Water Works

            Thirst can masquerade as hunger, which is one reason dieters should stay hydrated.  Now German researchers have found another reason; Water fuels your body’s fat burners.  For 90 minutes after drinking 16 ounces of chilled H2O, adults saw their metabolisms rise by 24 percent over their average rates.  According to the study author, Jens Jordan, M.D., the mechanism is partly due to the energy your body generates to warm the water during digestion.

Food for Thought

1,040 calories in two slices of a regular size pizza hut meat lover’s stuffed-crust pie.

2,862 of jumping jacks you’d have to perform in order to burn 1,040 calories.

Break Your Slump

            Slouch in your office chair and you won’t just look like a slacker—you may become one.  How you sit can help make or break your work performance, say Colorado College researchers, who found that male students with the best sitting posture scored significantly higher on a logic exam than those who slouched.  An upright posture makes people feel dominant and successful, which in turn improves their ability to relax and focus on problems, says Tomi-Ann Roberts, Ph.D, the lead study author.  To fine-tune your posture, sit and tie a string from an upper shirt button to your belt buckle so that the string is taut when you sit tall.  If the string goes slack, you’re slouching.

Weak Wheelie

            Hey, roadie, slip off your saddle for a sec:  Cyclists of any age can suffer bone density loss, reports a study in Metabolism.  Scientist measured bone mineral density in 27 cyclists and 16 runners ages 20-59, all of whom engaged in their sport at least 6 hours per week for at least 2 years.  They found that 63 percent of the cyclist—regardless of age—had osteopenia (lower-than-normal bone density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis) of the spine or hip, compared with just 19 percent of the runners.  Lack of high-impact exercises, such as ball games, running, or jumping, is to blame, says Pamela Hinton, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Schedule 5 minutes of plyometrics or jump rope three times a week.

Role Reversal

            Time for the talk.  Tell your parents that starting to exercise, even later in life, can help their heart health.  In a study in Hypertension, investigators looked at 28 men in their 20s and 60s and found that the older men’s blood vessels were generally more constricted, increasing their risk for hypertension or heart attack.  Eight of the elders began walking about 5 hours per week; after 3 months, their blood-vessel function resembled that of the twenty something’s.  Just walking 30 minutes a day can significantly improve cardiovascular health, says study co-author Christopher DeSouza, Ph.D.