Statins are drugs that are proven to reduce cholesterol levels in millions of people, and are probably now the most prescribed drug in the world. But are they really the necessary wonder-drug that their marketing has led us to believe? And can some of their after-affects be causing adverse consequences when we exercise?
We have heard so many times that cholesterol causes numerous health problems, and as a result the target should be zero levels of cholesterol. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Tests have shown that you need a certain amount of LDL, or bad cholesterol to add muscle mass. But it has gotten a bad reputation because it is thought to build up on artery walls, causing the slowing of blood flow which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
The fact is, without the "bad" cholesterol our bodies wouldn't be able to function. LDL cholesterol repairs and builds muscle during resistance training, and so-called "good" cholesterol, also known as HDL, cleans up after the repair is done. Rather than trying to eliminate it, we should have an understanding of how necessary it is and how to best control it in our bodies.
Doctors have prescribed both exercise and statins to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Both have been proven to do the job, but tests have shown that when groups that have used exercise alone, they experienced a 10 percent cardiorespiratory fitness improvement. Those using only statins had only a 1.5% improvement in fitness. Furthermore, when exercise and statins were combined the worst results were achieved, probably meaning that statins and exercise don't work well together.
Perhaps even more importantly, the groups were tested for the ability of the muscle cells to efficiently converting glucose and oxygen into energy. This obviously has a lot to do with our stamina and ability to recover, and even how we age. The group that only exercised had a 13% increase in efficiency, while that statin-only group had an actual decrease of 4.5%. In other words, their muscles became less efficient at using energy.
Is it time to say we should stop using statins? The tests did show large decreases in both LDL cholesterol (38%) and HDL cholesterol (29%). Although we are now changing our thinking that cholesterol is not as bad as once thought, nobody is saying that too much cholesterol in our system cannot have detrimental effects on our health. It is now believed with tests such as the one sited above, exercise is the best way to control cholesterol. But not everyone is in position to be able to exercise, and statins may be the only option.
The fact is we just can't be sure of anything without further testing and knowledge on the subject. There is a huge amount of data supporting the benefits of statins in preventing heart disease. But for most of us, we should look to exercise as the answer for keeping our cholesterol busy doing its proper job. And also, to use diet to control the proper amount of cholesterol that goes into our system.
There are many things we can do to help us become healthier and to age better, and diet is certainly a big part of it. Seniors are now getting more into yoga and other exercises such as Pilates to keep young. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.
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