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Pushups can help you burn fat and increase lean muscle tissue. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images Despite the numerous fitness centers and various types of weight equipment available, becoming ripped does not require going to a gym or having your own set of weight equipment at home. You can obtain a lean, muscular physique without weights by using calisthenic exercises, getting regular aerobic exercise and by following a solid nutritional plan....

Women athletes should fall into the range of 12 to 22 percent body fat and male athletes, 5 to 13 percent. Image Credit: Hero Images/Hero Images/GettyImages When the long hours you spend in training pay off with low body fat and toned, sculpted muscles, you feel pretty good about yourself. That is, until you assess your body mass index, or BMI. Advertisement For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, BMI can categorize you as having overweight or obesity, even though you are in better shape and have lower body fat than your nonathletic friends....

What Is the Average Blood Sugar Level? Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock/Getty Images Blood sugar, or glucose, serves as the fuel your body uses to generate energy. The level of glucose in your blood remains fairly stable, slightly rising after eating and declining a small amount between meals or after exercising. Blood glucose can be measured in many ways. Some tests measure glucose directly, while others measure the amount of glucose attached to a specific protein....

A bowl of coffee grounds. Image Credit: aengkiak/iStock/Getty Images Sodium aluminum silicate is one of the hundreds of food additives that manufacturers use to improve certain qualities of their product to appeal to consumers. An additive has no nutritional value of its own, but may improve other aspects of food, such as color, flavor, texture or shelf life. Sodium aluminum silicate is widely used in food as an anticaking agent....

Being able to run a mile is a matter of more than just endurance. Image Credit: Jay Yuno/E+/GettyImages One of the first goals new runners often make is to run a mile without stopping. There’s something about the distance that cements your status as a runner (though, if you run any distance, you ​are​ a runner). And for more experienced runners, mile time is often used as a marker of fitness....

Heart failure is when your heart has weakened and can't keep up with the flow of blood coming into it through the veins. Image Credit: dusanpetkovic/iStock/GettyImages Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 5.7 million Americans live with heart failure. And Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, director of the Ahmanson-University of California Los Angeles Cardiomyopathy Center, warns, “There will be close to one million new cases this year....

You may feel a wide range of symptoms if you have COVID-19, including fever, chills, fatigue or a cough. Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages COVID-19 plays out similarly to a bad cold or flu for most people. But testing positive feels a whole lot more worrisome: There’s no way to know what your recovery will look like for sure, and on top of that, there’s the added layer of wanting to avoid spreading the virus at all costs....

Protein may have no ill effects on kidneys. Whey protein comes from cow's milk. The process of cow's milk being turned into cheese creates whey protein as a byproduct. Whey protein is a complete and high quality protein, with all the essential amino acids. Whey protein is a natural food substance, but is not 100 percent risk-free. Excessive consumption may contribute to kidney damage. Advertisement Benefits of Whey Protein The amino acids in the whey protein prove to be essential for the growth of healthy muscles and connective tissue....

You can't spot reduce your shoulders, but you can work out other muscles so that they aren't as pronounced. Image Credit: Khosrork/iStock/GettyImages While you might think broad shoulders can be altered with diet and exercise like other parts of your body (abdomen, arms, legs, etc.), the size of your shoulders is primarily based on genetics. Advertisement Unless you're very overweight or have been training those muscles for a long time, shrinking your shoulders is nearly impossible....

Marathon runners and other endurance athletes often deplete glycogen stores during training. Image Credit: lzf/iStock/Getty Images If you’ve ever trained for an athletic event or researched what to eat after a hard workout, you’ve likely heard of glycogen: A type of energy — stored in the muscles and liver — that fuels daily activity. In general, glycogen should be replenished after exercise. If you’re following a low-carb diet, however, that may not be so easy....

A female boxer is training. Image Credit: XiXinXing/XiXinXing/Getty Images When picking out boxing gloves for women, you have three main considerations. First, size is important to ensure a comfortable fit that minimizes risk of injury to the hands and fingers. Boxing gloves also come in different weights, ranging from 8 to 20 oz., with the lighter generally used by professionals and during matches and the heavier having thicker padding and used by novices and for sparring....

A young girl eating cake at a birthday party. Image Credit: LWA/Dann Tardif/Blend Images/Getty Images Many Betty Crocker cake mixes call for butter in the recipe. It is possible and common to substitute oil for butter when cooking a Betty Crocker cake. Essentially, butter contains 80 percent fat while oil is 100 percent fat; replacing butter with oil adds more fat to a Betty Crocker cake mix. Because oil has less saturated fat, it may be a healthier alternative....

A man outside the exercising and drinking water. Image Credit: ferlistockphoto/iStock/Getty Images Water is more than just an excuse to stop and catch your breath while you exercise. Medline Plus calls water the most overlooked but necessary nutrient for athletes. As you lose water from your body via sweat, you’ll need to replace that fluid with new water to stay healthy and stave off the dangerous effects of dehydration. Understanding the importance of water during exercise means appreciating that water break even more than before....

Pain on the inside of the ankle is a warning sign for other conditions. Image Credit: tommaso79/iStock/Getty Images Pain on the inside of your ankle is relatively common, and is often associated with flat feet. This pain may indicate an injury to a very strong tendon known as your posterior tibial tendon or deltoid ligaments, either through overuse or through an acute injury. Advertisement Because this tendon is hard to injure without a fracture or a serious foot issue, it's best to get the injury checked out by a doctor even if the pain you experience is relatively mild....

Extra virgin olive oil — or EVOO — is considered the most healthful of the olive oils because it is less processed and retains a higher amount of natural compounds that may offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. Image Credit: jirkaejc/iStock/GettyImages In the debate of olive oil vs extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil comes out ahead. Extra virgin olive oil is the cold-pressed juice of olives and is the first product of the extraction process....

Is it Dangerous to Drink Raw Egg Whites? Image Credit: Igor Golovniov / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages Egg whites are a nutritious, economical food, containing 4 grams of high-quality protein in each serving, along with a number of important vitamins and minerals. Because of these benefits, some people add raw egg whites to protein shakes or health smoothies, while discarding the egg yolk to avoid unnecessary cholesterol. However, both whole eggs and egg whites can present serious health risks when eaten raw....

Large B-complex vitamins can cause acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus. People who get acid reflux also experience symptoms such as burning in the chest and abdominal discomfort. Acid reflux is normally triggered by eating spicy or oily foods, laying down too soon after eating or wearing tight clothing that puts pressure on the stomach. However, it is possible to experience acid reflux when taking vitamin supplements....

references NSF International: "Certified for Sport® Certification" Muscle Milk: "Muscle Milk® Collegiate Protein Powder Chocolate" Muscle Milk: "Muscle Milk® Coffee House Protein Powder Café Latte" Muscle Milk: "Muscle Milk® 100 Calorie Protein Powder Chocolate" American Chemical Society: "Maltodextrin" Medline Plus: "Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber" American Dairy Products Institute: "Milk Protein Isolate" Nutrients: "Effects of Whey, Caseinate, or Milk Protein Ingestion on Muscle Protein Synthesis After Exercise" Nutrition Reviews: "Effect of Whey Protein Supplementation on Body Composition Changes in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" MedlinePlus: "Whey Protein" Muscle Milk: "Frequently Asked Questions" Nutrients: "Protein for Life: Review of Optimal Protein Intake, Sustainable Dietary Sources and the Effect on Appetite in Ageing Adults" NCAA: "2018-19 NCAA Banned Drugs List" Muscle milk has many nutritious ingredients....

Increased activity levels can cause leg weakness when walking. Image Credit: spukkato/iStock/GettyImages The inability to walk as far and as long as you’d like to can be frustrating and even depressing. If you aren’t used to a lot of physical activity, this could be a normal response to increased exercise. Advertisement However, it might also be a sign your body is giving you to alert you of a health problem. Two medical causes of weakness in legs when walking a short distance may be spinal stenosis or peripheral artery disease, especially as you age....

Salmon is packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3s and, thankfully, is usually low in mercury. Image Credit: Getty Images/Boris SV Fish is one of the best sources of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients including iron, potassium and B vitamins. Unfortunately, much of our world’s seafood supply is contaminated with high levels of toxic mercury. (You can thank industrial runoff for that!) Advertisement ​Read more:​ Fishing for Answers: Wild-Caught or Farm-Raised Fish — Which Is Better?...