Research reveals
Rounding up science's latest discoveries
RUNNING HIGH
That happy, invincible feeling you get at the peak of a workout may not be due to the positive hormones called endorphins after all.
A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the "high" could be due to endocannabinoids.
These chemicals have an impact on appetite, pain, memory and mood.
Using mice and running wheels, researchers from the Central Institute of Mental Health of the University of Heidelberg in Germany found that after the runs, the mice were less anxious and tolerated pain better.
With drugs to block the endocannabinoid system, the mice were found to be as anxious after running as they were before and more sensitive to pain.
DIAGNOSING HEART ATTACKS
A new blood test is set to revolutionise diagnosing heart attacks.
While present tests scan the blood for a chemical known as troponin, which is released by damaged heart muscle, the new test can determine much lower levels of the chemical in only 30 minutes.
This means the patient does not need the usual two tests - one when the individual is first admitted and another 12 hours later.
The new test has been carried out on 6,304 people, with the British Heart Foundation planning a wider trial of 26,000 people across Britain.
Scientists, who developed the test at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, claim the test is affordable. It costs less than £10 (S$21).
BEDTIME MATHS
If parents replace a bedtime story with a maths discussion one night a week, their children's maths skill may improve markedly compared with peers who listen to non-mathematical stories, a new study shows.
Over the course of a nine-month school year, students who do bedtime maths gain on average the equivalent of a three-month advantage over their peers, University of Chicago researchers reported in the journal, Science.
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