SportsGeezer

Hold the Trans Fatty Acids

If it seems like deja vu all over again, that's because it is. Once again, food manufacturers (yes, we mean "food manufacturers") have discovered that last year's healthful additive could be next year's heart attack. This time the culprit is the trans fatty acids found in partially hydrogenated oils, which foodmakers have used for nearly 30 years to replace unhealthful saturated fats, such as palm oil or lard.
For years now, researchers have suspected that trans fatty acids are just as bad for human hearts as the unsaturated fats that they replaced, and some foodmakers have found what they believe to be more healthful alternatives. But as this story in the Washington Post reports, many food companies are still scrambling for a cheaper replacement fat.
What's the hurry? No, it's not consumer health. The Food and Drug Administration ruled last year that by January 2006 all packaged food products must list the amount of trans fatty acids, or trans fat, that they contain.

Joint Custody: Running Is Better Than Not Running

For years, conventional wisdom has held that running is hell on joints. Now, as this New York Times article reports, a study by Stanford researchers suggests that the joints of people who run a few times a week are generally healthier than those of people who don't run at all. A more comprehensive report on that study and others, which reveal the unique benefits of running for people in their fifties and sixties, can be found on the British website Peak Performance. The researchers' final advice to runners: go for it--moderately.

Feds' Newest Recipe for Health: Whole Grains and Serious Sweat

As federal health officials race to complete their required five-year update of the government's nutritional guidelines, they are hearing a lot about the downside of white bread and the upside of a good daily workout. This short piece from the Washington Post offers a glimpse at what's in store, and this government site explains how the feds cook up their dietary plans.

Running for Real: Tips from the Top

You may not be surprised to learn that elite distance runners have a few physiological traits that make them faster than the rest of us, but they also do a few things differently. This piece, by Gina Kolata, contains some advice for those of us who labor, as it says, while Olympians fly.