News by Subject Medicine & Health

Contrary to popular belief, a position played in collision sports like football and hockey may not raise an athlete's risk for developing brain disease later, a new study finds. Researchers also found no link between the length of their career, and their risk of degenerative brain disease, according to a study published in the February 24, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers report that 4-6-year-old children who walk further than their peers during a timed test - a method used to estimate cardiorespiratory health - also do better on cognitive tests and other measures of brain function. Published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the study suggests that the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive health is evident even earlier in life than previously appreciated.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen confirm that the hormone GDF15 is released in response to vigorous exercise, but likely not in sufficient quantity to affect behavior or appetite. These findings add nuance to a hormone that is currently under scrutiny for its potential as an anti-obesity medication.

A KU study measured marching band members' core temperatures, fluid intake and behaviors through high-tech methods to determine their risks of heat illness. Findings showed band members are just as at risk as athletes, yet seldom have access to health experts or policies to protect them.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have found evidence that spontaneous eye blink activity, which reflects activity in the dopaminergic system, explains the connection between fitness and cognitive function. This is the first study to indicate that dopamine has an essential role in linking aerobic fitness and cognition. These findings open the door to new research regarding the mechanisms by which exercise improves brain function, and may lead to novel fitness strategies for enhancing cognition.

A can of Red Bull next to the computer mouse, a bag of potato chips next to the keyboard - that's how many people imagine nutrition in eSports. "The energy drink is indeed part of the diet for many," says Professor Ingo Froböse, head of the Institute of Movement Therapy and movement-oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, "but overall, eSports players actually eat better than the general population."

Students from lower socio-economic groups (SEG) are less likely to participate in sport or physical activity at university, research from Sheffield Hallam University has found.