Intake of Nutritional Supplements among People Exercising in Gyms in Beirut City

The use of nutritional supplements among exercisers in gyms has been never investigated in the Middle East. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence intake of nutritional supplements and the potential influencing factors among people exercising in gyms in Beirut city. In this cross-sectional study, 512 exercisers, aged between 20 and 50 years, were randomly selected from gyms. The intake of nutritional supplements was reported among 36.3% (95% confidence interval 32.2–40.5) of participants, with a weak presence of medical supervision. Patterns of supplement use differed by gender and age. Men and younger exercisers were found to focus on supplements associated with performance enhancement and muscle building, while women and older exercisers were more concerned with health-promoting products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. An appropriate dissemination of accurate and scientifically sound information regarding the benefits and side effects of nutritional supplements is highly recommended in the sports environment in Beirut city

Central and peripheral quadriceps fatigue in congestive heart failure

AbstractAimsThe clinical syndrome of heart failure includes exercise limitation that is not directly linked to measures of cardiac function. Quadriceps fatigability may be an important component of this and this may arise from peripheral or central factors.Methods and resultsWe studied 10 men with CHF and 10 healthy age-matched controls. Compared with a rest condition, 10min after incremental maximal cycle exercise, twitch quadriceps force in response to supramaximal magnetic femoral nerve stimulation fell in both groups (CHF 14.1%±18.1%, p=0.037; Control: 20.8±11.0%, p<0.001; no significant difference between groups). There was no significant change in quadriceps maximum voluntary contraction voluntary force. The difference in the motor evoked potential (MEP) response to transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex between rest and exercise conditions at 10min, normalised to the peripheral action potential, also fell significantly in both groups (CHF: 27.3±38.7%, p=0.037; Control: 41.1±47.7%, p=0.024). However, the fall in MEP was sustained for a longer period in controls than in patients (p=0.048).ConclusionsThe quadriceps is more susceptible to fatigue, with a similar fall in TwQ occurring in CHF patients at lower levels of exercise. This is associated with no change in voluntary activation but a lesser degree of depression of quadriceps motor evoked potential

Energy Expenditure and Dietary Intake in Overweight versus Non-overweight Guadeloupian Adults

Objective: Obesity is the source of many health problems in Guadeloupe. The aim of this study was to describe the relationships between daily energy intake and expenditure, and weight status. Methods: Three consecutive daily recalls for activities and food intake were used to assess energy expenditure and energy intake in 20- to 60-year old Guadeloupian men and women. Results: The absolute daily energy expenditure was correlated to the body weight (r = 0.64, p > 0.001) and to the daily energy intake with more strength in the normal-weight group (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) than in the overweight group (r = 0.26, p < 0.05). In both weight groups, the higher the metabolism was, the larger was the difference between energy intake and energy expenditure. Conclusion: Under-reporting was probably present in overweight women. However, higher energy intake and expenditure were observed in larger persons who were consequently not identified as less active. "Gasto de Energía e Ingesta Dietética en Guadalupanos Adultos con Sobrepeso frente a Aquellos sin Sobrepeso" RESUMEN Objetivo: La obesidad es fuente de muchos problemas de salud en Guadalupe. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las relaciones entre la ingesta energética y el gasto de energía diarios, y el estado del peso. Métodos: Tres reportes consecutivos diarios sobre las actividades y la ingesta de alimentos, fueron usados para evaluar el gasto de energía y el consumo de energía fueron usados el consume de alimentos fueron usados para evaluar el gasto de energía y la ingesta energética en hombres y mujeres guadalupanos de 20 a 60 años de edad. Resultados: El valor absoluto del gasto diario de energía fue correlacionado con el del peso del cuerpo (r = 0.64, p > 0.001) y la ingesta diaria de energía con más fuerza en el grupo de peso normal (r = 0.52, p < 0.001 que en el grupo de sobrepeso (r = 0.26, p < 0.05). En ambos grupos, mientras más alto era el metabolismo, mayor era la diferencia entre la ingesta y el consumo de energía. Conclusión. En el caso de las mujeres obesas, probablemente los reportes quedaron por debajo de la realidad. Sin embargo, se observaron ingesta y gasto de energía más altos en personas más corpulentas, que por consiguiente no fueron identificadas como menos activas

Putative protective effect of inspiratory threshold loading against exercise-induced supraspinal diaphragm fatigue

International audienceThe present investigation was intended to assess the consequences of an inspiratory load on the diaphragm central component of fatigue during exercise. We recorded the motor potential evoked (MEP) by transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex in 10 subjects. The diaphragm and rectus femoris were studied before and 10, 20, and 40 min after two 16-min cycling exercise (E) trials requiring 55% of maximal oxygen uptake: 1) one with an inspiratory threshold load (E + ITL), corresponding to 10% of maximal inspiratory pressure; and 2) the other without the load (E). Dyspnea, heart rate, electromyographic activity of the sternocleidomastoid, and diaphragm work were significantly higher in E + ITL than in E. Neither trial affected the response to phrenic magnetic stimulation, which was performed 15 and 25 min postexercise, or the maximal inspiratory pressure (116 and 120 cm H(2)O before E and E + ITL, respectively, and 110 and 114 cm H(2)O at 30 min postexercise). Whereas the amplitude of the diaphragm MEP was unaffected by E + ITL (+2.1 +/- 29.4%), a significant decrease was observed 10 min after E compared with baseline (-37.1 +/- 22.3%) and compared with E + ITL. The MEP amplitude of rectus femoris remained unchanged with E and E + ITL. The recruitment of synergistic agonists during E + ITL may have normalized the major ventilatory stress and reset up the excitability of the diaphragm pathway

Effect of warm environment on the skin blood flow response to food intake

Background and objective Warm exposure places high demands on thermoregulation mechanisms, which depend on the effectiveness of the microvascular function. The associations between the microcirculation and metabolism in warm environments have received little attention. The purpose of this study was to explore skin blood flow (SkBF) in response to food intake in a warm environment compared to control. Methods Thirty-two healthy, acclimated-to-warm-environment and physically active participants were recruited (20 females and 12 males). They participated in two sessions (warm environment: 31 °C and control: 20 °C, presented in randomized order). SkBF was measured before and after standardized food intake through the acquisition of perfusion signals by laser Doppler flowmetry (Periflux System 5000), following a local heating protocol. Results SkBF was affected by the environmental temperature, showing an increase in the warm environment compared to control (all p < .001). SkBF was significantly affected by food intake (all p < .007), being reduced after meals. In the men’s group, SkBF was reduced in both environmental temperatures after meals. In women, meals affected SkBF at 20 °C but not in the warm environment. Conclusion These results may indicate a competition between thermo- and glyco-regulation in a warm environment to the detriment of glucose homeostasis in women

Impaired glucose tolerance after brief heat exposure: a randomized crossover study in healthy young men

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Would the (too?) normal adaptation to exercise in sickle cell trait carrier be a reflection of preventive mechanisms against potential myocardial and muscle injury?

International audienceAbstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): European Commission, Region Guadeloupe Background. Sickle cell trait (SCT) is an inherited red blood cell condition without medical consequence in most cases. However, its strong association with increased risk of exercise-induced sudden death (independent of pre-existing disease) or exertional collapse has been demonstrated in athletes, military recruits and firefighters. The mechanisms potentially leading to cardiac arrest during or after exercise in SCT have not been fully elucidated although contributing factors have been identified (the main one being rhabdomyolysis) or suspected. Warm environment (even without dehydration) can contribute to the occurrence of fatal events. Purpose. The aims of this study were to 1) compare the biomarkers of myocardial and muscle injury response (and their determinants) to exercise in SCT carriers and controls performing a hard bout of exercise 2) identify the potential deleterious role of warmth during exercise and recovery in SCT and non-SCT. Methods. Nine otherwise healthy 21 ± 3yo male students with SCT and 11 non-SCT (comparable in physical fitness, regular exercise participation and body mass index) were included. The volunteers performed in a randomized order 3 sessions: cycling exercise in a control (21°C) and warm (31°C) environment followed by recovery in a room at 21°C, and both exercise and recovery in a warm environment. The exercise was as follows: 18-min rectangular moderate intensity period + maximal incremental test + 3 30-s supramaximal sprints spaced with 20-s resting intervals. Recovery and hydration were planned between each exercise part. The ECG was monitored throughout exercise. Blood was sampled before and at the end of the exercise but also during the recovery including a meal up to 130-min after the end of exercise. Results. No evidence of severe cardiac injury (ECG and biomarkers), rhabdomyolysis or occlusive events (clinical signs and biomarkers), infection (complete blood count), inflammation (biomarkers) or electrolyte imbalance (ionogram) was observed in the SCT carriers of this study: indices were comparable between SCT and non-SCT carriers, with normal exercise-related evolutions and normal recovery. Interestingly, some indices however converge towards a profile with lower complication risk in SCT. The lactate concentrations tended to be lower in SCT than non-SCT during exercise (p = 0.062) and were significantly lower during the recovery in particular after exercising at 31°C but not at 21°C. The leukocytes count was lower in SCT than non-SCT (p = 0.043) and increased in a greater extent with exercise in the later (p = 0.041). The exercise-induced increase in cortisol and glucose concentrations observed in non-SCT did not occur in SCT carriers (interactions p and p = 0.040 and p = 0.033). Conclusions. Although these results do not evidence pathophysiological mechanisms, they feed the hypothesis of "storm" against which protective mechanisms could have developed and that may fail under particular conditions

Strenuous exercise in warm environment is associated with improved microvascular function in sickle cell trait

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