Covid and kids
Peter, Enjoyed the pieces on Covid. And I wanted to understand why “healthy” kids should be vaccinated. Based upon a pre-print of a study out of Germany, “healthy” kids don’t seem to be at serious risk. And the vaccine doesn’t seem to stop transmission. What am I missing? It must be something obvious because I’m seeing ads (at least those circulating within Illinois that appear to be government sponsored) suggesting that your child’s life is at stake if you don’t get them vaccinated. Thanks in advance.
Strength loss versus preservation as we age
You noted that prior studies report an annual average loss of strength of between 1% and 4% per year as we age. Presumably, those statistics are for the population as a whole, with no control for the extent of resistance training of people in the sampled population. Those rates of decline could be read as indicating that one needs to be very strong at, say, age 40 to weather the prodigious power of compounding on the loss of strength. But what if you are moderately strong at any given age and adopt a training program of preserving strength every year going forward? Is such preservation feasible over the long run? If one recognizes that injury in old age may be the worst danger for being able to compete in the Centenarian Olympics, isn't there a case that a program of strength preservation (from a solid strength foundation) is the optimal strategy for being able to compete in the COs? Some related questions whose answers would help put the main issue in perspective: (1) How does the ability to add strength change with age? (2) How does the ability to add muscle vary with the current level of strength (for each age cohort)? The answers to these questions will help one gauge the wisdom of strategies that focus on building strength (with greater risk of injury) as opposed to a strategy of strength preservation. Thanks very much for all that you do. I have learned a huge amount in the short time I have been a subscriber. Btw, the questions noted above reflect my age (70) and an intense personal interest in being fit for as long as I can be.
Type 1 Diabetes
There have been brief asides regarding the Managment of Type 1 diabetes in podcasts and AMAs, but no in depth discussion of the proper management of the condition. Should a person with T1D go with a low carb diet? Try to minimize insulin requirements? Utilize non insulin glucose uptake in the muscles through exercise? What about children? Do they need lots of carbohydrates, as my granddaughters doctor told us? My granddaughter is on a yo-yo of blood sugar from 70 to 380 and back. This doesn’t seem right to me. She has the CGM and an insulin pump, but eats the SAD diet with her doctor’s blessing.
Do any of the hangover cures actually work?
Do any of these hangover pills work for reducing the negative affects of drinking alcohol? I mean addressing the root causes, not just making you feel better. Lots of things can make you feel better the next day, including drinking more. I'm also curious if they're worth taking after light drinking (1-2 drinks). There are many many on the market. A few notable ones: https://zbiotics.com (A novel bacteria that I don't want to try) https://nootropicsdepot.com/alcohol-defense-capsules (This seems to help) https://www.morelabs.com The world will thank you for your answer! Thanks!
A blind randomized study on moderate alcohol consumption
Hi Peter, In your recent AMA, you mentioned that you can't fully trust studies about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption because they are all observational studies and may not take into account the lifestyle and other factors. But there is one study that I would like to bring your attention to. It is a randomized study with a placebo group that identified a reduction in C-reactive protein in a group with moderate alcohol consumption. And as you mentioned once, reduction in inflammation may be a proxy proof of improved longevity. Here is the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/1601459 Interestingly, they might have used beer there because it is the only alcoholic beverage that has a non-alcohol version (for the placebo group). That's not a question, just wanted to point this out just in case you find this interesting.