August 1, 2001[Volume 2, Issue 16]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Physical Activity Strengthens Children's Bones
• Giving the Boot to Soccer Injuries
• Weight Training Isn't Just for Men Anymore
• Low Levels of Vitamin B12, Folic Acid Increase Risk of Alzheimer's

Exercise is known to increase bone development in teenagers, but what effects do exercise and minor physical activity have on the bones of children? A recent study published in Pediatrics is one of the first to examine the effects of low-impact everyday activities on bone density in children.

Researchers examined the relationship between physical activity and bone measurements in a sample of 368 four- to six-year-old children, using a combination of motion readings, parental reports on their children's activities, and similar reports on the number of hours their children spent watching television. Bone density and bone mineral content were measured for the entire skeleton, and specifically at the hip and spine. Parents rated their children's activity level by reporting the daily hours their children spent watching television and by attaching a motion-recording belt to each child to keep track of time spent being physically active.

High motion levels and physical activity ratings were associated with higher bone density and mineral content in both boys and girls. Comparisons showed a 12 percent greater hipbone content in the most active children, compared to children in the least-active group. Also, girls who watched more television tended to have lower bone densities than those who watched less. Boys showed a greater level of total physical and vigorous activity than girls, which may account for their higher bone densities.

These findings suggest that exercise, or even mild physical activity, may increase bone density in children. Do your best to control the number of hours your children spend in front of the tube, and encourage them to be physically active whenever possible.

Reference: Janz KF, Burns TL, Tomer JC, et al. Physical activity and bone measures in young children: the Iowa Bone Development Study. Pediatrics June 2001:107(6), pp 1387-1393.

For more information on sports and fitness, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/sports.html.

Giving the Boot to Soccer Injuries

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and in the United States there has been a great increase in the number of children playing "youth soccer." Although soccer is perceived as relatively safe, injuries are common.

A recent study in the Journal of Sports Chiropractic & Rehabilitation revealed some information about injuries occurring in the sport. The following information is based on outdoor soccer and is derived primarily from European data:

• 13.3% of soccer injuries are due to footwear, possibly from wearing studded shoes;
  
  
• Ankle injuries are the most common soccer injury, accounting for 17-22% of total injuries;
  
  
• Groin injuries make up 13% of soccer injuries;
  
  
• It has been estimated that soccer players head the ball up to 5,000 times over 15 years of play, raising concerns about trauma to the brain. X-ray examinations of the neck of ex-soccer players showed increased degeneration of the spine compared to non-players. Headaches suffered from heading the ball may be the result of injury to the cervical (neck) spine or a concussion.

Recognize risk factors and take necessary precautions to avoid injury when you or your children play soccer. Be sure to use the proper safety equipment, such as good footwear, athletic cups and shin/ knee guards. Avoid frequent heading of the ball, and be sure to adhere to proper techniques to reduce the likelihood of injury. Warming up and stretching should help you avoid muscle injuries.

Reference: McHardy A, Pollard H. Injury associated with soccer: A review of epidemiology and etiology. Journal of Sports Chiropractic & Rehabilitation 2001:15(1), pp 34-43.

Weight Training Isn't Just for Men Anymore

Many women cringe at the thought of weightlifting, imagining themselves with a bulging, masculine figure. Nonetheless, resistance exercises are becoming more popular with women as they realize the benefits: increased lean body mass, decreased body fat and increased calories burned. While a good deal of research has been done on the effects of weightlifting in men, fewer studies have addressed women, who have less muscle mass and lift lighter weights than men. In particular, little research has been done on excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), an indicator of total calories burned, in women who lift weights.

A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise determined the effects in women of 45 minutes of resistance exercises on EPOC and calories burned during the two hours following exercise. Ten women, aged 24-34, who occasionally exercised were observed for energy expenditure before, during and for two hours after exercise.

After weight training, more calories were burned for at least one hour than were normally burned during rest. The experiment showed that fat burning was "significantly elevated" during the last half-hour of the two-hour recovery period following exercises, compared to fat burning following rest. Also, although the total calories burned were not much different than normal during the final half-hour of recovery, 79% more fat was burned after exercise than after rest.

These findings suggest that weight training can increase the number of calories burned even after you're done lifting weights. On top of that, these extra calories burned are primarily fat stores, as opposed to carbohydrates in the body. So don't be afraid of lifting weights! Your body will thank you for it.

Reference: Binzen CA, Swan PD, Manore MM. Postexercise oxygen consumption and substrate use after resistance exercise in women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2001:33(6), pp 932-938.

Additional information on women's health can be accessed on line at https://www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/women.html.

Low Levels of Vitamin B12, Folic Acid Increase Risk of Alzheimer's

Vitamin B12 deficiencies have been discovered in people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and low levels of folic acid are linked to intellectual deterioration. B12 and folic acid aid in cell formation and prevent nerve damage. Is there a direct association between B12/folic acid levels and Alzheimer's?

A study appearing in the May issue of Neurology sought to determine whether low B12 and folic acid (or folate) levels are risk factors for Alzheimer's and dementia. Three hundred and seventy subjects (75 years or older) were observed for three years to record the number of cases of Alzheimer's that developed. Researchers analyzed data on subjects with high and low levels of both B12 and folate, as well as subjects with normal levels of one vitamin but not the other, to explore the combined effects of the two vitamins.

Subjects with low levels of B12, folate or both had twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's, compared to those with normal vitamin levels. This was even more likely in subjects with good initial cognition. The authors of the study speculate that vitamin deficiency may have an increased effect in the earliest phases of Alzheimer's.

Tips to help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's:

• Eat plenty of raw spinach, peas, beans, brown rice and other vegetables that are rich in folic acid;
  
  
• Remember that folic acid is destroyed when cooked, so eat these vegetables raw; and
  
  
• Eat foods rich in B12, such as beef, fish, milk and eggs. If you are a vegetarian, you will have more difficulty getting enough B12, which is found almost exclusively in animal tissues, but can obtain it from brewer's yeast or supplements.

Reference: Wang HX, Wahlin A, Basun H, et al. Vitamin B12 and folate in relation to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology May 2001:56, pp 1188-1194.

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