Exercise and Obesity

Targeting apoptosis and autophagy following spinal cord injury: Therapeutic approaches to polyphenols and candidate phytochemicals

2011 ESC/EAS guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias has been releasedThe 2011 guidelines include many updates including total cardiovascular risk estimation,treatment target,statins treatment,treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia,treatment of high-density lipoprotein,and the management of dyslipidaemias in different clinical settingsThis article summarizes the updated information

2011 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the Management of Dyslipidaemias

Context: Affecting older and even some younger adults, neurodegenerative disease represents a global public health concern and has been identified as a research priority. To date, most anti-aging interventions have examined older adults, but little is known about the effects of polyphenol interventions on brain-related aging processes in healthy young and middle-aged adults. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of (poly)phenol-rich diet supplementation on cognitive function and brain health in young and middle-aged adults. In July 2019, two electronic databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were used to search for relevant trials examining the effect of acute or chronic (poly)phenol-rich supplementation on cognitive function and neuroprotective measures in young and middle-aged adults (<60 years old). A total of 4303 records were screened by two researchers using the PICOS criteria. Fifteen high quality (mean PEDro score = 8.8 ± 0.58) trials with 401 total participants were included in the final analyses. Information on treatment, study design, characteristics of participants, outcomes and used tools were extracted following PRISMA guidelines. When items were shown to be sufficiently comparable, a random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool estimates across studies. Effect size (ES) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. The meta-analysis indicated that (poly)phenol supplementation significantly increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (ES = 3.259, p = 0.033), which was accompanied by higher performance in serial (7s) subtraction (ES = 1.467, p = 0.001) and decreases in simple reaction time (ES = −0.926, p = 0.015) and mental fatigue (ES = −3.521, p = 0.010). Data related to cognitive function were skewed towards an effect from acute compared to chronic polyphenol intervention; data related to BDNF were skewed toward an effect from higher bioavailability phenolic components. Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides promising findings regarding the usefulness of polyphenol-rich intervention as an inexpensive approach for enhancing circulation of pro-cognitive neurotrophic factors. These beneficial effects appear to depend on the supplementation protocols. An early acute and/or chronic application of low- to high-dose phenolic components with high bioavailability rates (≥30%) at a younger age appear to provide more promising effects.

Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Interventions on Cognition and Brain Health in Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The individual response to nutrients and non-nutrient molecules can be largely affected by three important biological layers. The gut microbiome can alter the bioavailability of nutrients and other substances, the genome can influence molecule kinetics and dynamics, while the epigenome can modulate or amplify the properties of the genome. Today the use of omic techniques and bioinformatics, allow the construction of individual multilayer networks and thus the identification of personalized strategies that have recently been considered in all medical fields, including sports medicine. The composition of each athlete’s microbiome influences sports performance both directly by acting on energy metabolism and indirectly through the modulation of nutrient or non-nutrient molecule availability that ultimately affects the individual epigenome and the genome. Among non-nutrient molecules polyphenols can potentiate physical performances through different epigenetic mechanisms. Polyphenols interact with the gut microbiota, undergoing extensive metabolism to produce bioactive molecules, which act on transcription factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant systems, glucose and lipid homeostasis, and DNA repair. This review focuses on polyphenols effects in sports performance considering the individual microbiota, epigenomic asset, and the genomic characteristics of athletes to understand how their supplementation could potentially help to modulate muscle inflammation and improve recovery.

Deciphering the Role of Polyphenols in Sports Performance: From Nutritional Genomics to the Gut Microbiota toward Phytonutritional Epigenomics.

Potential health benefits are attributed to the antioxidant properties of green tea polyphenolic compounds. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a six-week green tea extract (GTE) supplementation combined with CrossFit workout on blood antioxidant status and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in men. Sixteen young males involved in CrossFit training were randomized into two groups supplemented with GTE or placebo for six weeks. Each participant performed an exercise test for the evaluation of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) twice, i.e., before starting (1st trial) and after completing the supplementation combined with CrosFit workout (2nd trial). Venous blood samples were drawn at rest, immediately post-test and after one hour of recovery in order to estimate activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], reduced glutathione [GR]), non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione [GSH], uric acid [UA], total phenolics), total antioxidant capacity (FRAP), lipid peroxidation products (TBARS), and BDNF. Except for a significantly higher SOD activity and FRAP level recorded at rest and post-exercise in the 2nd trial compared to the corresponding values in the 1st trial, no significant differences were recorded among other assayed measures such as CAT, GPx, GR, GSH and BDNF. Moreover, a percentage increase in FRAP level was twice as high after six weeks’ GTE consumption than after placebo. Regardless of the trial, an increase in plasma UA concentration and a decrease in plasma total phenolics level were observed after exercise test. Plasma TBARS concentrations were significantly higher in PLA group after six weeks’ CrossFit training, while in GTE group they were slightly lower compared to the corresponding values in the 1st trial. Moreover, there was a significant inverse correlation between FRAP and TBARS in the GTE-supplemented group (r = − 0.40, p < 0.05). A six weeks’ consumption of GTE had marginal effect on aerobic capacity and serum BDNF level in CrossFit-trained men, but it caused a marked increase in the blood antioxidant capacity and a moderate attenuation of the training-induced lipid peroxidation.

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Effects of medium-term green tea extract supplementation combined with CrossFit workout on blood antioxidant status and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in young men: a pilot study

Background Overweight and obesity after retirement are likely to be caused by unhealthy eating habits and the energy intake exceeding the energy expenditure. Objectives This study was designed to assess the effects of two 12-week interventions involving, respectively, either regular physical activity or a modified lower-calorie diet on the anthropometric parameters and blood lipid profiles in overweight and obese retired miners with lipid disorders. Design The study participants (n = 30, aged 58.7 ± 4.1 years, body height 174.8 ± 7.3 cm, body weight 96.6 ± 13.9 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 intervention groups: the Nordic walking group (NW), which exercised with intensity from 60 to 70% of participants' maximal heart rates for 1 h 3 times a week, and the modified diet group (MD). Modification of the diet consisted of reducing the daily energy intake by 30%, increasing the dietary content of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber, and reducing the proportion of saturated fatty acids. The variables assessed at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks were: anthropometric parameters (body weight, fat mass content [FM], fat percentage [BF], BMI, waist circumference [WC], hip circumference [HC], and waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]) and blood lipid indicators (total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], and high density lip-oprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]). Results The body weight of the participants in the NW was lower at week 12 by an average of 5 kg, BMI by 6%, FB by 19%, FM by 15%, WC by 8%, HC by 6%, and WHR by 3%. In the MD, the respective decreases were 8 kg and 8, 25, 20, 6, 2, and 7%. In the MD, the postintervention concentrations of TC and TG were within the reference range. Conclusion Both 12-week interventions improved the anthropometric parameters and blood lipid profiles of retired heavy manual workers, with the improvements being more pronounced in the dieting group.

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Effect of 12-Week Interventions Involving Nordic Walking Exercise and a Modified Diet on the Anthropometric Parameters and Blood Lipid Profiles in Overweight and Obese Ex-Coal Miners.

Older adults show lower physical activity. These changes altogether promote the development of overweight, obesity, and other chronic diseases. These factors substantially influence the quality of life and self-esteem of older adults. This phenomenon is especially visible after the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of a 12-week reductive diet and a 12-week physical activity plan for older adults on the global self-esteem of lifestyle in 60–70-year-old women. Materials and methods: Our participants were 600 women with increased body mass (BMI > 25 kg/m2) aged 60–70 years. After the initial evaluation, the participants were randomly divided into three groups: CG—control group (n = 200); DI—dietary group (n = 200) that committed to a 12-week reductive diet; PA—physical activity group (n = 200) that committed to a 12-week physical activity plan. The global self-esteem score (using the SES Rosenberg scale) and the anthropometric measurements were collected before and after the 12-week study. In the statistical analysis of data, the significance level was assumed to be 0.05. Results: The global self-esteem score for all groups before the study started was 30–31 points, which corresponded to average self-esteem. After a 12-week dietary or physical activity intervention, the score in the DI group was 33, which corresponded with high self-esteem. In the CG group, the self-esteem score remained unchanged (30 points). The average body mass loss was 0.5 kg/m2 for CG, 1.92 kg/m2 for DI, and 1.10 kg/m2 for the PA group. The average waist–hip ratio (WHR) change for CG, DI, and PA was 1 cm, 1 cm, and 2 cm, respectively. A decrease in body mass and body composition indicators (BMI and WHR) corresponded to participants’ global self-esteem increase (p < 0.05); the greater the decrease noted for BMI and WHR, the greater the global self-esteem score that was achieved. In the CG group, a negative correlation between global self-esteem and BMI value (p < 0.05) was observed. Conclusions: A 12-week reductive diet and a 12-week regular physical activity plan lowered participants’ body mass. Adipose tissue content was reflected by decreased BMI and WHR indicators of participants from the DI and PA groups and was accompanied by higher global self-esteem scores.

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Global Self-Esteem, Physical Activity, and Body Composition Changes Following a 12-Week Dietary and Physical Activity Intervention in Older Women

OBJECTIVES
This study evaluates the effect of a 3-month calorie restriction (CR) without snacking on the anthropometric parameters, Homeostatic Model Assesment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and lipid profiles of female office workers with overweight or obesity, whose physical activity was limited during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
Forty-eight women aged 20-38 years (28.9±5.24) with low physical activity levels were divided into a non-snacking (NS) group (N = 21) and a snacking (S) group (N = 27) prior to the dietary intervention. Their daily energy intake during the intervention was lowered by 30% compared with the baseline level, and the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber in their diet was increased (to >30 g/day). The proportion of saturated fatty acids and simple carbohydrates was also reduced. The study participants were assessed at the baseline and post-intervention for anthropometric variables (body weight, body fat percentage BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) and the concentrations of insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Moreover, the values for HOMA-IR, the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and the ratios of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C were calculated.


RESULTS
All anthropometric parameter values obtained post-intervention were lower than the baseline in both groups. The serum insulin concentration and HOMA-IR decreased respectively by an average of 6% and 25% in the NS group and 37% and 45% in the S group. The lipid profiles of all participants improved significantly, with the LDL-C concentration showing a more promising trend in the S group (decrease by 27%) than in the NS group (17%).


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed that CR improved the anthropometric parameters, HOMA-IR index, and lipid profiles of all participants.

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The effect of calorie restriction on the anthropometric parameters, HOMA-IR index, and lipid profile of female office workers with overweight and obesity: a preliminary study.

Agnieszka Gdańska

Papers

Effects of medium-term green tea extract supplementation combined with CrossFit workout on blood antioxidant status and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in young men: a pilot study

Effect of 12-Week Interventions Involving Nordic Walking Exercise and a Modified Diet on the Anthropometric Parameters and Blood Lipid Profiles in Overweight and Obese Ex-Coal Miners.

Global Self-Esteem, Physical Activity, and Body Composition Changes Following a 12-Week Dietary and Physical Activity Intervention in Older Women

The effect of calorie restriction on the anthropometric parameters, HOMA-IR index, and lipid profile of female office workers with overweight and obesity: a preliminary study.