Comments on Cranky Fitness: More Studies I Plan To Ignore

Scientific studies are lessons in contradictions. ...

2009-06-25T18:53:20.283-04:00

Scientific studies are lessons in contradictions. One will say that drinking coffee is the next best thing to being an Olympic athlete, another will tout that a drop of java gives you cancer.
It all depends on who does the study, how long they do it for, and the conditions tested. None of these things are ever replicated exactly in the real world, so how does it apply?
Honestly does it really matter when our carrots are sliced when the larger hurdle was to choose a healthy soup over convenient fast food?
Nutritionists are the worst. Vitamins are great and all (the new 'in' vitamin is vitamin D) but it's how they react to each other and the foods that they're found in that make the difference. Getting all your vitamins from pills will give you expensive pee, since the pill doesn't have the fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants and heaven only knows what else (the goodness of nature?) that makes fruit and vegetables healthy.

...Although I fully support all studies that tout the awesomeness of chocolate.

When it comes to fitness there are (in my experien...

2009-06-24T15:12:20.110-04:00

When it comes to fitness there are (in my experience as a trainer and a physical culturist) 2 rules.

Rule #1 - There are no rules

Rule #2 - There is always an exception to rule #1

Studies are great and they have their place but you need to also hear the side of the person in the trenches that is doing it. Not just on himself herself but with clients. Of course it has to be someone who actually has an imagination, pays attention and is always learning. Never quite satisfied. Those are the mavericks in fitness. Not easy to find but they are out there.
I heard a great coach once say: If we always followed science we would still be high jumping 7 feet. (the record is over 8 feet BTW)

Heh. I don't like raw broccoli, either. But cook...

2009-06-24T00:28:08.051-04:00

Heh. I don't like raw broccoli, either. But cooked rocks. And I love watermelon in any form. And what a humorous look at studies -- seems like there's a study born every minute. Or something. ;)

dont hold your breath :) next week we'll have ano...

2009-06-23T19:32:09.038-04:00

dont hold your breath :) next week we'll have another theory to ratchet up the ol' crank meter

keep on keepin' on
gp

Just so you know, I was in this biosci lecture on ...

2009-06-23T17:42:43.503-04:00

Just so you know, I was in this biosci lecture on cooking vegetables and they measured various vits in cooked, uncooked, and in the water, and yeah the vits don't get destroyed, they mostly just end up in the water. So the soup/stew thing works, I guess. Or you could drink your cooking water...

I'll just concentrate on eating carrots- if I eat ...

2009-06-23T05:06:18.351-04:00

I'll just concentrate on eating carrots- if I eat 25% more than "average" will that compensate for the fact that I either cut them up and then steam them; cut them up and add them to soups stews and other dishes (not leaving out carrot cake); and even cut them up and eat them raw?

I hate the study that claims an amazing discovery,...

2009-06-22T22:08:09.902-04:00

I hate the study that claims an amazing discovery, only to get to the end and find out it was done on 13 rats in a laboratory. I tend to ignore studies with a small sample and on rats. Come back to me when your 'amazing discovery' works on humans!

I think the majority of studies are either biased ...

2009-06-22T20:30:49.545-04:00

I think the majority of studies are either biased or poorly executed or even created to intentionally misled.

Did I just win the crankiest commenter of the day award? (or maybe just the dumbest!)

but I do like warm watermelon, so that one is probably right.

I'm with you and digging those carrots out of the ...

2009-06-22T13:07:28.775-04:00

I'm with you and digging those carrots out of the soup. I read that ivy also has falcarinol in it so I'll chew on that. To prevent cancer, you probably have to eat an amount of carrots large enough per day to cause cancer.

I hope reading studies does not cause cancer.

Two recent studies I (wish that I) have seen: #1 ...

2009-06-22T12:43:35.956-04:00

Two recent studies I (wish that I) have seen:

#1
A twelve week study at the University of Who Gives a S*** concluded that, in the absence of the compilation of useless data, researchers are prone to play Word Warp on their iPhones and watch re-runs of Saved by the Bell all day. After analyzing the variables, research showed conclusively that, given any (and I mean ANY) topic to study, researchers will abandon their own useless activity and attempt to waste YOUR time with ridiculous and inane conclusions.

#2
After 3 billion years of amassed research, studies show that we are all actually going to die some day. The question is whether we're going to waste our time beer-bonging other people's studies or actually go out there and live life.

I'm a sucker for studies, too. But I'm frustrated by the contradictory results that are constantly manifesting. The bottom line is, you can prove a flat-earth theory if you have a strong enough profit motive and I think we'd all be well served to trust our guts and common sense and go through life living the best way we can.

Thanks for the post. Love it, though it leaves me a bit frothy around the mouth.

I hear ya on the 'changing their minds thing"! Red...

2009-06-22T12:40:18.441-04:00

I hear ya on the 'changing their minds thing"! Red wine is good for you, now it's not. I choose to just ignore whatever I don't like to hear. Pour another glass of merlot! :)

We should make a big list of "what I would do with...

2009-06-22T12:29:43.035-04:00

We should make a big list of "what I would do with the millions of dollars that go into silly research studies". So many of them seem completely pointless.

I love the soup bowl study. Now I dunno about you,...

2009-06-22T12:11:09.519-04:00

I love the soup bowl study. Now I dunno about you, but I am all about moving my bowl before/while I am eating, so when the bowl was glued to the table and I looked underneath and there was tubes of soup hanging underneath the table, I might have noticed...

Now why couldn't someone make a self-refilling brownie pan? Mmm...

So funny, Crabby! You know, the way you cut your ...

2009-06-22T12:05:18.653-04:00

So funny, Crabby!

You know, the way you cut your carrots is probably not gonna give you cancer. In fact, just the fact that you are eating carrots will have great health benefits, I think they left that part out to the study. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Hanlie is so right, whenever I see a study especia...

2009-06-22T11:27:57.186-04:00

Hanlie is so right, whenever I see a study especially about specific drugs and they are "glowing" recommendations I look into who did the study, if its anyone related to that drug company, it's sketchy at best.

I don't like any vegetables cooked so no studies a...

2009-06-22T11:17:33.988-04:00

I don't like any vegetables cooked so no studies about cooking veggies is going to help me.

Ummm I was under the impression most schools had sex ed, I did in my high school and I'm 36 years old. Not that these classes ever deterred girls from getting preggers.

I'm still stuck on how they managed to create a bo...

2009-06-22T10:58:14.492-04:00

I'm still stuck on how they managed to create a bowl that would subtly refill itself. I know this wasn't what I was supposed to take from this study, but where can I get one of those? It would be totally handy for when I'm camped out in front of the tv and too lazy to get up and serve myself seconds.

When it comes to soup, with the temperatures hitti...

2009-06-22T10:46:07.848-04:00

When it comes to soup, with the temperatures hitting the 100's this week, I'm only believing those studies that recommend Vichyssoise!

I think I've said this before here but I get so ti...

2009-06-22T10:42:13.858-04:00

I think I've said this before here but I get so tired of studies -- almost as much as I get tired of books/tapes/shows/whatever -- that delve into the minutiae of healthy living. Because I think so many of these studies/books/whatever -- or at least the way they're reported -- don't look at the big picture, and when it comes to living healthfully, it's the big picture that really counts.

Of course, if someone is doing something wrong, such as exercising in a way that will ultimately cause injury, the minutiae might be important (if we can really call that minutiae).

But I doubt it really makes any difference at all to someone who eats healthy overall whether they cut their carrots before or after they cook them, or whether their broccoli is raw or cooked. Actually, it might make a difference if they won't eat them one way and will the other. 'Cuz the bigger impact is going to come from eating it period.

I believe studies that have a really really large ...

2009-06-22T10:36:25.279-04:00

I believe studies that have a really really large number of research subjects.

But I prefer studies that have the wisdom to agree with me. Saves me the trouble of trying to figure out if I believe them or not.

I find that many people can look at the same set o...

2009-06-22T09:41:53.883-04:00

I find that many people can look at the same set of data, and draw different conclusions, either based on previous beliefs and bias, or different interpretations, etc. Or because they're selling something. You may absorb a different nutrient profile from cooked vs non-cooked carrots, but both and either are good for you, sliced or not. I know people who believe all sorts of strange conspiracy theories, and I don't have the time or patience to argue with their logic or history, I just ignore them. Just like I do with most studies, especially ones that just seem silly.

For things that are current in my life "actually h...

2009-06-22T09:26:50.881-04:00

For things that are current in my life "actually happening now", I don't need an expert to refute or confirm my feelings. When it's raining (and it does an awful lot of it this June in NY) I can look out the window to know. Heck, I can even smell, hear or feel the moisture without even turning on a TV or looking it up on a website.

To believe that cut carrots lose their vital importance is nonsense. Anyone that is using a carrot for nutrition means that they usually aren't substituting that vegetable with cheeseburgers.
Dissecting health benefits and writing them up for those seeking wellness is foolish. And you wonder why newspapers are having a hard time staying in business.

Hi Crabby, I also read the Times article about ab...

2009-06-22T09:11:32.753-04:00

Hi Crabby,

I also read the Times article about ab workouts--read it several times, in fact.

I decided they are just telling us to be really, really careful with form for ab work and not to overdo.

Terrie

I'm so this way this research. I read everything ...

2009-06-22T08:48:19.939-04:00

I'm so this way this research. I read everything like it's gospel, get depressed when they contradict each other, end up chucking everything out the window and vowing to stay away from Science Daily for at least a week;) Although I have to admit I read the NY Times ab article with great interest. But that's because I can't really do ab work now so I think it was just living vicariously.

Sometimes we just have to use a little bit of comm...

2009-06-22T08:43:33.647-04:00

Sometimes we just have to use a little bit of common sense. I got rid of chronic lower back pain when I started strengthening my core, so I don't care if the Exercise God climbs down from his golden treadmill and writes in stone with his glow-in-the-dark finger that core work doesn't work, because it's worked for me!

There are a few problems with the credibility of most research these days. By far the majority of research is paid for by industries who have a vested interest in the outcome of the research. And they will design their studies in such a way that the desired outcome is achieved. Therefore it is very important to always check the funding of a study, which is a matter of public record, the affiliations of the researchers and ask yourself "What is this person selling?"

Then, it is also advisable to read the actual study (usually not really a fun way to spend an afternoon) by going online and paying $5-10 rather than rely on the media-spin. For instance, Newsweek is heavily funded by the pharmaceutical industry, so its articles will always be biased in their favor.

The media can really misreport things, like a recent study where four kinds of diets were compared. The aim and the gist of the study was that no gimmicky diets, be they low-carb, high protein, calorie restricted, low fat, etc. are not effective for permanent weight loss, as everybody had regained their lost weight, and often more after a year. The researchers hadn't included a plant-based whole foods diet because they knew that it's not a gimmicky diet, but a change in lifestyle and that it DOES result in permanent weight loss. The media widely reported that this study proved that it doesn't matter what method you use to lose weight. It even made it onto countless blogs. Total misrepresentation.

Another factor here is our assumption that policy, be it dietary or health, is made on the basis of scientific research. That could not be further from the truth. Policy is made to protect the economic interests of the people who spend the most money lobbying. The US government's food pyramid has no scientific merit at all, it's a simple reflection of whose interests are being protected.

Anyway, this is a long comment, but it's a subject that I have a lot to say about. Unfortunately we have to find out the truth for ourselves, or pay with our health.