Dietary nitrate supplementation shows protective effects against cardio-metabolic disease, decreases pulmonary oxygen uptake, and improves exercise performance in animal models and humans. However, ...the biological effect of nitrate on energy metabolism in the liver is not well understood. The objective of this study was to elucidate changes in liver metabolism associated with nitrate treatment and exercise.
Fish were exposed to sodium nitrate (606.9 mg/L), or control water, for 21 days and analyzed at intervals during a strenuous exercise test. We utilized untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to determine the effect of nitrate treatment and exercise on the liver metabolome. We measured gene expression of 31 genes linked to energy metabolism and redox signaling.
In the absence of exercise, nitrate treatment upregulated expression of genes central to nutrient sensing (pgc1a and sirt3), protein synthesis (mtor) and purine metabolism (pnp5a and ampd1) and downregulated expression of genes involved in mitochondrial fat oxidation (acaca, cpt2 and hadh). Upregulation of these genes was associated with an increased abundance of metabolites involved in endogenous nitric oxide metabolism, dopamine biosynthesis, branched chain amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism in nitrate-treated livers at rest, compared to rested controls. As expected, the availability of these metabolites was diminished in nitrate-treated livers relative to rested controls. We found no significant change in gene of metabolites directly linked to glycolysis.
The main novel finding of this study was that sub-chronic nitrate treatment altered dopamine biosynthesis, protein synthesis and lipid metabolism in zebrafish liver without exercise. This is significant because dietary nitrate is emerging as an interesting therapeutic modality for metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by preventing lipid accumulation in the liver.
Celia Strickland and G. Kenneth Austin III Endowment and National Institutes of Health.
In this study we investigated the effects of hydrogen (H2) supplement, in the form of calcium bound H2 powder capsules, on aerobic and anaerobic cycling exercise.
Trained male subjects participated ...in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design trial and received H2-rich calcium powder (HCP) supplement (1500 mg/day, 2.544 μg/day of H2 gas) or H2-depleted placebo (PLA) (1500 mg/day) for 3 consecutive days.
Aerobic experiment: Eighteen subjects carried out a cycling incremental exercise starting at 20 watts (W) work rate, and increasing by 20 W/2 minutes until exhaustion. Blood gases including pH, bicarbonate ion (HCO3–), partial pressures of CO2 (PCO2), metabolic profile including lactate (Lac), and electrolytes including chloride (Cl–) were measured at rest and at 120-, 200-, and 240-W work rates.
Anaerobic experiment: Six subjects carried out a 30 second Wingate anaerobic exercise test (WAnT) bout with a resistive load of 7.5% of body mass. Lac was then measured at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 15-minutes following the WAnT exercise.
Aerobic experiment: At rest, HCP had a significantly lower pH (P = 0.048), Cl– (P = 0.011), and a higher HCO3– (P = 0.041), PCO2 (P = 0.026) compared to the PLA group. During exercise, pH decrease (supplement effect: P = 0.043) and the HCO3– increase (supplement effect: P = 0.030) continued in the HCP group. Additionally, HCP did not affect peak work load and exercise duration. And no changes were noted in Lac at rest or during exercise.
Anaerobic experiment: HCP did not affect peak power output or Lac recovery following WAnT. However the average power output during exercise was significantly higher in the HCP group (P = 0.019) compared to the PLA group.
HCP supplementation following 3 days of intake, slightly lowered pH during aerobic exercise, and increased average power output in the anaerobic WAnT exercise compared to the PLA group. HCP supplement might have an ergogenic effect in an anaerobic exercise setting.
This study was supported by The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture of Japan. In addition, we received a research grant from the company ENAGEGATE Inc. and they provided the HCP supplement and placebo. However, no intercession, restrictions or agreements of any kind was imposed between parties regarding research design, results or publications.
Dietary nitrate (NO3–) supplementation improves exercise performance by reducing the oxygen cost of exercise and enhancing skeletal muscle function. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial ...effects on exercise performance are not well understood and may be supported by changes in metabolism within the skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to elucidate nitrate-induced changes in skeletal muscle energy metabolism associated with improvements in exercise performance that may reflect enhanced metabolic flexibility.
Fish were exposed to sodium nitrate (60.7 mg/L, 303.5 mg/L, and 606.9 mg/L), or control water, for 21 days and analyzed at intervals during a strenuous exercise test. Nitrate storage in muscle was measured using chemiluminescence. We utilized nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) untargeted metabolomics and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to determine changes in muscle metabolism with nitrate and exercise.
Nitrate treatment significantly increased muscle nitrate concentrations, while muscle nitrate levels declined with increasing exercise duration, and nitrate treatment was associated with a decrease in the oxygen cost of exercise. In skeletal muscle, nitrate treatment upregulated expression of genes central to nutrient sensing (mtor), glucose (hk2) and lipid metabolism (acaca), redox signaling (nrf2a) and muscle differentiation (sox6). Nitrate treatment caused rested skeletal muscle to have significantly increased metabolites directly linked to energy production (phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine (Cr), adenosine nucleosides, purines, glycolytic, fatty acid and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediates) and a concomitant decrease in these metabolites after exercise, compared to rested-control fish.
Our data suggest that nitrate exposure may improve exercise performance by changing the metabolic programming of muscle prior to exercise, thus increasing the availability of energy producing metabolites required for exercise such as ATP and phosphocreatine.
Celia Strickland and G. Kenneth Austin III Endowment and National Institutes of Health.
To assess the acute effects of two doses of coffeeberry extract use on (i) mental energy-related feelings (primary outcome) and (ii) cycling performance (secondary outcome).
Twenty-eight active ...adults (14 females & 14 males: mean age = 20.6 ± 1.0 & 21.8 ± 3.8 years; VO2peak = 38.6 ± 5.2 & 44.7 ± 6.9 ml.kg.min–1) completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Treatments were a base beverage supplemented with a coffeeberry® extract (VDF FutureCeuticals, Inc.) at doses of 100 mg (CB100) and 300 mg (CB300). The base beverage alone was the placebo (PL) and the positive control was the base beverage with 75 mg caffeine (CAF). Participants consumed one of the four beverages during visits separated by at least five days. Before (BL) and one hour post-treatment, a battery of five cognitive tests and visual analog scales assessing the mood states of alertness, energy and fatigue were completed, taking 55-minutes. Two hours post-treatment, a 20-minute high intensity interval cycling protocol was performed followed by a 3-minute time trial; heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, and feelings of fatigue were measured. Bonferroni corrected t-tests tested differences in cycling performance (P < .001). Repeated measures ANOVAs tested for other treatment effects. Mean differences from BL are presented below.
There was a significant Beverage x Time interaction for alertness (P = .008), energy (P = .009), and fatigue (P = .008). Post-hoc analysis indicated from BL to POST CAF significantly improved alertness (PL: –2.2 ± 15.3; CB100: –.3 ± 11.2; CB300: 1.0 ± 11.7; CAF: 9.1 ± 12.5); energy (PL: –9.4 ± 54.7; CB100: –5.6 ± 36.4; CB300: 1.9 ± 35.9; CAF: 26.2 ± 40.8), and fatigue (PL: 11.8 ± 52.6; CB100: 6.5 ± 41.0; CB300: –.9 ± 43.9; CAF: –26.8 ± 42.9).
Consumption of a beverage with 100 mg or 300 mg coffeeberry extract one hour before a cognitive test or two hours before a high intensity exercise bout does not influence feelings of alertness, energy, and fatigue or cycling performance. Consumption of a beverage with 75 mg caffeine had no impact on cycling performance but improved feelings of alertness, energy, and fatigue.
PepsiCo R&D. The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of PepsiCo, Inc.
Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterised by a pathological fixation on healthy eating. Athletes strive for athletic performance through restricted dietary habits which may lead to the presence of ON ...symptoms. The aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying structures of two self-report measures of ON, assess differences in ON symptoms between elite and recreational athletes, and determine potential predictors of ON symptomatology.
Cross-sectional study of 215 elite (n = 59; mean age 26.71 ± 6.83 years) and recreational athletes (n = 156; mean age 36.13 ± 14.33 years) completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ), Short Form Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFFQ), Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and the Hewitt-Flett Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale Short Form (HF-MPS-SF).
Factor analysis revealed two-factor structures for both the TOS and the EHQ. Elite athletes exhibited higher scores for ‘healthy orthorexia’ (HeOr) (P = .016), ‘knowledge of healthy eating’ (P = .038) (EHQ-Knowledge), diet quality score (DQS) (P = .013) and self-orientated perfectionism scores (P = .032) compared to recreational athletes. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed DQS to be a consistent and significant predictor of all ON symptoms (both TOS and EHQ). BMI was negatively associated with HeOr (β = –.21, P < .001). EAT-26 dieting, bulimia and oral subscales predicted ‘orthorexia nervosa’ (OrNe; smallest P = .015) and ‘problems associated with healthy eating’ (EHQ-Problems; smallest P = .012). Other-orientated perfectionism (OOP) was the only perfectionism construct to predict HeOr (β = .23, P < .01), EHQ-Knowledge (β = .34, P < .001), EHQ-Problems (β = .18, P < .01) and EHQ-Total (β = .27, P < .001).
Findings suggest TOS is a reliable measure of ON symptomatology in athletes and further refinement of the EHQ is required. Improvements in assessment tools, study methodology and classification of athlete characteristics are required to advance our understanding of ON in athlete populations.
None.
To determine the relationships between physical activity, sleep behaviors, and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms during the current COVID-19 pandemic in college students.
College students (n = 459; aged ...18–23) at a midwestern university participated in the study. Participants completed an online survey in mid-April 2020, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form and amended versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaires. Spearman rho correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data.
Higher GI mean total scores were significantly related to higher vigorous and moderate intensity physical activity total minutes for the overall sample (rs = 0.112, P < 0.05); and for participants identifying as female (rs = 0.134, P < 0.05). Higher GI mean total scores were significantly related to longer sleep duration for the overall sample (rs = 0.111, P < 0.05) and for participants identifying as male (rs = 0.258, P < 0.01). In males, longer sleep duration was also significantly related to a decrease in sleep quality (rs = –.226, P < 0.05).
The findings reveal a positive correlation between GI symptoms and vigorous and moderate-intensity activity. Moreover, GI symptoms were related to longer duration but decreased quality of sleep. Healthcare professionals and college campus resources could focus on promoting lower intensity exercise and improved sleep behaviors to decrease GI symptoms.
None.
There has been evidence suggesting the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) in promoting and preserving lean body mass. Western diets are deficient in omega-3 FA, while having excess amounts of omega-6 ...FA. A high omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio promotes the pathogenesis of several diseases, whereas an omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio suppresses inflammation. The objective of this study was to report on omega-3 FA supplementation and lean body mass (LBM) among athletes.
Female and male athletes who were 18 years of age and older were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Body weight (kg) and height (cm) were measured using a SECA scale. LBM (kg) was measured using a bio-electrical impedance analyzer. Dietary consumption data were measured using a Block Food Frequency Questionnaire. A univariate analysis of variance was used to report the interaction between omega-3 FA supplementation and LBM. In addition, a linear regression was used to analyze the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and LBM. The significance level was set a priori at P < 0.05.
A total of 300 athletes (145 women and 155 men) were included in the study. Participants were 34.76 ± 11.5 years of age, with an average LBM of 57.19 ± 11.24 kg. The average daily consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 FA were 14.58 ± 6.21 g and 1.56 ± 0.75 g, respectively. The average ratio of omega-6/omega-3 was 9.56 ± 1.90 (a ratio of £3). Of the 300 athletes, 98 chose to supplement their diet with omega-3 FA. There was a positive interaction between omega-3 FA supplementation and LBM (P = 0.007). There was no significant relationship between omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio and LBM.
We found a positive interaction between omega-3 FA supplementation and LBM. However, these athletes did not have a favorable omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio, and hence, may be susceptible to inflammatory responses and other chronic diseases. Therefore, it may be beneficial to include servings of foods and supplements that are high in omega-3 FA to mitigate these effects. Intervention studies should further investigate the potential of a diet rich in omega-3 FA in preserving LBM in athletes.
This project was unfunded.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides physical activity guidelines for Americans. Current guidelines recommend at least 30–60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity 5 days ...a week. This level of physical activity is associated with reduction of many adverse health outcomes. This study sought to investigate the awareness and adherence to these guidelines by adults in the United States.
A secondary data analysis was conducted using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-5 Cycle 3), a nationally-representative survey administered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Data were collected between January and May 2019 among 5438 adults. Participants were asked if they were aware of government guidelines on physical activity, where they had heard this information and the action they took. In addition, participants were asked the number of days in a week they were physically active or exercised and for how long. Descriptive and Chi square statistics were used to determine the level of awareness and adherence to physical activity guidelines and the relationship between awareness and actions taken.
About 36% of the participants stated that they had not heard about government recommendations on physical activity. 46% stated that they heard about the guidelines but did not make any changes to their physical activity routine while 5.3% stated that they increased their physical activity. Sources of this information were, television (34%), social media or internet (25%), health professionals or doctor (24%), and magazines (19%). About 54% of the participants reported that they were physically active 3 or more days per week while 26% stated that they did no physical activity. About 68.4% of those who reported exercising did so for 30–60 minutes while 15% exercised for more than 60 minutes per day. Chi square analysis showed that a higher percentage of those who reported not exercising at all also reported that they had not heard about the government recommendations of physical activity (X2 = 29.6; P < 0.0001).
There still remains a considerable section of the population that is not aware of the government guidelines on physical activity. There is need for continued public education on the benefits of physical activity and the amount of physical activity that is likely to result in such benefits.
None.
This revision intends to provide an overview on the major and emerging trends in food and nutrition. Food scientists and dietitians should keep an eye on the trends shaping the food industry in order ...to understand consumer changes in preferences, expectations and dietary patterns; and to identify those areas that should be added to the research agenda. In addition, to comprehend the major drivers of change in the food industry, global consumer trends are also reviewed in this article. Global concerns are shaping consumer attitudes, and with an easier access to information and an unprecedented consumer power through social media, the food industry should quickly adapt to meet consumer needs. In order to meet these objectives, this review is organized in three different but interrelated sections: global consumer trends, food and nutrition trends, and trends in sports foods and nutrition. This last one is also included due to its influence over food trends, and its significant relevance as a category and food trend.
Growing female athletes must consume nutritionally balanced meals to avoid health risks such as excessive calorie restriction. Furthermore, food education that encourages behavioral changes is ...necessary to acquire correct food knowledge and problem-solving skills throughout oneʼs life. We present a case study of high school female athletes who became aware of the importance of a balanced diet as a result of breakfast provided during a training camp.
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