Can I Sculpt Abs Without Exercise?
Knock knock. Who’s there? It’s the 5kg of weight that 53 per cent of Australian men will gain over the winter months, according to the Dietitians Association of Australia.
Okay, so there’s nothing remotely funny about that joke. But neither is there anything particularly amusing about this somewhat heavy statistic, bringing with it an increased risk in heart ache – and not the kind Adele is wont to warble on about. Fortunately, however, there is a very laughable solution to this growing problem.
In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, subjects were fed a 2000kJ meal with 80g of carbs – roughly equivalent to a bowl of pasta. After the meal, half of the participants watched a 40-minute comedy show, while the rest endured a dry lecture.
When tested, the comedy-viewing crowd displayed “ameliorated postprandial glucose excursion”, which is a humourless way of saying they avoided the blood-sugar spikes that often lead to increased fat storage.
There are two theories as to why this might work. The contractions in your abs during a hearty chuckle could be boosting glucose uptake by your muscles. But it’s also possible that positive emotions trigger changes in the neuroendocrine system, which is what keeps your blood-sugar levels on lockdown.
Either way, supplementing your next abs session with a set of LOLs this season could be the easiest way to win the battle against fat. Enjoy the last laugh.
