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Today’s Health Upgrade
Why is GLP-1 a big deal?
This is your child’s brain on social media
Speed muscle recovery
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Why Is GLP-1 A Big Deal?
You’ve probably heard about Ozempic or Wegovy, but here’s what you might not know about these GLP-1 agonist medications, why they work, and how they are being used (and abused).
What is GLP-1: A gut hormone that naturally lasts just a few minutes. But, when kept active for hours, it can shut down food noise (constantly thinking about and desiring food) and hunger, slow digestion, and increase fullness. For a great exploration of hunger and the development of the evolution of these medications, check out this article from Scientific American.
Why It’s Important: It’s changing the way we think of weight gain and obesity. Some studies have shown that the medications can help people lose up to 20 percent of their weight. And a multi-year study found that one type of GLP-1 agonist (semaglutide) reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 20 percent.
For decades, some have argued obesity is a matter of willpower. However, the discovery of GLP-1 drugs has found that some people’s brains might be wired differently. This doesn’t mean everyone with obesity has a GLP-1 issue — and, ultimately, people must change their behaviors to improve their outcomes. But those with clear pathology might now have a way to reverse the disease, and doctors have a way to save lives.
It’s not for everyone. It’s only part of the solution, but medicine can save and change lives.
The Risk: Overprescription and side effects. These drugs were not designed to help people lose the last 10 pounds. They are for people who have diabetes or battle morbid obesity. But as the effectiveness has taken off, abuse and off-label prescription has become a real problem.
The medications also require consistent use; it’s a lifetime commitment, or the “food noise” can return. And it’s not a free lunch. The drugs can cause GI issues that are too uncomfortable to manage. Some muscle loss has been associated with the drugs, but that is more about rapid weight loss than the drug itself. With rapid weight loss, eating enough protein and prioritizing resistance training is necessary to protect against muscle loss.
Source: Scientific American
Health
This is Your Child’s Brain on Social Media
Have you ever wondered if constantly checking social media is affecting your child’s brain? A new study found that checking your phone more often causes brain changes that make you hypersensitive to social feedback.
The study focused on teenagers, so we can’t assume that the impact on adults is the same. But that doesn’t make the study less valuable for those young or old.
Those who checked their phones more — up to 15 times or more each day — also saw changes in their attention, reward processing, and memory.
The study had many limitations, so there’s no need to cut off phones completely (or even social media). Instead, the poison appears to be in the dose, as more habitual social media checking caused more significant brain changes.
Recovery
A Supplement To Speed Muscle Recovery
Stop us if we sound like a broken record, but yet another study suggests the benefits of creatine. This time, the results suggest that a minor dose can have a major impact.
Recent research found that creatine monohydrate can help speed muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness.
Researchers aimed to determine whether taking creatine for 28 days before intense exercise could accelerate recovery from muscle damage. The study focused on muscle soreness, strength loss, and inflammation. Participants were divided into two groups: The creatine group took a creatine supplement daily for 28 days, while the other group took a placebo with no active ingredients.
Compared to the placebo, those taking creatine experienced:
✅Reduced Muscle Soreness
✅Faster Strength Recovery
✅Better Range of Motion
The participants experienced recovery benefits using just 3 grams of creatine monohydrate. As we’ve previously shared, if you’re going to use creatine, make sure you select a third-party certified brand. In an analysis of 175 creatine brands, 88% used a form of creatine with limited or no evidence of effectiveness or safety.
That’s why we recommend Momentous Creatine, a preferred partner of Arnold’s Pump Club. Not only is Momentous NSF Certified and Informed Sport Certifed, but they also use Creapure Creatine, which has the strictest lab standards to ensure all creatine is at least 99.9% pure.
If you want to try Momentous Creatine, all members of the positive corner of the internet receive 20% OFF when they use the code “PUMPCLUB.”
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
