Low Energy Availability and Carbohydrate Intake in Competitive Adolescent Sport Climbers

Competitive adolescent sport climbers are reported to keep very low energy intake in order to achieve the highest possible strength-to-mass ratio required for their sport. Long term low energy availability (< 30 kcal/kg fat free mass/day) is known to have a detrimental effect on health and performance. Due to the potential severity of the consequences and the lack of the data on specific population, our aim was to assess energy availability and dietary intake of 27 members of the Slovenian Youth Climbing Team (13–18 years of age). Three-day food and activity records, questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were used to determine participants’ energy availability, nutritional intake, avoidance of food groups and selected health history. Average energy availability in climbers was 27.5 ± 9.8 kcal/kg fat free mass/day and 63% of participants failed to meet the recommended 30 kcal/kg fat free mass/day. Their average carbohydrate (4.3 ± 1.3 g/kg body mass/day), calcium (780 ± 300 mg/day) and vitamin D (2.6 ± 2.3 µg/day) intake were also too low. Average protein intake was in recommended range, but 56% of participants did not meet the minimum recommended limit. Iron intake was too low in females (10 ± 5 mg/day; target 15 mg/day). Only 15% of participants reported not avoiding any food groups. The menstrual dysfunction was detected in five female climbers (36%); all had energy availability < 30 kcal/kg fat free mass/day. We recommend nutritional education of climbers, their coaches, and parents as well as regular individual nutritional assessment of competitive adolescent sport climbers

Habitual low carbohydrate high fat diet compared with omnivorous, vegan, and vegetarian diets

BackgroundDietary patterns which exclude whole food groups, such as vegetarian, vegan and low carbohydrate high fat diet (LCHF), are increasingly popular in general public. When carefully planned, all these diets have some known benefits for health, but concerns are also raised in particular for LCHF. The quality of LCHF diet which individuals follow in real life without supervision is not known.MethodsOne hundred thirty healthy individuals with stable body mass following LCHF, vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diet for at least six months, were compared in a cross-sectional study. Diet was analyzed through 3-day food records and FFQ, anthropometric measurements were performed and serum metabolic biomarkers determined from fasting blood.ResultsParticipants on LCHF diet had the intakes of micronutrients comparable to other groups, while the intakes of macronutrients differed in line with the definition of each diet. The intakes of saturated fats, cholesterol and animal proteins were significantly higher and the intakes of sugars and dietary fibers were lower compared to other groups. Healthy eating index 2015 in this group was the lowest. There were no differences in the levels of glucose, triacylglycerols and CRP among groups. Total and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in LCHF group, in particular in participants with higher ketogenic ratio. Fatty acids intakes and intakes of cholesterol, dietary fibers and animal proteins explained 40% of variance in total cholesterol level, with saturated fatty acids being the strongest positive predictor and monounsaturated fatty acids a negative predictor.ConclusionNone of the self-advised diets provided all the necessary nutrients in optimal levels. Due to the detected increased levels of serum cholesterols, selection of healthy fat sources, higher intake of dietary fibers and partial replacing of animal sources with plant sources of foods should be recommended to the individuals selecting LCFH dietary pattern.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04347213

The success of keeping records of art gifted students at a primary level in Slovenian primary schools

V magistrskem delu Uspešnost evidentiranja likovno nadarjenih učencev na razredni stopnji v slovenskih osnovnih šolah smo v uvodnih poglavjih predstavili pojem nadarjenost, naravo nadarjenosti in značilnosti nadarjenih učencev. Odgovorili smo na vprašanje, kako odkrivamo nadarjene učence in kakšno vlogo imajo pri tem učitelji, starši, šolski psihologi in izobraževalne ustanove. Predstavili smo vlogo staršev in učiteljev pri razvijanju nadarjenosti učencev. Teoretični del zaključujemo z odgovori na vprašanje, kakšna je razlika med splošno in specifično nadarjenostjo, opredeljujemo likovno nadarjenost, opisujemo razvoj likovnega izražanja ter opisujemo značilnosti likovno nadarjenih otrok. Na kratko opišemo tudi ustvarjalnost in njene dejavnike, motivacijo ter likovno sposobnost ter predstavimo vlogo staršev in učiteljev pri razvijanju likovne nadarjenosti. V empiričnem delu predstavimo analizo likovnih izdelkov učencev tretjega in četrtega razreda iz osnovnih šol na območni enoti Zavoda republike Slovenije za šolstvo, OE Maribor, s katero smo spremljali uspešnost evidentiranja učiteljic likovno nadarjenih učencev v osnovni šoli. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da učitelji na podlagi likovnih izdelkov učencev ne znajo presoditi, kateri učenec je likovno nadarjen in posledično ne poznajo značilnosti kvalitetnega otroškega likovnega izdelka in značilnosti likovno nadarjenih učencev. Učitelji likovne izdelke učencev ocenjujejo preveč subjektivno in kot ustvarjalno vrednotijo šablonske rešitve, ki pa ne nakazujejo na likovno ustvarjalnost. Učitelji so kot likovno nadarjene evidentirali veliko več deklic kot dečkov, kar je po našem mnenju posledica subjektivnega vrednotenja. Najbolj zaskrbljujoča je misel, da se v zadnjih letih ni veliko spremenilo na področju odkrivanja nadarjenih, in zato je bilo najverjetneje prezrtih veliko likovno nadarjenih. Raziskavo bi bilo zanimivo razširiti na več občnih enot ter povprašati učitelje, katere lastnosti likovno nadarjenih upoštevajo pri evidentiranju ter spremljati tiste učence, ki so bili identificirani kot likovno nadarjeni pri njihovem razvoju skozi šolanje.In the master\u27s thesis The effectiveness of recording artistically talented learners in the first period in Slovenian elementary schools, we introduce the concept and nature of the talent and characteristics of the talented learners. In the beginning, we answer the question of how the talented learners are found and what is the role of teachers, parents, school psychologists, and educational institutions in the process. We present the parents’ and teachers’ role in developing the pupils\u27 talents. We conclude the theoretical part with explaining the difference between general and specific talent, defining artistic talent, and describing the characteristics of artistically talented children. We describe creativity, its factors, motivation, and artistic abilities briefly. At the end, we also introduce the parents’ and teachers’ role in the artistic talent development. In the empirical part we present the analysis of learners’ art products in 3rd and 4th grade from elementary schools in the regional unit of National Education Institute, RU Maribor. Additionally, we follow the teachers’ success of recording artistically talented learners in the elementary schools. The results of the research show that the teachers are not able to evaluate pupils who are artistically talented on the basis of their art products and consequently do not know the characteristics of a quality children\u27s art products nor the characteristics of artistically talented pupils. Teachers grade the learners\u27 art products subjectively and evaluate template solutions as creativity which does not point to artistic creativity. More artistically talented girls than boys have been recorded by the teachersin our opinion, this is a result of subjective evaluation. We are worried about the thought that little has changed in the field of discovering talent in recent years, and thus many of the artistically talented learners have probably been overlooked. It would be interesting to extend the research to several regional units as well as ask the teachers what characteristics of the artistically talented are taken into account when recording and monitoring those learners who have been identified as artistically talented in their development through schooling

THE HORMONAL CROSSTALKS INSIDE SANTORIO ON HIS WEIGHING CHAIR

Santorio Santorio studied metabolism by spending decades on a weighing chair, studying influences of changes in body weight on human health and well-being. Today, metabolism research is oriented to hormonal crosstalks that regulate plasma glucose levels, amount of fat deposits in adipose tissue and feeding. In search for brain acting metabolism controlling factors, endocrine function has been observed in organs previously not thought as endocrines, such as stomach and white adipose tissue. Stomach is the main ghrelin secreting organ, while white adipose tissue the main leptin secreting organ. These two opposing hormones act on hypothalamus to regulate energy homeostasis - ghrelin in the case of negative energy balance and leptin in the case of increased amount of fat deposits in adipose tissue. The two hormones display a circadian pattern in their secretion. In fact, the regulation of metabolism is controlled by the circadian clock, but also the circadian clock itself is strongly influenced by food intake, with stomach oxyntic cells being a possible food-entrainable oscillators

NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES OF SLOVENIAN NATIONAL JUNIOR SWIMMING TEAM

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the nutritional strategies of Slovenian national junior swimming team and compare them with recommendations of clinical sports nutrition. Competitive young swimmers namely have increased energy and nutrient needs compared to general adolescents due to frequent and intense training. Despite some physiological differences from adults, adult sports nutrition recommendations for macronutrients apply to them. Further, literature reports iron, calcium, and vitamin D intake as frequently inadequate. Methods: Nutritional strategies of 19 members of Slovenian national junior swimming team were assessed retrospectively through 3-day food and activity diaries, questionnaires, anthropometric data including bioimpedance analysis. Energy availability (EA), macronutrient intake and timing, iron, calcium and vitamin D intakes, hydration, consumption of sports food and dietary supplement use were evaluated. Results: EA in some of male swimmers and in majority of  female swimmers was lower than recommended. Carbohydrate intake was adequate in male swimmers and two thirds of female swimmers. Although average protein intake exceeded the upper recommended limit, some  female swimmers did not meet the lower recommended intake limit. Total fat intake was lower than recommended, with saturated fat intake on the upper recommended level. Calcium and iron intake in male swimmers exceeded recommended values, while female swimmers had lower calcium intake than recommended and some had lower iron intake, too. Vitamin D intake was low in all swimmers. Meal timing was adequate in majority of swimmers, who often reached for dietary supplements, mostly omega 3 fatty acids, multivitamins, and magnesium. Conclusions: Low EA in young competitive swimmers is of concern. More successful, personalised nutrition strategies for young competitive swimmers, focusing on higher energy intake and healthy food choices, would contribute to the preservation of their health and development into top performers

EXERCISE AND THE AGEING IMMUNE SYSTEM

Life expectancy in the developed world has increased exponentially over the last century. There is now a strong body of evidence demonstrating that aging is accompanied by severe alterations in the immune system, a process known as “immunosenescence”, commonly defined as the functional decline of the adaptive immune system with age. Inflamm-aging, a chronic progressive increase in the inflammatory status has attracted great attention in recent years in age-related research field. This process plays an important role in the age-related diseases, such as heart disease, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, type II diabetes, among others. Exercise impacts immune function both acutely and chronically. This article describes how exercise activates the release of hormones, myokines and cytokines, as well as modulates the expression of various immune-reactive molecules, which all contribute to anti-inflammatory effects and possible attenuation of immunosenescence