Effects of Euterpe edulis Martius on inflammatory responses to high-intensity intermittent exercise: Crossover randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: High-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) may enhance the antiinflammatory status. The juçara fruit juice (JFJ) has well-established antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. This study investigated the effect of JFJ consumption on the inflammatory response to HIIE in physically active subjects. METHODS: In a randomized crossover design, 15 men were assigned to drink 250 mL of either JFJ or water (control) 1 h before a cycling HIIE session (seven sets of 60 s at 100% peak power output; 75 s recovery between sets). Blood samples were obtained before and at 0, 30, and 60 min post-HIIE, and the serum was analyzed for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cortisol. RESULTS: After HIIE, the IL-6 levels were higher than baseline (percent change) at 30 min (P = 0.041) and 60 min (P = 0.038) for the control, but were unaffected by JFJ. IL-10 was higher in the JFJ group than in the control at 30 min (d = â€’0.63). Tumor necrosis factor-α was lower than baseline at 30 min for the control (d = â€’0.71) and at 60 min for the JFJ group (d = â€’0.60). For control, cortisol increased to higher than the baseline at 30 and 60 min (d = 0.54 and d = 0.76, respectively). For the JFJ group, the cortisol levels were significantly higher than the baseline at 30 min (P = 0.022). Performance during sprints was higher in the JFJ group than in the control (P = 0.002). In the control group, performance was with both IL-6 (semipartial correlation; sr = -0.59, large effect size) and cortisol at 0 h (sr = -0.52, large effect size). CONCLUSIONS: JFJ intake attenuated the antiinflammatory response to HIIE, possibly resulting from a lower degree of muscle stress.

Relationships between high comorbidity index and nutritional parameters in patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and comorbidities can exert an influence on nutritional status and contribute to mortality. The aim of the present study was to examine relationships between high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores and OD outcomes, including OD severity, feeding route, nutritional status and one-year mortality rate in adults and elderly individuals. METHODS: A longitudinal study, whose the final sample comprised 110 patients with OD and 75 of whom were evaluated for one-year mortality outcome. Swallowing (videofluoroscopy), nutritional status [body mass index (BMI)], CCI, type of feeding route, medications and hospitalization were evaluated. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to calculate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: Overall sample of the study were adults and elders with a median age (years) of 61.3 [interquartile range (IQR): 58.4-64.2]. The median CCI was 2.3 (IQR: 2.1-2.6) and the mortality rate was 10.8%. Hospitalization was significantly associated with underweight (p = 0.013) and number of medications (p = 0.023). After adjustment, sex/age and nº-Medications/Hospitalization (nº-M/H), CCI ≥3 was associated with nasogastric tube feeding (OR 4.57, 95%CI 1.59-13.1 and OR 3.39, 95%CI 1.21-9.51 respectively) and swallowing performance (OR 0.73, 95%CI 0.59-0.90 and OR 0.74, 95%CI 0.61-0.90 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A high CCI was associated with OD severity and feeding route, but not with nutritional status or mortality.

The relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration with clinical variables in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The relationship between vitamin D and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration in patients with OD and to verify its association to nutritional status, functional independence measure (FIM), time of clinical signs (TCS) and OD severity. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with outpatients. Body mass index (BMI), FIM, TCS, causes of OD, comorbidities, penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) and severity scale were evaluated. METHODS: A multiple linear regression and effect size were performed to evaluate the association between serum 25(OH)D concentration and independent variables. RESULTS: Forty-eight participants were included, with a mean age of 60.1 ± 15.3 years. The mean of the 25(OH)D concentration was 26.10 ± 12.0 ng/mL. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (<30 ng/mL) was 73%. In the multiple linear regression analysis (adjusted for sex, age, BMI, dietary intake and solar radiation), 25(OH)D concentration was significantly related with the TCS (p = 0.01, f2 = 0.48). Patients with hypovitaminosis D had a moderate effect (p = 0.08, δ = 0.36) for a lower FIM score. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that serum 25(OH)D concentration may be related to the TCS and the functional capacity of patients with OD.

Consumption of green tea favorably affects oxidative stress markers in weight-trained men.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of the consumption of green tea (GT) for 7 d on biomarkers of oxidative stress in young men undergoing resistance exercise. METHODS: Fourteen subjects performed a bench press exercise (four sets, 10 to 4 repetitions) after undergoing a period without (control group) or with the intake of GT (GT group; 2 g of leaves in 200 mL of water, three times per day). Blood samples were obtained before and after exercise and analyzed for total antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing ability of plasma [FRAP]), total polyphenols, reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid hydroperoxide (LH) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), xanthine oxidase (XO), hypoxanthine, and uric acid (UA). RESULTS: In the control group, exercise did not affect the values of LH, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, and FRAP, although it did reduce the levels of GSH (P < 0.05). In addition, exercise increased CK, AST, and XO activities, although it did not change the values for hypoxanthine or UA. Green tea reduced the postexercise concentration of LH and increased the values of total polyphenols, GSH, and FRAP. GT also inhibited a significant rise in CK and XO activities induced by exercise. Furthermore, GT decreased the AST activity and hypoxanthine and UA concentrations before and after exercise. The assessment of food consumption revealed that the participants had an unbalanced diet, particularly in relation to vitamin E and carotenoids. CONCLUSION: Consumption of GT, a beverage rich in polyphenols, may offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by exercise, and dietary guidance for sports participants should be emphasized.