Personality type could influence what workouts people prefer
For the study, experts from University College London (UCL) gave 132 volunteers either an eight-week cycling and strength training plan or told them to rest.
Strength levels were evaluated before the start of the research using exercises like press ups and a cycling tests, while stress levels were measured on a scale of one to 10.
Researchers used the Big 5 personality test to assess dominant personality traits using five distinct groups.
These are extroversion, or how energetic and outgoing a person is, agreeableness, which includes attributes related to trust and compassion, conscientiousness, which reflects traits like orderliness and and reliability.
The other two traits are neuroticism, which measures emotional stability and the tendency for anxiety or mood swings, and openness, which describes a person's willingness to try new experiences.
Dr Flaminia Ronca, of UCL's surgery and interventional science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), said: 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active.'
Of the group, some 86 people completed the programme.
Researchers found extroverts tended to enjoy high intensity workouts, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Elsewhere, those with strong neuroticism traits preferred bursts of activity over prolonged intensity.
They also preferred not being monitored or recording their heart rate during the study, which researchers suggest could indicated they prefer being given space and independence while exercising.
Dr Ronca added: 'We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary.
'You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes.
'In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behaviour.'
Professor Paul Burgess, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said: 'We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study.
'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
How we fell out of love with alcohol - and it's NOT just a Gen Z phenomenon: Map shows booze intake has plunged in Western Europe but risen 7-fold in one part of the world
Western Europe is falling out of love with booze – and it's not just a Gen Z phenomenon, leading experts say. Alcohol consumption in Britain has plunged 10 per cent since the millennium, with figures showing rates have dipped among all age groups. Nowadays the average UK adult sinks 10.11 litres of pure alcohol per year, ranking 25th highest in a world's league table. That equates to around 505 pints of lager or 112 bottles of wine. In 2000, Brits drank 11.18 litres a year – enough to sit 9th overall in the 2022 global rankings. Statistics held by the World Health Organization show the trend is mirrored across Western Europe, with alcohol intake having plunged even quicker in Ireland (29 per cent), France (25 per cent) and Germany (16 per cent). University College London 's Dr Melissa Oldham, who tracks drinking trends in the UK, told MailOnline: 'Declining youth alcohol consumption is something we are seeing across many high income countries. 'Similar reasons seem to underlie this trend, including changing attitudes towards alcohol and increased awareness of alcohol-harms, alongside changes in the way young people socialise.' Out of the 187 countries surveyed by the WHO, 92 consumed less alcohol in 2022. Syria saw the biggest fall since 2000 (93 per cent), although it recorded below one litre per person for both years. Of the countries which drank at least one litre, Venezuela fell 74 per cent from 7.7 to 2.02 litres. Eighty-eight nations drank more, however, including the US (up 14 per cent, to 9.41 litres per year, or around 470 pints). The US currently ranks 28th overall. Consumption rates have rocketed nearly 7-fold in Cambodia, 5-fold in Myanmar and 3-fold in Vietnam, the statistics suggest. Experts say this is down to economic growth, as well as an expanding middle class that can afford to purchase more alcohol. The trend has spooked health chiefs, who want a crackdown in south east Asia. Seven nations (Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan) saw no change, drinking zero litres in both years. The Czech Republic was home to the biggest drinkers. There, adults typically drink 12.99 litres of pure alcohol every year – equivalent to 649.5 pints of 4 per cent lager or 144 bottles of red wine. Rounding out the top three were Latvia (12.58) and Estonia (12.06). What adults are drinking has also changed. In Britain, wine consumption has soared 12-fold since the 1960s, partly fuelled by higher boozing rates among women. Beer intake, meanwhile, has more than halved since its heyday five decades ago – from the equivalent of 276 pints a year to 110. So, what's going on in Britain? Brits have a complicated relationship with alcohol, having earned an international reputation for binge drinking, 'lager louts' and the Great British pub. Historically this culture has been fuelled by students, boozing at sports events and house parties or bar-hopping in town centres both here and abroad. But studies suggest the tables have now turned, with society's youngest foregoing pints in favour of low and no-alcohol alternatives or even going teetotal. NHS data shows rates have fallen the quickest among the 16-24 year old age group, in trends that have seen them dubbed 'generation sensible'. Experts claim that this is due to a variety of factors, including them wanting to keep fitter and avoid the liquid calories, save money and avoid the dangers of excessive boozing. The NHS says there's no 'safe' drinking level, although anything above 14 units per week is considered dangerous. This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the risks of alcohol. Decades of alcohol abuse can cause cancer and strokes, as well as heart and liver disease and brain damage. Dr Oldham said: 'Young people today have better education in schools on this topic. 'They've seen the impact of regular drinking on older generations and possibly even have negative experiences with older adults from their personal lives that can have a visceral impact on how they see alcohol. 'But awareness across Europe as to the dangers of alcohol causing life-threatening or harmful conditions are generally low.' Yet figures show it's not just Generation Z who are turning their back on booze. NHS figures collected before the pandemic showed consumption levels were on the decline among 20-somethings and middle-aged adults. Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: 'People are falling out of friendship with alcohol because they're not making better memories, improved energy, sleep or improved long-term health outcomes - all things they would want from the experience.' Britain's 'slow-burning crisis' Alcohol-related deaths reached a record high in 2023 at nearly 10,500. That's up over 20 per cent since the pandemic and nearly doubling since 2001. Covid-era curbs likely fuelled dangerous drinking habits, scientists think. Dozens of surveys have also found boredom, having more time to drink and anxiety fuelled worrying trends in alcohol consumption during lockdowns. Yet Dr Piper said the situation in the UK was akin to a 'slow burning crisis' as alcohol deaths continue to rise in spite of clearly shifting attitudes to consumption. The main cause in the spike in deaths in the wake of the pandemic, according to a study published in the Lancet Public Health earlier this year, was a steep rise in liver damage caused by alcohol. It can take years of heavy drinking for this to build up. Yet the total death toll is deemed to be the 'tip of the iceberg' because it only counts deaths wholly attributable to alcohol – not deaths where it likely played a contributory factor. Campaigners have called for measures such as minimum unit pricing, cigarette-style health warnings on labels and tighter advertising regulations. Dr Piper said minimum unit pricing – a system where products are priced based on the amount of units they have – would undoubtedly help tackle the crisis, by making cheaper, higher-strength drinks more expensive. Scotland and Wales already adopt the measure, fixed at 65p and 50p per unit, respectively. In England, there is currently no minimum unit price for alcohol meaning cheap drink is rife. In supermarkets today, a two-litre bottle of cider can be bought for under £3, which equates to 33p per unit of alcohol. 'Alcohol in the supermarket is now the most affordable it's been since 1970 and 70 per cent of alcohol is bought through that channel,' Dr Piper said. Harmful drinking levels are disproportionately seen in lower-income, more deprived areas, official figures show. There, so-called 'risky drinking' is far more common and that's what is driving up alcohol-related death rates, studies show. As well as minimum unit pricing, Dr Piper also wants companies to include 'switching language' when promoting zero per cent alcohol, a product which has boomed in popularity. Using Heineken as an example, this would mean have to include verbage like 'Switch to Heineken 0.0'. Dr Piper added: 'We are not for an alcohol ban but the "moderation is good for you" argument is kind of nonsense – a small amount of alcohol has never been good for you. 'We don't blame the alcohol industry because it's doing what it needs for their shareholders, but we need governments to stand up when there's market failure and there is absolutely market failure.' The rise of low and no-alcohol alternatives The IWSR, a drinks analytics consultancy formerly known as the International Wine and Spirits Record, says the 'no/low' sector is in a 'transformative' period of growth. Across ten key markets, including the UK, US and Brazil, the firm expects the global sector to swell by over £3billion by 2028. It also notes that booze purchases among no/low buyers are decreasing, particularly in the beer and wine categories. In the UK, sober curiosity has even been granted its own month, christened 'Dry January'. Marketed as a reset after the typically indulgent period over the December holidays, the idea was officially adopted as a campaign by Alcohol Change UK in 2013. Data provided by the organisation show that participation has more than tripled since 2019, with 4.2million in 2019 swelling to 15.5million people last year. And the popularity of the 'no/low' movement has extended far beyond one month of the year as a detox. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) noted that 27million pints of non-alcoholic beer were sold in June and July last year across the UK's off-trade – an uplift of 35 per cent in two years. And the body claims it expects a 20 per cent rise on that figure for 2025. A recent study by researchers at Oxford University found that Gen Z is embracing the non-alcoholic drinks movement in an act of rebellion, even deeming the choice as 'cool'. This has given rise to swathes of household brands in the no/low sector, such as non-alcoholic beer brand Lucky Saint and variants by big brewers such as Heineken and Peroni. Non-alcoholic spirits companies and wines, too, are booming as people seek to avoid the fear of missing out on fun from drinking alcohol. Craig Chapman, director of brands at drinks producer Global Brands, which owns iconic names such as alcopop VK and Hooch, told MailOnline that this FOMO is driving a part of their company strategy. 'Our research says this is the biggest factor for people looking to cut down but not feel like they're not a part of something,' he said. VK is synonymous with party culture among university and college students but the zero per cent variant hasn't done quite as well, Mr Chapman said. 'It's doing OK but hasn't set the world alight and we didn't think it would for us,' he added. 'We wanted to include the option for "zebra-striping" (alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) Gen Z-ers but it was never meant to overtake the core brand.' 'The days of having such a strong nightclub presence for us is gone because that side of the world has gone for now,' he added. Declining alcohol consumption is hitting alcohol producers the world over, coupled with regulatory headwinds and higher raw material and energy costs. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine, the main trade body for vintners, said in April that 2024 global sales fell to 214.2million hectolitres – the lowest level in 60 years. Wine production, too, fell to 60-year lows at just 225million hectolitres. The body's annual report said: 'Beyond the short-term economic and geopolitical disruptions, it is important to consider the structural, long-term factors also contributing to the observed decline in wine consumption.' This includes the average consumer paying roughly 30 per cent more for a bottle now than in 2019, alongside a 12 per cent decline in total consumption in the same time period. And it's not just wine that's taking a hit. A 2024 report from leading hops supplier BarthHaas shows a 0.6 per cent drop in beer production volumes across the world's largest brewers for the year. The findings note that 'many multinational brewers' are dropping ambitious or novel craft brewing investments to shore up core international brands amidst 'mounting' industry challenges.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Archaeologists from London help catalogue ancient Jersey finds
Archaeologists from London are visiting Jersey to help catalogue and store hundreds of ice age animal bone from an ancient site. Jersey Heritage said while the items, found before 1960 at La Cotte de St Brelade, had been subjected to detailed work, the early finds were yet to be studied using modern scientific techniques. It said visitors could meet the team from the University College London (UCL) Institute of Archaeology for a free "Meet the Collections" event on Saturday at Sir Francis Cook Gallery. The finds, which are part of a Société Jersiaise collection, include a fragment of woolly mammoth bone and lots of pieces of horse, red deer, bison, and bear bones, said Jersey Heritage. It added the UCL team was interested in the remains of animals that may have been hunted by some of the last surviving Neanderthal groups in the Heritage said: "There is no reason why some of these fragments of bone might not be from the Neanderthal people themselves." Curator of archaeology at Jersey Heritage, Olga Finch, said: "It's great to have the expertise of the London team to undertake this curatorial work and provide a detailed catalogue, which the public and researchers can access to learn more about this important story in the Island's history."Dr Matt Pope from UCL said it was exciting to be involved in the "important process"."This is one of the most important collections of Ice Age animal bone in the region and we are getting every ready to unlock its secrets," he added.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'Breakthrough' new drug could stop ageing and halt cell self-destruction
An 'extraordinary' new class of drugs are set to undergo human trials after researchers believe they could become the first medication to reverse the effects of ageing Scientists believe they've developed a drug that could halt human ageing and reverse the impacts of 'cell death', with trials due to kick off later this year. Cell death is a natural, and essential, process that takes various forms. One such form is necrosis, an unregulated type of cell death that can lead to premature cellular destruction. During necrosis, affected cells swell until they burst, spilling their contents into the surrounding area, potentially causing chronic inflammation, genetic instability, and in some instances, tumours. This process has been associated with numerous diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, various cancers, and kidney disease. The world-renowned cancer journal, Oncogene, highlighted in May that a study into kidney disease could help researchers gain a better understanding of how necrosis operates and how to fight it, reports the Express. Dr Carina Kern, formerly a geneticist at University College London and now CEO of biotech firm LinkGevity, led the study. She believes a new category of drugs, dubbed 'anti-nectrotics', could be the first medication used to reverse the effects of ageing. Part of Dr Kern's motivation for her involvement in the project stems from her childhood experience of witnessing her grandmother's health rapidly decline due to an age-related illness. "At the time, I could not comprehend how I was so easily cured of nearly any injury, and I would be back to normal. But with her, the doctors just said 'you can't intervene-it's just ageing,'" she explained. Years later, after observing such deterioration, Dr Kern formulated the "Blueprint Theory" of ageing, which delves into the roots of ageing and identifies points for potential intervention to stave off illness. A key element identified in her research is necrosis, which Kern asserts is fundamentally a "loss of calcium-ion gradients." She elaborates: "Levels of calcium inside the cell are typically 10,000 to 100,000 times lower than outside. Calcium is a key signalling molecule, meaning it controls lots of different processes within your cell. "And so upon stress, you lose this regulation and then you're initiating multiple pathways in a heightened and really destructive manner within the cell." Although necrosis has been known for over a century and was further examined under microscopes in the 1970s, there hasn't been significant advancement in preventing its role in severe diseases. However, Dr Kern, alongside a team of renal experts, might be on the verge of a discovery targeting kidney disease that could also have implications for anti-ageing treatments. Dr Kern said: "It was thought it was just too complex a process to intervene in. What we've managed to identify for the first time is that you can block necrosis, but you have to block more than one molecular target... When we did that, we saw up to 90 per cent of suppression of necrosis." His colleague and co-author of the study, Dr Keith Siew, commented: "The by far the most in-demand organ, and the one you're most likely to die on a waiting list for. "Some people think dialysis just fixes the problem, but the mortality rate of dialysis is that every year you're on dialysis, you lose 10 per cent of survival." Having collaborated with NASA to explore how space travel impacts renal function, particularly when astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation beyond Earth's magnetosphere, Dr Siew noted:. "Only 24 people have left the protection of Earth's magnetic field. You might feel fine on the way, but will you need dialysis on the way back?". He suggested that "Anti-necrotics could be a way to make those tissues and organs resilient enough to withstand that damage and pause cell death." Despite their groundbreaking work, both Kern and Siew maintain a cautious stance, describing themselves as "professional sceptics" regarding the potential success of the anti-necrotic drug, with clinical trials set to commence in 2025. Dr Siew emphasised the need for robust evidence: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," he said. "Until that data is rock solid...a lot of people will view this skeptically and rightfully so."
