food diet – became obese and developed liver problems.

But when on, the same mice burned up fat, the Cell Metabolism study said.

See the full article here

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to gaining muscle. Nine times out of ten, most of us fail in the dedication department. What starts out as a carefully planned and calculated program, ends up hitting some bumps along the way.

However, even if we are dedicated (some may call it obsessed) and diligent about our nutrition, with proper training and recuperation practices, we still would not be able to add more than 1 pound of muscle in a week. That’s right, only one pound a week–and this is assuming you’ve had a darn good week both inside and outside the gym!

See the full article here

The official iPod workout is in it’s finally stages of production, here is a sample

New recommendations to limit the risk of cancer was unveiled late last year.

THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE:

Limit red meat

Limit alcohol

Avoid bacon, ham, and other processed meats

No sugary drinks

No weight gain after 21

Exercise every day

Breastfeed children

Do not take dietary supplements to cut cancer

But a low recommendation of 500g of red meat weekly and totally cutting bacon and ham from your diet go further than before. Normally these would be allowed in moderation but the World Cancer Research Fund now believe you should cut anything that may lead to excessive weight gain as they now link obesity strongly to cancer.

So make sure plan your meals ahead as much as possible to avoid these bad food choices.

Read the full article from the BBC