Myths and fallacies within the health trade

0
387

The myths and fallacies in the fitness industry

Kaushik Talukdar

|

Published 12/19/21, 1:26 AM

When it comes to fitness, various misconceptions and myths lead to biased and polarized opinions among people. The advent of social media over the past decade has made it possible for many people to become some kind of fitness professional who asserts their ideologies. While social media has its advantages in that sometimes useful information can be easily shared, the problem today is that the information shared is not carefully scrutinized and contextualized. In contrast to most other industries, the regulation of exercise and diet regulations is comparatively weak.

The problem with weak regulation is that the control standard is compromised, leading to unchecked claims to be selling products. Often people tend to be seduced by an idea and / or a story, even if it is not or at best partially true. This article will highlight some of the popular but poorly tested claims / information by minimizing bias and providing context for readers. Out of context information is often noise and it is important to minimize noise, be it in politics or in the fitness sector.

Myth 1: Diet Fad For Fat Loss

Over the years there have been many claims about what is the best diet for fat loss. People have claimed that various diets and strategies, including low fat, high carb, high fat, low carb, high protein, vegan, and intermittent fasting, are useful for losing extra body fat. The fact is, any of them can work, but a general recommendation that diet and / or strategy is superior is not only far from the truth, but can also be counterproductive.

There are many factors that need to be considered in a diet, such as sustainability, adaptability, socio-economic conditions, motivation, geographical and cultural influences. A diet is only as good as the person who follows it. If basic principles are followed, such as: Even if a particular diet is suitable for a person based on their genetic makeup and environmental conditions, it does not mean that it should be followed by everyone. For example, an endurance athlete may need to consume more carbohydrates due to total energy expenditure, while a strength athlete may need to consume more protein to repair skeletal muscle tissue. Often times, when a sedentary person is advised to consume either more protein or carbohydrates out of context, he or she is not done.

Myth 2: Posture and Corrective Exercises

The impact of posture corrections in the fitness world has increased over the years. The underlying principle behind posture correction exercises is that there is an ideal way to do things like sitting, standing, walking, etc. The problem with this approach is that although we humans look alike, there are overall structural differences between us and within us. For example, people with relatively longer limbs (arms and legs) with a comparatively shorter torso could be restricted in certain movements and then there could be people with comparatively longer torsos but shorter limbs. To expect both individuals to move in the same way in what is known as the “ideal way” is like sticking square pegs in holes. Likewise, individual variations such as the differences in the structure of the right and left hips may not allow for symmetrical movements.

Physiologically we have a liver on one side and the spleen on the other, our left and right hemispheres of the brain perform different functions and therefore the symmetry must be scientifically checked for correction. Additionally, there is plenty of evidence (research) to suggest that less ideal posture does not result in chronic pain, and corrective exercise is as effective as exercise in general at treating long-term musculoskeletal pain.

Although biomechanical factors such as forces and posture-related movements can affect movement, the word “corrective exercise” is often overrated without scientific scrutiny and context, and has created a panicked environment to sell a product with a fascination for the rescue complex.

In general, most people benefit from a variety of postures (sitting, standing, walking) and move in their own unique ways without fear within a day. In addition, most corrective exercise advocates also rely on correcting muscle imbalances (muscle tension and weakness), although muscle imbalances can sometimes hinder movement and posture, they are often glorified. Muscles adapt to the duration and intensity of the exerted load. For example, if a person sits with their head tilted back for too long, they may complain of neck pain from holding a position for too long, and it rarely has to do with the fact that a particular muscle is tense … more likely, longer periods of holding a certain position. Therefore, attacking the individual muscle with multiple stretches and corrective exercises is more of a short-sighted reductionist approach that may feel good and right at first, but does not recognize the basic science of complex human biology.

Dr. Kaushik Talukdar, PhD, is a research scientist and founder of the Athlete Institute. You can reach him at kaushik@athlete.institute or follow @coachkaushik