Squishy Data and The Best Exercise for Heart Health?

Posted On July 27, 2011

Is it cardio or resistance?
Yoga or Pilates?
Walking or Running?
Paper or Plastic?
Cash or Credit?
Here or To Go?

This Study (bit.ly/on9sNn) from the American Journal of Cardiology determined that you need a little of both … but the data are kind of squishy. See what you think.

Here’s how they came to their squashy conclusion

Researchers randomly assigned 196 overweight, sedentary adults to three different exercise programs.

1. The first group did resistance training three days a week, working out on eight different weight machines to target upper and lower body muscles.

2. A second group did two hours of aerobic training per week on gym machines — the equivalent of about 12 miles of walking or jogging over the course of the week.

3. The third group was assigned to do both the weight-training and aerobic-exercise programs.

Fair enough. So what did they find?
1. People in the weight-training group actually gained about 1.5 pounds and added a smidgen to their waistline, without changing any of their other heart or diabetes risk factors.
2. Those in the aerobic group lost an average of 3 pounds and half an inch from their waists.

3. Study participants who did both weight and aerobic training dropped about 4 pounds and 1 waistline inch. They also saw a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure reading) and in a “metabolic syndrome” score that reflects combined heart and diabetes risk factors.

Here’s What Makes It Squishy

Statistical analyses showed that participants doing both aerobics PLUS weight training didn’t necessarily have better outcomes than those who just did ONLY aerobic training.

The researchers said it wasn’t clear if the apparent tiny, marginal benefits of the combination regimen — the 4-pound weight loss versus 3, for instance — were due to the effects of weight training, or just more total time in the gym.

Duh. More time being active = more benefit. Why is this rocket science?

But the researchers are pushing the combined approach anyway. “Aerobic plus resistance is clearly the optimal program,” said Dr. Timothy Church, who studies exercise and disease at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

Bottom Line?

The best exercise for your heart is whatever you do that makes you move, and gives you the most pleasure doing so, for the most consistent period of time.

They should have just asked me before they had to go and do this study 🙂

What’s the best exercise for heart health? | Reuters