Originally published October 18 2005
Duke researchers argue for the duration of exercise
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The amount of time devoted to exercise, not its intensity, is what a recent study by Duke researchers suggests is more important.
A study by Duke University researchers suggests that more exercise may be better than harder exercise at improving fitness.
Duke University Medical Center researchers, writing in the current issue of the journal Chest, report on a randomized trial of various amounts and levels of exercise among 133 sedentary, overweight or moderately obese individuals age 40 to 65 with abnormal cholesterol levels.
Brian D. Duscha, an exercise physiologist in the cardiology division at Duke and lead author of the study, said that although the amount of exercise appeared to be more important than the level of exercise, the results also suggest increasing either duration or intensity will increase the health benefits.
In the Duke study, participants were assigned for seven to nine months to one of three exercise groups that varied by amount and intensity of exercise.
Duscha said that participants actually ate more food as they became more active, although they weren't aware of eating more.
"These folks got a benefit in the absence of weight loss," said Duscha, who observed that a regimen that prevents weight gain can be helpful, since we tend to put on 3 to 5 pounds a year.
Thompson, analyzing the current literature, found strong evidence that exercise reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease.
Studies suggest that exercise can reduce cardiovascular events after angioplasty and that exercise is better than angioplasty for treating angina pain in some patients.
Echinacea, the embattled botanical that was found to be ineffective in preventing or treating colds in a study published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine, got a lift last week from the federal agency that funds alternative medicine research.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said it would continue to support studies into the safety and effectiveness of echinacea, the most commonly used natural product in the nation.
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