Volume 124 Issue 48
kansan.com
Friday, October 28, 2011
HEALTH
for her caffeine fix – a home-brewed Columbian blend coffee with a little French vanilla creamer. Farr, a senior from Overland Park, says once it's noon, she is ready for a hot cup of coffee because it wakes her up again and gets her pumped for her spinning and weights classes she has afterward.
Farr knows coffee improves her mood for when she exercises, but she may not realize what else the coffee is doing while she peddles her bike.
Two years ago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign released a study that said an increase in caffeine intake reduces the amount of pain experienced when exercising. Twenty-four college-age men were split into two groups. Half of the men's everyday caffeine consumption was less than 100 milligrams, which is less than a can of Coca-Cola, and the other half consumed more than 400 mg every day, which is between three to four cups of coffee, says Robert Motl, a researcher of the study.
The study showed caffeine was associated with the reduction of muscle pain. The effect did not differ between those who were low- and high-users of caffeine Mot says, who is a professor in the department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The men's heart rate and oxygen levels did not differ when consuming caffeine versus a placebo, which means the caffeine did not have a negative effect while exercising.
Caffeine works to lessen pain by blocking adenosine receptors, which stimulate pain in the spinal chord and brain. When the receptors are blocked, which is what the caffeine does, then there is less pain, Motl says.
"A Starbucks tall with a shot of espresso might get you there," he says. Motl recommends drinking caffeine before working out because if you experience less pain and if you don't like pain, then you may be able to get to the gym more regularly.
Type 2 diabetes is a disorder where the cells of the body become resistant to insulin, which is a hormone, produced by the pancreas, says Jim Lane, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center. The pancreas helps transport the glucose from the blood into the cells where it burns as fuel. Since the cells become resistant, the pancreas needs to produce more insulin to overcome the resistance. Eventually, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin and that is when glucose levels rise in the blood and remain abnormally high.
About 215,000 Americans who are 20-years-of-age and younger have type 2 diabetes, but it is most prevalent among Americans who are aged 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The distribution of type 2 diabetes is shifting toward younger people because childhood obesity is on the rise.
Although these three studies show coffee and caffeine have benefits on health, drinking too much can have negative short-term effects. Coffee can cause sleeplessness, stress, and you can become physically dependent on it, Lane says. This means if you miss a day of drinking coffee you can experience caffeine withdrawals, which can result in tiredness, groqginess, and headaches.
Because many people do enjoy the effects caffeine has on them, it is perfectly fine to drink coffee as long as it doesn't cause them trouble, Lane says. Many people live stressful lives, so they wind up drinking a lot of coffee to meet deadlines and stay up.
Determining the optimal amount of coffee to drink depends on each person because everyone differs in their response to caffeine. "These very individual differences and variations mean that we can't really prescribe a certain amount like one cup is fine or two cups is fine," Lane says.
How much caffeine do you need to reduce muscle pain?
Since Motl's study says each person needs 4 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight, follow the steps below to see how much caffeine you need:
1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
- Divide your weight by the above pounds
- *This is what you weigh in kilograms
- Take this number and multiply by four
- The number you end up with is the number of milligrams of caffeine you need
For example, if someone weighs 160 pounds, take:
*160 pounds divided by 2.2064 pounds
*This equals 72.53 kilograms
*Multiply 72.53 kilograms by 4 milligrams
This equals 290 miligrams of caffeine needed to reduce muscle pain.
Obama's proposal will allow more than 1.5 million students to take advantage of the cap and six million students the ability to consolidate their loans in 2012.
Through an executive order, President Obama will move forward with his "Pay as You Earn" proposal that will help reduce monthly student loan payments. By 2014, borrowers will be able cap their payments at 10 percent of their discretionary funds and consolidate their loans, which will reduce interest rates.
BY THE NUMBERS
UAVID SCOTT
The White House announced Tuesday that the administration will take steps to increase college affordability by making it easier to manage student loan debt.
dmscott@kansan.com
Jill Jess, director for news and media at KU University Relations.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND PLANNING
"It's unfortunate that financial setbacks can prevent students from pursuing their true dreams." Iler said. "They have to get a job that they know will help them pay back their loans."
Molly Iler, a senior in English from Summit, N.J., is a bit skeptical about the feasibility of the idea. She wonders if the program can keep interest rates down while borrowers pay less. But she holds out hope that the president's proposal will help fellow students.
said capping the monthly payment allows former students in repayment to better manage their finances if they are in low-income
"In a global economy, putting a college education within reach for every American has never been more important," President Obama said at the plan's announcement in Denver. "But it's also never been more expensive."
positions, The consolidation of the Direct Loan program and
OFF LOANS ON PAGE 3
necessarily.
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The flu shot also assists with students' education.
"We are hopefully preventing missing classes," said Ken Sarber, public health educator for the University.
Students have the option of immunization through a shot or nasal mist, which cost $15 and $20, respectively. Jacque Bagwell, a nurse giving vaccines for the clinic, sees the benefit of her work.
"It's important for your health and the health of those around you." Bagwell said.
The vaccination via shot consists of three inactive, non-live flu viruses that are expected to be most common this flu season out of the 200 flu strains in circulation. The flu mist consists
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Have fun and stay safe over the Halloween weekend.
Wenger even considers opening his own flu clinic someday after he graduates. While there are concerns that immunizations might eventually be ineffective because of their widespread use, Wenger's confident that the vaccines will continue to help flu prevention without any long-term consequences.
As for Bissell's unexpected flu vaccination, she feels positive about her experience.
"I would highly suggest it. It's a really fast process," sald Bissell. "I was in and out within five minutes between my classes."
students, said Wenger. "I enjoy getting to interact with patients and becoming more comfortable with the process."
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 10
SUDOKU 4
Don't forget
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Edited by Sarah Champ
Today's Weather
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HI: 60
LQ: 29
Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast see page 2A.
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Sunny day and a chilly
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