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Strength Training:
It’s Never Too Late
to StartWith age, we all experi-
ence a decline in skele-
tal muscle mass. “That
loss poses serious func-
tional consequences,”
says James McKendry,
an exercise researcher
at McMaster University
in Hamilton. Resistance
exercises can combat
this problem—even for
seniors who are new to
working out. McKendry
and his colleagues
recruited 15 men over
60 years of age—seven
were long-time endur-
ance athletes, and the
rest were untrained.
Surprisingly, both
groups had a similar
capacity to build mus-
cle in response to per-
forming knee exten-
sions. If you want to
start a new training
habit, “first seek the
advice of medical
and strength-training
professionals,” says
McKen dry. Whether
you’re frail or hale, they
can help you select
beneficial exercises.Penicillin Allergies Can Be Outgrown
If you believe you’re allergic to penicillin, there’s
a good chance it isn’t true—even if your health
record indicates otherwise. Several European and
North American studies now back this up, includ-
ing one that recently examined inpatients at Can-
dler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. “About a fifth
of the time, we could figure out that there was no
allergy just by talking to the patient,” says Dr. Chris-
topher Bland, a researcher and pharmacist at the
University of Georgia. They often learned during
these discussions that the allergy assumptions
were based on common non-allergic, non-life-
threatening side effects of antibiotics, such as
nausea or short-term diarrhea.
In other cases, the patient did once have an
allergy—which can cause a rash, hives, swelling in
the throat or even anaphylaxis. “But five years after
the event, 50 per cent of people will no longer have
a reaction. They’ll grow out of it,” says Bland. “After
10 years, that number goes up to 80 per cent.” A skin
test can indicate whether you likely still have an
allergy; if it’s positive, you’ll get an itchy red bump.
If not, you may be in luck, since penicillin often
costs less money, causes
fewer side effects and
fights infections better
than alternatives. For
some conditions, such as
strep throat, it’s the anti-
biotic of choice. “Patients
should feel free to proac-
tively bring up this topic
with their doctors,” says
Bland. “Because there’s a
very good chance they’re
not allergic.”rd.ca 23