Caffeine helps muscles recover from heavy loads

Posted at 09:35, Saturday, August 30, 2008

Caffeine helps muscles absorb glucose and greatly increases the speed of recovery stocks glycogen in the muscles after heavy physical exertion. These findings came as a result of Australian researchers complicated experiment involving several professional athletes.

It is known that the use of caffeine and carbohydrates before and during training significantly increases strength and endurance athletes, but the authors of a new study for the first time been able to prove that the combination of these substances has also contributed to rebuild muscles after exercise.

The study, conducted by officers of several leading medical research centres of Australia, was attended by seven-marathon cyclists. At the preliminary stage experiment subject had to complete exhaustion seized on the bike, after which they offered dinner with a minimum content of carbohydrates. Thus scientists have achieved the maximum possible depletion of glycogen in the muscles of athletes.

The next day, exhausting training again, after which the participants divided into two groups. Both groups have proposed identical in color, smell and taste drinks with high content of glucose. In doing so, one of the drinks containing caffeine, and the second - no. Within four hours after the completion of studies at the athletes were taken several muscle biopsies and blood samples.

A few days later repeated the entire experiment first, but this time drinks with caffeine were those parties, which they lacked last time.

As the analysis of samples of muscle tissue and biochemical analysis of blood, the use of caffeine after training was associated with a significant increase in the speed of recovery stocks glycogen in the muscles - the main "fuel" of muscle tissue. Thus, after four hours after the completion of loads of glycogen in the muscles injecting caffeine participants was higher by 66%. In addition, the use of caffeine led to an increase in blood glucose levels of athletes, insulin, as well as several proteins taking part in moving glucose into muscle cells.

As the authors of the study, used in the experiment sufficiently high dosage caffeine, equivalent to five to six cups of strong coffee. In the next stage, scientists intend to assess the beneficial effect of more moderate concentrations of caffeine. Caffeine was removed from the list of banned substances the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2004.

Lack of sleep accelerates the normal aging of the body

Posted at 09:25, Saturday, August 30, 2008

Lack of healthy sleep, particularly in old age, degrades cellular aging body. Insomnia and frequent awakening at night lead to dysfunction of protein synthesis in cells and their loss in the cerebral cortex, harm mental abilities and weakening protection fabrics. By this conclusion came neurologists University of Pennsylvania after reviewing the results of testing on laboratory mice.

It identified the link between the violation of the sleep / mouse sleeping approximately every three hours during the day / and disconnecting the synthesis of proteins using substances BiP/GRP78. In addition, lack of sleep caused normal activities "wrong" proteins that promote cell death, which in elevated amounts were from old mice. American experts have concluded that sleep disorders are responsible for protein degradation system in the brain and reduce the aging process.