sweat Archives - Amazing Health Advances https://amazinghealthadvances.net/tag/sweat/ Your hub for fresh-picked health and wellness info Sun, 09 May 2021 21:06:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://amazinghealthadvances.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/AHA_Gradient_Bowl-150x150.jpg sweat Archives - Amazing Health Advances https://amazinghealthadvances.net/tag/sweat/ 32 32 New Device Can Measure Glucose in Sweat with the Touch of a Fingertip https://amazinghealthadvances.net/new-device-can-measure-glucose-in-sweat-with-the-touch-of-a-fingertip-7301/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-device-can-measure-glucose-in-sweat-with-the-touch-of-a-fingertip-7301 https://amazinghealthadvances.net/new-device-can-measure-glucose-in-sweat-with-the-touch-of-a-fingertip-7301/#respond Mon, 10 May 2021 07:00:20 +0000 https://amazinghealthadvances.net/?p=11459 American Chemical Society via News-Medical – Many people with diabetes endure multiple, painful finger pricks each day to measure their blood glucose. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a device that can measure glucose in sweat with the touch of a fingertip, and then a personalized algorithm provides an accurate estimate of blood glucose levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 34 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes. Although self-monitoring of blood glucose is a critical part of diabetes management, the pain and inconvenience caused by finger-stick blood sampling can keep people from testing as often as they should. Scientists have developed ways to measure glucose in sweat, but because levels of the sugar are much lower than in blood, they can vary with a person’s sweat rate and skin properties. As a result, the glucose level in sweat usually doesn’t accurately reflect the value in blood. To obtain a more reliable estimate of blood sugar from sweat, Joseph Wang and colleagues wanted to devise a system that could collect sweat from a fingertip, measure glucose and then correct for individual variability. The researchers made a touch-based sweat glucose sensor with a polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel on top of an electrochemical sensor, which was screen-printed onto a flexible plastic strip. When a volunteer placed their fingertip on the sensor surface for 1 minute, the hydrogel absorbed tiny amounts of sweat. Inside the sensor, glucose in the sweat underwent an enzymatic reaction that resulted in a small electrical current that was detected by a hand-held device. The researchers also measured the volunteers’ blood sugar with a standard finger-prick test, and they developed a personalized algorithm that could translate each person’s sweat glucose to their blood glucose levels. In tests, the algorithm was more than 95% accurate in predicting blood glucose levels before and after meals. To calibrate the device, a person with diabetes would need a finger prick only once or twice per month. But before the sweat diagnostic can be used to manage diabetes, a large-scale study must be conducted, the researchers say. To read the original article click here.

The post New Device Can Measure Glucose in Sweat with the Touch of a Fingertip appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

]]> https://amazinghealthadvances.net/new-device-can-measure-glucose-in-sweat-with-the-touch-of-a-fingertip-7301/feed/ 0 Drinking Electrolytes Instead of Water Can Help Prevent Muscle Cramps https://amazinghealthadvances.net/drinking-electrolytes-instead-of-water-can-help-prevent-muscle-cramps-7196/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drinking-electrolytes-instead-of-water-can-help-prevent-muscle-cramps-7196 https://amazinghealthadvances.net/drinking-electrolytes-instead-of-water-can-help-prevent-muscle-cramps-7196/#respond Mon, 22 Mar 2021 07:00:41 +0000 http://amazinghealthadvances.net/?p=11111 Edith Cowan University via News-Medical – If you reach for water when a muscle cramp strikes, you might want to think again. New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has revealed drinking electrolytes instead of pure water can help prevent muscle cramps. The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found that people who drank electrolyte enhanced water during and after exercise were less susceptible to muscle cramps than those who drank pure water. Muscle cramps are a common painful condition affecting many people, including around 39 per cent of marathon runners, 52 per cent of rugby players and 60 per cent of cyclists. Dilution Solution Lead researcher Professor Ken Nosaka, from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences, said the study builds on the evidence that a lack of electrolytes contributes to muscle cramps, not dehydration. Many people think dehydration causes muscle cramps and will drink pure water while exercising to prevent cramping. We found that people who solely drink plain water before and after exercise could in fact be making them more prone to cramps. This is likely because pure water dilutes the electrolyte concentration in our bodies and doesn’t replace what is lost during sweating.” Ken Nosaka, Lead Researcher, Professor, ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences When Cramp Strikes Professor Nosaka began researching the causes of muscle cramps after regularly suffering from them while playing tennis. The study involved 10 men who ran on a downhill treadmill in a hot (35ºC) room for 40 to 60 minutes to lose 1.5 to 2 per cent of their body weight through sweat in two conditions. They drank plain water during and after exercise for one condition and took a water solution containing electrolytes in the other condition. The participants were given an electrical stimulation on their calves to induce muscle cramp. The lower the frequency of the electrical stimulation required, the more the participant is prone to muscle cramp. “We found that the electrical frequency required to induce cramp increased when people drank the electrolyte water, but decreased when they consumed plain water,” said Professor Nosaka. “This indicates that muscles become more prone to cramp by drinking plain water, but more immune to muscle cramp by drinking the electrolyte water.” Not All water Is Equal Electrolytes are minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. They are essential for muscle health and help the body to absorb water. Oral rehydration solutions contain electrolytes in specific proportions and can be made with water, salt and sugar. They are commonly found in supermarkets and pharmacies. Professor Nosaka said electrolytes have many benefits for both athletes and the general population. “Electrolytes are vital to good health – they help the body to absorb water more effectively than plain water and replace essential minerals lost through sweat or illness,” he said. “People should consider drinking oral rehydration fluids instead of plain water during moderate to intense exercise, when it’s very hot or when you are sick from diarrhoea or vomiting.” Professor Nosaka is planning further research to find out the optimal amount of electrolytes to prevent muscle cramps as well as how they could help the elderly and pregnant women. To read the original article click here.

The post Drinking Electrolytes Instead of Water Can Help Prevent Muscle Cramps appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

]]> https://amazinghealthadvances.net/drinking-electrolytes-instead-of-water-can-help-prevent-muscle-cramps-7196/feed/ 0