muscle strength

14 Stories

Think Rowers Have Nice Arms? Ancient Women Had Them Beat
Prehistoric Women Had
Muscular Arms to Die For
NEW STUDY
Nov 30, 2017 10:49 AM CST

Prehistoric Women Had Muscular Arms to Die For

Stronger than those of today's elite female rowers

(Newser) - Pummeling grains for up to five hours a day gave prehistoric women the kind of muscular arms a girl only dreams of today. That's according to researchers at Cambridge University, who used CT scans to compare the upper arm and shinbones of 83 modern women with those of 94...

Sure, Guys, You're Fast and Strong. But Women Outlast You
Men Are Faster, but
They Tire Faster, Too
NEW STUDY
Aug 24, 2017 7:02 AM CDT

Men Are Faster, but They Tire Faster, Too

Scientists say women 'can outlast men by a wide margin'

(Newser) - Guys might be good at carrying heavy furniture but they tire faster than their female counterparts, new research out of the University of British Columbia shows. "We've known for some time that women are less fatigable than men during isometric muscle tests—static exercises where joints don't...

Cursing Makes You Stronger
Need Strength? Try Cursing
new study
May 8, 2017 8:05 AM CDT

Need Strength? Try Cursing

Study finds that people perform better in physical tests if they swear

(Newser) - When you need a little extra oomph during a workout, try swearing. Researchers from the UK's Keele University report via the British Psychological Society that people perform better on tests of physical endurance when they curse. Specifically, 29 people around age 21 took part in a cycling test, and...

Millennial Men Are Weak Sauce Compared to Their Dads
Millennial Men Are Weak Sauce
Compared to Their Dads
study says
Aug 12, 2016 9:20 AM CDT

Millennial Men Are Weak Sauce Compared to Their Dads

Too much texting, not enough heavy lifting

(Newser) - If today's men think that all those video games are helping them maintain optimal hand strength, they'd better think again. In a series of studies testing grip and pinch strength, researchers report in the Journal of Hand Therapy that among the 237 healthy millennials studied between the ages...

Muscles Help Men Be Seen as Leaders
Muscles Help Men
Be Seen as Leaders
study says
Feb 25, 2016 11:03 AM CST

Muscles Help Men Be Seen as Leaders

The same does not appear to be true for women

(Newser) - There's only so much a person can do about certain leadership qualities, such as high intelligence. But researchers out of Berkeley and Oklahoma State University report in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that the more muscular a man is, the more likely he is to be seen...

How Your Muscles Impact Your Politics

Study finds that the physically strong more likely to protect self-interest

(Newser) - Are our political debates really just pantomimes of primitive chest-thumping exercises? A new study surveying people about their opinions on the redistribution of wealth and the size of their biceps certainly suggests so. The results: Those with big muscles who were rich tended to vehemently oppose redistribution, while strong poor...

For Teen Boys, Muscles May Mean Longer Life
For Teen Boys, Muscles
May Mean Longer Life 
STUDY SAYS
Nov 25, 2012 6:05 AM CST

For Teen Boys, Muscles May Mean Longer Life

But researchers caution that building muscle mass doesn't increase lifespan

(Newser) - It apparently pays to be strong. A new study out of Sweden finds that teenaged boys with above-average muscle strength have a better chance of living longer compared to those with lower levels of arm and leg muscle strength or a weaker grip, reports the BBC . Researchers analyzed nearly one...

Holding a Gun Makes You Look Bigger

Appearance of physical power increases when holding a weapon: Study

(Newser) - A person wielding a gun appears bigger and brawnier than a person without a gun, according to a new UCLA study. Researchers showed photographs of hands clutching guns, power drills, handsaws, and other tools to test subjects and then asked them to guess the size and muscularity of the person...

Does Chocolate Build Muscle?

Scientists say, "sort of"

(Newser) - Can you finally replace your energy bar with a candy bar? Scientists have discovered a connection between chocolate and building muscle, reports the New York Times . Researchers at the University of California in San Diego have found that giving mice a purified form of epicatechin—the main nutritional ingredient of...

Muscles Bounce Back to 'Remembered' Strength

They come back quickly even after lazy years

(Newser) - Good news for former jocks who've been lazing around for years: You can regain your former muscle strength in a fraction of the time it would take lifelong non-athletes, thanks to muscles' long-lasting "memory" of their former strength. A new study has found that rather than reverting back to...

Barefoot Runners Are More Efficient

Harvard study echoes popular trend to ditch the running shoes

(Newser) - The barefoot running trend now has a powerful academic ally in a Harvard study that sides with au naturel hoofers. Researchers compared people who had always run barefoot, those who had always worn shoes, and those who had given up footwear. The barefoot runners had a lighter stride, and used...

Anthropologist: Modern Male Is 'Worst' Man Ever

We're not as robust, Aussie argues in new book

(Newser) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is such a girly man by Neanderthal standards that some caveman's wife could have kicked his ass in arm wrestling, an Australian anthropologist argues in his new book. In fact, Peter McAllister calls modern males the "worst" men in history, at least when it comes...

Michelle's Muscles Rock: Dowd

First lady's biceps 'symbol of American strength'

(Newser) - With the economy in tatters and the war in Afghanistan looking grim, the “only bracing symbol of American strength right now is the image of Michelle Obama’s sculpted biceps,” Maureen Dowd writes in the New York Times. Though some grumble about her revealing clothing, the first lady’...

HGH Builds Muscles, Not Strength: Study

Docs see athletes using bigger doses, drug cocktails

(Newser) - Human growth hormone certainly builds muscles, but it may not make athletes faster or stronger. "What we found suggested that it didn't help—and at some point, it might hurt," said the lead investigator on the Stanford research study. So why, the San Jose Mercury News wonders, do...

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