Health

Seniors Search ˆ and Find ˆ Fitness Elixirs

May 1, 2000 – Senior Softball-USA

Try a pinch of wasp extract, a snippet of an exotic plant from the Brazilian rain forest, or an anti-aging elixir seasoned to control free radicals. Those are some ingredients of concoctions designed to help ballplayers and other active Americans continue to run, to throw, and to catch well into their 70s.

There are high-tech advances, as well, including treadmills that are hooked into the internet with a personal trainer waiting in the depths of cyberspace to give individual instructions.

There are gadgets to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and even body fat.

And, of course, there is good old Absorbine Jr., which athletes have been rubbing into their sore muscles since 1892.

The foundation of the demand for all of these health and fitness products is the rapidly growing number of men and women staying active well into their senior years.

More Americans over 50 are exercising than any other age group, according to a recent study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). The percentage of frequent exercises over age 55 increased 31 percent, according to SGMA.

"Exercise is the fountain of youth," said 51-year-old Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming in a recent interview. "I lift weights and exercise four times a week. When you don't exercise it shows in your complexion, in your energy and in your attitude."

There have been a bushel full of studies in the past few years showing enough benefits of exercising to make a snake-oil salesman blush. Here is just a sampling:

- The morality rate for men who are don't exercise is three times higher than men who keep fit, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

- The number of deaths linked to poor diet and inactivity was 300,000 in 1999 ˆ second only to deaths caused by tobacco, according to another JAMA study.

- Sixty-four percent of patients who exercised reported a substantial decrease in back pain, according to a 1995 orthopedic study.

- Muscle strength increased more than 100 percent and speed increased 10 times for seniors who consistently exercised, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

- And people who were active were only one-third as likely to suffer depression as inactive people, in a Science in Sports and Exercise report.

Increasingly active Americans are heeding the gospel of getting in shape. In the 1990s, the number of men and women over 55 who joined health clubs more than doubled, to 4.9 million. And the number of seniors who became serious about fitnessˆ those who participated in fitness activities at least 100 times a year ˆ increased 37 percent from 1987 to 1998, according to SGMA.

As the popularity of health and fitness takes off, so do all sorts of products. At SGMA's Super Show in Atlanta recently, several companies unveiled health products and potions designed to appeal to athletes ˆ especially senior athletes:

- The exotic mix of wasp extract and the natural anti-biotic Brazilian Propotis has been bottled by a creative Canadian company, branded VESPA and sells for $5.50 for 4.7 ounces. VESPA is designed to burn body fat instead of glycogen energy, enabling athletes to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time. The mixture isn't available in stores yet, but can be ordered by calling 1-877-VESPA-PW.

- Two sets of pills, one to initiate growth hormones and the other to keep harmful free radicals in check, are being marketed by VesPro Life Sciences of Lenexa, Kansas. SomatoPlex is designed to increase growth hormones in athletes. "The decline of growth hormone production has been linked to many of the effects of aging, including wrinkles, gray hair and decreased energy," said Dennis Elwell, VesPro vice president of research and development. Oxy-Sport, by the same company, eliminates free radicals that are produced by the body during exercise and can injure muscles. The products are available through 1-800-438-4894.

- Out of breath by the time you reach second base? PowerLung may be the answer. "PowerLung is for respiratory muscle training ˆ the muscles you use to breathe," said Carolyn Morse, a PowerLung representative. "In softball, you need those muscles in tune for base running. You can see a 30 percent improvement in lung muscles," she said. The PowerLung sells for $94.95 and is available at 800-903-3087.

- Worried about blood pressure? Heart rate? Body Fat? Omron Healthcare Inc. of Vernon Hills, Illinois, has just the tools. The hand-held Body-Fat Analyzer ($69) can tell your body-fat percentage by a simple touch. The Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor (from $74.99) gives an almost-instant digital readout. The Wrist Heart Rate Monitors (from $59.99) do everything from tell time and calories burned to your heart rate. Call 800-231-3434 for more information.

∑If you would rather listen than look, try HEARTalker by New Life Technologies. The HEARTalker is strapped across your chest and uses a microchip to interpret your heart rate and give you feedback and training suggestions in the voice of a fitness expert. The feedback includes heart rate, workout timing, summaries and even motivational messages.

- If you are looking for a nutrition guide, NutriGuide, pocket-sized computer from Sports Science Inc., of Dallas, Texas, tabulates saturated fats, fiber and calories for 8,000 foods.

- And after exercising, there is the old standby, Absorbine Jr. Roll On Relief, for those sore muscles. The pain reliever has been soothing muscles since 1892.