Skeletal muscle gene expression in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing calorie-restricted diet and recreational sports training - a randomized clinical trial.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a 12-week calorie-restricted diet and recreational sports training on gene expressions IL-15, ATROGIN-1 and MURF-1 in skeletal muscle of T2D patients. METHODS: Older adults with T2D (n = 39, 60 ± 6.0 years, BMI 33.5 ± 0.6 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to Diet+Soccer (DS), Diet+Running (DR) or Diet (D). The training sessions were moderate-to-high-intensity and performed 3 × 40 min/week for 12-weeks. Gene expression from vastus lateralis muscle obtained by qRT-PCR, dual-energy X-ray and fasting blood testing measurements were performed before and after 12-weeks. Statistical analysis adopted were two-way ANOVA and Paired t-test for gene expression, and RM-ANOVA test for the remainder variables. RESULTS: Total body weight was reduced in ~4 kg representing body fat mass in all groups after 12-weeks (P < 0.05). HbA1c values decreased in all groups post-intervention. Lipids profile improved in the training groups (P < 0.05) after 12-weeks. ATROGIN-1 and MURF-1 mRNA reduced in the DS (1.084 ± 0.14 vs. 0.754 ± 1.14 and 1.175 ± 0.34 vs. 0.693 ± 0.12, respectively; P < 0.05), while IL-15 mRNA increased in the DR (1.056 ± 0.12 vs. 1.308 ± 0.13; P < 0.05) after 12-weeks intervention. CONCLUSION: Recreational training with a moderate calorie-restricted diet can downregulates the expression of atrophy-associated myokines and increases the expression of anti-inflammatory gene IL-15.

Original Research: Effect of sprint and strength training on glucoregulatory hormones: Effect of advanced age.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of high-intensity sprint and strength training (HISST) on glucoregulatory hormones in young (20 years) and middle-aged (40 years) men. Thirty-six moderately trained men participated as volunteers in this study. After medical examination, eligible subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups according to their age: a young training group (21.3 ± 1.3 yrs, YT, n = 9), a young control group (21.4 ± 1.7 yrs, YC, n = 9), a middle-aged training group (40.7 ± 1.8 yrs, AT, n = 9), and a middle-aged control group (40.5 ± 1.8 yrs, AC, n = 9). YT and AT participated in HISST for 13 weeks. Before and after HISST, all participants performed the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Blood samples were collected at rest, after warm-up (50% VO2max), immediately post-WAnT, and 10 min post-WAnT. Before HISST, we observed significantly higher (P < 0.05) glucose concentrations in AT (5.86 ± 0.32 mmol.L-1) compared to YT (4.24 ± 0.79 mmol.L-1) at rest, and in response to WAnT (6.56 ± 0.63 mmol.L-1 vs. 5.33 ± 0.81 mmol.L-1). Cortisol levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in AT than in YT in response to WAnT (468 ± 99.50 ng.mL-1 vs. 382 ± 64.34 ng.mL-1). Catecholamine levels measured at rest and in response to WAnT rose in a similar fashion. After HISST, this "age effect" disappeared at rest and in response to exercise in the trained groups (YT and AT). Changes in hormone concentrations with intense training are due to adaptive changes in various tissues, especially in the skeletal muscle and liver in trained subjects. HISST may, at least in part, counteract the negative "age effect" on glucose metabolism.

Plyometric exercise combined with high-intensity interval training improves metabolic abnormalities in young obese females more so than interval training alone.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with the effects of 12 weeks of plyometric exercise combined with HIIT (P+HIIT) on anthropometric, biochemical, and physical fitness data in young obese females. Sixty-eight participants (age, 16.6 ± 1.3 y; body mass, 82.8 ± 5.0 kg; body fat, 39.4% ± 3.3%; body mass index z score, 2.9 ± 0.4) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: HIIT (2 blocks per session of 6-8 bouts of 30-s runs at 100% velocity at peak oxygen uptake, with 30-s active recovery between bouts at 50%velocity at peak oxygen uptake (n = 23)); P+HIIT (2 blocks per session of 3 different 15-s plyometric exercises with 15-s passive recoveries, totaling 2 min for each plyometric exercise + the same HIIT program (n = 26)); or control (no exercise (n = 19)). Anthropometric (body mass, body mass index z score, body fat, lean body mass, and waist circumference), biochemical (plasma glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin concentrations, leptin/adiponectin ratio, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)), physical fitness (peak oxygen uptake, velocity at peak oxygen uptake, squat jump, and countermovement jump performances), and energy intake data were collected. Both training programs improved the anthropometric, biochemical, and physical fitness variables. However, the P+HIIT program induced greater improvements than did the HIIT program in lean body mass (+3.0% ± 1.7%), plasma glucose and leptin concentrations (-11.0% ± 4.7% and -23.8% ± 5.8%, respectively), plasma leptin/adiponectin ratio (-40.9% ± 10.9%), HOMA-IR (-37.3% ± 6.2%), and squat jump performance (22.2% ± 7.5%). Taken together, these findings suggest that adding plyometric exercises to a HIIT program may be more beneficial than HIIT alone in obese female adolescents.

Body dissatisfaction and the wish for different silhouette is associated with higher adiposity and fat intake in female ballet dancers than male.

BACKGROUND: It is known that behavioral disorders and altered food intake are linked to ballet dancers. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the body composition, dietetic profile, self-perceived body image and social desirability in professional ballet dancers. METHODS: This study was conducted from April to October 2010 in athletes screened for nutritional evaluation. Anthropometric, dietary, social desirability and self-perceived body image evaluation were performed to attend the aim of study. RESULTS: We found that ballet dancers are highly trained and eutrophic, although female dancers had higher adiposity and fat intake than male dancers. In addition, it was observed low consumption of calcium, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium and vitamin A. Moreover, 30% of male ballet dancers have a strong desire for social acceptance. When the body image was evaluated by Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), was reported that 40% of the ballet female dancers have of moderate to severe alteration in body image and 20% of male dancers had slight alteration. Furthermore, the Drawings and Silhouettes Scale showed that 80% of male dancers wish to have a smaller or larger silhouette than the current self-perceived and 60% of the female dancers would like to have a silhouette lower than the self-perceive as current. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our results shown that most of the dancers were eutrophic, but female athletes have higher adiposity and present strong desire for a different shape of current. Furthermore, was found increased fat intake in female group; however, deficiencies in consumption of dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin A were found in both gender.

Carbohydrate beverages attenuate bone resorption markers in elite runners.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on markers of bone turnover in elite runners. DESIGN: Twenty-four male runners were randomly assigned to two groups--a CHO and a control (CON) group--using a double-blind design. The participants were submitted to an overload training program (days 1-8), followed by a high-intensity intermittent running protocol (10×800 m) on day 9. They received a maltodextrin solution (CHO group) or a placebo solution as the CON equivalent, before, during, and after these protocols. RESULTS: After 8 days of intensive training, baseline levels of osteocalcin (OC) decreased in both CHO and CON groups (before: 28.8±3.6 and 26.6±2.4 ng/ml, after: 24.8±3.0 and 21.9±1.6 ng/ml, respectively, p<0.01). On day 9, at 80 min of the recovery period, carboxy-terminal of telopeptide type I collagen (CTX) serum concentration was suppressed in the CHO group (0.3±0.1 ng/ml) vs. 0.6±0.0 ng/ml for the CON group (p<0.01). CHO supplementation was effective in decreasing CTX levels from baseline to recovery (0.5±0.1 ng/mL to 0.3±0.1 ng/mL, p<0.001), while an increase from 0.4±0.0 ng/mL to 0.6±0.0 ng/mL (p<0.001) was observed in the CON group. CONCLUSION: CHO beverage ingestion attenuated the exercise-induced increase in CTX concentration, suggesting that CHO supplementation is a potential strategy to prevent bone damage in athletes.

Carbohydrate supplementation delays DNA damage in elite runners during intensive microcycle training.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of carbohydrate supplementation on free plasma DNA and conventional markers of training and tissue damage in long-distance runners undergoing an overload training program. Twenty-four male runners were randomly assigned to two groups (CHO group and control group). The participants were submitted to an overload training program (days 1-8), followed by a high-intensity intermittent running protocol (10 × 800 m) on day 9. The runners received maltodextrin solution (CHO group) or zero energy placebo solution as the control equivalent before, during, and after this protocol. After 8 days of intensive training, baseline LDH levels remained constant in the CHO group (before: 449.1 ± 18.2, after: 474.3 ± 22.8 U/L) and increased in the control group (from 413.5 ± 23.0 to 501.8 ± 24.1 U/L, p < 0.05). On day 9, LDH concentrations were lower in the CHO group (509.2 ± 23.1 U/L) than in the control group (643.3 ± 32.9 U/L, p < 0.01) post-intermittent running. Carbohydrate ingestion attenuated the increase of free plasma DNA post-intermittent running (48,240.3 ± 5,431.8 alleles/mL) when compared to the control group (73,751.8 ± 11,546.6 alleles/mL, p < 0.01). Leukocyte counts were lower in the CHO group than in the control group post-intermittent running (9.1 ± 0.1 vs. 12.2 ± 0.7 cells/µL; p < 0.01) and at 80 min of recovery (10.6 ± 0.1 vs. 13.9 ± 1.1 cells/µL; p < 0.01). Cortisol levels were positively correlated with free plasma DNA, leukocytes, and LDH (all r > 0.4 and p < 0.001). The results showed that ingestion of a carbohydrate beverage resulted in less DNA damage and attenuated the acute post-exercise inflammation response, providing better recovery during intense training.

Effects of carbohydrate supplementation on competitive runners undergoing overload training followed by a session of intermittent exercise.

This study evaluated the effects of a micro cycle of overload training (1st-8th day) on metabolic and hormonal responses in male runners with or without carbohydrate supplementation and investigated the cumulative effects of this period on a session of intermittent high-intensity running and maximum-performance-test (9th day). The participants were 24 male runners divided into two groups, receiving 61% of their energy intake as CHO (carbohydrate-group) and 54% in the control-group (CON). The testosterone was higher for the CHO than the CON group after the overload training (694.0 +/- 54.6 vs. CON 610.8 +/- 47.9 pmol/l). On the ninth day participants performed 10 x 800 m at mean 3 km velocity. An all-out 1000 m running was performed before and after the 10 x 800 m. Before, during, and after this protocol, the runners received solution containing CHO or the CON equivalent. The performance on 800 m series did not differ in either group between the first and last series of 800 m, but for the all-out 1000 m test the performance decrement was lower for CHO group (5.3 +/- 1.0 vs. 10.6 +/- 1.3%). The cortisol concentrations were lower in the CHO group in relation to CON group (22.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 27.6 +/- 1.4 pmol/l) and the IGF1/IGFBP3 ratio increased 12.7% in the CHO group. During recovery, blood glucose concentrations remained higher in the CHO group in comparison with the CON group. It was concluded that CHO supplementation possibly attenuated the suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and resulted in less catabolic stress, and thus improved running performance.

Effects of acute carbohydrate supplementation during sessions of high-intensity intermittent exercise.

The present study evaluated the acute effects of carbohydrate supplementation on heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), metabolic and hormonal responses during and after sessions of high-intensity intermittent running exercise. Fifteen endurance runners (26 +/- 5 years, 64.5 +/- 4.9 kg) performed two sessions of intermittent exercise under carbohydrate (CHO) and placebo (PLA) ingestion. The sessions consisted of 12 x 800 m separated by intervals of 1 min 30 s at a mean velocity corresponding to the previously performed 3-km time trial. Both the CHO and PLA sessions were concluded within approximately 28 min. Blood glucose was significantly elevated in both sessions (123.9 +/- 13.2 mg dl(-1) on CHO and 147.2 +/- 16.3 mg dl(-1) on PLA) and mean blood lactate was significantly higher in the CHO (11.4 +/- 4.9 mmol l(-1)) than in the PLA condition (8.4 +/- 5.1 mmol l(-1)) (P < 0.05). The metabolic stress induced by the exercise model used was confirmed by the elevated HR (approximately 182 bpm) and RPE (approximately 18 on the 15-point Borg scale) for both conditions. No significant differences in plasma insulin, cortisol or free fatty acids were observed during exercise between the two trials. During the recovery period, free fatty acid and insulin concentrations were significantly lower in the CHO trial. Supplementation with CHO resulted in higher lactate associated with lipolytic suppression, but did not attenuate the cortisol, RPE or HR responses.