👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #103 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
💊 The biggest blindspot in modern medicine
20 years ago, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was the gold standard for treating menopausal symptoms.
Then a 2002 study by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) suggested HRT led to higher risks of breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes.
The impact was immediate.
Medical schools changed their syllabuses.
Medical societies changed their guidelines.
Doctors stopped prescribing it.
HRT prescriptions were slashed by nearly a third over the next decade.
(Data from the US, though it’s a similar story in Australia).
But since then, critical flaws and misinterpretations of the study have frothed up.
And new research has debunked many of the findings — suggesting benefits of HRT to:
- 💪 Muscle mass
- 🦴 Bone density
- 🧠 Reduced risk of Alzheimer's
- 👍 No increased risk of breast cancer
- 😌 And the relief of many other common symptoms
The WHI recently published an updated review indicating HRT is appropriate to manage menopausal symptoms — when started before 60 years old and for women who don't have a history of prior estrogen-sensitive cancer, blood clots or heart attacks.
But the damage has been done.
It’s estimated only about 15% of women in their 50s receive HRT.
Many experts believe the reason is due to an education gap — between the latest evidence and the ingrained stigma of HRT.
That busy doctors don't have the time or means to bridge.
And hence, a system that can’t effectively manage a condition that 100% of females go through.
Consume any of the articles, podcasts or books on this subject below and you'll see countless stories of women seriously battling with it.
Stranded.
Refusals to prescribe HRT, perception of the symptoms as merely hot flashes and night sweats, and even the prescription of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy instead (a psychological treatment, indicating it's all in your head mate).
This single study from 2002 is now considered by some experts as one of the biggest blind spots in modern medicine.
So what can we do?
Everyone either has/is/will or knows someone close to them who has/is/will experience menopause.
And in the current landscape, the answer is self-education.
Figuring out what’s right for the individual. Getting the tools and knowledge to start a conversation with your doctor. Or finding one who is versed in the latest research and treatment.
Here are a few resources if you're interested:
Article: HRT for women, your options explained
Podcast: Demystifying menopause care
Book: The New Menopause
Go well.
🩻 McGill's 30-20-10 rule for spine health
Dr Stuart McGill is probably the world’s leading expert on spine and back health.
His 30-20-10 rule will help protect your spine at work:
- 30 minutes of standing (stand-up desk)
- 20 minutes of sitting
- 10 minutes of walking
He reckons that’s a pretty optimal split to keep the gary jack happy.
Rarely easy to structure our workdays so rigidly, but handy to keep in mind.
🧪 The chemistry of a hangover cure
I hope you woke up today ready for some biochemistry. Enjoy the pain...
When we drink alcohol, the ethanol is digested in the liver.
It's then converted into a toxic compound called acetaldehyde — which is the guy primarily responsible for hangovers.
Boooooo 👎
Acetaldehyde is then converted into a molecule called acetyl-CoA — which plays a critical role in energy production.
Here's a very simplistic version:
🍺 Ethanol > 🤒 acetaldehyde (hangover compound) > ⚡️ acetyl-CoA (energy molecule)
We want this conversion into acetyl-CoA to happen.
Because less acetaldehyde = less hangover.
And we can do that by creating an energy demand.
How do we do that?
One of the best ways... Exercise.
See, instead of leaving things in the form of acetaldehyde, exercise forces it to be converted into acetyl-CoA.
Less hangover.
There you go.
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service and is not a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information given in this email is general in nature, written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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