Assessment of impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity of working age residents of Lithuania

COVID-19 pandemija turėjo įtakos gyvensenai, įskaitant ir fizinį aktyvumą. Iki šiol COVID-19 pandemijos laikotarpiu Lietuvos darbingo amžiaus gyventojus reprezentuojančio fizinio aktyvumo tyrimų nebuvo atlikta. Šio tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti Lietuvos darbingo amžiaus gyventojų fizinio aktyvumo pokyčius COVID-19 pandemijos metu. Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Tyrimo duomenys rinkti 2021 m. spalio - lapkričio mėnesiais. Tyrimas atliktas anoniminės anketinės apklausos būdu. Apklausta 1600 abiejų lyčių 16–64 m. Lietuvos gyventojų. Respondentų pasiskirstymo vertinimui pagal kategorinius kintamuosius naudotas chi kvadrato testas. Rezultatai. COVID-19 pandemijos metu fiziškai aktyvūs laisvalaikiu buvo 50 proc. respondentų. Pusė (52 proc.) respondentų nurodė, kad pandemija neturėjo poveikio jų fiziniam aktyvumui, tačiau 33 proc. gyventojų atsakė, kad jų fizinis aktyvumas sumažėjo. Labiausiai sumažėjo jaunimo fizinis aktyvumas. Stebėta tendencija – kuo vyresni gyventojai, tuo jų fizinis aktyvumas pandemijos metu re- čiau sumažėjo (p 0,05). Išvados. Nors fiziškai aktyvūs buvo pusė Lietuvos darbingo amžiaus gyventojų, tačiau trečdalio gyventojų fizinis aktyvumas per pandemiją sumažėjo. Fizinis aktyvumas dažniau sumažėjo tarp jaunesnio amžiaus, mieste gyvenančių, vienišų bei sirgusių COVID-19 liga ar turėjusių šia liga persirgusių artimųjų.Raktažodžiai: COVID-19 pandemija, fizinis aktyvumas, Lietuvos apskričių gyventojai.Background. Lifestyle, including physical activity, has changed because of COVID-19 pandemic. Until now there was no representative studies of physical activity of working age residents of Lithuania after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess changes in physical activity of working age residents of Lithuania during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods. Data for this study were collected in October – November of 2021. Anonymous questionnaire was used. In total, 1600 residents of Lithuania of both sexes aged 16-64 were surveyed. The chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of respondents according to categorical variables. Differences were considered as statistically significant when p ≤ 0.05. Results. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leisure-time physical activity was prevalent among 50% of the respondents. Half (52%) of the respondents indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had no impact on their physical activity, 33% of the sample indicated the decrease in their physical activity. A significant decrease in physical activity was observed among youth. The tendention was observed – the older the residents, the less frequent impact of the pandemic on the physical activity (including the smaller decrease in physical activity) (p 0,05). Conclusions. Although half of Lithuania‘s working age population was physically active, the physical activity of one third of the population decreased during the pandemic. The decrase in physical activity more frequently was observed among younger, single people, those living in cities and those who have suffered from COVID-19 by themselves or had relatives who have suffered from this disease. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity, working age, residents, Lithuania

COVID-19 Pandemic and Consumption of Dietary Supplements among Adult Residents of Lithuania

In the light of the changing pattern of the consumption of dietary supplements among adults in other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, we aim to assess the prevalence of the consumption of dietary supplements with respect to the purpose of consumption and sociodemographic factors among adults in Lithuania. This study included two samples of adults from Lithuania: 870 in 2019 and 1600 in 2021. Anonymous original questionnaires were used to collect the data about the consumption of dietary supplements before and during the pandemic. The consumption of dietary supplements was prevalent among 67.2% and 78.1% of the samples, respectively. Although the majority (73.7%) of the respondents indicated that the pandemic had no effect on their use of dietary supplements, every fourth respondent’s (24.6%) consumption increased. In 2021, the consumption was more prevalent among females, respondents with university education, urban citizens, employed respondents, respondents without children, with higher income, and those who knew a person with COVID-19 (p < 0.05). During the pandemic, the strengthening of the immune system and the body were the leading reasons for consumption (49.0% and 43.5%, respectively). The consumption of dietary supplements appropriate for these purposes increased among 63.3% and 66.9% of respondents, respectively. To conclude, the consumption of dietary supplements among adults in Lithuania increased during the COVID-19 pandemic

The effect of nutrition on the muscle mass of Lithuanian high performance athletes

Siekiant geresnių sportinių rezultatų, sportininkams būtina išugdyti santykinai didelę raumenų masę. Anabolinis su maistu vartojamų aminorūgščių poveikis naujai sintetinamiems baltymams priklauso nuo vartojamų baltymų kiekio ir kokybinės aminorūgščių sudėties. Esant nepakankamam endogeninių nepakeičiamųjų aminorūgščių prieinamumui, baltymų sintezės greitis raumenyse gali sumažėti. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkų mitybos daromą įtaką raumenų masei. Buvo tirti 18,0 ± 3,3 metų amžiaus Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkai (n = 323). Sportininkų raumenų masės matavimai atlikti pasitelkus BIA tetrapoliarinį elektrodų metodą. Faktinės mitybos tyrimas atliktas taikant 24 valandų faktinės mitybos apklausos metodą. Sportininkų vartojami baltymų ir angliavandenių kiekis sudaro atitinkamai 1,7 ± 0,6 g/kg ir 5,5 ± 2,1 g/kg kūno masės. Sportininkų vartojamų visų nepakeičiamųjų aminorūgščių kiekis yra didesnis už rekomenduojamus. 5,5 kg didesnę sportininkų raumenų masę lemia tik didesnio baltymų kiekio vartojimas (95 % PI: 1,0; 10,1; p = 0,016). Neatsižvelgiant į angliavandenių vartojimą, didesnę sportininkų raumenų masę labiausiai lemia tik padidintas baltymų ir aminorūgščių vartojimas. Padidintas aminorūgščių leucino, valino ir arginino vartojimas daro teigiamą įtaką raumenų masės didinimui, tačiau galimai išbalansuoja sportininkų maisto raciono aminorūgščių kokybinę sudėtį.For better athletic performance, athletes need to develop relatively high muscle mass. The anabolic effect of dietary amino acids on newly synthesized muscle proteins depends on the amount of protein intake and the qualitative amino acid composition of food rations. Due to the insufficient availability of endogenous essential amino acids, the rate of muscle protein synthesis may be reduced. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Lithuanian high performance athletes’ diet on muscle mass hypertrophy. Lithuanian high performance athletes aged 18.0 ± 3.3 years (n = 323) were studied. Measurements of athletes’ muscle mass were performed using the BIA tetra-polar electrode method. The actual nutrition study was conducted using the 24-hour food recall method. The amounts of protein and carbohydrates intake by athletes are 1.7 ± 0.6 g/kg and 5.5 ± 2.1 g/kg of body weight, respectively. The amounts of all essential amino acids consumed by athletes are higher than recommended. The 5.5 kg increase in muscle mass of athletes is due only to the consumption of higher protein content (95% CI: 1.0; 10.1; p = 0.016). Regardless of carbohydrate intake, the increased muscle mass of athletes is largely due to increased protein and amino acid intake. Increased intake of the amino acids leucine, valine, and arginine has a positive effect on muscle mass gain, but potentially unbalances the qualitative composition of amino acids in athletes’ diets

Trends in Pancreatic Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Lithuania, 1998–2015

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. The aim of this study was to examine the time trends in the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer for the period of 1998–2015 for the first time in Lithuania by sex, age, subsite, and stage. Methods: This study was based on all cases (deaths) of pancreatic cancer diagnosed between 1998 and 2015. Age-standardized incidence (mortality) rates and group-specific rates were calculated for each sex using the direct method (European Standard). TNM classification-based information reported to the cancer registry was grouped into three categories: (1) localized cancer: T1-3/N0/M0; (2) cancer with regional metastasis: any 1-3/N+/M0; (3) advanced cancer: any T/any N/M+. Joinpoint regression was used to provide annual percentage changes (APCs) and to detect points in time where statistically significant changes in the trends occurred. Results: Overall, 8514 pancreatic cancer cases (4364 in men and 3150 in women) were diagnosed and 7684 persons died from cancer of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer incidence rates were considerably lower for women than for men, with a female:male ratio of 1:2. Incidence rates changed during the study period from 14.2 in 1998 to 15.0/100,000 in the year 2015 in men, and from 6.7 to 9.8/100,000 in women. Incidence rates over the study period were stable for men (APC = 0.1%) and increasing for women by 1.1% per year. Similarly, mortality rates increased in women by 0.9% per year, and were stable in men. During the study period, incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer were close. For the entire study period, rates increased significantly in the 50–74 years age group; only cancer of the head of pancreas showed a decline by 0.9%, while tail and not-specified pancreatic cancer incidence increased by 11.4% and 4.51%, respectively. Conclusions: The increasing pancreatic cancer incidence trend in the Lithuanian population may be related to the prevalence of its main risk factors (smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, diet, and diabetes)