Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Some people turn to a substance called human growth hormone(HGH) in hopes that it will keep them feeling and looking youthful. But experts say that hope is unfounded. And worse, these products can be harmful.

HGH, produced by the pituitary gland, spurs growth in children and adolescents. It also helps to regulate body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and possibly heart function. Produced synthetically, HGH is the active ingredient in a number of prescription drugs and in other products available widely over the Internet.

HGH Uses and Abuses

Synthetic human growth hormone was developed in 1985 and approved by the FDA for specific uses in children and adults. In children, HGH injections are approved for treating short stature of unknown cause as well as poor growth due to a number of medical causes, including:

• Turner's syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects a girl's development
• Prader-Willi syndrome, an uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger
• Chronic kidney insufficiency
• HGH deficiency or insufficiency
• Children born small for gestational age

In adults, approved uses of HGH include:

• Short bowel syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine
• HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumors or their treatment
• Muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS

But the most common uses for HGH are not FDA-approved. Some people use the hormone, along with other performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids in an attempt to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Yet HGH's effect on athletic performance is unknown.

Because the body's HGH levels naturally decrease with age, some so-called anti-aging experts have speculated and claimed that HGH products could reverse age-related bodily deterioration. But these claims, too, are unproven. The use of HGH for anti-aging is not FDA-approved.

Nevertheless, some people obtain injectable HGH from doctors who prescribe it for off-label purposes (uses for which it was not approved by the FDA) and through Internet pharmacies, anti-aging clinics, and web sites.

Others purchase HGH products -- or products that claim to increase your body's own production of HGH -- in the form of pills and sprays. Companies that market these products on TV infomercials or online claim they turn back your body's biological clock, reducing fat, building muscle, restoring hair growth and color, strengthening the immune system, normalizing blood sugar, increasing energy and improving sex life, sleep quality, vision, and memory. However, the Federal Trade Commission has seen no reliable evidence to support the claim that these products have the same effects as prescription HGH, which is always given by injection. Taken orally, HGH is digested by the stomach before it can be absorbed into the body.

HGH Side Effects and Other Hazards

Possible side effects of HGH use include:

• Nerve, muscle, or joint pain
• Swelling due to fluid in the body's tissues (edema)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Numbness and tingling of the skin
• High cholesterol levels

HGH can also increase the risk of diabetes and contribute to the growth of cancerous tumors.

Furthermore, if you get the drug illicitly, you may not know what you are really getting. Because of the high cost, HGH drugs have been counterfeited. If you are not getting HGH from your doctor, you may be getting an unapproved product.

You should speak with your doctor before considering any form of HGH.

Shin Splints

Your shins throb and ache after your daily run or just sprinting to catch the bus.

It could be shin splints. They can be caused by:

• Irritated and swollen muscles, often from overuse
• Stress fractures, which are tiny breaks in the lower leg bones
• Overpronation or ''flat feet" -- when the impact of a step makes your foot's arch collapse
• Weakness in stabilizing muscles of the hips or core
• Poor lumbar spine function

Shin splints are very common. Runners might get them after ramping up their workout intensity, or changing the surface they run on -- like shifting from a dirt path to asphalt. Shin splints are also common in dancers.

7 Treatment Tips for Shin Splints

Shin splints often heal on their own. If you see a doctor, expect to get a thorough physical exam. Your doctor may want to see you run to look for problems. You may also need X-rays or bone scans to look for fractures.

1. Rest your body. It needs time to heal.
2. Ice your shin to ease pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone.
3. Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin, will help with pain and swelling. These drugs can have side effects, though, like a greater chance of bleeding and ulcers. They should be used only occasionally unless your doctor says otherwise.
4. Use orthotics for your shoes. Shoe inserts -- which can be custom-made or bought off the shelf -- may help with arches that collapse or flatten when you stand up.
5. Do range-of-motion exercises, if your doctor or physical therapist recommends them.
6. Use a neoprene sleeve to support and warm your leg.
7. Go to physical therapyto identify and treat issues in your back or legs or running mechanics that may be causing shin splints. A therapist can also help ease the pain and guide your return to sport..

Rare cases need surgery, such as if you have a severe stress fracture that caused your shin splints.

Your shin splints are fully healed when:

1. Your injured leg is as flexible as your other leg.
2. Your injured leg feels as strong as your other leg.
3. You can push hard on spots that were painful and no longer are.
4. You can jog, sprint, and jump without pain.
5. Your X-rays are normal or show any stress fractures have healed.

There's no way to say exactly when your shin splints will go away. It depends on what's causing them. People also heal at different rates; 3 to 6 months is not unusual.

The most important thing is not to rush back into your sport. If you start exercising before your shin splints have healed, you may hurt yourself permanently.

While you heal, you could take up a new no-impact activity that won't aggravate your shin splints. For instance, if you run, try swimming or an aggressive interval bike program.

How to Prevent Shin Splints

To prevent shin splints, you should:

• Wear shoes with good support and padding that fit your foot type.
• Warm up before working out.
• Maintain proper mobility in your ankles and hips.
• Stretch the muscles in your legs, especially after workouts.
• Improve strength in the stabilizing muscles of your core, hips, and ankles.
• Stop working out as soon as you feel pain in your shins.

Do Activity Trackers Like Fitbit Boost Health?

TUESDAY, Oct. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Fitness trackers may be trendy, but there's no evidence these devices raise activity levels enough to improve health, even with financial rewards, a new study suggests.

Many U.S. employers have incorporated wearable devices into their employee wellness programs, although rigorous evidence on their long-term health impact is lacking.

Now researchers have reported results of a controlled trial to test activity trackers. They compared full-time employees using the devices under various conditions with a control group.

And the news is "not good," said study lead author Eric Finkelstein, a professor at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.

People want to see evidence that these fitness trackers boost activity, leading to health improvements that reduce chronic disease risk, he explained.

"Our study calls into question all of it: We don't really find evidence of step increases in the short term, and there's no evidence that there's any health effects in the intermediate term," Finkelstein said.

The Singapore research team behind the new study used Fitbit Zip, a popular clip-on fitness tracker that retails for about $60 in the United States.

The year-long study involved 800 full-time workers from 13 employers in Singapore. Volunteers paid 10 Singapore dollars -- just over $7 in U.S. currency -- to enroll in the program.

Workers were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a Fitbit, a Fitbit plus receiving cash, a Fitbit plus charity-based incentives or a control group.

Incentives were tied to meeting weekly step goals. Participants in the two incentive groups could earn about $11 in U.S. currency for logging 50,000 to 70,000 steps a week and double that amount if they exceeded that goal.

To keep the other participants engaged, small weekly cash incentives (less than $3 U.S.) were paid, no matter how many steps they recorded.

In addition to steps, the researchers measured levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and health outcomes, including weight, systolic (top number) blood pressure, aerobic capacity and quality of life.

At six months, the cash group was more active than the control group. It was also the only group with an increase in daily steps compared with baseline measurements.

What's more, 88 percent of the cash group continued to use the Fitbit at six months, versus 62 percent of the Fitbit-only and charity groups.

But when incentives were discontinued, only 10 percent of participants from all groups were still using the device.

People abandoned the devices because they didn't glean new information, Finkelstein explained.

"If you're inactive, you know you're inactive. You don't need to see the screen," he said.

By the end of the 12-month study period, the incentive group's activity levels "not only went back to baseline, they actually did a little worse," Finkelstein said.

The study was published Oct. 4 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

In a prepared statement, Fitbit Inc. said, "Numerous published studies, along with internal Fitbit data, continue to demonstrate the health benefits of using a fitness tracker combined with a mobile app to support health and fitness goals."

Harry Wang, director of health and mobile product research at Parks Associates, a Dallas-based market research firm, said the study is one of the largest randomized trials of its kind and appears to be well-designed.

But, he noted, it was conducted from 2013 to 2014. Since then, "the industry has become much smarter" about combining technology and incentives for the best impact on users, Wang said.

Instead of offering a generic fitness device, employers are looking to offer different types of tracking devices targeting specific health conditions among their employees, Wang explained. For example, an Apple Watch may be appropriate for obese individuals to track exercise minutes; a sleep tracker may be a better choice for relatively healthy people, he said.

Courtney Monroe, an assistant professor of health promotion, education, and behavior at the University of South Carolina, sees opportunities for future research.

Perhaps newer-generation, wearable physical activity trackers "hold more promise as facilitators of physical activity promotion, not necessarily as the sole drivers of physical activity behavior change," she said. Monroe wrote a commentary accompanying the study.

A smaller, University of Pittsburgh study published Sept. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that young adults who paired fitness trackers with diet and physical activity actually lost fewer pounds after two years than a similar group who didn't use the devices.

7 Post-Workout Moves to Get Fit Faster

Your fitness routine doesn't end when you hit the showers. The downtime after your workouts is when the good stuff happens: Your muscles repair and rebuild themselves, and your fitness level surges.

Want to optimize your recovery and propel your future workouts to the next level? Make these post-workout practices a regular part of your regimen.

1. Refuel

Dip into a stash of carbohydrate- and protein-rich foods after you work out. A healthy snack at the right time tops off your energy supply and helps repair and rebuild your muscles.

About 20 to 60 minutes after your workout, have a snack that's two-thirds carbs and one-third protein, like a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread.

2. Rehydrate

"Replenishing your water is critical to optimize your recovery," says Eric Oliver, owner of Beyond Exercise, an athletic development and physical therapy facility in Cincinnati. Sipping water after a workout helps your body's cells, boosts circulation, and brings your body temperature back to normal.

Drink 8 ounces before your workout, 7 to 10 ounces every 20 minutes during exercise, and 8 ounces afterward. For a flavor boost, add a splash of 100% fruit juice or a slice of lime.

3. Massage

Kick muscle tightness, aches, and limitations to the curb with a soft-tissue massage. "If you can't get a massage, using products like foam rollers or massage balls is a decent substitute," Oliver says. Roll them slowly over your muscles, and when you find a sore spot, hold it there for 30 to 60 seconds.

4. Compress

Many athletes and fitness buffs rock compression socks, tights, and sleeves while they work out. But keeping them on longer may be beneficial. Recent research suggests that donning compression wear after exercise -- even while you sleep -- may aid muscle recovery.

5. Ice

Ice packs and ice baths are a tried-and-true recovery tool. The frigid temp narrows your blood vessels, which sends extra oxygen to your muscles when they warm up again.

Some pros suggest flipping between an ice bath and a hot shower. Soak in frigid water for 45 seconds, then let a hot shower cascade over you for 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat several times, always starting and ending with cold.

6. Go light

Intense exercise has major benefits, but gentle workouts deserve credit, too. They boost blood circulation, promote the flow of nutrients to your muscles, and prevent scarring of muscle and connective tissue, Oliver says. Try low-intensity activities like yoga or walking a few times a week.

7. Take off

"Recovery days are critical in developing more strength, power, or speed from your exercise efforts," Oliver says.

If you work out hard, alternate muscle groups on different days. Every week, pencil in one full day off plus one day of active recovery, like stretching, easy cardio, or core work.

If you're a low-key exerciser, you don't need a day off. But, says Oliver, "it doesn't hurt to have that time off to let your body and mind relax and recover for the next week of exercise."

THE MUSCLE WHICH IS LOCATED ON YOUR BUTTOCKS CAN HELP YOUR RESTORE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM!

Unfortunately, more and more ailments torture us every day, but they do not come only from the head. Namely, these pelvic muscles are also called ‘the muscles of the soul’. They are located on the lower back, next to the hips and they end under our buttocks. These muscles control the balance, movement and the flexibility of the body.

These pelvic muscles are responsible for your self-esteem, and thereby these exercises are highly recommended for all those whose self-esteem is low and often feel depressed.

They also pay a very important role in controlling the breathing and the work of the diaphragm. If the pelvic muscle is tense then you will also feel tense physically or mentally.

These exercises will help you relax these muscles. However you must note that these exercise are different for men and women.

Exercises for women:

Exercises for men:

YOU KNOW THIS EXERCISE FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD: BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT CAN DO TO YOUR BODY FOR 2 MINUTES A DAY ?

This exercise will help you look excellent in any bikini or jeans. In addition this amazing exercise will strengthen your muscles, prevent injuries and your body will work better.

One of the best ways to stretch your muscles is do this exercise, widely known as the bridge.

Here are 3 reasons why you need to add this so called bridge exercise to your list of training exercises:

Reduces Back Pain

This is an effective remedy for back pain. By practicing the bridge exercise every day you will be able to activate the glutes. If you have spent most of your day sitting, then you should definitely do this exercise, it will help you a lot.

Reduces knee pain

If arthritis is a common condition in your family, then we highly recommend that you practice this exercise, because this exercise will help your reduce the risk of it. The pain will disappear in few weeks.

Better sports results

Strong glutes are very important for your energy, which you surely need especially if you are an athlete. This exercise will help you strengthen the gluteus and you will have more energy out on the field.

Make sure that you share this article with your friends and family.

VACUUM FITNESS: THE BEST EXERCISES FOR PERFECT ABS!

Vacuuming your stomach is a great way to define the boring abdominal part of the body. The best thing is that this exercise is not difficult and hard to perform at all.

As Kristen shows, the process of performing this exercise is quite simple. First, you need to take full breath and fill your lungs and abdomen with air. Next thing you need to do is to aggressively exhale all the air in order to achieve more concave belly profile.

This is also a great way to improve your body posture.