Amit Bandyopadhyay

Bio: Amit Bandyopadhyay is an academic researcher from University of Calcutta. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Pulmonary function testing. The author has an hindex of 14, co-authored 47 publications receiving 713 citations. Previous affiliations of Amit Bandyopadhyay include Universiti Sains Malaysia & RMIT University.

Anthropometry and Body Composition in Soccer and Volleyball Players in West Bengal, India

Abstract: 50 sedentary males and 128 sports persons (volleyball=82, soccer=46) of 20-24 years were selected from West Bengal, India, to evaluate and compare their anthropometry and body composition. Skinfolds, girth measurements, body fat percentage (%fat), and endomorphy were significantly higher among sedentary individuals, but lean body mass (LBM) and mesomorphy were significantly (p<0.001) higher among the sports persons. Soccer and volleyball players were found to be ectomorphic mesomorph, whereas sedentary subjects were endomorphic mesomorph. The soccer and volleyball players had higher %fat with lower body height and body mass than their overseas counterparts. %fat exhibited a significant correlation with body mass index (BMI) and thus prediction equations for %fat from BMI were computed in each group. The present data will serve as a reference standard for the anthropometry and body composition of Indian soccer and volleyball players and the prediction norms for %fat will help to provide a first-hand impression of body composition in the studied population.

Validity of Queen’s College step test for use with young Indian men

Abstract: Objectives: To assess the suitability of the Queen’s College step test (QCT) to predict maximum oxygen uptake in Indian men. Methods: Thirty sedentary male university students from West Bengal, India, with the same socioeconomic background and mean (SD) age, height, and weight of 22.6 (0.2) years, 166.4 (0.5) cm, and 53.8 (0.2) kg, respectively, were randomly sampled from University of Calcutta. VO 2 max of each participant was determined by direct procedure involving incremental bicycle exercise and also by applying indirect QCT method with a gap of 4 days between the tests. Results: The difference between the mean (SD) VO 2 max values directly measured (VO 2 max = 39.8 (1.03) ml/min/kg body mass) and indirectly predicted (PVO 2 max = 39.3 (1.07) ml/min/kg body mass) was statistically insignificant (p>0.10). PVO 2 max and VO 2 max values expressed as ml/min/kg body mass corroborated with previous studies in the same laboratory involving the same population, and also exhibited significant statistical correlation ( r = 0.95, p Conclusion: The results suggest that QCT can be applied in the studied population to produce a good estimation of maximum oxygen uptake, especially in the field where large numbers of participants are to be evaluated without a well equipped laboratory.

Validity of Queen's College Step Test for estimation of maximum oxygen uptake in female students.

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2) max) is internationally accepted parameter to evaluate the cardiorespiratory fitness. But determination of VO(2)max is restricted within well equipped laboratory because of its exhausting, hazardous and complicated experimental protocol. Various attempts have been made to enumerate indirect and easy protocols for prediction of VO(2)max but such record is unavailable in Indian women. The present study was conducted to validate the applicability of Queen's College Step Test (QCT) for indirectly estimating the maximum oxygen uptake in female sedentary university students. METHODS Forty sedentary female university students of same socio-economic background were recruited by simple random sampling from University of Calcutta, Kolkata. VO(2)max of each participant was determined by direct procedure and indirect QCT method with a gap of four days in between the tests. Direct estimation of VO(2)max comprised incremental bicycle exercise followed by expired gas analysis by Scholander micro-gas analyzer whereas VO(2)max was indirectly predicted by standard protocol of QCT. RESULTS The difference between the mean VO(2)max values directly measured and indirectly predicted (PVO(2)max) was statistically significant (P<0.001). Limit of agreement analysis revealed poor confidence level for application of current method of QCT in the studied population. VO(2)max value exhibited significant correlation (r = -0.83, P<0.001) with QCT pulse rate. For precise and reliable estimation of VO(2)max in the studied population a new equation was computed. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION Our results suggest that QCT in its original form cannot be applied due to its poor agreement with the direct method but can be applied with the modified equation in this population to evaluate maximum oxygen uptake, especially when large numbers of participants are to be tested in absence of a well equipped laboratory.

Validity of Cooper’s 12-minute run test for estimation of maximum oxygen uptake in male university students

Abstract: The present study was conducted to validate the applicability of Cooper's 12-minute run test (CRT) for predicting VO2max in male university students of Kolkata, India, to bypass the exhaustive and complicated protocol of direct estimation of VO2max. Eighty-eight sedentary male university students recruited by simple random sampling from the University of Calcutta, Kolkata, were randomly assigned to the study group (N=58) and the confirmatory group (N=30). VO 2max of each participant was determined by the direct procedure and the indirect CRT method. The mean value of predicted VO2max (PVO2max) (42.8±4.0 ml · kg -1 · min -1 with a range of 33.7-50.9) showed a significant difference with VO 2max (39.8±4.0 ml · kg -1 · min -1 with a range of 33.5-47.7) in the study group. Limits of agreement between PVO2max and VO2max were large enough (0.10 to 5.94 ml · kg -1 · min -1 ) with poor confidence intervals indicating inapplicability of the current protocol of CRT in the studied population. The prediction norm (Y = 21.01X - 11.04 (SEE = 0.193 ml · kg -1 · min -1 )) was computed from the significant correlation (r = 0.93, P<0.001) between distance covered in CRT and VO 2max. Application of this norm in the confirmatory group revealed an insignificant difference between PVO 2max and VO2max. The modified equation is recommended for application of CRT as a valid method to evaluate the cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of VO 2max in sedentary male Indian youth. CITATION: Bandyopadhyay A. Validity of cooper's 12-minute run test for estimation of maximum oxygen

Cardiorespiratory fitness of obese boys.

Abstract: Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide and may be linked to coronary heart diseases that appear later in life but its risk related behaviour patterns are evident during childhood and adolescence. The present study aimed to evaluate the cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) in obese boys of West Bengal, India. Obese boys (N = 49) in the age range of 10-16 years were separated from their non-obese counterparts (N = 70) according to international age-wise cut off points of body mass index (BMI) and VO2max was evaluated by Queen's College Step Test (QCT). Lean body mass (LBM) was measured by skinfold method. Absolute VO2max was significantly higher (P<0.001) among obese boys because of higher values of body mass and LBM, which in turn exhibited significant correlation (r = 0.82 and r = 0.93, respectively; P<0.001) with VO2max. But VO2max per kg of body mass was significantly higher among non-obese boys but the VO2max per unit of body surface area was significantly higher (P<0.001) in obese group. VO2max is largely dependent on body mass and LBM whereas excessive fat mass imposes unfavourable burden on cardiac function and oxygen uptake by working muscles. This indicates that reduced oxygen utilization by adipose tissue during exercise reduces the overall VO2max.

Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine

Abstract: Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine, providing advice on caffeine intakes, from all dietary sources that do not give rise to concerns about adverse health effects for the general healthy population and subgroups thereof. Possible interactions between caffeine and other constituents of so-called “energy drinks”, alcohol, p-synephrine and physical exercise should also be addressed. Single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg (about 3 mg/kg bw for a 70-kg adult) do not give rise to safety concerns. The same amount does not give rise to safety concerns when consumed < 2 hours prior to intense physical exercise under normal environmental conditions. Other constituents of “energy drinks” at typical concentrations in such beverages (about 300–320, 4 000 and 2 400 mg/L of caffeine, taurine and D-glucurono-γ-lactone, respectively), as well as alcohol at doses up to about 0.65 g/kg bw, would not affect the safety of single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg. Habitual caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day does not give rise to safety concerns for non-pregnant adults. Habitual caffeine consumption up to 200 mg per day by pregnant women does not give rise to safety concerns for the fetus. Single doses of caffeine and habitual caffeine intakes up to 200 mg consumed by lactating women do not give rise to safety concerns for breastfed infants. For children and adolescents, the information available is insufficient to derive a safe caffeine intake. The Panel considers that caffeine intakes of no concern derived for acute caffeine consumption by adults (3 mg/kg bw per day) may serve as a basis to derive single doses of caffeine and daily caffeine intakes of no concern for these population subgroups. © European Food Safety Authority, 2015

The Iranian version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in Iran: Content and construct validity, factor structure, internal consistency and stability

Abstract: 3 Abstract: Objective International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) was suggested as the instrument of physical activity international measurement by WHO and CDC. The aim of this current study was to establish content and construct validity and reliability of IPAQ based on data from female employees of Tabriz University. Setting 200 female employees of Tabriz University constituted the research sample. Design and method In this cross- sectional study, the construct validity of IPAQ was conducted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The mean of CVI and CVR was 0.85 and 0.77 respectively and indicated a good content validity for IPAQ. Viramax rotation was used for factor analysis and five factors were defined for IPAQ. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (0.7) indicated a good internal consistency for this instrument. Spearman Brown correlation coefficient (0.9) showed good test retest reliability. The findings of current study support the face, content and construct validity and the internal consistency and stability of IPAQ-L. This scale intends to fill an important gap long existed for researching and measuring PA among Iranian women employees.

Definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa: a narrative review of the literature.

Abstract: In some cases, detrimental consequences on health are generated by self-imposed dietary rules intended to promote health. The pursuit of an “extreme dietary purity” due to an exaggerated focus on food may lead to a disordered eating behavior called “orthorexia nervosa” (ON). ON raises a growing interest, but at present there is no universally shared definition of ON, the diagnostic criteria are under debate, and the psychometric instruments used in the literature revealed some flaws. This narrative review of the literature aims at assessing state of the art in ON definition, diagnostic criteria and related psychometric instruments and provides research propositions and framework for future analysis. The authors collected articles through a search into Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar (last access on 07 August 2018), using “orthorexia”, “orthorexia nervosa” and “obsessive healthy eating” as search terms, and filled three tables including narrative articles (English), clinical trials (English), and articles in languages different from English. The data extrapolated from the revised studies were collected and compared. In particular, for each study, the diagnostic criteria considered, the specific psychometric instrument used, the results and the conclusions of the survey were analyzed. The terms employed by the different authors to define ON were fixation, obsession and concern/preoccupation. Several adjectives emphasized these expressions (e.g. exaggerated/excessive, unhealthy, compulsive, pathological, rigid, extreme, maniacal). The suitable food and the diet were defined in different ways. Most of the papers did not set the diagnostic criteria. In some cases, an attempt to use DSM (edition IV or 5) criteria for anorexia nervosa, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or body dysmorphic disorder, was done. Specific diagnostic criteria proposed by the authors were used in few studies. All these studies indicated as primary diagnostic criteria: (a) obsessional or pathological preoccupation with healthy nutrition; (b) emotional consequences (e.g. distress, anxieties) of non-adherence to self-imposed nutritional rules; (c) psychosocial impairments in relevant areas of life as well as malnutrition and weight loss. The ORTO-15 and the Orthorexia Self-Test developed by Bratman were the most used psychometric tools. The present review synopsizes the literature on the definition of ON, proposed diagnostic criteria and psychometric instruments used to assess ON attitudes and behaviors. This work represents a necessary starting point to allow a further progression of the studies on the possible new syndrome and to overcome the criticisms that have affected both research and clinical activity until now. Level V, narrative review.