你想要一個輕松的減肥方法嗎？既不用去健身房鍛煉，也不需要在遊泳池裡遊無數個來回？一項研究在比較瞭運動鍛煉和泡熱水澡的相對益處後發現，通過泡熱水澡消耗的卡路裡和快步走消耗的熱量是一樣，而且，飯後泡澡比運動能更多地降低血糖含量。在本期《隨身英語》裡，我們探討為什麼泡個熱氣騰騰的澡對你的健康有益。
課文內容
詞匯: Exercise 鍛煉
You might think that to lose weight you need to do strenuous exercise – pedalling furiously on an exercise bike, for example, or doing lengths in your local pool. Well, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that lying in a steaming bath can bring the same benefits as exercise, without the need to sweat profusely in the gym!
These were the findings of an experiment comparing the relative benefits of exercise and hot baths that was carried out by Dr Steve Faulkner of Loughborough University. The volunteers first lay in a hot bath and then ate a light meal, while their blood sugar level was monitored and the number of calories they burnt was measured. The experiment was then repeated, but instead of having a bath, the participants did an hour’s vigorous exercise on a bike. The results from both activities were compared with unexpected results.
“What we found”, said Dr Faulkner, “was an 80% increase in energy expenditure, just as a result of sitting in the bath for the course of an hour”. You burn 140 calories – not as many perhaps as if you had worked out on an exercise bike, but the same number as if you had been on a brisk walk. The real surprise, however, came in the blood sugar level results. The peak glucose output, the amount of blood sugar in the blood after a meal, was on average10% lower after the bath compared to that after exercise.
Dr Faulkner’s explanation for this phenomenon is that when you are in a hot bath, proteins, known as ‘heat shock proteins’ are released, which help divert the sugar from the bloodstream to the muscles. It’s important to keep blood sugar levels down to avoid damage to the arteries and nerves.
Don’t think, though, that you can hang up your trainers just yet! You should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. But, if you are one of those people who need to control their blood sugar levels – if you have type-2 diabetes for example or find it hard to exercise – why wait? Grab a towel and start running the hot tap!
詞匯表
strenuous 費勁的
lengths 泳程，來回（遊泳池的長度）
profusely 大量地
to monitor 監控，監測
vigorous 劇烈的
expenditure 耗費，消耗
to work out 鍛煉身體
brisk 輕快的（步伐）
glucose 葡萄糖
phenomenon 現象
divert 轉化
arteries 動脈
intensity 強度
diabetes 糖尿病
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. True or false? Having a hot bath is not good for your health.
2. What was the difference between the first and second time the experiment was carried out?
3. How much energy did participants use up when they sat in a hot bath?
4. Why are high levels of sugar in the blood bad for you?
5. What idiom expresses the idea of not doing any more exercise?
2.請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. Where the river rushes _________ through the narrow gorge, it is impossible to navigate.
slowly furiously peacefully profusely
2. The high _________ of fat and salt in takeaways is a serious cause of concern for health
campaigners.
extent increase level output
3. The last-minute withdrawal of last year’s winner from the race was totally _________.
inexpected surprised unexpected expected
4. The traffic is being _________ onto minor roads due to an accident on the stretch of motorway between junctions 5 and 6.
detoured avoided distracted diverted
5. Shall we _________ a bite to eat at the theatre cafe as we won’t have time
to make anything at home?
buy grab grasp take
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. True or false? Having a hot bath is not good for your health.
False. Having a hot bath can bring some of the same benefits as doing exercise.
2. What was the difference between the first and second time the experiment was carried out?
The first time the experiment was carried out, the participants lay in a hot bath and then had a light meal. The second time they did the experiment, they did an hour’s exercise on a bike and then had the meal.
3. How much energy did participants use up when they sat in a hot bath?
140 calories.
4. Why are high levels of sugar in the blood bad for you?
Because this can damage your nerves and arteries.
5. What idiom expresses the idea of not doing any more exercise?
Hang up your trainers.
2.請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. Where the river rushes furiously through the narrow gorge, it’s impossible to navigate.
2. The high level of fat and salt in takeaways is a serious cause of concern for health
campaigners.
3. The last-minute withdrawal of last year’s winner from the race was totally unexpected.
4. Traffic is being diverted onto minor roads due to an accident on the stretch of motorway between junctions 5 and 6.
5. Shall we grab a bite to eat at the theatre cafe as we won’t have time to make anything at home?
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