Common Strength Training Myths: Fact or Fiction

The numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding strength training are almost impossible to count. The following information is intended to debunk these myths.

Strength training is only for men

●While it is extremely beneficial and important for men to strength train, it is equally or even more important for women. After menopause, women lose bone density and become more susceptible to osteoporosis and bone fractures. Strength training helps slow this decline in bone density and delays the progression of osteoporosis. Along with this, strength training helps to slow muscle loss which can aid in improving balance and preventing the risk of falling.

Strength training is dangerous

●Strength training is completely safe if it is done correctly. Form and technique are two of the most important aspects of training that need to be executed with caution. If exercises are done incorrectly, there is a risk of injuring muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bone. It is recommended that if you are a beginner, you start slow and progress to heavier resistance levels and more difficult exercises with the supervision of a trained professional.

I am too weak to start strength training

●You are never too weak to begin strength training. In fact, strength training can be extremely beneficial if muscles are weak because strong muscles play a large role in balance and flexibility. There are various types of strength training that can be learned that will suit every body type. Body weight training is a great strategy for beginners and can lead into utilizing free weights and machines.

It will make you too bulky

●This is a common concern among women because it is thought that if you start strength training, you will look like the hulk. This is false. Ninety percent of women do not have the physical ability to gain enough muscle mass to make them look “huge”. The reason for this is that women have less amounts of testosterone which is one of the main factors in being able to gain large amounts of muscle. Testosterone has the ability to increase protein synthesis in the body which therefore prompts the muscle fibers to increase and grow in size. Women will still be able to have significant strength gains while not showing an excessively large increase in muscle size due to the hormone estrogen.

Strength training is bad for your joints

●This myth has some validity but only if exercises are performed incorrectly. If done safely and correctly, strength training has been proven to reduce joint pain because the muscles around the joints become more strong and stable. This gives people, especially older individuals, a higher quality of life because they are able to be more mobile and execute daily tasks with ease.

I can target areas that I want to lose fat and tone

●It is impossible to target fat loss in a certain area of the body. If you want to make areas of your body look more “toned”, you have to be in a calorie deficit. However, everyone’s bodies lose fat more quickly or slowly in different areas and it is difficult to tell where it will be noticeably reduced first. Some recommendations for losing body fat in a healthy way to look more toned are participating in full body strength training one to three times per week and eating a healthy diet.

References

Baker, K. R., Nelson, M. E., Felson, D. T., Layne, J. E., Sarno, R., & Roubenoff, R.

(2001, July). The efficacy of home based progressive strength training in older adults with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11469475

Griggs, R. C., Kingston, W., Jozefowicz, R. F., Herr, B. E., Forbes, G., & Halliday, D.

(1989, January). Effect of testosterone on muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2917954

Sole-Smith, V. (2019, June 10). 10 Strength-Training Myths You Need To Stop

Believing. Retrieved from https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20484013/10-strength-training-myths/

Strength Training Myths. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid= 1492

Does Science Support Seven to Nine Hours of Sleep a Night?

Q:

Does science support seven to nine hours of sleep a night?

A:

Neuroscientists from Western University’s Brain and Mind Institute launched the world’s largest sleep study in June of 2017.  More than 40,000 participants from around the world took part in the online study.  The initial results of the study were released in 2018.

The study consisted of an in-depth questionnaire and a series of cognitive performance activities to gage the relationship between sleep and cognitive performance. 

Initial results included:

- Seven to eight hours of sleep was optimal for brain performance

- Too little and too much sleep equally impaired brain performance

- Approximately half of all participants reported sleeping less than 6.3 hours per night

- Reasoning and verbal abilities were two abilities most strongly impacted by lack of sleep

- Short-term memory performance was relatively unaffected

- Participants who slept four hours or less had cognitive performance equivalent to a nine year old

- There was some evidence that even a single night of seven to eight hours of sleep can have a positive impact on the following day’s cognitive performance

The following website was used in answering the question:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181009135845.htm

Energy Drink Consumption

Q:

Is regular consumption of energy drinks bad?

A:

The drinks are promoted as a way to boost performance, alertness, and stamina.  Studies have found that 80% of athletes, 53% of military members, and 30% of college students frequently consume the drinks.

The drinks are classified as dietary supplements or food/beverages by the U.S. FDA. The primary ingredients in most drinks are high concentrations of caffeine / caffeine like stimulants.  The FDA classification allows loopholes for manufactures to have leeway on the exact contents of the drinks and the dietary labeling of the drinks.

Most healthy adults can consume a single energy drink.  However, multiple energy drinks are being consumed in one sitting or throughout the day.  The large amounts of caffeine consumed leads to caffeine toxicity in the body.  Symptoms include vomiting, tachycardia, hypotension, and excess sweating.  More severe adverse events include hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart attack.

From Oct 2010 to Sept 2011, 4,854 calls were logged by the US Poison Control concerning energy drink ingestion.  3,192 were related to energy drinks with adders (alcohol).  Of the remaining cases, 51% involved children under six years of age and 61% were males.

Energy drinks should not be……

•         Consumed by children/adolescents/pregnant women

•         Used for hydration before, during, or after activity

•         Used before, during, or after strenuous activity

•         Consumed before bed

•         Consumed with alcohol

The following website and article were referenced in answering the question:

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2018/05000/STIMULANT_CONTAINING_ENERGY_DRINKS__What_You_Need.7.aspx#pdf-link

National Women's Health Week

May 12-18 is National Women's Health Week! Find out more about how strength training is a great step to take to find your health today.

National Women's Health Week Resources

Importance of Strength Training for Women

Be Stronger For Your Journey!

How Can I Stop Restless Sleeping?

Q:

What should I do if I wake up tossing and turning in the middle of the night?

A:

1. Get out of bed.  If you are not asleep within 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed.  Go into a different room and do a relaxing activity (listen to relaxing music, knit, draw, or read). Don't do anything that could stimulate your senses (exercise or screen time).
2. Once sleepy, go back in bed.  Sleep should occur in your bed and not in a chair or couch, but don't go back to bed too soon.  It is better to wait until you're sleepy and get a few hours of restorative sleep versus going to bed early and getting additional bad sleep.
3. Do a mind dump.  If you're anxious and your mind is racing, clear your mind by listing those worries and concerns on a piece of paper.  Then leave the list and do something relaxing.
4. Don’t have a late night snack.  Avoid eating as eating is your stomach’s alarm clock and may prolong the tossing and turning.
5. Adopt good sleep behaviors

•         Keep regular sleep hours each day

•         Keep your bedroom cool

•         Go to bed when your sleepy

•         Minimize napping or sleeping in on the weekend.

•         Avoid lights an hour before bed

•         Avoid stimulus a couple hours before bed (exercise, eating, and drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages)

The following websites were used in answering the question:

https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/how-stop-tossing-and-turning-all-night-long

https://www.bustle.com/p/11-things-to-avoid-doing-when-you-cant-sleep-according-to-experts-9875002

National Heart Awareness Month

Q:

February is national heart awareness month.  How can strength training help heart disease?

A:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.  One in four deaths is caused by heart disease.  Per last month’s stump the staff, heart disease is also a key factor that influences life expectancy.

How can strength training help heart disease?

Traditionally, aerobic exercises such as walking, running, or swimming have been prescribed to prevent/manage heart disease.  A recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that strength training might reduce the risk of heart disease and provides the same benefits as aerobic exercise.

The study reviewed 12,500 subject checkup records which included detailed questionnaires about their exercise habits and medical history.  The subjects were categorized according to their reported strength training frequency (ranging from never, once, twice, or three or more times a week) and duration (strength trained for more or less than an hour each week.)  The subjects were also categorized based on whether they met the standard recommendation of 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise.  This exercise data was then crosschecked against heart attacks, strokes, and deaths during the 11 years or so after each subject’s last clinic visit.

The results:  the risk of experiencing heart attack, stroke, and death was 50 percent lower for those that strength trained occasionally compared with those who never did or those who met the aerobic exercise recommendations.  Subjects who strength trained twice a week for about an hour had the greatest declines in risk.

The following websites were used in answering the question:

https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/FebruaryToolkit.aspx

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/well/move/even-a-little-weight-training-may-cut-the-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke.html

Tips for the Holiday Season

Q:

I have heard that American’s put on anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds during the holiday season.  Is that true and what are some tips to prevent the weight gain?

A:

Recent research by Cornell University found the average weight gain by Americans during the holiday season to be 1.3 pounds.  This amount may not seem significant, but here are some things to keep in mind:

•         The 1.3 pounds is not muscle gain.  It is fat.

•         1.3 is the average.  Some gain less and others gained more weight.  The higher gains usually occur in Americans that are already overweight.

•         It took four weeks to add the weight, but it can take up to six months to burn off

•         As you enter midlife, you naturally lose muscle mass and gain weight.  This potentially means the 1.3 pounds per holiday season are never burned off.  The combination of muscle loss and weight gain can easily result in 20 additional pounds of fat in a decade.

What are some tips to prevent the weight gain?

•         Eat breakfast.  Breakfast jumps starts your metabolism and prevents overeating at holiday parties.

•         Keep you regular routine:  eating, sleeping and daily activities.

•         Don’t increase your consumption of high calorie drinks (alcohol, eggnog, etc.)

•         Avoid high calorie holiday favorites (gravy, pecan pie, etc.)

•         Don’t forget about exercise.

The following websites were used in answering the question:

https://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/weight-loss/holiday-weight-gain

https://www.today.com/food/12-tips-avoiding-weight-gain-during-holidays-t59616

https://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/eat-healthy-during-holidays?slide=5406#5406