Ken (a very spry 70 year old) asked me, “How does strength training increase bone density?”

Well, the basic mechanism is very simple: Think of your skeleton as the framework of the body, the base upon which the body is built. Load up that framework with weight, and the body, being that dynamic organism it is, makes the framework stronger. Certainly an explanation you’ve heard before from your doctor, your trainer, or your media talking head of choice.

Here’s the implied but rarely mentioned “twist” that makes this all possible: Your bones are alive.

Not in a Night of the Living Dead creepy sort of way, but alive just like the rest of your body’s cells are (save hair and some skin cells). Bone isn’t some inorganic matter like the 2 X 4s in your bed frame or the piping under your kitchen sink. It’s a dynamic, ever-changing organ, constantly building and breaking itself down.

Cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts work 24-7 at reshaping and remodeling your bone structure (even after you reach full adulthood). Load a bone with a heavy weight, and osteoblasts lay down new bone tissue to reinforce the points of stress, much like a young beach-going lad would add more sand and water to reinforce a wall of his sand castle. Repetitively load a bone in the same way, and you make that bone stronger by stimulating osteoblast activity, over and over again. Over time, these osteoblasts lay down so much new bone tissue that they trap themselves in it, becoming osteocytes (which always remind me of this). Not to worry for our osteocytes, however; they continue to chug away and do their job of reinforcing bone in a less…mobile…fashion.

Osteoclasts have a less celebrated but equally important role: They break down bone tissue by acidifying the bone matrix, releasing its constituent minerals into the bloodstream. Now, why would a fine, upstanding cell like an osteoclast want to do something like break down bone tissue? Well, low levels of calcium ions (one of the main minerals in bone) would be one reason. Calcium ions feature heavily in intracellular function, from DNA transcription, neurotransmitter release, and (most importantly for our discussion) muscular contraction. If you don’t have enough calcium available, the body simply draws from its calcium stores, and the largest calcium stores in the body? You guessed it: Bone.

(Aside: Why are osteoclasts always depicted in mechanism diagrams as goofy-looking Metroids?)

Without going into the ridiculously complex and numerous mechanisms for osteoporosis, let’s just say for brevity’s sake that you want to stimulate osteoblast activity, not osteoclast activity. And strength training just happens to be a fantastic tool for doing just that.

And now, you know why.

Here is another example of how something we thought we knew and were sure of really might not be the case.

What if bad fat isn’t so bad? No one’s ever proved that saturated fat clogs arteries, causes heart disease–By Nina Teicholz.

Mens Health–updated 12:54 p.m. ET, Thurs., Dec. 13, 2007–Suppose you were forced to live on a diet of red meat and whole milk. A diet that, all told, was at least 60 percent fat — about half of it saturated. If your first thoughts are of statins and stents, you may want to consider the curious case of the Masai, a nomadic tribe in Kenya and Tanzania.

In the 1960s, a Vanderbilt University scientist named George Mann, M.D., found that Masai men consumed this very diet (supplemented with blood from the cattle they herded). Yet these nomads, who were also very lean, had some of the lowest levels of cholesterol ever measured and were virtually free of heart disease. Scientists, confused by the finding, argued that the tribe must have certain genetic protections against developing high cholesterol. But when British researchers monitored a group of Masai men who moved to Nairobi and began consuming a more modern diet, they discovered that the men’s cholesterol subsequently skyrocketed. (more…)

by Tim Rankin Most of you know of the many benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in Fish Oil, from heart health to fighting depression. Now, more evidence is arising that consuming fish oil can also aid in weight loss! Click here to learn about an Australian Study showing participants who tooks fish oil lost significantly more fat than those who just exercised!

At Superslow Zone, we have recommended high dose pharmaceutical grade fish oil for our clients for years for the many health benefits offered. We offer Sealogix Fish Oil online, and carry a limited quantity in our studios. Tip: when ordering online, click the “People” link. Also order using the Autoship option and you can save 20% on the products.

http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/

Still think exercise and activity burn fat? Still think more is better? This article will show you why that is not necessarily true and probably the biggest misconception when it comes to exercise’s role in fat loss. The truth is, exercise is a weak weapon for fat loss, but crucial that it be done during the process of fat loss. The supposed authorities on exercise are touting ever more activity, but that’s only in hopes the public will do anything. Realistically all it takes is a couple of hard workout sessions (20-30minutes at most) per week and good calorie control while not working out. To understand this further or to find out how you can lose fat efficiently without endless physical activity, contact me at SuperSlow Zone 703-421-1200.