Science Media Centre

The University of Waikato held a live online Q&A session with their experts, covering issues such as over-exercising, ‘fitness addiction and eating disorders. The discussion was recorded and can be viewed below. The Panel included: Associate Professor Holly Thorpe, Associated Professor (Human Development and Movement Studies) Dr Pawel K Olszewski, Senior Lecturer (Biological Sciences) Dr […]

US and South African scientists question whether we can overcome an unhealthy diet through exercise alone. In an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the experts say they believe excess sugar and carbohydrates – not a lack of exercise – lie behind the surge in obesity. Our colleagues at the Australian and UK SMCs have […]

New research comparing national rates of physical inactivity has seen New Zealanders – ranked 27 out of 122 nations – labelled as ‘lazy’ by the media, but are we really that slack? A special series of articles published this week in the Lancet focussed on rates physical of activity around the world and explored interventions […]

Exercise does not improve depression treatment outcomes, according to new research. However experts are divided over the findings. The findings of the UK TREAD (TREAtment of Depression with physical activity) study were published this week in the BMJ. The study was based on 361 adults aged 18-69 who attended a GP with signs of depression. […]

New Zealand’s latest nutrition survey shows the nation’s obesity epidemic surged ahead over the past dozen years — even though the population’s energy intake levels have dropped. Researchers who conducted the 2008-2009 Adult Nutrition Survey (NZANS) say they suspect this means many people are exercising less than they did when the comparable 1997 National Nutrition […]

Children taking part in a new initiative called Project Energize show significant health benefits, with Energize children less overweight and obese, having smaller waists, and able to run faster than comparison groups, according to a new report published this week. The Energize programme, initiated in 2005, and funded by the Waikato District Health Board, aims to increase […]

A recent New Zealand study has examined the effects of playing ‘active’ video games, finding that the exercise component of such games can be beneficial for overweight kids. Writing for the New Zealand Herald, Martin Johnston covers the study, carried out but the University of Auckland in conjunction with Sony. An excerpt (read in full […]

Michael Forbes writes in the Dominion Post about Massey University research showing that men who don’t eat breakfast before training see benefits in peak muscle power and experienced prolonged muscle energy. The same benefits did not, however, apply to women, showing that men and women really do burn fat differently. An excerpt: (read in full […]

Simply tasting carbohydrate has the ability to boost muscle strength, according to research conducted by University of Auckland scientists. Their research found that a carbohydrate solution in the mouth was able to improve performance, without it needing to be swallowed and digested.  The scientists have suggested the effect could be due to neuronal circuits telling […]

Research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not universal, and that our genes may have a great deal to do with whether exercise benefits us or not. The research looked at over 500 people undertaking aerobic exercise, and found that approximately 20% of these people showed […]