SportsGeezer

Back Surgery Helps Some of the People Some of the Time

The question "to cut or not to cut" when treating back pain and sciatica comes a few inches closer to an answer with the publication of two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine. As Forbes reports, one study shows that back surgery can effectively relieve pain for certain back problems faster than nonsurgical means, and another shows that waiting to see if the pain goes away on its own won't affect the outcome of surgery if you decide to have an operation later on. All of which makes the decision, to cut or not to cut, just as difficult as it ever was. One piece of useful news is one study's evidence that those who elect to go under the knife sooner have a shorter recovery period. Of course, those who take a pass on the surgery have no recovery period at all.  Read more and try to figure out what to do.

Exercise Boosts Good Cholesterol

Now comes a study of previously studied studies, revealing that exercise appears to rev up our level of HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. That's the good cholesterol, the kind you want to rev up. The Washington Post reports on the analysis, conducted by Japanese researchers who reviewed 25 studies published between 1966 and 2005, and assessed the effects of aerobic exercise on HDL cholesterol in a total of more than 1,400 adults ranging in age from 23 to 75. The studies lasted an average of 27.4 weeks. On average, the Post reports, participants exercised 3.7 sessions per week for 40.5 minutes each session, burning an average of 1,019 calories per week.  The paper reports that the findings showed that exercise resulted in an average increase in HDL cholesterol of 2.53 milligrams per deciliter. The minimum amount of exercise required to change HDL cholesterol levels was 120 minutes a week or 900 calories burned. Exercise had a greater impact in people with a higher total cholesterol level (220 milligrams per deciliter or greater) and in people with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 28 (obesity begins at a BMI of 30). Read more in the Washington Post.

Bikes Built for Comfort

A reader of Outside online asks the publication's Gear Guy if a hybrid bike will put less strain on this neck and shoulders. The short answer, says Gear Guy, is "maybe."  The long answer is Maybe you should keep riding and see if the pain goes away when you get in shape.  That said, Gear Guy suggests taking a look at Trek’s 7500,  ($660), Giant’s FCR2 W ($700), and if those don't work, a quality recumbent such as the Linear Mach III --about $1,500. Read more.

Free: A Yoga Lesson a Day

After waiting for the video advertisements (three of them) to end, and the sermonizing to draw to a close, viewers will need something to help them relax. Fortunately, there is, on YogaToday, a videotaped lesson in how to perform a particular yoga pose. Daily offerings inevitably feature instructors who are too beautiful to be credible, and they are shot outdoors in locations with the similar issues. Geezer sees a good idea produced a little to well.

Researchers Say Going to the Beach Is Good for Your Health

It calms the nerves. It boosts serotonin levels. It may even fulfill a deep genetic longing. The beach, it turns out, is good for you. This lengthy and somewhat persuasive piece in the LA Times reports that new research shows that simply being in nature is good for the mind and body — and the beach may be particularly healthful. Not only have studies found that most people are drawn to water, but simply looking at water appears to help alleviate anxiety and calm agitated nerves. Read more.

Even Amateur Boxers Suffer Brain Damage

Thinking about taking up boxing? Fuggetaboutit. New research shows that even amateurs suffer brain damage. New Scientist reports that researchers at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden examined the cerebrospinal fluid of 14 amateur boxers. Levels of neurofilament light (NFL), a marker for neuronal damage, were four times as high in boxers after a fight as in healthy non-athletes, and up to eight times as high in boxers who had taken more than 15 high-impact hits to the head. Levels took three months to return to normal. Geezer is now wondering if researchers have the cause and effect in the correct order. Perhaps one has to be brain damaged to take up boxing.

The Trouble with Vitamin Supplements: The Wrong People Take Them

Unlike some of the souces of health advice that Geezer passes on to his readers, the Scientific American enjoys a certain street cred, at least if the street you live on is University Avenue. So when Sciam, as it is known to its intimates, attempts to answer the way-too-freqently-answered question: Are vitamin supplements good for you, Geeer feels a certain obligation to pass the knowledge on. The short answer is "Yes, if you need them, but no, if you don't." The long answer can be found here.

Spinning Is Back, and Better This Time Around

It's possible that many readers didn't know that spinning had fallen out of fashion. In fact, it's possible that Geezer didn't know that spinning had fallen out of fashion. Well it had, and well, it's back, and according to this piece in the New York Times, better than ever. What's better about it?  The Times tells us that instructors have finally figured out what it takes to choreograph a spinning workout to build strength, power and endurance. Smart spinning is in. Pedaling like a crazy person is out. Read it and spin.
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Running in Water: Why you want to do it and what to wear on your feet

Roy Wallack, writing in the L.A. Times, reports on the growing popularity of running in water, --easy on the joints, with great muscular and cardio benefits-- and on the emergence, naturally, of a new breed of footwear made for that exercise.  Wallack looks at the pros and cons of these:
AQx Aquatic Training Shoe:  $80
SPEEDO Hydro XP: $50
MERRELL WaterPro Current: $75
Sprint Aquatics Aqua Shoes: $40   to $45

Viagra May Reduce Jet Lag

Viagra may help relieve jet lag. That's the good news. The bad news is that Viagra may help relieve jet lag in hamsters, an introverted species that, in Geezer's experience, generally tries to avoid the kind of long, cross-country flights that might require one to converse with a complete stranger. The Scientific American reports that research conducted at the National University of Quilmes in Buenos Aires suggests that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra-- and one that is known to inhibit the degradation a messenger molecule that advances the body clock in response to light--greatly reduced the time it took hamsters to adjust to changes in their light-dark cycle. One downside of the treatment, researchers reported, was that larger doses of the drug also brought on penile erections. No word yet on whether it works for humans. Read more in the Scientific American.