Weekly Health Quiz: Stroke, Sleep and BFR

1 Which of the following is a precursor to glutathione and will help raise your glutathione level?

• Histidine
• Lysine
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

  NAC is a precursor to and rate-limiting nutrient for the formation of glutathione. Glutathione is poorly absorbed, so in many cases, it's easier to raise your glutathione by taking NAC instead. Learn more.

• Tryptophan

2 Which U.S. state will be the first to put government vaccine mandates to a popular vote with its "Yes on 1" initiative, up for vote on the March 3, 2020 ballot?

• New York
• California
• Washington
• Maine

  Maine will be the first state to put government vaccine mandates to a popular vote. A people's veto petition has been submitted to overturn LD798, a new law which revokes religious and philosophical/personal belief vaccine exemptions and bars access to education and certain types of employment for people who decline one or more state-mandated vaccines for themselves or their minor children. Learn more.

3 Which of the following supplements has been shown to improve wound healing and connective tissue repair, in addition to improving sleep, normalizing blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance?

• Collagen

  Health benefits of collagen include improved sleep, stronger bones, reduced joint pain and stiffness, and improved muscle building, wound healing, connective tissue repair, gut health, digestion, blood pressure and glucose tolerance. An ideal way to supply your body with much-needed collagen is to make homemade broth by boiling down chicken feet or beef bones. Learn more.

• Resveratrol
• Quercetin
• Medium-chained triglycerides (MCT oil)

4 The greatest risk of stroke comes from a combination of excess sleep at night and this habit during the day:

• Strength training
• Long naps

  The greatest risk of all, however, occurred among those who both slept for nine hours or more at night and napped for more than 90 minutes. This excessive sleep combination increased stroke risk by 85% compared to moderate sleepers and nappers. Learn more.

• Sauna use
• Daily walks

5 Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a method of strength training involving:

• Working out while breathing through your nose and not your mouth
• Blocking blood flow to the muscle being worked with a tourniquet
• Partially restricting arterial inflow and fully restricting venous outflow while working the muscle

  Blood flow restriction (BFR) training involves partially restricting arterial inflow and enabling moderation (slowing) venous outflow while working the muscle, allowing you to significantly enhance strength and muscle mass using as little as 20% of your single-rep max weight. Learn more.

• A yogic technique centering on slowing your heartbeat while working out

6 New York City's High Line is an example of:

• Abandoned freight tracks that should be demolished
• Unused public park space
• Problems with suburban sprawl
• Industrial infrastructure that can be transformed into walkable public space

  One shining example in the film is New York City's High Line … Now dotted with art and food vendors, it has become an inspiration to all cities that want to transform their industrial infrastructure into walkable public spaces. Learn more.

7 Which of the following types of resistance training prevents delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and allows you to work out most frequently?

• Blood flow restriction training

  Blood flow restriction (BFR) training allows you to use very light weights, or even no weights at all if you move the muscle slowly and with contraction in both the positive and negative directions. Since muscle damage is eliminated, you recover faster than when doing traditional heavy weight training. This allows you to perform BFR every day, if you want. There's also very little or no delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) when doing BFR, as you're not causing inflammation from tearing muscle fiber. Learn more.

• Conventional heavy weight training
• Super-slow weight training
• Bodyweight exercises