More Than Half of Americans Have Suffered a Workout Hangover
An article published in the New York Post shares new findings and statistics from a recent survey surrounding the negative effects of the dreaded "workout hangover."
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By Max Knoblauch, SWNS | May 21, 2019 | Click HERE to read the full article in the New York Post.
A sizable chunk of Americans are skipping work due to hangovers… from exercise.
According to new research, more than one in four active Americans (29%) have skipped out on work due to a workout “hangover” (post-exercise soreness that impedes one’s ability to participate in other life and work activities).
According to the new study, as many as 55% have suffered a workout hangover that’s caused them to stay inside all day, and a possible major cause of this may be that 60% of those surveyed said they don’t know enough about dietary and recovery supplements to make an informed decision about what process or products can help them.
Due to that knowledge gap, nearly half of those respondents (47%) have skipped recovery steps altogether.
In fact, the new study of 2,000 Americans who exercise uncovered that 65% have sustained injuries from their workouts — approximately three each year on average.
The most common injuries? Pulled muscles (68%), ankle sprains (48%), and knee strains (45%).
And the dreaded “workout hangover” is not just affecting work attendance, it has spread into American’s social lives, as well. Forty percent of respondents reported that post-workout muscle soreness has caused them to skip a party. Thirty-nine percent have skipped a get together with friends, and 32% have even had to skip dates.
The new survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of health brand LIFEAID Beverage Co., found that when respondents go too hard in a workout without the proper preparation, their lives become messier.
Fitness-focused Americans spend about one fourth (23%) of their typical workout going “too hard,” then paying the price in the form of workout injuries and increased recovery time.
Respondents skip approximately 36 workouts a year due to the dreaded workout hangover. Why all the soreness? It may have something to do with incomplete workout recovery techniques.
In fact, 40% of respondents don’t stretch to aid in workout recovery. More than one in three (36%) don’t get enough rest after working out, and over half (53%) don’t take supplements.
“Proper workout and exercise techniques go hand in hand with post-workout recovery. By helping to improve the speed and efficiency of recovery, one can directly help optimize their overall fitness in a whole new way by increasing strength, endurance… you name it,” Dr. Aaron Hinde, co-founder of LIFEAID Bev Co., said.
“So much emphasis has been placed on what you consume or drink before a workout, when in actuality it’s what your body needs to help it recover afterward that makes the real difference.”
The fact that a large majority of active Americans — 73 percent — have skipped workouts due to muscle soreness further supports Hinde’s point of view.
For many who exercise, soreness is a constant struggle, and they’d do just about anything to make it go away.
In fact, 45 percent of respondents would give up alcohol for a month to instantly recover from one bad bout of soreness. Forty-four percent would give up chocolate for a month, and 20 percent would give up Netflix for a month.
More than one in four surveyed (26 percent) would pay $100 to relieve their soreness and recover faster.
“Physical and mental fatigue from working out, particularly with today’s more intense exercise routines, is manageable and avoidable with the right nutritional education and recovery products, including specially-formulated drinks and supplements,” said Dr. Hinde.
“The key to avoiding the workout hangover is finding what type of products work best for your personal exercise regime, to help you recover as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
The Top 5 Most Common Exercise Injuries:
| Pulled muscle | 68% |
| Ankle sprain | 48% |
| Knee strain/injury | 45% |
| Wrist sprain | 42% |
| Tendinitis | 24% |
> > > Live well.
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"So much emphasis has been placed on what you consume or drink before a workout, when in actuality it’s what your body needs to help it recover afterward that makes the real difference."
—Dr. Aaron Hinde
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HindeSight | No. 11
Source: The New York Times by Tiffany HSU | March 3, 2019
Adding lighter fare like salads to the usual burgers and fries has meant more options for time-pressed diners. But the meals are largely less healthy now, a new study finds.
“The big picture is that there have been some positive changes,” one researcher said of fast food menus, “but they're small, and over all, the changes have gotten worse.”
—Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Fast food chains have tried for years to woo health-conscious diners by mixing lighter fare like salads and yogurt with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes.
But as menus swelled over the past three decades with grilled chicken wraps (McDonald’s) and “fresco” burritos (Taco Bell), many options grew in size and the calories and sodium in them surged, according to new study from researchers at Boston University and Tufts.
The researchers studied 1,787 entrees, sides and desserts at 10 chains — Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver’s, McDonald’s and Wendy’s — from 1986 to 2016. In that time, the number of items in those three categories rose 226 percent.
According to the study — published last week in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — even with lighter items in the mix, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago.
ENTREES
Bulging portions at the heart of the meal
The fat and salt content and the sheer size of fast food meals have long been a public health concern. They are often blamed for pushing up the obesity rate among adults in the United States, which rose to 40 percent in 2016 from 13 percent in the early 1960s.
The new study suggests the problem is getting worse.
Across the 10 chains, the researchers found, the average entree weighed 39 grams more in 2016 than in 1986 and had 90 more calories. It also had 41.6 percent of the recommended daily allotment of sodium, up from 27.8 percent.
Customers could be forgiven for not knowing. Local governments have adopted menu-labeling initiatives that require fast food restaurants to list calorie counts for the items they sell, but such measures have faced substantial opposition, including from the Food and Drug Administration.
“The restaurants really haven’t done enough,” Megan A. McCrory, the lead researcher, said. “The big picture is that there have been some positive changes, but they’re small, and over all, the changes have gotten worse.”
DESSERTS
More than just a little something sweet
In 2016, the average fast food dessert weighed an extra 71 grams and had 186 more calories than the average dessert 30 years earlier, the researchers found.
One possible reason is that restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies as a way of increasing the amount spent on each order and attracting more customers, said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage industry analyst at NPD.
“The majority of fast food traffic is around lunchtime, when people aren’t typically getting dessert,” he said. “But offering larger portion sizes is one way restaurants can promise more value.”
Just last month, McDonald’s introduced “donut sticks” dusted with cinnamon sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order a serving twice the size for less than the cost of two single orders.
SIDES
Adding those extras adds up
The researchers found that there were 42 more calories on average in items like chips, soups and French fries in 2016 than there were in 1986. Sodium content rose to 23.2 percent of the recommended daily allotment from 11.6 percent, even though portion size did not grow substantially.
Consumed together as a single meal, the study found, the average entree and side account for nearly 40 percent of a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
The study mentions several proposals meant to help consumers scale back their fast food intake, including a system that would let them order smaller portions at lower prices.
Whether the industry will embrace such ideas is unclear. In the meantime, menus continue to grow, sometimes blurring the line between entree and side. Jack in the Box is testing Burger Dippers, which the company describes as “the burger you eat like a fry.”
As with those that preceded them, some of the new offerings appear to be geared toward people who want to eat healthy foods. Carl’s Jr. recently added a plant-based burger, the Beyond Famous Star, to its lineup.
Ordered with cheese, it has more than 700 calories.
Sources: Megan A. McCrory, Allen G. Harbaugh, Sarah Appeadu, Boston University; Susan B. Roberts, Tufts University.
Tiffany Hsu is a breaking news reporter on the Business Desk. Before joining The Times in 2017 she covered economic news for The Los Angeles Times and earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University. @tiffkhsu