Pedal to the metal

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Social Security recipients want bigger adjustments for cost of living, Vegas visits slide, study reveals best time to work out, and Billy Joel drops a massive playlist.

Let’s get into it!

Social Security benefits are updated annually based on an inflation-related cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), but according to a recent survey conducted by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), many believe the COLA isn’t fairly calculated.

The survey found 34% of TSCL members consider updating the COLA formula a top priority, with most seeking the use of a more appropriate inflation index.

Currently, the Social Security Administration uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). TSCL says this formula doesn’t actually represent price fluctuations relevant to senior citizens, and instead focuses on young Americans’ spending habits, and particularly those who live in major cities.

A separate index called the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) actually exists, and is understandably the TSCL-preferred measure of inflation for its members. 68% of TSCL members surveyed said they prefer the use of CPI-E for COLA formulas.

"CPI-E is designed to better reflect the spending habits of people aged 62 and older," Colin Ruggiero, co-founder at DisabilityGuidance.org, told Newsweek. "It gives more weight to health care and housing costs which are two of the fastest-growing expenses for seniors. Switching to CPI-E would make COLAs more relevant and responsive to the real financial pressures seniors face.”

According to hotel analytics group STR, occupancy rates in Las Vegas are sharply declining, leading some to worry the city may soon lose its unofficial title as the party capital of the world.

The company published data revealing occupancy rates are down to an average of 66.7% earlier this month, marking a 17% drop year-over-year. Revenue per available room also fell 29% on an annualized basis as Vegas hotels have been forced to drop prices to entice travellers to visit the once-bustling global leader in entertainment.

"Southern Nevada is more dependent on the tourism industry than any other major market in the United States today," he said, adding that declining tourism is "having a ripple effect" throughout the city's flagship industry.

Gaming revenue has also been on the decline, with travellers both domestic and international either steering clear of Vegas entirely, significantly lightening how much they spend on gambling when visiting.

"From what I understand, Vegas may be setting themselves up for the same situation they went through in 2008-2009," said veteran gaming consultant Bill Zender, "over pricing the market."

A new meta-analytical study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests exercising earlier in the day and at the same time each day can have a more positive impact on cardiorespiratory health than sporadic or later-in-the-day workouts.

The study focused more on older adults, and analyzed data from several other studies that collectively recruited 799 participants averaging 76 years old.

The participants were required to wear accelerometers to measure their movements during workouts for seven days, and to take heart and lung stress tests so the researchers could monitor the results.

The meta analysis found the sweet spot for working out and producing the most beneficial outcomes for cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health was to exercise between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Specifically, the researchers found this to be the best window as it relates to human circadian rhythms, and the window in which the most energy is expended and most exercise “recorded” by the human body.

Other studies have also found this window to lower the risk of heart disease, and that it’s equally if not more important to make sure the workout is built into the body’s internal rhythms by exercising at or near the same time each day.

In various parts of the United States and Canada, it’s been hotter than hell this summer, prompting many to seek a refresher (no pun intended) on just how important it is to stay hydrated under such conditions.

Like a car, the body needs fuel and coolant, and when subjected to conditions of extreme heat, the body is burning both much faster. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the body can lose up to a litre of sweat per hour through physical activity in the heat.

When you don’t replenish those liquids as fast as they’ve been expended, it deprives the body’s internal organs of both coolant and fuel.

Blood vessels also dilate when it’s really hot out, allowing the heat to be transferred from the body to the skin’s surface faster in a process called vasodilation. This is a natural process, but it also forces the heart to work faster to pump blood through those widened vessels.

Furthermore, the body loses minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium (all electrolytes), which evacuate the body through sweat. These electrolytes also play other important roles in the body, and replacing them is important for muscle and nerve health.

Billy Joel released a seven hour, 155-song soundtrack entitled And So It Goes for his recently debuted docuseries on HBO of the same name.

The album included dozens and dozens of previously unreleased recordings from concerts the Piano Man played over the years, along with plenty of rereleases and commentary from the man himself to help contextualize the brilliance the listener is hearing.

On top of live cuts of his most famous hits, there are plenty of deep cut easter eggs, including songs from his 1960s group, The Hassles, and his toe-dip into the world of heavy metal in the form of his band, Attila.

Steve Cohen and Billy Joel archivist John Jackson produced the soundtrack and spoke to the Ultimate Classic Rock Podcast about its release over the weekend.

"His team was actually very forward in collecting audio and video, including things from the screen cams," Jackson told UCR. "Having a sound man [Brian Ruggles] with him since 1972 and a visual staging and lighting guy [Cohen] since 1974 helped out a lot. [They had a] forward vision of like, 'We should really film this. We should capture this with proper audio.'"

Tying the knot

On this day in 1981, a major cultural event took place when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles 👰🤵 

That got us thinking about some other iconic weddings from the past. You can test out your knowledge of celebrity nuptials with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow afternoon—keep an eye on your inbox!*