The Eatwell Guide and musculoskeletal health
The Eatwell Guide was published by Public Health England in March 2016 and provides advice on the amount and types of foods and drinks to provide most people with a …
Course: The Musculoskeletal System: The Science of Staying Active into Old Age
Minerals and vitamins for musculoskeletal health
Calcium and phosphorus are the two most abundant elements in our bodies. They are called micronutrients because they are needed in smaller quantities than the energy associated macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats …
Protein for healthy muscle and bone
As we saw earlier this week, proteins in the diet contribute significantly to the production of energy for the body. Dietary proteins provide amino acids as building blocks for growth, …
Energy for Healthy Muscle and Bone
Food provides energy for physical activity as well as giving us the nutrients we need to develop, grow and stay healthy through life. A healthy diet and regular exercise throughout …
What happens to the food we eat?
In this animation, Peter Grabowski explains how the body breaks down the food we eat so that it can be used for energy or as the raw materials to repair …
How can we improve our physical activity levels?
Although the benefits of physical activity and exercise are widely acknowledged, many of us can struggle to meet the government recommended levels. In this video, we get some advice from …
The effect of inactivity in ageing muscle
Our body is built to move. Our muscles, joints and bones have evolved to allow us to move from one place to the next and to interact with our environment …
The effect of inactivity in ageing joints
In contrast to physical activity, there is little data on the effect of physical inactivity on joints. The main reason we know so little about what goes on inside of …
Sedentary behaviour and bone health
Being physically active is vitally important in preventing major disease and in keeping bones healthy so as to avoid or minimise the risk of fractures. Contrastingly, sedentary behaviour (sitting, lying …
Does physical activity help or harm joints?
As we age, we naturally pick up little problems and aches in our joints – mine is a knee, it decided every now and again to swell, lock and give …
The effects of physical activity on skeletal muscle
The types of exercise that most people undertake essentially fall into two categories: aerobic (e.g. jogging, running , swimming, cycling, walking) or resistance exercise (i.e. strength training, such as weight-lifting). …
What happens to our muscles when we exercise?
Muscles are integral to the way our body moves. In this video, Michael guides us through a muscle function test with our volunteer Nduka and explains the different types of …
How does physical activity affect our bone?
A skeleton that responds to physical activity is borne out of an evolutionary necessity – breaking bones is bad for survival but so too is a heavy skeleton that would …
Physical activity and the body
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a useful way to assess physical fitness and can be objectively measured using an exercise stress test or maximal oxygen uptake test (VO2max). In this video, Michael …
Physical activity across our life course
In this animation, our educator this week Michael Trenell, Professor of Metabolism and Lifestyle Medicine at Newcastle University, explores how our changing environment has encouraged increasingly sedentary behaviour and explains …
These articles are from the online course:
The Musculoskeletal System: The Science of Staying Active into Old Age
