Association between Sleep Quality and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Study.

Objective To analyze the impact of sleep quality/duration on cardiac autonomic modulation on physically active adolescents with obesity. Materials and Methods The present cross-sectional study included 1,150 boys with a mean age of 16.6 ± 1.2 years. The assessment of cardiac functions included the frequency domain of heart rate variability (HRV; low frequency - LF; high frequency - HF; and the ratio between these bands -LF/HF -, defined as the sympathovagal balance), and each parameter was categorized as low / high . Physical activity levels and sleep quality/duration were obtained by questionnaires. Abdominal obesity was assessed and defined as waist circumference > 80 th percentile. Results Poor sleep quality resulted in lower HF (odds ratio [OR]: 1.8; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.01-3.21]) regardless of physical activity and abdominal obesity. Moreover, the study found no association between sleep duration and HRV parameters in adolescents. Conclusion Sleep quality, not sleep duration, reduces parasympathetic cardiac modulation apart from other factors such as physical activity and abdominal obesity in adolescents.

Are long-term FAD diets restricting micronutrient intake? A randomized controlled trial.

The micronutrient adequacy of common fad diets is rarely assessed. We compared a high-fiber diet [HF] with a low-carbohydrate diet [LC] to assess their effects on body weight and micronutrient adequacy. One hundred and seventy-three adult males and females with or without diabetes with a mean body mass index of 36 kg/m2 were randomized to either a HF or LC diet. Differences in anthropometrics, blood lipids, glucose, blood pressure, and micronutrient consumption between groups were assessed after 52 weeks. Differences between groups a priori were assessed using independent t tests and chi-squared tests. Post hoc differences in nutrient consumption between groups while controlling for gender were assessed using factorial analysis of variance. After 52 weeks, LC dieters (n = 24) retained weight loss better than their HF counterparts (n = 30) (p = .06). LC dieters consumed more vitamin K (mcg) [HF = 124.0 ± 15.0; LC = 220.0 ± 39.1; p = .025] and vitamin B12 (mcg) [HF = 3.1 ± 0.3; LC = 4.1 ± 0.4; p = .026]. The HF group consumed more folate (mcg) [HF = 479.9 ± 34.0); LC = 333.8 ± 22.1; p < .001], magnesium (mg) [HF = 353.1 ± 17.4; LC = 281.1 ± 18.0; p < .001], and iron (mg) [HF = 14.6 ± 0.8; LC = 10.7 ± 0.6; p < .001. Both groups consumed less than the respective EAR for vitamins D and E and less than the AI for potassium. While a LC diet may be more effective for long-term weight loss, both diets were deficient in micronutrients.

Association between Physical and Motor Fitness with Cognition in Children.

Background and objective: There is an increased interest in exploring the association between fitness components with cognitive development in children in recent years. One of the scopes is to find the best exercise prescription to enhance health and cognition. Most of the studies so far have focused on cardiorespiratory fitness with little evidence on other fitness components. The present study aimed to explore the association between physical fitness (PF) and motor fitness (MF) with cognitive performance in children. Methods: Two hundred and six schoolboys (11.0 ± 0.8 y) underwent a battery of tests to measure information processing speed (i.e., simple and choice reaction time) and inhibitory control (i.e., Simon task). PF components (i.e., flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance) and MF components (speed and agility) were measured. Results: Multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders (i.e., age, socioeconomic status, %fat and physical activity) revealed no relationship between flexibility, speed, muscular strength, and endurance with either information processing tasks or inhibitory control tasks. However, a positive association was observed between agility with both congruent reaction time and incongruent reaction time. Conclusions: No relationship was observed between the underlying fitness components with either information processing or inhibitory control. However, an association was observed between agility with inhibitory control.

Non-traditional biomarkers of eating disorder symptoms among female college students.

Background: Eating disorders (ED) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage because traditional symptoms related to unhealthy eating habits are poorly recognized. ED may be also associated with non-traditional and objective biomarkers, which could prove an important screening tool to support health care professionals in diagnosing, treating, and ultimately preventing ED. Aim: To investigate the association between non-traditional physiological ED biomarkers and symptoms of ED among female college students. Methods: This study included 113 female college students, aged 18 to 23 years, enrolled in their first semester as a Bachelor of Health Sciences undergrad at public universities in the urban zone of Recife, Brazil. Symptoms of ED were measured by self-report questionnaires. Circulating levels of IL-6, IL-10, leptin, insulin, ghrelin, PYY and adiponectin were assessed using commercial immunoassays. Results: Students with symptoms of an ED exhibited higher values of IL-6 (p = 0.03) and leptin (p < 0.001) compared to those without symptoms. A positive correlation was found between leptin levels and bulimia nervosa (r = 0.42; p = 0.00), between leptin levels and binge eating (r = 0.38; p = 0.00), and between IL-6 concentrations and binge eating (r = 0.25; p = 0.04). Multiple linear regression analysis with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating as dependent variables showed that IL-6 and leptin best explained ED symptoms, even when adjusted for body mass index (BMI). Conclusions: These findings suggest that peripheral peptides, namely leptin and IL-6, are associated with symptoms of ED in female college students. Future studies are needed to determine if there is a causal relationship between these biomarkers and the onset of ED. Relevance for patients: If future longitudinal studies demonstrate causality between the biomarkers assessed here and ED symptoms, these serum makers could be used as screening tool for inappropriate eating behavior. This may in turn improve the early diagnosis, treatment, and, ultimately, the prognosis of patients with ED.