Men's Health Australia April 2020

Fifteen years ago, as a bright-eyed sports-science major, I had a vision of saving the world through sport. Like many Australians, I’d witnessed first-hand the uplifting effects of a hometown Olympics in Sydney and carried this optimism into my higher education. While I didn’t have the specifics figured out, one thing was for sure: sport, athletes and the culture and infrastructure around them were key to righting so many of the injustices I perceived in society. Fast forward to 2020 and we’re on the cusp of another Olympiad. In this increasingly divisive era, the power of sport to set us on the right path seems more vital than ever. In that spirit, I invited Casey Conway, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Rugby Australia, to co-write this letter, a process that…

THE BIG QUESTION Is food or exercise more important for weight loss? GK We’ve all been guilty of it: smugly swallowing a mouthful of greens before regurgitating platitudes such as, “Abs are made in the kitchen” or the equally misguided, “It’s 90 per cent diet.” But without rebooting training and diet in harmony, you’ll never tip the scales in your favour. Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle confirmed this when they conducted randomised trials on overweight participants. A clean diet alone was nowhere near as effective for fat loss as combining good nutrition with exercise. In fact, after five years, as many as 95 per cent of dieters will be back where they started, and 41 per cent will have regained more weight than they lost. It’s exercise…

SHOW US A MEAL more hotly anticipated than a post-workout refuel. But there’s a catch: the kinds of foods you get in most monastic eating plans do little to sate your hunger. Gratifyingly, research suggests that you can stick a fork in self-denial, as the ultimate re-feed comes from a surprising source: your local kebab joint. Granted, backlit menus aren’t often associated with smart recovery meals. But fresh science on sumac – the dried powder of a red flower used to season a köfte – shows that the contents of your polystyrene box could spice up your next workout. Researchers from King Saud University asked 40 athletes to complete an hour-long workout every day for four weeks. Half of them drank 300ml of sumac juice twice a day – no chilli sauce…

JELLY Gelatin is a rich source of collagen, which plays a big role in skin elasticity and keeps your joints healthy. Pass the Haribo. BLACK PUDDING Rich in minerals such as iron, zinc and selenium, this delicacy can boost your immune system and your fry-up. PORTER A dark beer hiding a bright secret. The flavonoids found inside help to prevent blood clots and keep your heart healthy. MOCHA Coffee can reduce your risk of heart disease and liver cancer. Add some cocoa and it’ll also boost cognitive ability and focus.…

WHEN YOU’RE INTENT on shifting timber, it makes perfect sense to sweat over macronutrients. But, for some reason, we tend to be less fired up about micronutrients: if we do pop a cursory multivitamin, it’s a nod to general health. However, research suggests that by skipping your daily dose, you’re missing a potent fat-burning trick. Vitamins are essential for converting nutrients into energy, helping you burn more kilojoules throughout the day, as well as during your workout. Fail to hit your RDI consistently and you could gain more than a cold. For 12 weeks, scientists at the French research institutes Inserm and Inra fed mice a diet containing just half of their recommended vitamin intake. By the end of the experiment, the micro-deprived mice weighed 6 per cent more than the…

WHEN YOU’RE CHASING DOWN cardiovascular fitness, preparing a detailed blueprint for your next 10K might seem like an eminently sensible tactic. But new research suggests that focusing on a specific distance will only hold you back. Instead, adopt the Forrest Gump-like method of running until you’re done. It’ll give your training extra mileage and boost your stamina. Researchers at the University of Bologna and the footwear brand Asics invited 22 sportsmen to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. They were challenged to run for as long as they could at their optimal pace, which had been calculated by performance specialists, who analysed statistics from the athletes’ previous runs. On race day, they were asked to keep going until they dropped below their set pace three times. Free from the mental constraints…