Welcome back to our regular feature where we sift through thousands of new, health-related papers, and pick a few to summarize in a practical and not anxiety-inducing way.
Our main questions on each paper:
- In simple language, what does it say?
- Does it have good evidence?
- Should what it says matter to normal people?
- What simple thing, if anything, could a normal person do to take advantage of this finding?
Okay, away we go. And, as always, we rate each paper for practicality and level of interest.
This edition's articles and papers:
- How mimetics work https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/diet-and-exercise-pill-are-real-how-mimetics-work-2024a10004rt?form=fpf
- Sweetened Beverages, Genetic Susceptibility, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Cohort Study | Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCEP.123.012145
- Making History in 1 h: How Sex, Aging, Technology, and Elevation Affect Performance: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2024/03000/making_history_in_1_h__how_sex,_aging,_technology,.8.aspx
- Evolution of world running record performances for men and women: physiological characteristics https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1372092/full
Now, here are our quick takes on the papers:
Paper: Mimetics: Exercise Pills are Coming Fast, Maybe
Practicality (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Scientists are developing drugs, called mimetics, that can replicate the health benefits of exercise and calorie restriction without the need for dieting or physical activity. In studies with mice, these mimetics helped reduce body fat, improve heart function, and prevent diabetes-related issues. Human trials are underway, suggesting a potential future where taking a pill could help maintain muscle mass and overall health, potentially extending lifespan.
What is the paper's main claim?
- Mimetics can activate the same biological pathways as exercise and dieting, creating similar health benefits without actual physical activity or calorie intake reduction.
- Research suggests they could one day be used to treat or prevent conditions like diabetes, muscle loss, and heart failure, and possibly extend healthspan.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The effects have been observed in mice and small-scale human trials, though large-scale human trials are necessary to demonstrate safety and efficacy convincingly.
- It's unclear how strong or generalizable these effects would be in wider human trials.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- Drugs can be designed to mimic the health benefits of diet and exercise, and some are approaching the stage where they might be tested in larger human trials.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Recognize that the future will almost certainly include pills that mimic some of the physiological effects of exercise, which could transform sport and human health.
Paper: Artificial Sweeteners and Heart Rhythm
Practicality (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
The paper examines the link between consuming sweetened beverages and the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (AF). It found that drinking more than two liters per week of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages increased the risk of AF, whereas drinking less than one liter per week of pure fruit juice was associated with a slightly lower risk. The study also discovered that these associations were independent of genetic predisposition to AF.
What is the paper's main claim?
- Drinking 6+ cans of sweetened beverages is linked to a higher chance of developing an irregular heartbeat.
- Small quantities of pure fruit juice may offer some protection against this heart condition.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The large sample size of over 200,000 individuals and nearly 10 years of follow-up provide a solid basis for the study's conclusions.
- The use of Cox proportional hazard models helped to adjust for various factors, but without details on statistical power or control for all potential confounders, we should interpret the results with caution.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- The paper provides new and cautionary evidence sweeteners and heart rhythm.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Limiting the intake of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages may reduce the risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Paper: What the Cycling Hour Record Tells Us About Aging, Gender and Altitude
Practicality (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Researchers studied the iconic Cycling Hour Record (CHR) to understand how factors like sex, age, technology, and altitude have influenced cycling endurance performances over 150 years. They found that male cyclists perform about 11% better than female cyclists, but this gap remains consistent over time. Age causes performance to decline similarly for men and women after 40, and altitude's benefits are not as clear cut as once thought, with little advantage seen above 500 meters. Technological improvements also play a small, but a significant role in better performances year on year.
What is the paper's main claim?
- The study claims there is a consistent performance difference between sexes in cycling, age-related declines are similar for both sexes, altitude has complex impacts on performance, and technology has positively driven performance improvement over time.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The dataset is large with over 600 recorded attempts, leading to credibility through volume.
- The influence of factors like sex, age, altitude, and technology on performance is measured, suggesting a well-rounded approach, but isolating the exact impact of technology could be complex.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- The study provides a more nuanced view of altitude's impact on cycling performance and suggests the gap between male and female performances may not be solely down to physiological differences but also to opportunities and recognition in the sport.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Casual cyclists and coaches might rethink the necessity of high-altitude training, focusing more on other performance factors.
Paper: Running Performance and Technology
Practicality (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
The paper investigates over a century of running world records, proposing that these records can be described by a mathematical model that captures physiological characteristics of runners. The study also explores how innovations in training, social changes, and the fight against doping have influenced these world records. Using their model, the authors are able to demonstrate that recent improvements in marathon and half marathon times could be attributed to the gradual realization of athletes' physiological potential, aided by advancements in running shoe technology and East African athletes' increasing participation in long-distance events.
What is the paper's main claim?
- The paper claims that a century of running world records is well-explained by a mathematical model which incorporates four parameters reflecting physiological competencies.
- It also links improvements in long-distance records to technological advancements, social factors, and increasing participation from East African athletes.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The use of mathematical modeling to interpret a vast historical dataset of world records and physiological principles behind athleticism appears methodologically sound.
- Effect sizes, such as the improvement in performance attributable to new shoe technology, are appreciable and statistically significant.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- The novel conclusion is that recent marathon records may not have been due to sudden physiological advancements, but rather the gradual actualization of existing potential, alongside technological contributions.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Buy new shoes, honestly.
Back next week with quick and thoughtful takes on papers getting attention. And if you see anything you want us to look at, let us know.
