Welcome to Fitmodo, your regular weekly round up of the news you need to know to keep your earthly form in top shape — from fitness advice to breakthroughs in medical research.
This week: When testosterone replacement therapy can be dangerous, city air is killing you and the Garmin Vivosmart gets a GPS upgrade.
Garmin’s Vivosmart Gets GPS With The HR+
The Vivosmart has been given an update, with the HR+ model featuring wrist-based heart rate plus GPS.
You’ll get running metrics, Garmin Move IQ auto activity detection, an always-on, sunlight-readable display and a water rating of 5 ATM — so it’s swim and shower safe. And of course, it tracks your steps, distance, calories, floors climbed and activity intensity.
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What Men Really Need To Know About Testosterone Replacement Therapy
One of the fastest growing areas in pharmacology today is testosterone supplementation in men. But while low-T is a genuine problem for some men, it’s not as prevalent as you may think — and the treatment is not without its risks. Here’s what men need to know about testosterone replacement therapy, and why it should only be used when absolutely necessary.
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Paracetamol Could Be Making You Less Empathetic
Every week, thousands of Australians take a painkiller that could be dampening our collective feelings of empathy. In a paper published online this week, scientists claim that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Paracetamol and Tylenol, makes people more likely to think that other people’s pain isn’t a big deal.
AU Editor’s Note: This article from Gizmodo US references Tylenol, the brand-name drug with the active ingredient acetaminophen. In Australia, Paracetamol is the acetaminophen painkiller that we’re most familiar with. — Cam
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Surgeons Perform First Successful Penis Transplant In The United States
A 64-year-old man who lost his penis to cancer is America’s first recipient of a penis transplant. The experimental procedure is poised to help thousands of men who have lost their genitals to disease, accident or combat.
Thomas Manning, a bank courier from Massachusetts, is the first man in the United States to receive a genitourinary reconstructive (penile) transplant. The 15-hour procedure, which involved a dozen surgeons and another 30 health care workers, occurred on May 8 and 9 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Manning is currently recovering in hospital and doing well. The organ was received from a deceased donor.
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Report: Four Out Of Five City Dwellers Breathe Unsafe Air
The leading cause of death worldwide isn’t an infectious disease or cancer. It’s air pollution. And despite our best efforts to control it, smog is still increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, posing a health risk to over 80 per cent of all city dwellers.
That’s the sobering conclusion of an update released today by the World Health Organisation, whose global air pollution database tracks annual mean concentrations of fine particulate matter — tiny particles of sulfates, nitrates and carbon that bury themselves deep in human lungs. The WHO was able to compare information on particles smaller than 10 or 2.5 microns (PM10 and PM2.5) across 795 cities in 67 countries between 2008 and 2013.
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Also catching our eye:
- Who doesn’t love a short workout? There’s the seven minute workout, the four minute workout and finally this week scientists announced a one minute workout. (We’ve come a long way from the days of the 11-minute workout.) These routines give impressive results, but Lifehacker Australia says they aren’t a complete fitness solution.
- nna Victoria is the brains (and body) behind the popular Fit Body Guides workouts and meal plans — 12-week regimens of high intensity exercises and healthy eating. Business insider Australia got the skinny on how she works out.
- If you’re looking for a lunch that is delicious, filling, low on calories and not a bowl of dry lettuce leaves, finding something that satisfies can be difficult. Lucky for you, Popsugar Australia has put together 15 of the most amazing lunch options you can make at home and take on the run that are definitely not a bowl of dry lettuce leaves.