Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Daily Eating Habits and Physical Activity on Anthropometric Parameters in Elementary School Children in Latvia : Pach Study

Funding Information: This paper describes the baseline characteristics of pupils enrolled in the Physical Activity and Children Overall Health (PACH) study and presents data related to this cross-sectional quantitative research design. The study involved 1788 8–10-year-old pupils from the second (n = 1119) and third class (n = 669) of which 53.5% (n = 957) were boys and 46.5% (n = 831) were girls who joined the Latvian Olympic Committee project “Sport for All Classes” (SFAC) in the school year 2019/2020. Project SFAC is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia and ensures 5 vs 2 school-based PE lessons per week, promoting structured physical activities in schools. To participate in SFAC, school authorities (principals, form teachers, and physical education teachers) had to submit an official application with the list of pupils and corresponding signatures of their parents. Funding Information: Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful to Latvian Olympic Committee, Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia and University of Latvia for the financial support. Thankful to all schools for participation in the project SFAC and this research, furthermore for the support during researcher visits. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Growing incidence of obesity and related diseases in children poses new challenges and calls for a review of lifestyle habits. This study aimed to assess daily eating habits (EH) and physical activity (PA) levels and identify their association with obesity in 8–10-year-old children. Children’s EH and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical intensity (MVPA) was estimated from questionnaires (N = 1788). Weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were collected, and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Girls consumed more fruits and vegetables, drank more water, and ate smaller portions of carbohydrate and protein rich foods but spent less time in MVPA compared to boys (p < 0.05). Obese children skipped breakfast more often and consumed less fruits and vegetables. Children who chose to eat in front of the screen had higher WC (62.88 ± 8.70 vs 60.59 ± 7.40 cm, p < 0.001) and higher BMI, and chose smaller vegetable portions and more calorie dense snacks (p < 0.001). 15.4% of pupils covered weekly MVPA recommendations with structured PA on weekdays. Increasing MVPA was related to a smaller number of unhealthy EH (p < 0.001). In conclusion, EH and PA levels differ between sexes and obese children have unhealthier EH. Higher levels of MVPA are related to healthier food choices, while pupils having meals in front of the screen have unhealthier EH and anthropometric measures. The majority of pupils did not reach the WHO recommendations of MVPA through structured PA on weekdays. Association between factors (EH and time spent in PA) and BMI was not found in this study.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Erythropoietin Treatment Enhances Muscle Mitochondrial Capacity in Humans

Erythropoietin (Epo) treatment has been shown to induce mitochondrial biogenesis in cardiac muscle along with enhanced mitochondrial capacity in mice. We hypothesized that recombinant human Epo (rhEpo) treatment enhances skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity in humans. In six healthy volunteers rhEpo was administered by sub-cutaneous injection over 8 weeks with oral iron (100 mg) supplementation taken daily. Mitochondrial OXPHOS was quantified by high-resolution respirometry in saponin-permeabilized muscle fibers obtained from biopsies of the vastus lateralis before and after rhEpo treatment. OXPHOS was determined with the mitochondrial complex I substrates malate, glutamate, pyruvate, and complex II substrate succinate in the presence of saturating ADP concentrations, while maximal electron transport capacity (ETS) was assessed by addition of an uncoupler. rhEpo treatment increased OXPHOS (from 92 ± 5 to 113 ± 7 pmol·s−1·mg−1) and ETS (107 ± 4 to 143 ± 14 pmol·s−1·mg−1, p < 0.05), demonstrating that Epo treatment induces an upregulation of OXPHOS and ETS in human skeletal muscle

Greater basal skeletal muscle AMPKalpha phosphorylation in men than in women: associations with anaerobic performance

This study was designed to investigate the association of gender, fibre type composition, and anaerobic performance with the basal skeletal muscle signalling cascades regulating muscle phenotype

Androgen receptor gene polymorphism influence fat accumulation: a longitudinal study from adolescence to adult age.

To determine the influence of androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms on fat mass and maximal fat oxidation (MFO), CAG and GGN repeat lengths were measured in 128 young boys, from which longitudinal data were obtained in 45 of them [mean?±?SD: 12.8?±?3.6 years old at recruitment, and 27.0?±?4.8 years old at adult age]. Subjects were grouped as CAG short (CAGS ) if harboring repeat lengths ?21, the rest as CAG long (CAGL ); and GGN short (GGNS ) if GGN repeat lengths ?23, or long if >?23 (GGNL ). CAGS and GGNS were associated with lower adiposity than CAGL or GGNL (P?<?0.05). There was an association between the logarithm of CAG repeats polymorphism and the changes of body mass (r?=?0.34, P?=?0.03). At adult age, CAGS men showed lower accumulation of total body and trunk fat mass, and lower resting metabolic rate (RMR) and MFO per kg of total lean mass compared with CAGL (P?<?0.05). GGNS men also showed lower percentage of body fat (P?<?0.05). In summary, androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms are associated with RMR, MFO, fat mass, and its regional distribution in healthy male adolescents, influencing fat accumulation from adolescence to adult age

Health-Related Factors in Rural and Urban Mexican Adolescents from the State of Jalisco: The HELENA-MEX Study

Mexico shows a high prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents. Geographical location and cultural environment could play a role in the promotion of healthy lifestyles in terms of physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and nutrition. The purpose of this study was to assess rural and urban differences in body composition (BC), physical fitness (PF), PA and nutritional status of adolescents from the state of Jalisco (Mexico). The study involved 469 students aged 13–17 years (55.0% girls) from eight high schools. BC was analyzed by bioimpedance and PF by standardized field tests. Objective measurements of PA and SB were taken in a subsample (n = 240). Energy intake (EI) was calculated from two 24h recalls. Rural residents presented a higher prevalence of overweight, waist circumference, trunk fat mass, regional fat free mass and muscle handgrip strength (all p < 0.05, η2p < 0.06). Cardiorespiratory fitness was similar among participants, whereas urban adolescents showed higher muscle power, speed-agility and flexibility scores (all p < 0.05, η2p < 0.07). Overall lifestyle behavior in urban adolescents was more sedentary (p < 0.05, η2p = 0.11). EI was similar in both locations. In conclusion, rural Mexican adolescents presented a generally lower sedentary behavior and a lower fitness and fatness profile than their urban peers

Aerobic exercise training increases muscle water content in obese middle-age men

Aerobic Exercise Training Increases Muscle Water Content in Obese Middle-Age Men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 00–00, 2016. Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether muscle water content (H2Omuscle) expands with training in deconditioned middle-age men and the effects of this expansion in other muscle metabolites. Methods: Eighteen obese (BMI = 33 T 3 kgImj2) untrained (V˙ O2peak = 29 T 7 mLj1Ikgj1Iminj1) metabolic syndrome men completed a 4-month aerobic cycling training program. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were collected before and 72 h after the completion of the last training bout. Water content, total protein, glycogen concentration, and citrate synthase activity were measured in biopsy tissue. Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and cardiometabolic fitness was measured during an incremental cycling test. Results: Body weight and fat mass were reduced j1.9% and j5.4%, respectively (P G 0.05), whereas leg fat free mass increased with training (1.8%, P = 0.023). Cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., V˙ O2peak), exercise maximal fat oxidation (i.e., FOmax), and maximal cycling power (i.e., Wmax) improved with training (11%, 33%, and 10%, respectively; P G 0.05). After 4 months of training, H2Omuscle increased from 783 T 18 to 799 T 24 gIkgj1 wet weight (ww) (2%, P = 0.011), whereas muscle protein concentration decreased 11% (145 T 15 to 129 T 13 gIkgj1 ww, P = 0.007). Citrate synthase activity (proxy for mitochondrial density) increased by 31% (17 T 5 to 22 T 5 mmolIminj1Ikgj1 ww, P = 0.024). Muscle glycogen concentration increased by 14% (22 T 7 to 25 T 7 gIkgj1 ww) although without reaching statistical significance when expressed as per kilogram of wet weight (P = 0.15). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that aerobic cycling training increases quadriceps muscle water although reduces muscle protein concentration in obese metabolic syndrome men. Reduced protein concentration coexists with increased leg lean mass suggestive of a water dilution effect that however does impair increased cycling leg power with training

Impact of the home confinement related to covid-19 on the device-assessed physical activity and sedentary aatterns of spanish older adults

The main objective of this study was to device-assess the levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns of older adults during the situation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, home confinement, and phase-0 of the deescalation. We also aimed to analyse the effectiveness of an unsupervised home-based exercise routine to counteract the potential increase in sedentary behaviour during the periods within the pandemic. A total of 18 noninstitutionalized older adults(78:4 ± 6:0 y.), members of the Spanish cohort of the EXERNET-Elder 3.0 project, participated in the study. They were recommended to perform an exercise prescription based on resistance, balance, and aerobic exercises during the pandemic. Wrist triaxial accelerometers (ActiGraph GT9X) were used to assess the percentage of sedentary time, physical activity, sedentary bouts and breaks of sedentary time. An ANOVA for repeated measures was performed to analyse the differences between the three different periods. During home quarantine, older adults spent more time in sedentary behaviours (71:6 ± 5:3%) in comparison with either the situation prior to the pandemic (65:5 ± 6:7%) or the ending of isolation (67:7 ± 7:1%) (all p < 0:05). Moreover, participants performed less bouts of physical activity and with a shorter duration during home quarantine (both p < 0:05). Additionally, no differences in the physical activity behaviours were found between the situation prior to the pandemic and the phase-0 of deescalation. According to our results, the home confinement could negatively affect health due to increased sedentary lifestyle and the reduction of physical activity. Therefore, our unsupervised exercise program does not seem to be a completely effective strategy at least in this period

Frailty is associated with objectively assessed sedentary behaviour patterns in older adults: Evidence from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (TSHA)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association of sedentary behaviour patterns with frailty in older people. SETTING: Clinical setting. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational study. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: A triaxial accelerometer was used in a subsample from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (519 participants, 67-97 years) to assess several sedentary behaviour patterns including sedentary time per day, the number and duration (min) of breaks in sedentary time per day, and the proportion of the day spent in sedentary bouts of 10 minutes or more. Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Trait Scale (FTS). Regression analysis was used to ascertain the associations between sedentary behaviour patterns and frailty. RESULTS: Sedentary time per day and the proportion of the day spent in sedentary bouts of 10 minutes or more, were positively associated with frailty in the study sample. Conversely, the time spent in breaks in sedentary time was negatively associated with frailty. CONCLUSION: In summary, breaking up sedentary time and time spent in sedentary behaviour are associated with frailty in older people

reliability and validity of a systematic procedure

This study compared the reliability and validity of different protocols evaluating the force-velocity (F-V) relationship and muscle power in older adults. Thirty-one older men and women (75.8 ± 4.7 years) underwent two F-V tests by collecting the mean and peak force and velocity data exerted against increasing loads until one repetition maximum (1RM) was achieved in the leg press exercise. Two attempts per load were performed, with a third attempt when F-V points deviated from the linear F-V regression equation. Then, the subjects performed 2 × 3 repetitions at 60 % 1RM to compare purely concentric and eccentric- concentric repetitions. The Short Physical Performance Battery was conducted to assess the validity of the different protocols. Significant differences were found in maximal power (Pmax) between mean and peak values and between protocols differing in the number of attempts per load (p < 0.01). Registering mean values, a third attempt, and multiple loads (>3), was significantly more reliable (Pmax: CV = 2.6 %; ICC = 0.99) than the other alternatives. Mean values were also observed to be more associated with physical function than peak values (R2 = 0.34 and 0.15, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between concentric and eccentric-concentric repetitions. Thus, collecting mean force and velocity values against multiple loads, while monitoring the linearity of the F-V relationship, seemed to be the more adequate procedure to assess the F-V profile and muscle power in older adults