ALLENDALE, Mich. ? New research shows that nations with greater women's empowerment win more medals and send more athletes to the Summer Olympics. The effect of women's empowerment held for both men and women, although it was stronger for female athletes, according to a study by Grand Valley State University researchers. The findings were published in April 2014 in the Journal of Sports Economics.

The research, led by Aaron Lowen, associate professor of economics at Grand Valley State, provides evidence for the popular but previously untested hypothesis that women's empowerment leads to international athletic success. The authors examined the success of more than 130 nations participating in the Summer Olympics from 1996 through 2012. Similar to previous studies, they found that more populous and wealthier nations were more successful. However, they also showed that another important predictor of success was the Gender Inequality Index or GII. The GII includes information on women's reproductive health, political empowerment and participation in the labor force, and it ranges from 0 (no inequality between genders) to 100 (extreme inequality). The authors found that a 10-point decrease in GII was associated with winning about one extra medal for men and 1.5 medals for women. They found similar results when looking at participation and other measures of success, such as medals won per athlete.

The researchers focused on the Summer Olympics because it is the world's largest elite sports competition in terms of participating individuals and nations and the number of distinct events. The Olympics are also ideal because women's participation has steadily increased to a level that is almost as high as men's.

"Many studies have shown that women's empowerment is linked with economic development and better outcomes for children, but there's been little research on whether it leads to female sports success," said Lowen. "We read claim after claim that it does, so we decided it was worth finding out if it's true. Fortunately, the results turned out to be clear cut. No matter how we conducted the analyses or what measures of success we used, women's empowerment predicted Olympic success."

Besides finding support for the connection between gender equality and Olympic success, there were some unanticipated findings. One was that greater gender equality was also associated with greater success for men, even after controlling other success predictors, such as population and wealth. "The benefit to male athletes was a surprise, and we don't really understand why this occurs," said Lowen. "One idea is that societies that bring women into the workforce generate wealth in ways that are not captured with traditional wealth measures, such as gross domestic product. These societies may afford both men and women greater opportunities for recreational and personal pursuits, including elite athletic training and competition."

Another unexpected finding was that there was no "Title IX effect" for U.S. women. The well-known federal law prohibits sexual discrimination in educational opportunities, including sports, and has been credited with the success of U.S. women in international competition. Robert Deaner, associate professor of psychology at Grand Valley State and co-author of the study, said: "Clearly, U.S. women have been remarkably successful in soccer, basketball and many other sports. But once we incorporated other key predictors of Olympic success ? population, wealth, and women's empowerment ? we found little evidence that U.S. women are exceptional in comparison to women from other countries or even U.S. men. This doesn't mean Title IX hasn't been important for U.S. women ? instead it suggests that other countries must have their own means of supporting elite women's sports."

The authors stressed there are still outstanding questions, including the direction of causality. "We've shown that women's empowerment and elite athletic success go together, but we can't say which causes which," said Lowen. "To really get at this issue, we'd need some experimental or exogenous change that directly affected one or the other. For instance, if several nations randomly received significant additional resources for women's sports, we could see if increased women's empowerment followed, or vice versa. This is obviously a difficult question to answer, but it's an important one. It might help policy makers decide where to invest their resources."

The authors of the study were Aaron Lowen, Robert Deaner, and Erika Schmitt, all of Grand Valley State University.

For more information, contact Aaron Lowen at lowena@gvsu.edu.

Aaron Lowen joined the Economics Department at Grand Valley State University in 2003. He earned a doctorate in economics at the University of Iowa. His research covers a wide variety of topics including the gender wage gap, recycling and waste disposal policy, anti-corruption policies, and sports as it relates to the topics of motivation and gender equality.

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Neurosurgeon Recommends Building Muscle as
Best Protection Against 'the Disease of Aging'
Offers 5 Exercises for a Solid Strength-Building Regime

If you want good health, a long life and to feel your best well into old age, the No. 1 most important thing you can do is strength-training, says Dr. Brett Osborn, author of "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness," www.drbrettosborn.com

"Our ability to fight off disease resides in our muscles," Dr. Osborn says. "The greatest thing you can do for your body is to build muscle."

He cites a large, long-term study of nearly 9,000 men ages 20 to 80. After nearly 19 years, the men still living were those with the most muscular strength. (BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, 2008).

Muscle is all protein - "nothing but good for you," Dr. Osborn says.

Fat, however, is an endocrine organ, meaning it releases hormones and other chemicals. When a person has excess fat, he or she also a disrupted flow of excess biochemicals, which can increase insulin resistance and boost risk factors for stroke and high blood pressure, among other problems.

"Increased cytokines, an immune system chemical, for example, are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease," Dr. Osborn says. "You're only as old as your arteries!"

Strength-training has health benefits for everyone, he adds, no matter their size.

"Some fat is visceral fat - it's stored around the organs and it's even more dangerous than the fat you can see," he says. "People who look thin may actually be carrying around a lot of visceral fat."

So, what's the workout Dr. Osborn recommends?

"Back to basics," he says. "These five exercises are the pillars of a solid training regime."

•  The squat is a full-body exercise; it's the basic movement around which all training should be centered. Heavy squats generate a robust hormonal response as numerous muscular structures are traumatized during the movement (even your biceps). Standing erect with a heavy load on your back and then repeatedly squatting down will stress your body inordinately - in a good way -- forcing it to grow more muscle.

•  The overhead press primarily activates the shoulders, arm extenders and chest. Lower body musculature is also activated as it counters the downward force of the dumbbell supported by the trainee. From the planted feet into the hands, force is transmitted through the skeletal system, stabilized by numerous muscular structures, most importantly the lower back.

•  The deadlift centers on the hamstrings, buttocks, lumbar extensors and quadriceps, essentially the large muscles of your backside and the front of your thighs. As power is transferred from the lower body into the bar through the upper body conduit, upper back muscles are also stressed, contrasting with the squat, which is supported by the hands. Deadlifts are considered by some to be the most complete training exercise.

•  The bench press mostly targets the chest, shoulders and triceps; it's the most popular among weightlifters, and it's very simple - trainees push the barbell off the lower chest until the arms are straight. This motion stresses not only the entire upper body, but also the lower body, which serves a stabilizing function. This provides a big hormonal response and plenty of bang for your buck.

•  The pull-up / chin-up stress upper body musculature into the body. A pull-up is done when hands gripping over the bar; a chin-up is where hands are gripping under the bar. Nine out of 10 people cannot do this exercise because most simply haven't put in the effort. It's also been called a "man's exercise, which is nonsense," he says. There are no gender-specific exercises. Women, too, should aspire to enjoy the health benefits entailed with this pillar.

"There are no secrets to a strong and healthier body; hard work is required for the body that will remain vital and strong at any age," Osborn says. "Always practice proper form and safety. Otherwise, the result will be the opposite of your goal, an injury."

About Dr. Brett Osborn

Brett Osborn is a New York University-trained, board-certified neurological surgeon with a secondary certification in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Diplomate; American Bard of Neurological Surgery, Diplomate; American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He holds a CSCS honorarium from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dr. Osborn specializes in scientifically based nutrition and exercise as a means to achieve optimal health and preventing disease. He is the author "Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon's Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness," www.drbrettosborn.com.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/14/2014)(readMedia)-- WHO: • Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Col. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, Ill. WHAT: • Several Memorial Day ceremonies across Illinois WHEN/WHERE: • May 24, 12 p.m. - Grand Marshal of Chicago Memorial Day parade. The parade will start at 12 p.m. and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren. • May 25, 11 a.m. -Streamwood Memorial Day ceremony; Streamwood Veterans Memorial next to the village hall at 301 E. Irving Park Road in Streamwood, Ill. • May 26, 10:45 a.m. -Oak Ridge Cemetery at War Memorials, 1441 Monument in Springfield, Ill. • May 26, 2 p.m. -Camp Butler National Cemetery Memorial Day, 5063 Camp Butler Road in Springfield, Ill. • May 27, 9 a.m. -Athens High School, #1 Warrior Way in Athens, Ill. • May 27, 2 p.m. -Trinity Lutheran School, 11503 German Church Road, Burr Ridge, Ill. MORE: • 2014 marks the 10-year anniversary the aviation incident that injured Duckworth. She served in Iraq as an Assistant Operations Officer and flew combat missions as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. During a mission north of Baghdad on Nov. 12, 2004 her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting. She continued to attempt to pilot the aircraft until passing out from blood loss. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both her legs and partial use of one arm. She received many decorations for her actions, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Combat Action Badge. • Duckworth spent the next year recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As one of the highest-ranking patients, she became an advocate for her fellow Soldiers and testified before Congress about caring for veterans and wounded warriors. • She became the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in 2006. • In 2009, President Obama appointed Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. • Duckworth was elected to Congress in 2012. • Duckworth lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband Bryan, an Army major. Since her recovery, Duckworth has taken up scuba diving, surfing, skydiving and flies as a civilian pilot. She has also completed several marathons. • Enlisting in September 1991, Duckworth continues to serve with the Illinois Army National Guard. • Duckworth's husband, Bryan Bowlsbey, is a major in the Illinois Army National Guard where he has served since 1987. For additional information, please contact the Public Affairs office at 217-761-3569 or ng.il.ilarng.list.staff-pao@mail.mil -30-