More reasons to stay active from the world of science.

Pump up … your brain. One of my favorite types of studies is the one that shows a link between an active lifestyle and an active brain. The latest comes from the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, where a follow-up of women 65-75 who participated in a once-a-week strength-training program showed the cognitive improvements registered during the program continued a year later. Specifically, the cognitive benefits in question are the kinds necessary for independent living. Also, the group wound up seeking health care services less often and fell less than the control group.

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An exercise chaser. Whether you’re 20 or 70, it pays to down a protein drink after working out. A study appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of 48 guys — half in their 20s, half in their 70s — showed that a protein drink immediately after exercising led to increased muscle protein. The findings seem to contradict previous assumptions that one reason muscle mass declines as we age is that an aging body doesn’t respond as efficiently to protein from food, or to exercise. (The drinks consumed by the men post workout contained 20 grams of protein. There are a number of pricey protein drinks on the market that will give you that 20 grams and more. You can save the bucks and get a good post-workout protein bump with one of your favorite drinks from childhood: chocolate milk.)

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We’re cutting you off, junior. Finally, does it seem like it’s getting harder to keep up with your kids? Maybe it’s because they’re more hopped up on caffeine than you are. Research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center published in the Journal of Pediatrics finds that 75 percent of kids consume caffeine daily, a habit that could be affecting their sleep. Specifically, the 5- to 7-year-olds in the study consumed 52 mg of caffeine a day while the 8- to 12-year-olds were hammering 109 mg daily. Our own Food and Drug Administration does not have guidelines for kid caffeine consumption, but the Canadians do. Up north, 4- to 6-year-olds should have no more than 45 mg per day, 7- to 9-year-olds should be cut off after 62 mg, and 10- to 12-year-olds after 85 mg. To put those figures in perspective: A 12-ounce Mountain Dew has 55 mg, a 12-ounce Red Bull has 80 mg and a medium Campfire Mocha at Carribou Coffee has an all-nighter-inducing 180 mg.

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