Recent research has me rethinking the conventional wisdom on free radicals and antioxidants. Learn how free radicals benefit your health and get my latest recommendations on how to get the right amount of antioxidants without going overboard in this week’s podcast.
Tag: exercise
Does Caffeine Increase Fat-Burning During Exercise?
Q. I read recently that the consumption of caffeine prior to exercise will assist the body in using body fat as fuel, up from 21% to 40%. The remaining fuel comes from stored carbs. Any truth to the story?
A. There may be a grain of truth to the story but not much more. Taking caffeine before exercise has been shown to increase energy expenditure (the number of calories burned) during exercise by around 10%. So if you would normally burn 200 calories in a half-hour, some extra caffeine might help you burn 220. Continue reading “Does Caffeine Increase Fat-Burning During Exercise?”
Are you a TOFI?
And, no, this article has nothing to do with soybean curd! I’m referring to some new research that is really going to change how we look at health, weight, and body size.
By now, I’m sure you’re familiar with the BMI (body mass index). It’s a formula that combines your height and weight to tell you whether you are underweight, overweight, or like Goldilocks, just right. You can calculate your BMI here and then find your category:
BMI Categories:
· Underweight = <18.5
· Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
· Overweight = 25-29.9
· Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
(Note: The BMI categories may not apply to people with greater than average muscle mass, such as body-builders.)
But now, researchers are saying that a having normal BMI isn’t good enough. Continue reading “Are you a TOFI?”