Resistance Exercise Reverses Muscle Aging

6 months of resistance exercise training can reverse aging associated with mitochondrial impairment and muscle weakness, reports a joint study from researchers at the Buck Institute for Age Research in California, McMaster University’s Department of Pediatrics and Medicine in Canada, and the Center for Genetics, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California.

When we age, our skeletal muscle atrophies, meaning that a decrease in muscle mass is experienced. This is also known as sarcopenia.

Much evidence shows that a main cause of sarcopenia is mitochondrial dysfunction inside cells. (Mitochondria are the cell’s “power plants” as they generate cells’ chemical energy.)

Researchers took skeletal muscle biopsies from 25 healthy older and 26 younger adult men and women and compared them with gene expression profiling.

14 of the older adults had muscle samples taken before and after a 6-month resistance exercise-training program.

Before exercise, older adults were 59% weaker than younger adults, but after 6 months of training, strength improved significantly such that they were only 38% weaker than young adults.

“As a consequence of age, we found 596 genes differentially expressed.” (To learn more about gene expression, watch this TED video from Dr Dean Ornish on how Your Genes are Not Your Fate).

Prior to the exercise training, a large enrichment of genes associated with mitochondrial function with age was seen.

However, following exercise training, aging was markedly reversed back to that of younger levels for most genes that were affected by both age and exercise.

Researchers concluded that mitochondrial impairment and muscle weakness in healthy older adults can be partially to substantially reversed with 6 months of resistance exercise training.

The best way to start a resistance training program is to partner with a certified personal trainer. This way, they can observe your movement and correct improper alignment, in order to prevent injury and ensure that you see results.

At the House of Verona, we work with Adam Mogelonsky, who is by far one of the most qualified personal trainers in Toronto. He has a degree in Life Sciences from Queen’s University, and can be reached at 647-448-2326 or adammogelonsky@gmail.com.

Source:

Melov S, Tarnopolsky MA, Beckman K, Felkey K, Hubbard A (2007) Resistance Exercise Reverses Aging in Human Skeletal Muscle. PLoS ONE 2(5): e465. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000465

Wrinkle-Fighting Recipe: Almond-Fennel Soup

This recipe comes to us from Chef Omid Jaffari, a renowned raw food chef based out of Japan and Australia. He features other outstanding recipes on his blog: Shiitake.

Yields 2 servings.

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 2 cups of pure water
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• ½ cup fennel, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 4 leaves basil
• A dash of TTS Nama Shoyu

Garnish

• Edible flowers
• 1 stalk spring onion, thinly sliced

Method

Soup

• Soak the almonds in 2 cups of pure water overnight or for 4-5 hours.
• Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Transfer it to a bowl, cover and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to slightly chill and mature.

Garnish

Thinly slice the spring onion, cover with cold water and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Mounting Your Work

Pour the chilled almond-fennel soup into two soup glasses/bowls and garnish with sliced spring onion and edible flowers.

How will it help wrinkles?

This soup is an excellent source of vitamin E, a natural antioxidant that scavenges the free radicals that oxidize fats, preserves the integrity of cell membranes, and protects the body against connective tissue damage, which leads to wrinkles.

It’s also a good source of dietary fiber, which is important in expelling toxins from your body that would contribute to deterioration in the skin’s connective tissues.

Other Health Benefits

• Very good source of vitamin B2 and moderate source of other B-complex vitamins, which are necessary to maintain normal metabolic activities.
• Very good source of magnesium, which helps in relieving fatigue, relaxing the muscles, nerves and blood vessels, thus relieving the symptoms of asthma, migraine headaches, tension and soreness in muscles etc.
• Very good source of copper and manganese.  They function as cofactors in various metabolic reactions and enhance the activity of enzymes involved in the detoxification process.

Nutritional Information per Serving (% Daily Value)

Calories: 20% (411 Cal); Total Fats: 54%; Saturated Fats: 13%; Carbohydrates: 6%; Proteins: 31%; Fibre: 41%; Magnesium: 50%; Phosphorus: 36%; Copper: 36%; Manganese: 85%; Vitamin E: 93%; Vitamin B2: 42%.

Chef Omid Jaffari is stopping in Toronto from September 16th to 19th, 2009, during his North American Al-Fresco Tour (including Los Angeles, New York, and Montreal). He will be holding a gourmet raw food cooking class for foodies and those interested in advanced nutritional science. Email us or call 1.800.252.2826 if you’re interested in learning more about this class.

One-leg Pelvic Bridge – Thigh and Hip Workout

The Inchworm – Full Body Workout

Easy Exercise to Eliminate Cellulite

I took an Olympic Weightlifting Course last week, along with another House of Verona team member. There was a lady in the class, named Elaine, who I estimated to be in her early 20s.

At half-time, Elaine announced, “I’ll be right back – I have to tighten my kids’ skates.”

Kids?

She has 3 kids. She later shared that she was turning 40 next year. She boasted very little fat on her body. No bat-wings. And amazingly, she had no cellulite (she was in short-shorts).

What’s her secret?

“Deadlifts!” She told me; “I started doing them 2 years ago and I had lots of cellulite back then. Now…no cellulite!”

If you’re unaware of what they are, they are one of the simplest exercises to learn.

• Find a bar weight that you are comfortable picking up (10 to 40 lbs for beginners).
• Place the bar on the ground at your feet.
• Stand straight up in front of the bar, feet shoulder width, knees slightly bent, back straight.
• Squat down, bending equally at your waist and knees.
• Grab the bar with either an overgrip or an under/overgrip. Your hands should be waist-width apart.
• Look straight ahead, keep your spine flat, breathe in, and lift by extending your legs and waist. Keep the bar close to your body.
• Pause, bend your knees, and lower back down to the starting position.
• Repeat 15 times. Complete 3 sets. Add more weight onto the bars as you become stronger.

If you’re having a hard time, or feeling uncomfortable, ask one of your gym’s trainers to spot you.

Good luck!