Men’s Fitness Facts 41 - 50

• An 18 year study into Long Distance Running and Knee Osteoarthritis, the results of which were published in 2008, compared runners with non-runners and found no difference in the development of knee osteoarthritis between groups. In reality, running provides valuable training and lubrication for various body joints to enhance cartilage health.
• A pile of research fails to show that there is any such thing as “working up an appetite.” In reality, a significant amount of exercise does not contribute to increased appetite and, as mentioned in No. 2, below, can lead to healthier eating habits.
• Burning calories is just about the least important thing exercise does. Far more important is what is known as a “training effect.” Exercise has the ability to make you stronger, faster, more agile, and more flexible. It can make you more skilled at various sports and enhance your cognitive capabilities. It also enhances immune function and promotes longevity.
  And if fat loss is your goal, intense exercise has a tendency to transform you into a better eater.
• Men have higher death rates for all 15 leading causes of death than women (except Alzheimer’s disease) and die more than five years younger.  The average life expectancy for men is five years less than women (presently 78 years old compared to 83).
• For every 1kg of muscle you gain we burn up to 300 calories more per day.  So even if your goal is fat loss, your goal should also be to maintain as much muscle as possible even if you’re depleting calories.
• Testosterone: those newly in love have lower testosterone than men flying solo or with a long-term partner. 
• In 2011-12, a higher proportion of Australian males aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese (70%) than were females (56%). These overweight/obesity rates were up five and six percentage points respectively on the 1995 results.
• Men are less likely than women to seek help for depression and are 4 times as likely to commit suicide.  Men far too often feel like whatever burden we have to bear is ours alone. The reality is that we all have someone to talk to, even if we don’t realize it. Also, exercise can help with depression in a big way. When we workout we release endorphins that give us a natural high without the corresponding crash that drugs often produce.  If you feel like you’re suffering from depression, find a purpose and set a goal, find someone to talk to, and start working out.
• Leading causes of death for men are Heart disease, Cancer and, Accidents (unintentional injuries)
• No time is no excuse.  Those who want it bad enough make time for it. They turn off the TV, wake up an hour earlier, go to bed an hour later, and figure out a way to make it happen. If you don’t want it bad enough you won’t make time for it. Hopefully some of the previous 49 facts help you find that desire and urgency to make time to get in great shape.