Zach studied biology in college and currently works in paleontology as well as contributing to earth.com. He has interned, worked and volunteered with conservation groups all over the world. His writing has also appeared in Alaska Magazine, Mongabay, The Bark and other publications.

Zach just finished his first book, <a href="https://www.westholmepublishing.com/book/tears-for-crocodilia-fitzner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tears for Crocodilia: Ecology, Evolution and the Disappearance of one of the World’s Most Ancient Animals</a>, and lives with his wife, Erin, and two dogs in Colorado.

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New research finds that regular exercise with weights is linked to a lower risk of death, with the exception of cancer. The study, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105315">British Journal of Sports Medicine</a>, finds that a weekly routine of both weights and aerobic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-intensity-linked-to-different-mental-health-benefits/">exercise</a> may be even better for longer life, especially among older adults.



Current guidelines recommend 150 weekly minutes of moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or an equal combination of the two - which is referred to as MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity). It is also recommended to incorporate activities that work all major muscle groups. However, the effects of using weights had not yet been made clear.



The researchers set out to evaluate the potential impact of exercising with weights and aerobic activities on the risk of death among older adults. The participants were pulled from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial beginning in 1993, which included over 150,000 men and women aged 55 to 74 from 10 different cancer centers in the United States.



In 2006, more than 100,000 of the participants were asked if they had exercised with weights over the past year and how often. They were also asked about how frequent or long their workouts were over the past year.



Moderate intensity was described as "activity where you worked up a light sweat or increased your breathing and heart rate to moderately high levels’ and vigorous activity as ‘activity strenuous enough to work up a sweat or increase your breathing and heart rate to very high levels."



The responses of 99,713 people were included in the final analysis.The average age at the start of the monitoring period was 71, and the average weight (BMI) was overweight.&nbsp;



Nearly one in four respondents reported some weightlifting activity, while 18 percent said they exercised with weights one to six times a week. Nearly a third were sufficiently aerobically active, either meeting or exceeding the guidelines on MVPA.



Exercising with weights and aerobic MVPA were associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, but not from cancer. Working out with weights in the absence of MVPA was associated with a nine to 22 percent lower risk of death. For those who didn’t exercise with weights, aerobic MVPA was associated with a 24-34% lower risk of death from any cause.&nbsp;



The lowest risk of death was among those who did both types of physical activity, reaching up to 47 percent lower than those who were physically inactive. Using weights can lean body mass, which is associated with a lower risk of death. And if done in a gym, could be sociable - another factor associated with a longer, healthier life.



Education, smoking, BMI, race and ethnicity did not significantly change results, but sex did: the associations were stronger in women. The study did not consider other exercises, such as callisthenics, which include push-ups and squats; Pilates; and plyometric exercises, which include tuck jumps and burpees.



“Our finding that mortality risk appeared to be lowest for those who participated in both types of exercise provides strong support for current recommendations to engage in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities,” wrote the study authors.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who work out with weights have a lower mortality risk

New research finds that regular exercise with weights is linked...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin University</a> has found that Generation Z – those born after 1995 – overwhelmingly believe that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-debate-is-over-humans-caused-climate-change/">climate change</a> is caused by humans through activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and waste. However, only a third of the respondents seemed to understand how livestock and meat consumption are contributing to emissions and, consequently, global warming – despite the fact that over a quarter of the world’s emissions are linked to meat and livestock production.



The scientists conducted an online survey of Australian participants between the ages of 18 and 26 from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, and Adelaide. When asked about the main contributors to climate change, 85 percent of them stated that coal, fossil fuels, and other unsustainable forms of energy contributed the most, followed by deforestation and biodiversity loss (59 percent), plastic, food, and rubbish waste (58 percent), consumption and lifestyle practices, such as services and goods (55 percent), transportation (54 percent), large industries (53 percent), and global population growth (45 percent). However, only a third of the respondents (38 percent) claimed that livestock and agriculture – including meat production and consumption and unsustainable animal farming practices – have a significant contribution to climate change.



“Young people will be most impacted by climate change, and already they are paying the price for historic emissions. A steep reduction in emissions will be required to curb climate change, so it is vital our future decision-makers understand which activities contribute most and make informed choices,” said study lead author Diana Bogueva, an expert in meat consumption at the University of Sydney.



&nbsp;“There is a clear disconnect at play –&nbsp;while global warming is high on the Gen Z radar, the nexus between climate change and food is yet to be properly understood by young Australians.”



Moreover, the survey also revealed that Generation Z does not generally engage with food provenance and don’t pay attention to food labelling.



“Without urgent changes to Generation Z’s food choices, now and in the future, meat consumption and livestock production will continue to drive global emissions, and I don’t think that’s a future young people want,” Dr. Bogueva concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/19/2512">MDPI Animals</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Generation Z doesn't recognize the climate impact of meat consumption

A new study led by the University of Sydney and...

Fruit,Fly

In the fight for love, the male members of a species usually take center stage. However, a group of scientists at the <a href="https://www.fchampalimaud.org/champalimaud-foundation/champalimaud-centre">Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown</a> have demonstrated that female fruit flies aren't spectators when it comes to sexual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sexual-competition-makes-animal-populations-more-resilient/">competition</a>.



"It is well known that female fruit flies display aggression over food and territory. So we asked, 'what about mating?" said study senior author Maria Luisa Vasconcelos.



When the team placed one male with two virgin females, everything seemed fine while the male was courting both females. But if the male began copulating with one of the flies, the spurned female began attacking the other female.



"This is curious because when the situation is reversed - when two males are in the same chamber with one female - both vigorously court the female simultaneously. But once mating is in progress, the 'losing' male doesn't attack. Instead, it courts the female even though she is otherwise engaged," explained Vasconcelos.&nbsp;



However, if a male had not previously courted a female, she would not attack. This piqued the researchers' curiosity.



"We wanted to understand what were the exact circumstances that gave rise to this behavior. For example, was it important that the females were virgins? Also, were there any external signals involved, like particular odors?" explained study first author Miguel Gaspar.



The researchers confirmed that the sexual status of the female influenced her behavior. "Mating triggers a series of physiological changes in females, which are known to have a dramatic effect on their behaviour as well," Gaspar explained. "And indeed, we found that while virgins quickly became aggressive, mated females were indifferent to the copulating pair."



The presence of food also played a role. "This was very interesting," said Vasconcelos. "We know that mated females become aggressive towards each other in the presence of food. Probably because they need nourishment to support the pregnancy. However, here the females were virgins. A possible explanation might be that mating in an environment with food is perceived as conducive to a successful pregnancy."



"We report here how female aggression towards mating pairs can be elicited. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that fruit fly females display rich, complex behaviors that are sensitive to social, environmental, and internal states. Now, we can use the extensive genetic and molecular tools available in fly research to investigate the neural underpinnings of this newly-discovered behavior."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01453-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982222014531%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Current Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scorned female fruit flies attack their sexual competitors

In the fight for love, the male members of a...

A new study published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac189">European Journal of Cardiology</a> suggests that drinking two to three cups of coffee per day may prolong your life. The research findings apply to instant, ground and decaffeinated coffee.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause,” said study co-author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”



The researchers used data from the UK Biobank to investigate the associations between coffee and arrhythmias, cardiovascular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/night-owls-may-have-greater-risk-of-heart-disease/">disease</a> and death in 449,563 people between the ages of 40 and 69 years. The median age of study participants was 58, with 55.3 percent being women.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study participants were questioned about whether they usually drank instant, ground, or decaffeinated coffee. They were then grouped into six consumption categories ranging from zero to more than five cups a day.&nbsp;



The data showed that 198,062 (44.1%) of the participants drank instant, 82,575 (18.4%) drank ground, and 68,416 (15.2%) drank decaffeinated coffee. The analysis also included 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers as a control group. Age, sex, ethnicity and various health issues were controlled for in the study.&nbsp;



Overall, 6.2 percent of participants died before follow up and 9.6 percent were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. The median follow up was 12.5 years. All types of coffee consumption were shown to lower the chances of death by any cause, with two to three cups being the most effective. 



Two to three cups a day of decaffeinated, ground and instant coffee were associated with a lower risk of premature death by 14, 27, and 11 percent respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components," said Professor Kistler. "It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behavior.”



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee lowers risk of premature death from all causes

A new study published in the European Journal of Cardiology...

Much research has gone into identifying links between our risks of developing serious ailments as we age and the lifestyle choices we make, such as our day-to-day selection of foods, beverages and physical activities. A new study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1000/xyz123">Aging-US</a>, has now identified that aging is influenced by mental health just as much as lifestyle choices. People who feel happy, fulfilled and socially connected experience slower aging and less of the debilitating effects of the aging process.



As we grow older, molecular damage accumulates within our cells and tissues, and contributes to the development of aging-related frailty and serious diseases. In some people these molecular processes are more intense than in others, which leads to a condition commonly referred to as accelerated aging.&nbsp;Fortunately, the increased pace of aging may be detected, using digital models of aging (aging clocks), before its disastrous consequences manifest. Such models can also be used to derive anti-aging therapies on individual and population levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The new study was an international collaboration between U.S. and Chinese scientists, and led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deeplongevity.com/">Deep Longevity</a>, an AI company that is focused on developing customized predictions of human biological age using specific aging biomarkers. It aimed to measure the effect that being lonely or unhappy, or having restless sleep, has on the pace of aging. 



The researchers used data from 11,914 Chinese adults and succeeded in developing a new aging clock that was trained and verified with blood and biometric data from the participants. This is the first aging clock to be trained exclusively on a Chinese cohort of such magnitude.&nbsp;



Accelerated aging was detected in those participants with a history of stroke, liver and lung diseases, in smokers, and most interestingly, in people who manifested a vulnerable mental state. In fact, feeling hopeless, unhappy, and lonely was shown to increase one’s biological age more significantly than smoking did. Other factors linked to aging acceleration include being single and living in a rural area (due to the low availability of medical services).&nbsp;



The authors of the article conclude that the psychological aspect of aging should not be neglected either in research or in practical anti-aging applications. “Mental and psychosocial states are some of the most robust predictors of health outcomes - and quality of life - yet they have largely been omitted from modern healthcare," said Manuel Faria from Stanford University.



<a href="https://twitter.com/biogerontology">Alex Zhavoronkov</a>, the CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://insilico.com/">Insilico Medicine</a>, points out that the study provides a course of action to slow down or even reverse psychological aging on a national scale.



Earlier this year, Deep Longevity released an AI-guided mental health web service,&nbsp;<a href="https://futurself.ai/">FuturSelf.AI,&nbsp;</a>which is based on a previous publication in Aging-US. The service offers free psychological assessment that is processed by an AI and provides a comprehensive report on a user’s psychological age as well as his or her current and future mental well-being.&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/deepankar-nayak-6339855?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F">Deepankar Nayak</a>, the CEO of Deep Longevity affirms, “FuturSelf.AI, in combination with the study of older Chinese adults, positions Deep Longevity at the forefront of biogerontological research."&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Feeling lonely and unhappy can age you faster than smoking

Much research has gone into identifying links between our risks...

Olivia Harvey

Kyla is based out of California and serves as the Earth.com weekend editor. Kyla has written for numerous news outlets and has been a key contributor to the growth and development of Earth.com.

Kyla Cathey

Kay Vandette is a freelance writer and has written everything from film and food reviews to travel and lifestyle articles.
She has been featured in national publications and blogs and runs a website dedicated to providing tips for beginner freelance writers.
Kay is passionate about living a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle and loves writing for Earth.com.

Kay Vandette

Connor Ertz lives in Boston and works as the Marketing Writer for Boston Children's Hospital's Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center. He holds degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Gettysburg College, and has been writing for science and news outlets for the last three years. 
&nbsp;

Connor Ertz

Ever since I was very young exploring the woods behind my house I have been fascinated with nature. I love writing for Earth.com because I stay informed on the biggest environmental issues and I get to play a small role in keeping others informed. I am currently studying human services at East Tennessee State University, and previously studied media communications and cyber security.