Health News - Issue 15

Exercise can be a potent anti-depressant

Duke University researchers say that exercise can be beneficial in helping to eliminate symptoms of depression. In one study, 156 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) were assigned to
three groups: exercise, medication, or a combination of medication and exercise. Results showed that after 16 weeks, all groups showed similar—and signifi cant— improvement in measurements of their depression, including the group that exercised without the benefit of prescribed medication. “One of the conclusions we can draw from this is that exercise may be just as effective as medication and may be a better alternative for certain patients,” says psychologist and study leader Dr. James Blumenthal. “These fi ndings could change the way some depressed patients are treated, especially those who are not interested in taking antidepressants. Although these medications have been proven to be effective, many people want to avoid the side effects or are looking for a more ‘natural’ way of feeling better.”

TESTOSTERONE USERS ARE MORE HONEST

Researchers in Germany at the University of Bonn have discovered that the more testosterone circulating throughout a guy’s body, the more honest he’s likely to be! Even when he knows that no one is likely to find out that he is lying, he’s more likely to tell the truth than a man with less testosterone. How is this possible? Testosterone is linked to pride and status seeking. Proud people lie less often, researchers theorize. The German researchers administered testosterone to approximately 50 men. Twenty hours later, they got them to throw a die and record their scores on a computer. The higher their score, the more money they earned. The men in the testosterone group won €3.33 per throw; the men getting no additional testosterone won €4.18 per throw. The men given testosterone said they had won nothing or only a few euros and said they won less often. The researchers concluded, “Our main finding is a lower incidence of self-serving lies in the testosterone group … we observe this result in a setup where subjects cannot be caught lying.

WATCHING TV IS UNHEALTHY; USING A COMPUTER IS NOT

If you’re reading MUSCLE INSIDER, you already know that an inactive, sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, health decline, and reduced lifespan. But sports scientists at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario (just one hour from MUSCLE INSIDER’s Jeff Lavictoire’s house) have discovered that not all sedentary lifestyles are the same. Researchers studied 2,527 children and teenagers aged between 6 and 19 and recorded their exercise patterns, waist circumference, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. The researchers found no relationship between the scores and the amount of time the participants spent sitting at the computer. However, when they looked at the amount of time the participants spent watching TV each day, the researchers did find a relationship. More time spent watching TV was correlated with an increased chance of a higher waist circumference and higher LDL (bad) cholesterol. The likelihood of a higher score increased for every hour that people spent watching TV daily. Time spent at the computer did not have a negative effect. The researchers said, “Our findings suggest that different types of screen behaviours may have different effects on health outcomes … TV time and computer time should be considered as separated classes of screen behaviour.