Effect of Zinc supplementation on serum testosterone and plasma lactate in male cyclist after one bout of exhaustive exercise

Background and aims: There is fairly scarce information about the effects of zinc, an essential trace element, on exercise performance. Studies concentrate mostly on the distribution of this element in the body in response to exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exhaustion exercise on the testosterone levels and plasma lactates in road cyclists who are supplemented with oral zinc for 4 weeks. Methods: In this semi experimental sixteen male road cyclists, who were healthy in the first evaluation were selected from the Tehran traffic team and were divided into two groups according to mass body index zinc group and control group. After 4 weeks zinc supplementation (30 mg/day), blood samples were collected from each subject before and after an exhaustive exercise bout. Data were analyzed by independent and paired sample t test. Results: Total testosterone, free testosterione and lactate levels in two groups were increased by exercise (P0.05). There was a significant difference between effects of exhaustion exercise on free testosterone levels between two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, zinc supplementation has no significant effects on testosterone and lactate levels in response to exercise in subjects with a balance diet. However, free testosterone levels were increased by exercise after zinc supplementation

Extra virgin olive oil in maternal diet increases osteogenic genes expression, but high amounts have deleterious effects on bones in mice offspring at adolescence

Objective(s): Maternal high-fat diet has been shown to have deleterious effects on the offspring bones. However, there is no study to assess the effects of type and amount of maternal dietary oil in an isocaloric diet, with focus on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that type of maternal dietary oil has more effects than its amount in an isocaloric diet during gestation and lactation on bone genes expression in offspring in adolescence. Materials and Methods: Virgin female C57BL/6 mice were impregnated and fed either the AIN 93G diet (received 16% of calories as soybean oil, as a control diet, or EVOO) or a high fat AIN 93G diet (received 45% of calories as soybean oil or EVOO) from the time of vaginal plug confirmation until offspring’s weaning. Results: After adjusting for the amount of oils, osteoprotegerin/ receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-κB ligand (OPG/RANK-L) and OPG expressions were 6.1- and 2.8-folds higher in offspring born to EVOO compared with soybean oil-fed mothers. OPG, beta-catenin, and OPG/RANK-L expression were 88%, 94%, and 70% lower in offspring born to the 45% oil-fed mothers compared with the 16% group. In contrast, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-2 (PPARγ2) gene expression was higher in the 45% oil group, adjusted for the types of oil. Conclusion: Maternal EVOO consumption, but not soybean oil increased osteoblastic gene expression, and high amounts of both oils decreased osteoblastic and increased adipogenic genes expression in adolescent offspring

Effect of weekly physical activity frequency on weight loss in healthy overweight and obese women attending a weight loss program: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background: The effect of intensity and duration of physical activity (PA) on weight loss has been well described. However, the effect of the frequency of weekly PA on weight loss is still unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the frequency of weekly PA sessions while maintaining the same total activity time on weight loss during a 24-wk weight loss program. Design: Overweight and obese women [n = 75; body mass index(BMI; in kg/m2): 27–37; age: 18–40 y] who had a normally sedentary lifestyle were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 intervention groups: a high-frequency physical activity (HF) or a low-frequency physical activity (LF) group. The HF group included 50 min/d PA, 6 d/wk (300 min/wk). The LF group included 100 min/d PA, 3 d/wk (300 min/wk). Both groups were advised to follow the same dietary weight loss program. Results: Both groups showed a significant decrease in anthropometric measurements and significant improvements in cardiometabolic disease risk characteristics over the 24 wk of the study. Compared with the HF group, the LF group had a greater decrease in weight (mean 6 SD; LF: 9.58 6 3.77 kg; HF: 7.78 6 2.68 kg; P = 0.028), BMI (LF: 3.62 6 1.56; HF: 2.97 6 1.02; P = 0.029) and waist circumference (LF: 9.36 6 4.02 cm; HF: 7.86 6 2.41 cm; P = 0.031). However, there were no significant differences in carbohydrate metabolism characteristics or lipid profile after the 24 wk of intervention. Conclusion: Weekly PA undertaken over fewer sessions of longer duration during the week could be more effective for weight loss than when undertaken as more frequent shorter sessions in overweight and obese women on a weight loss program. This may be helpful for those who are neither willing nor able to schedule time for PA almost every day to achieve weight loss. This trial was registered at www.irct.ir as IRCT201402157754N4

Effects of Diets Enriched in Omega-9 or Omega-6 Fatty Acids on Reproductive Process

Objective: Maternal type and amounts of dietary fatty acids affect on reproductive process in the mice. The present study investigated the effects of maternal supplementation with different amounts of omega-6 or omega-9 during pregnancy on the number of offspring, sex-ratio and duration of gestation. Materials and methods: Eight-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into four dietary groups including low omega-6 (16%; LO6), low omega-9 (16%; LO9), high omega-6 (45%; HO6) and high omega-9 (45%; HO9) during gestation. Number of offspring, sex-ratio and duration of pregnancy were compared among four dietary groups. Results: There was significant difference between LO6 and HO6 (p < 0.0001), LO9 and HO9 (p < 0.0001) groups in total number of pups. The number of female and male offspring were significantly different between LO6 and LO9 (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively), LO9 and HO9 (p = 0.01 and p = 0.025) groups. Duration of pregnancy was significantly higher in low fat diet than high fat diet groups (< 0.001). Conclusion: High fat diet reduced number of pups, gestation duration and lead to early labor. Omega-9 fatty acids shifted sex of offspring to females

The Effects of the Preconception Endurance Exercise Training and Voluntary Exercise Activity during Pregnancy in C57BL/6 Mice on Lipid Profile of the Adult Offsprings

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preconception endurance exercise training with voluntary exercise activity during pregnancy in mother mice on lipid profile in adult offsprings. Materials and Methods: Twenty four C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into four subgroups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy (TE)(20.3±1.02g); trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy (TC)(21.58±0.4g); untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy (CE)(21.02±0.23g); untrained and unexercised (CC)(19.23±0.45g). Trained mice were subjected to a protocol of moderate endurance exercise training over a period of 4 weeks for 5 days before pregnancy. The fasting blood samples were collected from adult mice(8 weeks old) and serum levels of glucose and lipid profile were measured. Data were analyzed using two way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: The Glucose test results in offspring showed that there was a significant interaction between group and sex and group main effect (p<0.001) Glucose levels of male offspring were significantly lower in TC and TE groups. Results on LDL also showed that the sex main effect was significant (p<0.001), and LDL levels of male born to TE and TC dams lower than in female offspring. Conclusion: Improving the mother's physical fitness by providing regular endurance training in the preconception period and maintaining it by exercise activty throughout pregnancy may have potential for eliciting positive changes in lipid profile of offspring, specially males