FitSugar

Workplace Stress and Colds

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:50:18 PST

Stress is no good for the immune system and can make you vulnerable to upper respiratory viruses, aka the common cold. One common source of stress is work, and a new study found that men were more likely to catch colds while dealing with workplace stress than their female coworkers.

The study followed 1,241 workers after assessing their stress levels based on demands of the job, job control, and social support. The men who reported stress at the beginning of the study were much more likely to report colds than women. There was no "significant association" between women's stress levels and their developing colds. A couple of months ago we learned that women tend to be more resilient than men after traumatic injury, which scientists believe is a product of evolution. Not sure if that is the answer here, but is this your experience? Do you see a correlation between work stress and colds in the men in your life?

Weigh in: Are Women More Resilient Than Men?

Susi May — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:30:26 PDT

Ask most women and they will tell you men can act like serious wusses when sick or injured. I don't know if it is an old wives' tale or a stereotype - but I remember my mother only being sick once when I was child (which was awesome because we had Dairy Queen for dinner that night). A recent study now kind of backs up my very unscientific conclusions about the genders and sickness. The study, based on data from 48,394 people, found that women were 14 percent more likely to survive a traumatic injury than men. Involved in the study Dr. Adil H. Haider, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained the findings like this:

"I know some people may think women are the fairer sex, but as far as trauma goes, and their ability and tenacity to survive, women may even have a better evolution than men. Women have to take care of kids, survive childbirth, do things that men aren't expected or built to do. In some events, female sex hormones kind of enhance the immune system."

Researchers feel that the female hormones' effect on the immune system could also be why women are more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases like lupus than men.

I am wondering what you think of all this? Has this been your experience? Share your opinion in the comment section below.

10 Gym Guy Stereotypes (and Why We Love Them)

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:50:03 PDT

Almost everyone in the gym shows up to work for a goal, be it overall health, bulking up, losing weight, or increased power and flexibility. Of course, there are a million different fitness roads you can take to get there and watching others work it out can be fascinating and (occasionally) giggle inducing. Whether you're attracted to the average man or a more muscular build, you've undoubtedly checked out your fellow gym goers getting their groove on. Here's a guide to decoding the most common types of gym guys and what we can learn from them. That is when you're not just ogling their form.

The Former Athlete - The rest of the team may be just as tall as him now, but he's still the big man on campus. He shows up sporting his college gear though his frat days are a distant memory. He watches the game on the TV while cycling or running, but is dedicated to his workout. What's to love? Men with years of workout experience just get better with age. They remind us to appreciate a challenge - be it an occasional marathon, game of pick me up, or Sunday soccer league. The healthiest way to relive your glory days is to keep them alive.
The "I Will Pump You Up" Dude - Mike "The Situation." Vin Diesel. Jake Gyllenhaal circa Prince of Persia. These buffed up boys sustain themselves with protein shakes and pump serious iron. Why do we love them? Whether you like the body or not, you have to hand it to muscle-minded men for understanding the importance of a well-rounded routine. It takes daily dedication to maintain a beefcake bod.
The Marathoner - These guys head to the gym to get sweaty and compete with themselves. They are focused, goal-oriented, and typically don't pay much attention to other gym goers. Why do we love them? Runners understand that stretching is crucial, as is working different muscle groups and maintaining a schedule. They also know it's smart to plan days off to let your muscles heal and keep your knees healthy.

Keep reading for the rest of the list.

For Men and Women, Response to Stress Is Very Different

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:00:03 PST

A new study published this month in the Journal of Neuroscience, reports findings that confirm what we may have long suspected - when it comes to stress, men and women respond differently. Using functional MRI to monitor the brain activity in healthy men and women, the research revealed that men's and women's brains process stress in different ways, which in turn, influences how their bodies process chronic diseases like depression and heart disease.

After men and women were shown "stress-triggering" images, their brains were scanned. Women were scanned both at the start of their menstrual cycle and again during ovulation. Now this is interesting - for men, the brain activity in response to stress was similar when compared to the brain activity of women who were at the start of their menstrual cycles. But stress levels were higher in men when compared to women who were ovulating. Ahh . . . the magic of ovulation. According to the study's author, Jill Goldstein, scientists "found that women have been endowed with a natural hormone capacity to regulate the stress response in the brain that differs from men."

Ladies, do you notice that you feel calmer and less stressed in the middle of your cycle when you're ovulating?

Body Knowledge: Cold Hands, Warm Core?

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:31 PDT

The cooler temps of late Autumn spark what we call in our house the thermostat wars. Although the preferred temps in my home seem to vary greatly by gender, there is no clear-cut answer which sex tolerates cold better. Studies have found that women have a higher core temperature than men, but colder hands. I can vouch for the cold hands thing - can you? Although a warmer core temp means women are better able to protect their vital organs, all housed in the torso, cold hands mean less blood flow to extremities, creating an increased perception of cold. Then there is the theory that Aunt Ruby affects a woman's perception of cold. The changes in body temperature that accompany the menstrual cycle can affect the way a woman perceives cold temperatures. This theory is still under debate, but might be something to pay attention to when you reach for socks in the middle of the night.

Do You Eat Less in the Company of Men?

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:00:00 PDT

A recent study conducted in three university dining halls found that women changed their food choices depending on the gender of their companions.

When eating one-on-one with a guy, the girls ate foods that contained significantly fewer calories than when eating with female companions. The study found a couple more examples of behavior worth noting that were published in the journal Appetite:

Overall, group size was not a significant predictor of calories, but women's calories were negatively predicted by numbers of men in the group, while the numbers of women in the group had a marginally significant positive impact on calorie estimates. Men's calorie totals were not affected by total numbers of men or women.

I found this fascinating and am wondering if you find these behaviors true for you.

Who Is Germier?

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:00:00 PST

We all know that women and men are different, right down to our pinkie fingers. Researchers from the University of Colorado examined many hands and found a distinct difference between men's and women's palms. That difference was germs. Take this quiz to see if you know who is germier.

Source

Take the Quiz

Soccer, Quads, and Knees

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:00 PDT

Although, we have all known for a long time that men are from Mars and women from Venus, the scientific community is just figuring out that we're different. It is not just men and women who are different exercisewise, it is true for boys and girls, too. Specifically, they are different when it comes to the knee joint.

Quarterback Tom Brady may be breaking NFL hearts with his ACL tear, but the injury occurs up to six times more frequently in high-school girls than in same aged boys. The reason is two fold: Boys experience a growth spurt in puberty that increases the size and strength of their hamstrings and glutes. Girls don't really experience a "power spurt" in the same way. Girls tend to have strong quads, the muscle on the front of the thigh, and weak hamstrings and glutes on the back of the thighs. This imbalance takes it toll on the knee, and specifically the anterior cruciate ligament, better known as the ACL.

The muscle imbalance and the dominance of the quad disrupts the correct muscular pattern, or "turn on function" of the back of the legs. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center created a leg-conditioning program for female high-school athletes. The work focuses on activating and strengthening the backside of the body. And this re-education takes time. Generally three sessions a week that are 30 to 60 minutes long for an eight-week program.

To learn what the conditioning program entails, just

read more. Tim Hewet, who created the conditioning program explains the work like this:

ACL injuries don't happen when you have your knee flexed deep. So, [I'm] teaching them to get in deep, flexed position, turning on all the muscles on the back side of the leg, and at the same time, controlling or stiffening their core.

Preventing injury means more girls can stay on the field and hopefully have healthy knees as they age, a big concern for me and my aging knees. Take home message: If you have a daughter that plays soccer, basketball, or tennis you should look into creating a knee health program at her high school. If you play sports, keep your hamstring and glutes strong. If you have torn your ACL, share the details of your recovery in the comments section below. For more specifics on ACL injures, check our new Health Guide. Source

News Alert: Men and Women Are Different, Exercise Wise Too

FitSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Physiologically speaking, women and men are different – no real news flash there, but these differences even affect how we exercise and they haven't been studied for very long. Like most scientific studies, exercise studies were performed on men and the researchers assumed the results would cross gender line. About 15 years ago researchers began to study the female body in motion (FYI: Title IX passed over 35 years ago).

Here are a few of the differences they have found so far.

Exercise:
If you think of the calorie deficit created by exercise, it is similar to starvation. From an evolutionary perspective, exercise creates a physiological survival mode in women's bodies. The female metabolism slows down to maintain the ability to bear children in case of a famine.

The differences don't end there, so read more.

Eating Habits: Women vs. Men

FitSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PDT

What is typically on your dinner plate? Does it differ dramatically than what is on your date's? If your date is a dude it just might. Take this quiz and see.

Source

Take the Quiz