Think Fast!

[Telfer]

One of the first scientists to measure human REACTION TIME was Sir Francis Galton, who also believed it was correlated to overall intelligence.

I was reading this article http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Francis_Galton about him the other day and started thinking about which martial art benefits most from fast reactions to external stimuli.

I would think the various forms of Fencing, both east and west would be high on the list, for the simple reason that combat is usually over after a quick offensive reaction to the first strike.

Your thoughts???

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4957107/Fast-reactions-point-to-longer-life.html

"It has been hypothesised that reaction time, as a measure of speed of the brain's information-processing capacity, may be a marker for bodily system integrity."

 

[ATC]

Interesting article. Not sure how much I buy into it but interesting none the less.

Bruce Lee had one of fastest reaction times yet he died at just 33. There are so many factors that determine mortality that it is almost impossible to use something like reaction time as a maker. Plus reaction time can be increased with practice. So with that knowledge why is one persons reaction time faster or slower to someone else’s if not actively training for it. What in life is just a natural (happenstance) occurrence that gives someone faster reaction time.

Just too much to look at and not enough research. Yes they found something that looks like something but I am sure once they dig deeper they will find that what they found will look like something else later.

Just like vitamins. They thought they were great and helped prolong life, but now say that taking them will lead to premature death. So they now think.

 

[Xinglu]

It's interesting to say the least, I'd be curious to see more studies done on this.

As the vitamins, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, but supplementing with a multivitamin leading to premature death? I don't buy it for a minute. If people abuse supplements, sure, but responsible use, no.

 

[Carol]

It's interesting to say the least, I'd be curious to see more studies done on this.

As the vitamins, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, but supplementing with a multivitamin leading to premature death? I don't buy it for a minute. If people abuse supplements, sure, but responsible use, no.

I remember that study. I'm not throwing away my vittles. :lol: The conclusion wasn't that taking a multivitamin could cause premature death, it was taking certain specific vitamins can cause a slightly risk of premature death.

The vitamins associated with the higher risk were in question were vitamins A, E, and beta-carotene.


http://www.metro.co.uk/news/143165-taking-vitamins-can-cause-premature-death

The news article doesn't say the dosages used, but all three of those compounds are liposoluble (fat-dissolvable). A liposoluable substance can be stored within the body's fatty tissue, over a period of time. When these vitamins build up over time, there can be health risks.

Usually excessive vitamin buildup isn't from people taking supplements. Even "health nuts" that love their vitamins always don't supplements every single day (forgetfulness, travel, etc.) Clinical issues from an unusually high or unusually low amount of a speific vitamin in the body are more often from orthorexic eating issues.

 

[Xinglu]

I remember that study. I'm not throwing away my vittles. :lol: The conclusion wasn't that taking a multivitamin could cause premature death, it was taking certain specific vitamins can cause a slightly risk of premature death.

The vitamins associated with the higher risk were in question were vitamins A, E, and beta-carotene.


http://www.metro.co.uk/news/143165-taking-vitamins-can-cause-premature-death

The news article doesn't say the dosages used, but all three of those compounds are liposoluble (fat-dissolvable). A liposoluable substance can be stored within the body's fatty tissue, over a period of time. When these vitamins build up over time, there can be health risks.

Usually excessive vitamin buildup isn't from people taking supplements. Even "health nuts" that love their vitamins always don't supplements every single day (forgetfulness, travel, etc.) Clinical issues from an unusually high or unusually low amount of a speific vitamin in the body are more often from orthorexic eating issues.

Of course if you continually take (or exceed) the UL of any supplement (especially fat soluble) you're asking for trouble. That's just practical wisdom, why we we need a study to confirm this is unsettling at best.

 

[sgtmac_46]

IQ and reaction time would undoubtedly correlate to a longer life, especially in this day and age.

Intelligence allows one to exercise better judgment, make a better income, make better health choices, provide oneself with better access to medical care, etc, etc, etc.....that's why it's a better indicator than blood pressure........we can control blood pressure with diet, exercise, and medication.......things that a higher IQ, in the form of greater income and decision making choices, generally makes easier.

Quicker reflexes simply allow one to simply avoid the kind of accidents that cause a large percentage of deaths in our society........such as avoiding a collision on the way home from work.

All of this seems pretty intuitive, so I don't know why it's news.

 

[ATC]

The new vitamin studies go a bit deeper than too much of any of them. They are now saying that even if you take one a day (yep one a day) that is seems bad for you, or at least does no good what so ever. The studies now show that antioxidants may even be bad. IT turns out that your body need some of the oxidants and killing them off hampers your immune system.

They say that you get more then enough of all the vitamins and mineral needed in your food and any more is to much. They now have evidense that some vitamins promote cancer growth.

I think vitamin D is the only vitamin that people don't get enough of in food or by sun.

But don't take my word for it. Look it up. these are recent released studies of ten's of thousands of people.

This is why I say studies really mean nothing until they study them for 100's of years to really mark the trends.

 

[xJOHNx]

IQ and reaction time would undoubtedly correlate to a longer life, especially in this day and age.

Intelligence allows one to exercise better judgment, make a better income, make better health choices, provide oneself with better access to medical care, etc, etc, etc.....that's why it's a better indicator than blood pressure........we can control blood pressure with diet, exercise, and medication.......things that a higher IQ, in the form of greater income and decision making choices, generally makes easier.

Not sure about that, most people I know with a high IQ actually feel burdened about it. At least to me it is.
And alot of other people seem to make more smart decisions than mine.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4add9230-23d5-11de-996a-00144feabdc0.html

a good article about it.

 

[K-man]

It's interesting to say the least, I'd be curious to see more studies done on this.

As the vitamins, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, but supplementing with a multivitamin leading to premature death? I don't buy it for a minute. If people abuse supplements, sure, but responsible use, no.

In a past life I sold many supplements (vitamin and others), almost all by request, because in all honesty I could never recommend most products as there is no evidence that they have any great benefit. Of the few products I recommended two were to come back to haunt me. I read the original documentation on the initial trial for glucosamine and thought it did show benefit in the treatment of artheritis, and I recommended (and took personally) the antioxidants (includes Vitamins A,D,E,C and beta-Carotene) for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Turned out the trial for glucosamine was funded by the manufacturer and subsequent trials have shown no benefit. The recent trials on the antioxidants demonstrated a significantly greater chance of cardiovascular events if you took the supplement. This was not 'abuse' or 'overuse' because the products concerned were around the normal daily requirements. The use of these products was 'responsible' in as much as the product was taken at the recommended dosage.
As has been said before, good food and sun is all we need. The supplements are marketed for a number of reasons but, unfortunately, the health of the consumer is not No.1 on the list. :asian:

 

[sgtmac_46]

Not sure about that, most people I know with a high IQ actually feel burdened about it. At least to me it is.
And alot of other people seem to make more smart decisions than mine.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4add9230-23d5-11de-996a-00144feabdc0.html

a good article about it.

Here's the reality........EXTREME intellect results in some feelings of depression and alienation. The moderately high intelligent, those of just above average to slightly below genius, however, tend to be the happiest and most successful people.

So the key is to be JUST smart enough to make your way without too much effort, but not so smart you pretty much negate being able to make a human connection..........IQ's in the 105 to 140 range seem to be happiest.

The problem with the question is that we tend to want to look at the extremes, the 170's, the 180's, and see how happy they are, and the reality is not very, generally speaking...........being smart is good, but not TOO smart. Practical intelligence makes for a happy life, but the kind of intelligence that sees beyond what most folks understand is an intellect of a less happy sort........it makes the kind of human connections required for happiness difficult.

 

[seasoned]

Re: Think Fast!
Reaction time is related to not thinking, and as far as vitamins, people that get up in the morning and have coffee and a donut are never held accountable. But, take a vitamin or two and all hell breaks loose.

 

[Xinglu]

In a past life I sold many supplements (vitamin and others), almost all by request, because in all honesty I could never recommend most products as there is no evidence that they have any great benefit....

...Turned out the trial for glucosamine was funded by the manufacturer and subsequent trials have shown no benefit. The recent trials on the antioxidants demonstrated a significantly greater chance of cardiovascular events if you took the supplement. This was not 'abuse' or 'overuse' because the products concerned were around the normal daily requirements...

There is no daily requirement for most supplements like Glucosamine or antioxidants as you cannot be deficient in them. In other-words they are not essential to health. RDAs exist only for such essential nutrients.

Supplementation is abused by a great many, in fact I assert by most. Multi-vitamins exist for those who have reduced their caloric intake and therefore cannot meet most of their RDAs. It can also be used by those who have issues digesting food properly (IBS, Chrones, etc.) or those whose activity demands more nutrients to consume. Isolates for people with specific disorders.

There is no accounting for ignorant usage. My education is in nutrition and natural health - I uses supplements and herbs to great effect to treat disorders and disease. They have their place.

Let's also speak frankly: most people don't want to put the effort into eating right. We can lead the horse to water, but we can't make it drink. I can outline and teach them. I can show them how to eat well, but too many people are creatures of habit and unwilling to change, even if it means poor quality of life. However, they are willing to pop a pill or two. We work with what we have.

 

[masurai]

I was reading this article http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Francis_Galton about him the other day and started thinking about which martial art benefits most from fast reactions to external stimuli.

I would think the various forms of Fencing, both east and west would be high on the list, for the simple reason that combat is usually over after a quick offensive reaction to the first strike.

Your thoughts???

I think Fencing would be first on that list, followed by arts like Aikido

 

[K-man]

There is no daily requirement for most supplements like Glucosamine or antioxidants as you cannot be deficient in them. In other-words they are not essential to health. RDAs exist only for such essential nutrients.

Supplementation is abused by a great many, in fact I assert by most. Multi-vitamins exist for those who have reduced their caloric intake and therefore cannot meet most of their RDAs. It can also be used by those who have issues digesting food properly (IBS, Chrones, etc.) or those whose activity demands more nutrients to consume. Isolates for people with specific disorders.

There is no accounting for ignorant usage. My education is in nutrition and natural health - I uses supplements and herbs to great effect to treat disorders and disease. They have their place.

Let's also speak frankly: most people don't want to put the effort into eating right. We can lead the horse to water, but we can't make it drink. I can outline and teach them. I can show them how to eat well, but too many people are creatures of habit and unwilling to change, even if it means poor quality of life. However, they are willing to pop a pill or two. We work with what we have.

I come from an 'evidence based' health background and have also used different 'natural products' to great effect. All vitamin and mineral preparations are technically supplements but something like glucosamine is not a supplement but a natural therapy. In the main the antioxidant preparations include Vit A, Vit C and Vit E, hence the acronym ACE. These vitamins do have RDAs and you certainly can be deficient in them. In the main, these antioxidant products do not contain excessive doses. The trials showed more CV events in the supplement group who took an ACE product than the control group.
Here is a reference to one article which probably is similar to many others. www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/antioxidants.html :asian: