The July Mayo Clinic Proceedings features an interesting study by the University of Pennsylvania. Penn’s team compared red yeast rice plus fish oil to statin drugs relative to improvement in serum lipids and triglycerides. The study randomly assigned patients to two groups. Either the patients were assigned to take prescription Zocor (simvastatin) or the fish oil plus red yeast rice. The supplement group also commited to lifestyle change and were trained regarding Mediterranean dietary choices.

The findings proved interesting. Both groups showed significant improvement in lipids and triglycerides, but the lifestyle and supplement group also lost weight. The weight loss was a significant 12 pounds on median. Now while this study is preliminary and needs to be repeated with a larger group it does suggest strongly that aging against the machine doesn’t necessarily have to include drugs like statins.

For those interested in replicating the protocol themselves: The fish oil capsules contained 351mg of EPA and 280mg of DHA per dose. The red yeast rice tablets contained 5.3mg of monacolins per dose. Shop around and read labels at the vitamin shop and this shouldn’t be too hard to replicate.

Mind you neither of these are new, but Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. has just completed Phase IIb trials of Empatic. That’s a combination pill containing Zonegran and Wellbutrin. Both drugs have been used in weight loss for some time but as multiple drugs. Together the drugs act to suppress the appetite and cravings and result in sustained weight loss over time. The most recent trial demonstrated a consistent 10-15% over 24 to 48 weeks. Pretty good stuff for being non-stimulant medications. Neither of these drugs is currently FDA approved for weight loss, though they can be used off-label.

Over at Vivas, Qnexa is under trial and seeking FDA approval. It’s a combination of drugs that have been long compounded for specialty weight loss programs such as the widely known Phentermax program or used as single drugs for weight loss.   Phentermine, one component, is the classic appetite suppressant and has been in use for decades. Topiramate (or Topamax) is not approved by the FDA for weight loss but has in recent years been found to cause some weight loss on its own and shown significant synergy with other weight loss drugs.

According to CalorieLab, Inc., the obesity trend in the US hasn’t yet stabilized. They track all kinds of nutritional and weight loss related data. Their current map is now US complete having for the first time added Hawaii.

What is most disturbing about this data is that year-over-year only the District of Columbia improved and that only by a miniscule amount. Click on the map above to read their whole story.

According to this data, Nevada has 23.6% of its residents with a BMI of greater than 30. 1 in 4 Nevadans are more than just overweight, they are flattly obese.  This is, no pun intended, huge. The amount of fundamental lifestyle change that needs to occur is truly significant. Relationships with food must change. Exercise programs need to begin.

The machinery is pushing toward heavy and the problems that come with it, aging against the machine begins with weight control.

So, Dr. Bhimu Patil at Texas A&M University decided that the 4th of July would be a great time to hype watermelon as a sex drug. Turns out that it’s all just hype. In this press release, Dr. Patil touts the citruline in watermelon as having “Viagra like effects.” To say that this overstates the case is understanding the wrongness of it. Citruline is converted to arginine in the body. Arginine is an amino acid that is important for a variety of things including production of nitric oxide which improves the elasticity of blood vessels and more importantly the expansile properties of erectile tissues.

Arginine is a great amino acid, I recommend it all the time not just for it’s blood vessel function improvement but almost more importantly to stimulate release of growth hormone. There is even some controversy over that and whether it should be taken only at night or with other amino acids. Injectable arginine definitely releases growth hormone, though it has to be IV and high dose. Regardless, citrulline is not going to convert magically to some incarnation of arginine that works as well as or even particularly like drugs like Viagra. There’s a great rant on that subject here.

To increase the absurdity of consuming watermelon for it’s citrulline, this study demonstrated increases in serum arginine with consumption of 3 glasses of watermelon juice per day. Every day. Nobody I know likes watermelon quite that much.

Dr. Patil does note something far more interesting, though.  Watermelon is apparently also a major source of lycopene. Mind you, tomotoes are a tremendous source of lycopene but getting a little more of this powerful anti-oxidant at a summer picnic isn’t a bad idea. Anti-oxidants are always a good idea, even if lycopene doesn’t cure anything in particular.

From a medical research standpoint, 2007 was the year of interval training. In January, The University of New South Wales released a study (note released not published) that showed that high-intensity interval training was more effective than continuous moderate exercise at reducing fat. The study showed the benefits using women exercising with alternating sprints and moderate speed on a stationary bike for 20 minutes versus continuous moderate biking for 40 minutes. Over 15 weeks, the interval group (sprints and moderate biking) lost three times as much fat as the traditional exercise group. That’s contrary to traditional exercise thinking since more fat was lost with half of the total exercise time. Due to their rapid news cycle, SELF magazine just now noticed .

In the peer-reviewed literature, the folks at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine got down and dirty with the statistical measurements . They found that by alternating high intensity walking and moderate intensity walking in three minute intervals caused more improvement in blood pressure, a greater increase in exercise capacity and a greater increase in leg strength than continuous moderate exercise.

Canadian researchers got down in the enzymes and metabolic change and showed definitively that interval training produces significant improvement in fat oxidation.

So what to do with this information? Ultimately any aerobic exercise is good. Interval training is faster and better. Runners and others have known this for a long time. I remember years ago that high school coaches had their athletes doing wind sprints . You can modify your existing routines a number of ways. Add super fast walking at intervals to a walking routine, bike sprints followed by moderate biking. That kind of thing. Some exercise machines even have these kinds of routines built into their programming. I’ve been using a LifeCycle for years that has a "hill" routine that is essentially interval training. For the workout video set, there’s 10 Minute Trainer from Beachbody. I’ve been using this routine for 3 weeks and frankly, as someone who is fairly fit have been surprised how much difference tightening up the routine into a highly engineered interval plan makes.

No matter the path you choose, interval training really needs to become part of the plan. It’s definitely easier to start with long moderate activity routines but the real benefits in fitness and time saved come with interval training.