Intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction result in similar changes in body composition and muscle strength when combined with a 12 week resistance training program.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 12 weeks of resistance training combined with either 5:2 intermittent fasting or continuous energy restriction on body composition, muscle size and quality, and upper and lower body strength. METHODS: Untrained individuals undertook 12 weeks of resistance training plus either continuous energy restriction [20% daily energy restriction (CERT)] or 5:2 intermittent fasting [~ 70% energy restriction 2 days/week, euenergetic consumption 5 days/week (IFT)], with both groups prescribed a mean of ≥ 1.4 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Participants completed 2 supervised resistance and 1 unsupervised aerobic/resistance training combination session per week. Changes in lean body mass (LBM), thigh muscle size and quality, strength and dietary intake were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-four participants completed the study (CERT = 17, IFT = 17). LBM was significantly increased (+ 3.7%, p < 0.001) and body weight (- 4.6%, p < 0.001) and fat (- 24.1%, p < 0.001) were significantly reduced with no significant difference between groups, though results differed by sex. Both groups showed improvements in thigh muscle size and quality, and reduced intramuscular and subcutaneous fat assessed by ultrasonography and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), respectively. The CERT group demonstrated a significant increase in muscle surface area assessed by pQCT compared to the IFT group. Similar gains in upper and lower body strength and muscular endurance were observed between groups. CONCLUSION: When combined with resistance training and moderate protein intake, continuous energy restriction and 5:2 intermittent fasting resulted in similar improvements in body composition, muscle quality, and strength. ACTRN: ACTRN12620000920998, September 2020, retrospectively registered.

Exploring the relevance of intersectionality in Australian dietetics: Issues of diversity and representation.

Through an exploration of the origins of dietetics in the West, and specifically in Australia, we problematise the lack of diversity within the profession through the lens of intersectionality. Dietetics in Australia continues to be dominated by Australian-born women, and ideologies about dietitians perpetuate narratives of white, young, slim, women. Intersectional approaches to critiquing diversity in dietetics provides a useful framework to extend critical studies of health disparities into disparities in the dietetics professional workforce, which is advanced through structural, political and representational intersectionality guided critique. Through the analysis, a dialog is prompted in order to chart paths forward to find 'how differences will find expression' within the professional group. To do this, dietetics as a profession must reckon with its historical roots and step forward, out of a perceived position of objective neutrality regarding people and diversity, and into a position that can recognise that professional institutions have the power to exclude and marginalise, along with the power to include and transform.

Changing landscape of nutrition and dietetics research? A bibliographic analysis of top-tier published research in 1998 and 2018.

OBJECTIVE: The current study sought to describe and compare study type, research design and translation phase of published research in nutrition and dietetic journals in 1998 and 2018. DESIGN: This was a repeat cross-sectional bibliographic analysis of Nutrition and Dietetics research. All eligible studies in the top eight Nutrition and Dietetics indexed journals in 1998 and 2018 were included. Two independent reviewers coded each study for research design (study type and study design) and translation phase (T0-T4) of the research using seminal texts in the field. SETTING: Not relevant. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant. RESULTS: The number of publications (1998, n 1030; 2018, n 1016) has not changed over time, but the research type, design and translation phases have. The proportion of intervention studies in 1998 (43·8 %) was significantly higher than 2018 (19·4 %). In 2018, more reviews (46·9 % v. 15·6 % in 1998) and less randomised trials (14·3 % v. 37·8 % in 1998) were published. In regard to translation phase, there was a higher proportion of T2-T4 research in 2018 (18·3 % v. 3·8 % in 1998); however, the proportion of T3/T4 (dissemination, implementation and population-level research) research was still low (<3 %). Our sensitivity analysis with the four journals that remained in the top eight journal across the two time periods found no differences in the research type, design and translation phases across time. CONCLUSIONS: There was a reduction in intervention and T0 publications, alongside higher publication of clinical study designs over time; however, published T3/T4 research in Nutrition and Dietetics is low. A greater focus on publishing interventions and dissemination and implementation may be needed.

Australian Football Athletes Lack Awareness of Current Sport Nutrition Guidelines.

Sports nutrition is an evolving field, but there is a lack of data on Australian athletes' knowledge of current sports nutrition guidelines. Additionally, several tools used to assess nutrition knowledge (NK) have not undergone adequate validation. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the sports NK of elite and nonelite Australian football (AF) athletes using a newly validated questionnaire-The Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire. Elite AF players (n = 46) were recruited directly from their club dietitian and nonelite AF players (n = 53) were invited to participate via e-mail from their club president or secretary. The mean NK score of elite and nonelite AF players was 46 ± 16% and 51 ± 11%, respectively (p = .041). In both groups, knowledge of macronutrients, weight management, and alcohol was better than knowledge of supplements, micronutrients, and sports nutrition. Nonelite athletes achieved statistically significantly higher scores on the questionnaire subsections testing weight management (elite: 48 ± 18; nonelite: 57 ± 19, p = .019), micronutrients (elite: 39 ± 19; nonelite: 50 ± 16, p = .004), and alcohol (elite: 52 ± 13; nonelite: 71 ± 17, p = .002). While overall NK of Australian athletes was poor, scores varied greatly among individuals (range: 10-70%) and across the six subsections (topics) being assessed. Professionals working with athletes should undertake an assessment of the athletes' NK so that they can provide targeted education programs.

Brief Education Intervention Increases Nutrition Knowledge and Confidence of Coaches of Junior Australian Football Teams.

This study evaluated the impact of a brief (20-min) nutrition education intervention embedded in an existing mandatory coach education course for coaches of junior (8-12 years old) Australian football teams. A total of 284 coaches (68% of 415 coaching course participants) completed a presession questionnaire, and 110 coaches (27% of coaching course participants) completed an identical postsession questionnaire. The responses to the pre- and postsession surveys were matched for 78 coaches. Coaches' ratings of their own understanding of the nutritional needs of young athletes (6.81, 8.95; p < .001), the importance of young athletes adhering to a healthy diet (9.09, 9.67; p = .001), their confidence in their own nutrition knowledge (7.24, 8.64; p < .001), and their confidence in advising young athletes on nutrition and hydration practices (6.85, 8.62; p < .001), all significantly improved following the education session. Nearly all coaches (>95%) provided a correct response to six of the 15 nutrition and hydration knowledge questions included in the presession questionnaire. Even with this high level of presession knowledge, there was a significant improvement in the coaches' nutrition and hydration knowledge after the education session across five of the 15 items, compared with before the education session. The results of this study suggest that a simple, short nutrition education intervention, embedded in an existing coach education course, can positively influence the nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy of community-level, volunteer coaches of junior sports participants.

Developing and validating a nutrition knowledge questionnaire: key methods and considerations.

OBJECTIVE: To outline key statistical considerations and detailed methodologies for the development and evaluation of a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge questionnaire. DESIGN: Literature on questionnaire development in a range of fields was reviewed and a set of evidence-based guidelines specific to the creation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire have been developed. The recommendations describe key qualitative methods and statistical considerations, and include relevant examples from previous papers and existing nutrition knowledge questionnaires. Where details have been omitted for the sake of brevity, the reader has been directed to suitable references. RESULTS: We recommend an eight-step methodology for nutrition knowledge questionnaire development as follows: (i) definition of the construct and development of a test plan; (ii) generation of the item pool; (iii) choice of the scoring system and response format; (iv) assessment of content validity; (v) assessment of face validity; (vi) purification of the scale using item analysis, including item characteristics, difficulty and discrimination; (vii) evaluation of the scale including its factor structure and internal reliability, or Rasch analysis, including assessment of dimensionality and internal reliability; and (viii) gathering of data to re-examine the questionnaire's properties, assess temporal stability and confirm construct validity. Several of these methods have previously been overlooked. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of nutrition knowledge is an important consideration for individuals working in the nutrition field. Improved methods in the development of nutrition knowledge questionnaires, such as the use of factor analysis or Rasch analysis, will enable more confidence in reported measures of nutrition knowledge.

Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Nutrition Knowledge of Australian Football and Soccer Players: Implications for Sports Nutrition Professionals in Practice.

Sports nutrition professionals aim to influence nutrition knowledge, dietary intake and body composition to improve athletic performance. Understanding the interrelationships between these factors and how they vary across sports has the potential to facilitate better-informed and targeted sports nutrition practice. This observational study assessed body composition (DXA), dietary intake (multiple-pass 24-hr recall) and nutrition knowledge (two previously validated tools) of elite and subelite male players involved in two team-based sports; Australian football (AF) and soccer. Differences in, and relationships between, nutrition knowledge, dietary intake and body composition between elite AF, subelite AF and elite soccer players were assessed. A total of 66 (23 ± 4 years, 82.0 ± 9.2 kg, 184.7 ± 7.7 cm) players participated. Areas of weaknesses in nutrition knowledge are evident (57% mean score obtained) yet nutrition knowledge was not different between elite and subelite AF and soccer players (58%, 57% and 56%, respectively, p > .05). Dietary intake was not consistent with recommendations in some areas; carbohydrate intake was lower (4.6 ± 1.5 g/kg/day, 4.5 ± 1.2 g/kg/day and 2.9 ± 1.1 g/kg/day for elite and subelite AF and elite soccer players, respectively) and protein intake was higher (3.4 ± 1.1 g/kg/day, 2.1 ± 0.7 g/kg/day and 1.9 ± 0.5 g/kg/day for elite and subelite AF and elite soccer players, respectively) than recommendations. Nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with fat-free soft tissue mass (n = 66; r2 = .051, p = .039). This insight into known modifiable factors may assist sports nutrition professionals to be more specific and targeted in their approach to supporting players to achieve enhanced performance.

Seasonal Changes in Soccer Players' Body Composition and Dietary Intake Practices.

Devlin, BL, Kingsley, M, Leveritt, MD, and Belski, R. Seasonal changes in soccer players' body composition and dietary intake practices. J Strength Cond Res 31(12): 3319-3326, 2017-The aims of this study were 2-fold: to determine seasonal changes in dietary intake and body composition in elite soccer players and to evaluate the influence of self-determined individual body composition goals on dietary intake and body composition. This longitudinal, observational study assessed body composition (total mass, fat-free soft tissue mass, and fat mass) using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and dietary intake (energy and macronutrients) via multiple-pass 24-hour recalls, at 4 time points over a competitive season in elite soccer players from one professional club in the Australian A-League competition. Self-reported body composition goals were also recorded. Eighteen elite male soccer players took part (25 ± 5 years, 180.5 ± 7.4 cm, 75.6 ± 6.5 kg). Majority (≥67%) reported the goal to maintain weight. Fat-free soft tissue mass increased from the start of preseason (55,278 ± 5,475 g) to the start of competitive season (56,784 ± 5,168 g; p < 0.001), and these gains were maintained until the end of the season. Fat mass decreased over the preseason period (10,072 ± 2,493 g to 8,712 ± 1,432 g; p < 0.001), but increased during the latter part of the competitive season. Dietary intake practices on training days were consistent over time and low compared with sport nutrition recommendations. The self-reported body composition goals did not strongly influence dietary intake practices or changes in body composition. This study has demonstrated that body composition changes over the course of a soccer season are subtle in elite soccer players despite relatively low self-reported intake of energy and carbohydrate.

What do Pregnant Women Know About the Healthy Eating Guidelines for Pregnancy? A Web-Based Questionnaire.

Objectives This study explored nutrition knowledge of pregnant women, and how it correlated with participant characteristics, their main sources of information and changes to their diet since becoming pregnant. Methods Pregnant women residing in Australia accessing pregnancy forums on the internet were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire on general nutrition and pregnancy-specific nutrition guidelines. Results Of the 165 eligible questionnaire responses, 114 were complete and included in the analysis. Pregnancy nutrition knowledge was associated with education (r s = 0.21, p < 0.05) and income (r s = 0.21, p < 0.05). Only 2 % of pregnant women achieved nutrition knowledge scores over 80 %. Few women received nutrition advice during their pregnancy, of which most were advised by their doctor. Dietary changes adopted since becoming pregnant included consuming more fruit, vegetables, dairy and high fibre foods. Conclusions for Practice Pregnant women in this study had limited knowledge of the dietary guidelines for healthy eating during pregnancy. Furthermore, nutrition counselling in maternity care appears to be infrequent. One approach to optimising maternal diets and subsequently preventing adverse health outcomes is to enhance their knowledge of the pregnancy nutrition guidelines through the provision of nutritional counselling. Furthermore, research exploring the access and use of nutrition resources, and nutrition advice provided to pregnant women is recommended to understand how knowledge impacts on dietary behaviour.

Exploring General and Sports Nutrition and Food Knowledge in Elite Male Australian Athletes.

Nutrition knowledge is believed to influence nutritional intake, which in turn influences performance in elite athletes. There is currently no published data on the nutrition knowledge of elite Australian Football (AF) players. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the current level of general and sports nutrition knowledge in elite male AF athletes. Forty six elite male AF players (23.5 ± 2.8 years) answered 123 questions relating to five areas of nutrition knowledge: dietary recommendations, sources of nutrients, choosing everyday foods, alcohol and sports nutrition. Demographic details and perceptions of nutrition knowledge were collected for all participants. The mean nutrition knowledge score was 74.4 ± 10.9 (60.5%). The highest score was obtained in sports nutrition section (17.9 ± 3.0, 61.7%). The dietitian was selected as the first source of information by 98% of athletes, with club trainer and teammates as second choice for 45.7% and 23.9% of athletes, respectively. The majority of athletes correctly answered questions regarding recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake (95.6%, 91.1% and 93.3% correct respectively). While 80% of the athletes were aware fat intake should predominately be made up of unsaturated fat, they were less able to identify food sources of unsaturated fats (35.6% and 24.4% correct for statements regarding monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, respectively). Broad nutrition messages and recommendations appear to be well understood; however, gaps in nutrition knowledge are evident. A better understanding of nutrition knowledge in athletes will allow nutrition education interventions to target areas in need of improvement.

Nutritional Considerations for Elite Golf: A Narrative Review.

Golf is predominantly a skill-based sport where technical aspects are regarded as a priority area for improving performance. At present, most of the existing literature has focused on improving a player's physicality, endurance and technical attributes in an effort to enhance performance. While important, the role of nutrition in elite golf has received little attention to date. The energy demands of the sport can vary depending on the level of the individual (recreational-professional), with distances of up to 20 km being covered and the time spent on the course ranging approximately 4-8 h each day. Like other sports, a focus on pre-game, during and post-game nutrition, including hydration, is integral to ensuring that individuals are adequately fuelled, hydrated and optimally recovered. For the elite athletes who travel extensively to international tournaments, it is important to understand the additional impact of travel on the body and consider the role nutrition can play in preventing illness and ensuring minimal disruption to golf performance. Lastly, the role of dietary supplements to enhance the performance of golfers is also important to consider. This review aims to consolidate the findings of the existing research focusing on nutrition strategies for golf performance and identify areas for potential future research.

Dietary Assessment Tools and Metabolic Syndrome: Is It Time to Change the Focus?

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with a range of chronic diseases, for which lifestyle interventions are considered the cornerstone of treatment. Dietary interventions have primarily focused on weight reduction, usually via energy restricted diets. While this strategy can improve insulin sensitivity and other health markers, weight loss alone is not always effective in addressing all risk factors associated with MS. Previous studies have identified diet quality as a key factor in reducing the risk of MS independent of weight loss. Additionally, supporting evidence for the use of novel strategies such as carbohydrate restriction and modifying the frequency and timing of meals is growing. It is well established that dietary assessment tools capable of identifying dietary patterns known to increase the risk of MS are essential for the development of personalised, targeted diet and lifestyle advice. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently evaluated the latest in a variety of assessment tools, recommending three that demonstrate the highest evidence-based and clinical relevance. However, such tools may not assess and thus identify all dietary and eating patterns associated with MS development and treatment, especially those which are new and emerging. This paper offers a review of current dietary assessment tools recommended for use by the AHA to assess dietary and eating patterns associated with MS development. We discuss how these recommendations align with recent and novel evidence on the benefits of restricting ultra-processed food and refined carbohydrates and modifying timing and frequency of meals. Finally, we provide recommendations for future redevelopment of these tools to be deployed in health care settings.

The Effects of Intermittent Fasting and Continuous Energy Restriction with Exercise on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers, Dietary Compliance, and Perceived Hunger and Mood: Secondary Outcomes of a Randomised, Controlled Trial.

(1) Background: Excess weight in the form of adiposity plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. Lifestyle modifications that incorporate continuous energy restriction (CER) are effective at inducing weight loss and reductions in adiposity; however, prescribing daily CER results in poor long-term adherence. Over the past decade, intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a promising alternative to CER that may promote increased compliance and/or improvements in cardiometabolic health parameters independent of weight loss. (2) Methods: This paper presents a secondary analysis of data from a 12-week intervention investigating the effects of a twice-weekly fast (5:2 IF; IFT group) and CER (CERT group) when combined with resistance exercise in 34 healthy participants (17 males and 17 females, mean BMI: 27.0 kg/m2, mean age: 23.9 years). Specifically, changes in cardiometabolic blood markers and ratings of hunger, mood, energy and compliance within and between groups were analysed. Dietary prescriptions were hypoenergetic and matched for energy and protein intake. (3) Results: Both dietary groups experienced reductions in total cholesterol (TC; mean reduction, 7.8%; p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; mean reduction, 11.1%; p < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean reduction 2.6%, p = 0.049) over the 12 weeks. Reductions in TC and LDL-C were greater in the IFT group after adjustment for baseline levels and change in weight. No significant changes in markers of glucose regulation were observed. Both groups maintained high levels of dietary compliance (~80%) and reported low levels of hunger over the course of the intervention period. (4) Conclusions: Secondary data analysis revealed that when combined with resistance training, both dietary patterns improved blood lipids, with greater reductions observed in the IFT group. High levels of compliance and low reported levels of hunger throughout the intervention period suggest both diets are well tolerated in the short-to-medium term.

Attitudes and Opinions of Parents towards Water-Only Drink Policy at Junior Triathlon Events.

Rates of childhood obesity within Australia continue to rise, with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages one contributing factor. Community sport provides an opportunity to implement policies promoting water as the beverage of choice. However, the attitudes of parents toward a water-only policy are not known. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate parents' opinions towards beverage consumption and a water-only policy. Data were collected from participants (n = 159) using an investigator-designed questionnaire, administered using iPads, at a junior Triathlon Victoria event. Water was the most popular beverage provided before (75%), during (85%) and after (61%) sport. Parents were more likely to provide sports drinks to children older than 14 years (27%). Three-quarters (77%) of parents reported having received no information regarding hydration requirements. Parents rated the importance of hydration prior to, during and after a triathlon as high (9.08 ± 1.2, 8.76 ± 1.3 and 9.30 ± 0.4 out of 10, respectively). Parents were supportive of a water-only policy at all junior triathlon events and all junior sporting events (7.94 ± 1.3 and 7.86 ± 1.9, respectively). There was less support for a water-only policy for adult triathlons (6.40 ± 3.1). A water-only drink policy at junior sport is viewed positively by parents. This warrants further research and policy development to facilitate behaviour change.

Disordered eating & body image of current and former athletes in a pandemic; a convergent mixed methods study - What can we learn from COVID-19 to support athletes through transitions?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen worsened mental health as a result of lockdowns, isolation and changes to sociocultural functioning. The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is representative of global cancellations of sporting events, reduced facility access and support restrictions that have affected both current and former athlete's psychological wellbeing. This study aimed to determine whether current (n = 93) and former (n = 111) athletes experienced worsened body image, relationship with food or eating disorder symptomatology during acute COVID-19 transitions. METHODS: The study was a Convergent Mixed Methods design whereby qualitative content analysis was collected and analysed simultaneously with quantitative cross-sectional data using the EAT-26 and self-report COVID-19 questions. Data were collected from April until May 2020 to capture data pertaining to transitions related to the pandemic and included individuals across 41 different individual and team sports from club to international competition levels. RESULTS: There was a surge in disordered eating in current and former athletes as a result of the early COVID-19 response. Eating disorders were suggested to occur in 21.1% of participants (18% current athletes n = 17, 25% former athletes (n = 26). There was a significant difference between males and females (p = 0.018, r = 0.17), but interestingly no differences between groups from individual vs team sports, type of sporting category (endurance, antigravitational, ball sport, power, technical and aesthetic) or level of competition (club, state, national or international). 34.8% (n = 69) self-reported worsened body image and 32.8% (n = 65) self-reported a worsened food relationship directly from COVID-19. Qualitative analysis indicated that disordered eating occurred predominantly in the form of body preoccupation, inhibitory food control, fear of body composition changes and binge eating. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that transitions in COVID-19 have worsened food-body relationships in current and former athletes and must be treated as an at-risk time for eating disorder development. We suggest that resources are allocated appropriately to assist athletes to foster psychologically positive food and body relationships through COVID-19 transitions. This study makes practice suggestions in supporting athletes to manage control, seek support, adapt and accept change and promote connection and variety through athletic transitions.

The current study looked to explore how current and former athletes' disordered eating had been affected in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that disordered eating had worsened in both population groups and was described through increases to food preoccupation, control, binge eating, dietary restriction and fear of body composition change. This study offers suggestions on how to best support current and former athletes through COVID-19 transitions, further relating these findings to athletic transitions such as retirement, injury, pregnancy and illness.

A Qualitative Investigation of Factors Influencing the Dietary Intakes of Professional Australian Football Players.

(1) Background: Many professional Australian Football (AF) players do not meet recommended sports nutrition guidelines despite having access to nutrition advice. There are a range of factors that can influence players' ability to meet their nutrition goals and awareness of the barriers players face is essential to ensure that dietary advice translates into practice. Therefore, this qualitative research study aimed to explore the factors influencing AF players' dietary intakes and food choice. (2) Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve professional male AF players. (3) Results: Less experienced players restricted their carbohydrate intake to meet body composition goals, particularly during preseason and surrounding body composition assessment. During the competition season players had a greater focus on performance and placed more emphasis on carbohydrate intake in the lead up to matches. Players felt nutrition goals were easier to achieve when dietary choices were supported by their families and peers. One-on-one consultations provided by a sports dietitian were players' preferred mode of nutrition intervention. Individualized nutrition advice is required for less experienced AF players who may be vulnerable to unsustainable dietary habits. Experienced AF players can support junior teammates by promoting positive team culture related to body composition, nutrition and performance.

Healthy-Canteen Displays: A Tactic to Encourage Community Sport Canteens to Provide Healthier Food and Beverage Options.

(1) Background: Community sport settings present a range of conflicting health behaviours, including the tension between being physically active and consuming discretionary foods. Therefore, community sport settings are considered a promising location for health promotion. The aim of this project was to evaluate perceptions, knowledge and the impact (e.g., barriers and outcomes) of a healthy-canteen (cafeteria) display, based on traffic light labeling (TLL), which was set up at an Australian Basketball Association Managers' Convention and Trade Show. (2) Methods: We set up a healthy 'canteen display and surveyed Basketball managers on their perceptions of the display before (Survey 1) and after (Survey 2) visiting the display. Three months later they were surveyed (Survey 3) on changes made to their community sport canteens. (3) Results: Eighty-eight, 76 and 22 participants completed Surveys 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Participants believed stocking healthy foods and beverages was important (mean 8.5/10). Food waste, lack of consumer interest and price were identified barriers to stocking healthy foods. After visiting the display, 75% were inspired to make changes and 50% were surprised by the differences between their perceptions of the healthfulness of foods and the TLL ratings. Post-convention, 41% and 70% made or had planned healthy changes to their community sport canteen. (4) Conclusions: A healthy-canteen display is a low-cost, easy-to-implement strategy that may be able to direct self-driven improvement in the healthfulness of foods stocked at community canteens and lead to improved nutritional intakes at these venues.

Interventions to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption using a nudge approach in Victorian community sports settings.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of interventions using a nudge approach to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in community sports settings. METHODS: A total of 155 community sporting organisations participating in VicHealth funded programs were invited to nominate a nudge based on a traffic light approach to drinks classification. These included limit red drinks, red drinks off display, water the cheapest option, and meal deals. Sales data was collected for a predetermined period prior to and following the introduction of the nudge. Nudges were classified initially on whether they were implemented to VicHealth standards. Appropriately implemented nudges were classified as successful if they achieved a relative decrease in sales from drinks classified as red. RESULTS: In all, 148 organisations trialled 195 nudges; 15 (7.7%) were successful and 20 (10.3%) were appropriately implemented but unsuccessful. Limit red drinks was the most frequently attempted nudge (30.8%). Red drinks off display had the greatest rate of success (20.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Red drinks off display was the simplest and most successful nudge. Implications for public health: Guidelines limiting the display of sugar-sweetened beverages may be an effective means of altering consumer behaviour.

The Effects of Intermittent Fasting Combined with Resistance Training on Lean Body Mass: A Systematic Review of Human Studies.

Diets utilising intermittent fasting (IF) as a strategic method to manipulate body composition have recently grown in popularity, however, dietary practices involving fasting have also been followed for centuries for religious reasons (i.e., Ramadan). Regardless of the reasons for engaging in IF, the impacts on lean body mass (LBM) may be detrimental. Previous research has demonstrated that resistance training promotes LBM accrual, however, whether this still occurs during IF is unclear. Therefore, the objective of this review is to systematically analyse human studies investigating the effects of variations of IF combined with resistance training on changes in LBM in previously sedentary or trained (non-elite) individuals. Changes in body weight and fat mass, and protocol adherence were assessed as a secondary objective. This review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and SportDiscus databases were searched for articles investigating IF, combined with resistance training that reported measures of body composition. Eight studies met the eligibility criteria. LBM was generally maintained, while one study reported a significant increase in LBM. Body fat mass or percentage was significantly reduced in five of eight studies. Results suggest that IF paired with resistance training generally maintains LBM, and can also promote fat loss. Future research should examine longer-term effects of various forms of IF combined with resistance training compared to traditional forms of energy restriction. Prospero registration CRD42018103867.

The Influence of Training on New Army Recruits' Energy and Macronutrient Intakes and Performance: A Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: New army recruits undertake initial training to develop their skillset and physical and mental preparedness for military service. Recruits experience a range of stressors both physical and psychological, often at extremes, and in combination. These stressors place recruits at risk of suboptimal energy and macronutrient intakes, which may negatively influence their performance. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this systematic literature review are to examine, against the Military Recommended Dietary Intakes (MRDIs), the energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat intakes of army recruits and trainees undertaking initial training internationally, and identify any associated influence on their performance. DESIGN: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Information sources were searched from their inception until May 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome data included dietary intakes of energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat before, during, and/or after army initial training, as well as measures of physical fitness and performance. A custom tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. RESULTS: The results of 14 studies were synthesized. Six were conducted in the United States and four in each of Australia and Israel. Average energy intake represented 69% to 120% of the MRDIs before training commencement, 69% to 106% of the MRDIs in the early weeks of training and 56% to 77% of the MRDIs in the later weeks of training. Average carbohydrate and protein intakes represented 49% to 121% and 64% to 143% of the MRDIs, respectively, across the various time points. Three studies measured physical fitness and/or performance outcomes, with one showing a significant improvement in push-up performance when extra protein was provided. CONCLUSIONS: The novel findings of this systematic literature review are that army recruits, internationally, are likely to be underconsuming energy for extended periods of their initial training, with greater deficits in carbohydrate intake compared with other macronutrients. Only a handful of studies investigated the subsequent influents on performance, with no definitive conclusions drawn in most instances. Further research is needed to understand the influence of suboptimal dietary intake on military relevant performance indicators to help better inform key stakeholders when devising nutrition guidance and strategies for army recruits in the future.