Kérastase Résistance Thérapiste promises to do wonders to over-processed hair

Source: L'Oréal.

In 1995, Kérastase created Résistance to help women better care for and repair their hair. Twenty years later, Résistance Thérapiste extends the brand to the needs of over-processed hair. 

Thanks to a pioneering discovery on the structure of hair, the power of an ancient plant and a new sensorial routine, Kérastase invites women to envision the complete renewal of damaged hair. According to the company, one session is enough. 

Résistance Thérapiste has also inspired the creation of an exclusive tongue-in-cheek web series with the hashtag #HairConfession, starring actor Eric "there are no innocent hair habits" Roberts as the hair-obsessed 'therapist'. In the series, women confide "the most embarrassing confessions" on the analyst’s couch.

Interested?

Watch the Thérapiste web series

Add your own #HairConfession

Balanced protein intake slows dieters' muscle loss

Source: Nestlé.

The Nestlé Research Center, working with an international team of scientists, has found that a balanced intake of protein through the day can help reduce the risk of muscle loss when people try to lose weight.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, looked at how to promote weight loss in older obese men while avoiding loss of muscle mass which can hinder further weight loss and lead to reduced strength and functional capacity as well as increased risk of disability and mortality. 

In an international collaboration with researchers in Canada, Australia and the UK, Nestlé researchers set out to establish whether this loss of muscle mass could be counteracted by a two-pronged approach: 

• Ensuring that the protein provided by a reduced-calorie diet is balanced throughout the day rather than the usual tendency to receive the bulk of daily protein intake from the evening meal 
• Regular exercise in the form of resistance training

Twenty obese men around the age of 65 were recruited for a four-week study. For the first two weeks, they were placed on a low-calorie, high-protein diet and continued with their normal daily activity. However, half of the volunteers received a balanced intake of protein from the four meals/protein drinks provided throughout the day, while the second half received the more standard ‘skewed’ diet, with the majority of their protein intake coming from the evening meal. 

In the second fortnight of the study, the diet was combined with a whole-body, progressive resistance exercise regime to see if it would counteract any negative impact of the reduced-calorie diet on muscle mass. Rates of muscle protein synthesis – the driving mechanism behind maintaining or increasing muscle mass – were measured at the end of each phase by blood sampling and muscle biopsy. 

As expected, both groups displayed reduced fat mass and reduced muscle mass during the first fortnight when both groups were on a low-calorie, high-protein diet without resistance training. While the fat reduction was the same for both groups, the reduction in muscle protein synthesis rate was less marked in the balanced intake group. 

During the second half of the study with resistance training, both groups continued to lose body fat, but muscle loss was noticeably slower than after the first half of the study. In fact, with the balanced intake group, the protein synthesis was comparable to the levels seen with ‘normal’ energy intake before the study began. 

This research demonstrates that a reduced-calorie diet does indeed reduce the rate of muscle protein synthesis, confirming that weight loss can also lead to muscle loss. However, the study also demonstrates, for the first time, that a balanced protein intake throughout the day increases muscle protein synthesis when compared to a skewed protein distribution. This beneficial effect is further enhanced when combined with resistance training. 

The company notes that this research remains to be confirmed in long-term studies, and that the daily optimal amount of protein required to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis in older adults also remains to be established. There may also be differences in weight loss profiles for women.

*Murphy C.H, Churchward-Venne T.A, Mitchell C.J, Kolar N.M., Kassis A., Karagounis L.G., Burke L.M., Hawley J.A. and Phillips S.M., Hypoenergetic diet-induced reductions in myofibrillar protein synthesis are restored with resistance training and balanced daily protein ingestion in older men. American Journal of Physiology 2015.

Kinetika Xtreme introduces new workout technology for improving fitness

Sukumaran is certified in Italy, and
is one of only two TechnoGym Master Trainers
in Singapore, the other being his wife, Santhi Haridass. 

Losing weight does not mean losing fat. Ghaneswaran Sukumaran, owner of Kinetika Xtreme, a gym at Turf City in Singapore that focuses on movement-based functional training, fears that people are joining gyms without enough due diligence, and beginning with exercises that can do more damage in the long run than good. 

"People believe that losing weight is a good thing, and jogging excessively is the only way to lose body mass and achieve a slim figure. This is a myth, as losing weight might not be losing fat at all. The way to lose fat and tone muscles effectively is not to rely on jogging alone; a combination of cardio and resistance training is required," he said. 

"Dedicated trainers at Kinetika seek to empower their members with the knowledge to better themselves, and guide them through their workouts and track their progress over time."

Here's what Kinetika Xtreme members can look forward to when they join Sukumaran's gym:

Each Kinesis session can hold up to a maximum of eight members. 

Kinesis circuit training offers both cardio and resistance activities. Kinesis utilises Full Gravity Technology allows 360° tri-dimensional movement that provides variable resistance to every movement according to the range and angle of the radius of the action. The Kinesis pulley system allows maximum freedom of movements, and it is not restricted by gravity, unlike traditional weights.

Kinetika Xtreme holds eight sets of Kinesis Class equipment, the largest number of such equipment available in any gym in Singapore. 

TechnoGym-certified trainers from Kinetika Xtreme monitor each of their members closely, and progressively increase the intensity of the exercise while guiding them to minimise injuries, and maximise results. 

Members are tracked by dedicated instructors from day one of their training programme, and trainers will perform measurement of their body statistics; weight, height, body fat and muscle mass, as well as Kinetika’s unique flexibility and balance test known as Vitruvio Testing, allows trainers to tweak the programme based on each member’s body type and individual strengths and weaknesses.

Sukumaran guides a Kinetika Xtreme member with the “Fire” element ARKE exercise.

The ARKE training system is a core-centric training regime that focuses on natural movement. The name is derived from a Greek word meaning 'the origin of things'. The ARKE training system is divided into four categories, named after the natural elements based on the type, energy intensity and the position of use. Earth (green) represents stability and proprioception; air (orange) is for dynamism and reaction time; water (blue) for agility and balance, and fire (red) for adaptability and control.

A trainer conducts cool-down stretches with Kinetika Xtreme members to relax the muscles and prevent injury after 45 minute of intense workout.

Kinetika Xtreme believes that effect training is only effective when proper stretching is done. Each session of training with Kinetika Xtreme ends with proper cool-down stretches so as to prevent injury and relax the muscles after 45 minutes of intense workout. The cool-down stretches are guided by TechnoGym certified trainers, and are specifically designed to target muscle groups that are used during the training session with Kinetika Xtreme. 

*All images courtesy of Kinetika.