BOSTON -- Unless you're a competitive athlete, gulping down a popular sports drink right after exercising may not be good for your health.

A UMass Amherst study monitored people walking on a treadmill for one hour daily. According to researchers, the participants burned 500 calories, and increased the effectiveness of insulin to clear blood sugar by 40-percent. But when the walkers drank high-carbohydrate sports drinks right after working out, the positive health benefits disappeared completely.

The study is published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Exercise & Stroke Survivors

Researchers from the University of Zürich in Switzerland have found another reason for stroke survivors to exercise.

In a randomized, controlled study, patients with long-term disability after stroke who did six months of treadmill exercise training increased their activity in certain parts of the brain by 72 percent on imaging tests.

Researchers speculate walking on the treadmill stimulates the brain to recruit non-damaged portions to help people walk.

The study is published in the journal Stroke.

Medical Cell Research

There's been a major leap in medical cell research on mice.

Scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have transformed one type of cell into another in living mice. The newly created cells made insulin in diabetic mice, though the mice were not cured.

According to researchers, this suggests doctors might be able to use patient's own cells to treat disease or injury without turning to stem cells from embryos.

But, some caution, the method is not ready for people just yet.