You probably realize that many things can affect your exercise performance – including your eating and sleeping habits, your training regimen and your state of mind – but the medications you take may not even be on your radar screen. Sure, you probably recognize that swallowing a sedating antihistamine (like Benadryl) or a benzodiazepine (like Ativan, Valium or Xanax) is likely to make you drowsy and impair your coordination at the gym. But you might overlook the fact that other drugs could also compromise your energy or balance, your hydration status, your concentration or stamina or other … [Read more...] about Is Your Medicine Ruining Your Workout?

It's 3 p.m. on a Tuesday and you'd do anything for a donut... with chocolate filling... and those rainbow sprinkles on top. Are you hungry? Bored? You may just have a case of the "sleep munchies." According to a recent study published in the journal SLEEP, a lack of zzz's stokes your appetite just like marijuana might. Seriously! When you don't get enough shut-eye, your brain lights up with the same chemicals that cause stoners to giggle over Funyuns and chomp on Twinkies. While sleep deprivation has long been linked to overeating and weight gain, researchers at the University of Chicago were … [Read more...] about How to stop the afternoon munchies

When the topic of bone health arises, we often think of milk mustaches and calcium supplements. But what about visions of hitting the weights, jumping rope or doing pushups? It turns out there is more to bone health than consuming enough calcium and vitamin D. Not only are there many other nutrients involved in developing and maintaining bone, but also exercise is imperative. People who exercise more have higher peak bone mass, and research suggests exercise plays just as important a role in bone health as nutrition. Like muscles, bones are living tissue, and they require stress to stimulate … [Read more...] about Built to the Bone: Why Weight-Bearing Exercise Is Key to Strong Bones