Supplements That Help the Heart

AnewstudyconductedbyresearchersatBrownUniversity hasidentifiedcertainsupplementsthatmaybebeneficial forhearthealth.Themeta-analysispublishedinthe Journal of the American College of Cardiology reviewed more than 884studieson27typesofmicronutrientsupplements among883,627participantsandfoundstrongevidencethat omega-3fattyacid,folicacidandcoenzymeQ10(CoQ10) aremicronutrientsthatreducecardiovascularrisk.Omega-3 fattyacidwasfoundtodecreasemortalityfromcardiovascular disease; folic acid lowered stroke risk; and CoQ10 decreased all-causemortality.Omega-6fattyacid,L-arginine, L-citrulline,melatonin,magnesium,vitaminD,zinc,alphalipoicacid,catechin,flavanol,curcumin,genisteinandquercetin alsoshowedevidenceofreducingcardiovascularrisk.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts may sound like a trendy buzzword reserved only for experienced athletes, but this versatile, shortform exercise is safe and effective for just about everybody, including beginners, as long as it is done properly. According to Bogdan Goia, fitness expert and founder of Far Hills Fitness, in New Jersey, “HIIT training can benefit almost any age demographic, from teenagers to clients in their 70s and 80s.”

“In a recent study, even menopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis successfully completed 13 months of high-impact HIIT with a very high adherence rate, with no injuries and high satisfaction ratings,” shares Debra Atkinson, a medical exercise specialist, certified strength and conditioning coach, and founder of Flipping 50 (FlippingFifty.com).

Basic Principles of HIIT

A HIIT workout consists of a series of short bursts of intense activity interspersed with periods of rest or low-intensity movement called “active recovery”. A session is deemed to be high intensity when it is at or near peak effort, which translates to an eight or nine out of 10 on the exercise intensity scale, or 80 to 95 percent of an individual’s maximum heart rate. Such exertion is characterized by heavy sweating and an inability to say more than a few words without gasping for breath.