Will supplements help your workout or diet routine?

The new year is a time to set new goals, and for many people this means losing weight and improving fitness. Although these goals are best met with a nutritious diet and regular physical activity, many people may turn to dietary supplements for a boost to their routines. To help cut the confusion, the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health has two new resources to help people understand what is known about the effectiveness and safety of many ingredients in dietary supplements promoted for fitness and weight loss.

Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance(https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance/) covers products -- sometimes called ergogenic aids -- that claim to improve strength or endurance, increase exercise efficiency, achieve a performance goal more quickly, and increase tolerance for more intense training.

"Dietary supplements marketed for exercise and athletic performance can't take the place of a healthy diet, but some might have value for certain types of activity," said Paul M. Coates, Ph.D., director of ODS. "Others don't seem to work, and some might even be harmful."

This fact sheet covers more than 20 ingredients found in fitness supplements, including antioxidants, beetroot, tart cherry, branched-chain amino acids, caffeine, creatine, and protein. Creatine, for example, might help with short bursts of high-intensity activity like sprinting or weight lifting, but not for endurance efforts like distance running or swimming. However, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E don't seem to improve any type of physical activity, though they're needed in small amounts for overall health.

More than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and many are trying to lose those extra pounds. Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss(https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/WeightLoss/) guides readers through the confusing set of options in the marketplace.

"Americans spend over $2 billion a year on dietary supplements promoted for weight loss, but there's little evidence they actually work," said Anne L. Thurn, Ph.D., director of the ODS Communications Program. "And people may not know that many manufacturers of weight-loss supplements don't conduct studies in humans to find out whether their product works and is safe."

This fact sheet covers 24 ingredients found in these products, including African mango, beta-glucans, chromium, garcinia, green tea, hoodia, and raspberry ketones. Chromium, for example, might help you lose a very small amount of weight and body fat, and is safe, but raspberry ketones haven't been studied enough to know whether they're safe or effective. And while drinking green tea is safe, taking green-tea extract pills has been linked to liver damage in some people.

Both fact sheets are available in a health professional version that is detailed and fully referenced, as well as consumer versions in both English and Spanish. In fact, most ODS fact sheets on dietary supplement ingredients are available in these multiple formats.

"We encourage people to talk with their healthcare providers to get advice about dietary supplements and to visit the ODS website to learn valuable information about these products," said Coates. "People can also sign up for the ODS listserv to be notified when we add new information to our website."

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NIH/Office of Dietary Supplements. "Will supplements help your workout or diet routine? New resources from NIH cut the confusion on dietary supplements.." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 January 2018. .

Reduced attention to audiovisual synchrony in infancy predicts autism diagnosis

An ability to integrate information from different sensory modalities is important for infants' development and for their perception of the environment. A new study suggests that infants who pay little attention to synchronous sights and sounds may be at elevated risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This knowledge about early development in ASD may contribute to earlier detection and intervention in the future.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The researchers let the infants observe a computer screen on which half of the screen showed objects that moved in synchrony with a sound and the other half showed objects that moved without any relation to the sound. The participants who fulfilled criteria for ASD at three years of age looked equally long at both sides, while children with typical development showed a strong preference for audiovisual synchrony, defined as changes in object velocity happening at the same time as changes in sound volume.

"We expected an effect in this direction, but were nevertheless surprised to see that the group differences were so large," says Terje Falck-Ytter, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, and Principal Investigator for the study. "We believe the findings are important because they point to a rather basic function that has not been studied much earlier in this context."

The study is a part of the larger project Early Autism Sweden (EASE), which is a collaboration between Uppsala University and the Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND). The project includes younger siblings of children with ASD, ADHD or language disorder. The infants are followed longitudinally from five months of age until they reach six years. The participants in the current experiment were 10 months old when their visual preferences were examined and were followed until three years, when the diagnostic evaluation was conducted. In total, 33 infants with an older sibling with ASD took part in the study, of whom thirteen met criteria for ASD at follow-up. The study also included a control group consisting of fourteen infants at low (average) risk for ASD.

"Currently, ASD cannot be reliably diagnosed before 2-3 years of age, and despite a lot of research we still know too little about the causes. Even if twin studies suggest that genetic factors play an important role, we still do not know enough about which specific genes are involved and how they affect the developing brain to cause ASD. Our philosophy is that studying the early development of ASD will help clarify the picture," Falck-Ytter explains.

The results demonstrated significant group differences, but it is too early to say whether the method in its current form can facilitate early detection in a clinical context.

"We used eye tracking to measure the infants' gaze, and the experiment lasted only a few minutes. It is of course fascinating and promising that one can forecast with some degree of accuracy how a child will develop based on such a short measurement of gaze patterns. At the same time it is important to bear in mind that significant results at the group level do not imply that one can take this eye tracking 'test' and get accurate results on an individual level," says Falck-Ytter.

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Journal Reference:

1. Terje Falck-Ytter, Pär Nyström, Gustaf Gredebäck, Teodora Gliga, Sven Bölte. Reduced orienting to audiovisual synchrony in infancy predicts autism diagnosis at 3 years of age. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12863

Low carbohydrate intake to increased risk of birth defects

Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant may want to avoid diets that reduce or eliminate carbohydrates, as they could increase the risk of having babies with neural tube birth defects, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study will be published in the journal Birth Defects Researchon Jan. 25 and it found that women with low carbohydrate intake are 30 percent more likely to have babies with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida (malformations of the spine and spinal cord) and anencephaly (absence of major portions of the brain and skull), that can lead to lifelong disability and infant death, when compared with women who do not restrict their carbohydrate intake.

This is the first study to evaluate the relationship between low carbohydrate intake and having children with neural tube defects.

"We already know that maternal diet before and during early pregnancy plays a significant role in fetal development. What is new about this study is its suggestion that low carbohydrate intake could increase the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect by 30 percent. This is concerning because low carbohydrate diets are fairly popular," said Tania Desrosiers, PhD, MPH, and research assistant professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, who led the study. "This finding reinforces the importance for women who may become pregnant to talk to their health care provider about any special diets or eating behaviors they routinely practice."

Folic acid is an essential nutrient that minimizes the risk of neural tube defects. More than 20 percent of women in the U.S. have blood folate concentrations below the recommended level to reduce risk of neural tube defects. For this reason, in 1998 the Food and Drug Administration began requiring that folic acid be added to enriched grain products. Desrosiers and her study collaborators found that dietary intake of folic acid among women with restricted carbohydrate intake was less than half of other women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women who may become pregnant take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before and during pregnancy. However, because almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, many women do not initiate folic acid supplementation until later in pregnancy, after a neural tube defect may have occurred. This makes fortified foods an important source of folic acid for women who may become pregnant.

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Materials provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Tania A. Desrosiers, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Bridget S. Mosley, Robert E. Meyer. Low carbohydrate diets may increase risk of neural tube defects. Birth Defects Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1198

When Your Body Betrays You

Some years back, a co-worker of mine (a sponsored Ironman triathlete) suffered a serious and debilitating injury as she was preparing for a race. Within an instant, her months of training, the excitement and anticipation, and her sense of identity were gone.

I’ll never forget seeing her the day after she was injured and the raw state of pain and emotion she was in. For weeks, she couldn’t even talk about her ordeal without tearing up. She was, in a word, devastated.

For many, especially those who are serious about fitness or sports, our bodies are like our best friends. When things are going well, we love to talk about them and even show them off.

But what about when your body lets you down or even stabs you in the back? Whether you are young or old, athlete or weekend warrior, here are the three essential strategies for when your body betrays you.

Injury = opportunity.

Everything does NOT happen for a reason. There isn’t necessarily a reason you blew out your knee or tore your Achilles tendon. As the famous saying goes, sh*t happens. That said, every injury or setback presents a silver lining in the ability to see your misfortune as an opportunity. Our job is to pay attention to the signals and learn what our body has to teach us.  

In the midst of an injury, the critical question is, What are the things I can do? There is always something, even if you’re bedridden and your only opportunity is developing mental acuity and resilience. Making a list of what you can do might just be the first step in finding your next passion. 

Face your fear head-on.

Injury merely marks the beginning of a new cycle, not the end of your physical journey. Each cycle in life training or sport is represented by stages of introduction, growth, maturity and decline. This cycle applies to any material organism or fitness program.

It can be difficult to see the positive through the haze of pain, stress and agony, so the first step in outlining your recovery action plan needs to be addressing fear. Still, moving on is easier said than done. As noted, you’ll need a plan that starts with outlining what you can do. But first, you must face your fear, and that means naming it. If we know what we are most afraid of, we can slay the dragon and move forward.

Forgive (but don’t forget).

Instead of responding with anger, depression and despair when betrayed by your body, respond as you would to a friend — with self-forgiveness, open-mindedness and care. When you’re physically injured, the thing you need the most is peace of mind. While performance psychology is a widely accepted practice in the realms of elite and professional sports, a similar approach is also needed for injury and setback.

Anger, fear and frustration can impede the growth mindset of positive psychology. Therefore, the essential first step in healing is handling fear through forgiveness of self and putting your trauma in the past where it belongs. Meditation, prayer and support groups are good resources for channeling and releasing negative energy.

While your obvious first step with injury is likely a doctor, physical therapist or healing practitioner, a good next step may be to visit with someone well-versed in performance psych or even spiritual direction. As it is with successful execution and competition, your mental approach may be the key that unlocks an expedient healing.   

The bottom line.

When my grandfather passed away at age 83, he wasn’t as strong as he was as a young man. But he still played tennis a few times a week and he still could do pull-ups or “chins” as he called them. In the end, my grandfather didn’t define himself by how good he was at tennis at 83 compared with his 43-year-old self. Instead, he was defined by the qualities of strength, endurance and resilience throughout the entirety of his journey. He defined himself by what he could do, not what he couldn’t. If we approach our injuries and setbacks with such grace, regardless of what circumstance befalls us, we can remain strong, fit and successful.

Betrayal is something we all face in life. When our bodies betray us, the pain is literal and figurative. But such betrayal is also an opportunity to begin again and define yourself by qualities, not quantities. 

Time-restricted feeding study shows promise in helping people shed body fat

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are trying to find out whether changing a person's eating schedule can help them lose weight and burn fat.

The first human test of early time-restricted feeding, or eTRF, found that this meal-timing strategy reduced swings in hunger and altered fat and carbohydrate burning patterns, which may help with losing weight. With eTRF, people eat their last meal by the mid-afternoon and do not eat again until breakfast the next morning. The findings were unveiled during a presentation at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at Obesity Week 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Eating only during a much smaller window of time than people are typically used to may help with weight loss," said Courtney Peterson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at UAB. "We found that eating between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. followed by an 18-hour daily fast kept appetite levels more even throughout the day, in comparison to eating between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., which is what the average American does."

This new research, funded by a TOS Early Career Research Grant awarded in 2014, suggests that eating a very early dinner, or even skipping dinner, may have some benefits for losing weight, although further studies need to take place to confirm that theory. Previous animal studies showed that eTRF helped rodents burn more fat.

The human body has an internal clock, and many aspects of metabolism are at their optimal functioning in the morning. Therefore, eating in alignment with the body's circadian clock by eating earlier in the day may positively influence health. This first test of eTRF in humans follows rodent studies of this approach to weight loss, which previously found that eTRF reduced body fat and decreased the risk of chronic diseases in rodents.

During the human study, Peterson and her colleagues followed 11 men and women with excess weight over four days of eating between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., and four days of eating between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Researchers then tested the impact of eTRF on calories burned, fat burned and appetite. Participants tried both eating schedules, ate the same number of calories both times and completed all testing under supervision.

Researchers found that, although eTRF did not affect how many total calories participants burned, it reduced daily hunger swings and increased fat burning during several hours at night. It also improved metabolic flexibility, which is the body's ability to switch between burning carbs and burning fats.

Whether eTRF helps with long-term weight loss or improves other aspects of health is still unknown. Peterson says that, because the human study involved only a small number of participants, a larger, more comprehensive study will need to take place.

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University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Time-restricted feeding study shows promise in helping people shed body fat." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 January 2017. .

What age do boys stop growing?

Growth during puberty happens over an extended period, so it can be difficult to know when it has finished. We explain what to expect and how to know when boys are likely to stop growing.

Every individual grows at different rates, and puberty begins and ends at different times for everybody. Puberty can last anywhere from 2 to 5 years, so it is not always easy to predict when it will end.

A boy's body goes through many changes during puberty. These changes can be embarrassing or confusing, but the process happens to everyone and knowing what to expect can help.

Fast facts on when boys stop growing:

• How long puberty lasts and general development depends on a range of factors.
• For boys, there is some evidence that being overweight or obese means that puberty is likely to begin at an older age.
• Puberty lasts 2 to 5 years for both boys and girls.
• Boys tend to start puberty around a year later than girls. This means that boys may be shorter than girls of a similar age for 1 to 2 years.

When do boys typically fully mature?

On average boys start puberty around the age of 12 and it can last from 2 to 5 years.

Puberty is the process of growth and change that happens in the body as boys become adults.

Puberty is different for everyone and can start at any age between 8 and 14. The average age for boys to show the first signs of puberty is around 12 years old, about 1 year after girls begin puberty.

The fastest rate of growth is usually 1 to 2 years after puberty has started.

Developing physically into an adult takes 2 to 5 years. Most boys will stop growing taller by age 16 and will usually have developed fully by 18.

Onset of puberty and ethnicity

There is more research on the age that puberty begins in girls than there is for boys. However, a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that African-American boys were likely to start puberty earlier than Hispanic or Caucasian boys.

What are the genetic factors?

Genes play a role, and parental height is a good indicator of how tall a child will be.

A way to judge roughly how tall a boy will become is to:

• add together the height of the mother and father in inches
• divide this number by 2
• add 2.5 inches

This calculation is approximate and, in general, it is not possible to predict height accurately. Growth does tend to follow a curve, however, so if a person regularly plots a boy's height on a graph throughout their childhood, it may be possible to track where the line is likely to end up.

Chronic illnesses, such as severe arthritis, and genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome, can cause a person to be shorter in adulthood than would otherwise be expected.

Average height in boys

Boys may need reassurance that growing takes time and everyone is different.

Average height varies across the world. In the United States, the average height for an adult man is 5 feet 9 inches or 70.8 inches.

This average is found by adding the height measurements of a group of people together and then dividing by the number of people surveyed.

It does not mean that people above or below this height are unusually tall or small. It is important to remember that everyone is different.

Questions and answers

Puberty can be a very confusing time for young people, and the following is a list of questions that people may ask.

At what age do the genitals finish growing?

For boys, one of the first signs of puberty is the growth of the testicles and development of pubic hair. The genitals grow throughout puberty.

Because puberty ends at different ages for different people, there is no set age at which the genitals will have completely developed. Once puberty is complete, the genitals are usually fully developed. Puberty usually takes around 4 years.

The key stages of development of the genitals for boys:

• after 1 year of puberty, the penis and testicles begin to grow in size
• the genitals continue to grow for a further 1 to 2 years
• around 4 years after puberty begins, the growth of the genitals should be complete

When does body hair growth stop?

Pubic hair usually grows first, followed by underarm hair after about a year. Facial hair and other body hair will develop after around 2 years of puberty. Development of body hair will usually stop at the end of puberty.

What might impair growth rates?

Factors such as diet and environment can affect growth. Worldwide, children with diets that cause nutritional deficiencies or malnutrition may not grow to be as tall or strong as those who have had plentiful and balanced meals.

Illnesses, genetic conditions, and use of some medications, such as corticosteroids, can all slow or limit growth.

An imbalance of hormones in the body might slow or speed up growth. A parent or caregiver may wish to seek advice from their doctor if a boy:

• is growing much faster or slower than expected
• is much shorter or taller than other children their age
• is growing very tall despite having shorter parents
• has not started puberty by age 14

An X-ray of the hand and wrist can help judge how much more a child will grow.

Tips to ensure the best possible growth

Eating healthfully and keeping active will help a young person reach their full potential height.

All individuals have a maximum potential height. Some things can be done to ensure a person reaches their full potential height, but a person cannot grow beyond this by using supplements or eating certain foods.

Eating a healthful diet and getting enough sleep and exercise is essential. There are many ways to stay active, from joining a sports team to helping with household chores.

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours sleep a night. A healthful sleep pattern means going to bed at around the same time each night and not staying up too late.

During puberty, boys may be shorter or taller than other boys their age. This can be hard to deal with. Understanding the changes their body is going through and being able to find information about puberty can help.

Boys should be reassured that growing takes time and that everyone is different. Developing good self-esteem through positive family relationships, friendships, hobbies, and interests can all help boys to cope with puberty.

POOP tto the rescue

Bowel movements can be a sensitive topic for many people. However, their color, frequency, shape, and texture can provide valuable health information.

It is important to discuss any changes in bowel movements with a healthcare professional. While dietary factors can explain some unusual stools, other types of stool may be a sign of a serious health condition.

Here we talk about sticky poop; its possible causes, treatment, and when to see a doctor.

Fast facts on sticky poop:

• Stool with a greasy or oily texture may indicate a problem with fat digestion.
• Some causes of sticky poop, such as those related to certain medical conditions, cannot be avoided.
• Sticky poop that is caused by an underlying medical condition could lead to complications if the medical condition is left untreated.

What causes sticky poop?

Sticky poop may be caused by improper digestion, or by certain medicines.

According to Dr. Octavio A. Vega, a physician at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, the ideal stool "...is like a banana." Stools should have a soft consistency, round shape, smooth surface, and tapered ends.

Variations in a person's diet may be one reason for alterations in stool consistency.

Experts at Johns Hopkins report that black, tarry stools can be caused by iron supplements or medicines that include bismuth, such as Pepto-Bismol.

However, black stools could also signify something more serious, such as an upper gastrointestinal bleed coming from the stomach or small intestine.

Improper digestion due to celiac disease, a condition involving the pancreas, or an infection can also cause thick and sticky, abnormal looking stools. This type of poop may be hard to flush.

What foods cause it?

For people who have a problem digesting fats, eating high-fat foods may cause greasy stools. Some examples of high-fat foods include fried foods, fatty cuts of meat, whole milk dairy products, oils, butter, and pastries.

For people with celiac disease, eating gluten can damage the intestines. When this happens, the body has difficulty in absorbing fat. A gluten-free diet is medically necessary for people with this condition.

How do you avoid it?

A healthful diet that includes adequate amounts of fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, which can all promote gut health. Limiting processed foods, having a regular schedule, exercising, and getting adequate sleep can also help promote healthy bowel movements.

Probiotics or "good" bacteria may be helpful for diarrhea that is due to certain causes, but more research is needed.

How does gut health relate to overall health?

In recent years, scientists have expanded their knowledge of how gut health relates to overall health. According to the National Institutes of Health, "The health of your gut plays a key role in your overall health and well-being."

Stress, genetics, and diet can all affect gut health. Gut bacteria may even have an impact on certain medical conditions, such as allergies, asthma, colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 2 diabetes.

When to see a doctor?

Changes in bowel movements that last for over a week may need to be assessed by a doctor.

Experts at Rush recommend seeing a doctor if changes in bowel movements persist for more than 1 to 2 weeks, especially in people more than 50 years old. They also advise seeing a doctor if constipation or diarrhea lasts longer than a week, as those issues could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), IBS, a thyroid problem, or cancer.

People that experience changes in stool consistency along with other symptoms, such as pain, weight loss, or fevers, should also see a doctor.

Also, anyone who notices blood in their stool should see a doctor, as it could be a sign of a serious medical condition.

When is it normal?

Sticky poop that is not accompanied by other symptoms will probably last for about 1 week.

Unusual poop that might be caused by an underlying condition could last longer than 1 week, be accompanied by other symptoms, contain blood, or have a major change in color.

Complications and outlook

Complications will vary based on the nature of the medical condition.

When greasy stools are due to fat malabsorption, two primary concerns include weight loss and difficulty absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. For people who have conditions that impact their pancreas, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) can help with nutrient digestion.

When tarry stools are related to a gastrointestinal bleed, serious complications could include anemia and shock. The treatment for a gastrointestinal bleed depends on where the bleed is in the digestive tract, as well as the reason for the bleeding.

In these cases, people should seek medical care right away.