A study at Granada University of Spain seem to suggest than beer is better than water at rehydrating the body after exercise.

Here’s what the researchers did:

1. Asked 25 students to run on a treadmill at 104 degrees Fahrenheit to the point of exhaustion
2. Measured their levels of hydration, motor skills and their ability to concentrate
3. Half the students were given water to drink and the other half were given Spanish lager

Result:

Those who were given beer had slightly better hydration levels than those who were given plain water.

Conclusion:

Professor Manuel Garzon, a member of Granada’s medical faculty, believes that “carbon dioxide in beer helps quench thirst more quickly, and that beer’s carbohydrates replace calories lost during physical exertion” and recommends athletes to consume moderate (500mL for men, 250mL for women) amounts of beer daily.

Should we now put beer inside our hydration packs instead of water?

Thanks to The Cleveland Leader.

A question was asked at Backpacker.com as to which one to apply to your gear first; waterproofing or bug spray? It makes sense to me that you apply waterproofing first because bug sprays are either touch insecticide or repellents so if you apply them first the waterproofing chemical would render them ineffective.

Here, a reader asks about using Permethrin (a touch insecticide) bug spray together with waterproofing solution.

If you’re looking for something more than your standard first aid kit then Ragnar Benson might just have something for you. The “expert survivalist”, author of “Survivalist’s Medicine Chest” and “Do-It-Yourself Medicine”, thorough as he may be in coming up with possible emergency situations, is disappointingly lacking in details when explaining his prescription to certain ailments.

Benson is not a trained medical expert and his approach to medicine may controversial. In one of his books he mentions that many pharmaceuticals for animals are the same as those formulated for humans. He write, “The dose for a medium hog is usually correct for an adult person.”

The books by Benson is definitely not something you would want to depend your life on. A waste of time in my opinion.

Kids who carry backpacks that are too heavy risk having back, neck and shoulder problems in the long run. According to the experts, backpacks should not weigh more than %15 of your child’s body weight. Kids who carry heavy backkpacks tend to lean forward to balance themselves and this puts a lot of stress on their backs and necks. In the long term, the spine loses its shock absorbing properties.

If the backpack is carried using only the strap, the child might end up leaning to one side to make up for the extra weight. A good backpack for kids should have wide, padded straps that fit over the child’s shoulders, padded waist or chest belt that distributes the weight of the pack and a width not greater than the child’s chest. Internal frame backpacks like the ones used by hikers are great for children but might not fit the school locker.

Find out how parents can help prevent backpack-related injuries.

Thanks to Mayo Clinic.

“There is no fever that a 10-mile hike can’t cure,” said Garrison Keillor, the host of National Public Radio’s Prairie Home Companion. HIking has long been considered a tonic for good health.

Until recently, there was very little done to support this belief. Researchers from Austria revealed the results of a fascinating study that proves that different types of hikes affects fats and sugars in the blood in different ways. The way they did it was by having one group of people hike up the ski slope and ride down the cable car and another group ride up the slope in a cable car and hike down. After two months of hiking the groups switched hiking programs and the experiment was repeated.

Hiking uphill was proved to be beneficial to the body but Vararlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment researchers found that hiking downhill has its unique benefits. The results are astounding:

• Both types of hiking lower bad cholesterol (LDL).
• Hiking uphill reduces triglyceride levels.
• Hiking downhill was nearly twice as effective as uphill hiking at removing blood sugars while improving glucose tolerance.

Hiking is not just good for your body. Your mind and emotions are also affected in a good way. Researchers from the University of Essex compared the benefits of hiking in different environments inluding in the woods, around a lake, in a nature park and an indoor shopping center.

The study concluded that in general:

• Hiking in the countryside reduces depression
• Walking in a shopping center increases depression
• Hiking in the countryside increases self-esteem
• Walking around a shopping center decreases self-esteem
• Hiking in the countryside improves your mood
• A stroll at the shopping center worsens your mood

Another surprising report which was published in Men’s Health magazine was that while trekking poles are designed to make hiking easier, it was found that “hikers using poles work out harder without feeling any extra effort.” They use 10 percent more oxygen and had heart rates 6 percent higher than hikers walking at the same speed without poles – yet they reported no perceived increase in exertion.

Mike Saunders, Ph.D says “They burned more calories without feeling the extra effort because possibly the workload is spread over the entire body, nut just he legs.”

Hiking for health has now become a trend. The message on the idea seem be everywhere from cereal boxes, candy wrappers and health magazines. Hiking spas which combines hiking with health-resort activities are more popular today than ever.