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The Role of Nutrition in Applied Physiology

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 November 2024 | Viewed by 4693

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: racket sports; circadian rhythms; sports nutrition; injury risk factors; intermittent sports

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue integrates the disciplines of nutrition and physiology and explores the important role that both disciplines contribute to understanding factors that enhance health and sports performance.

Growing evidence supports the important role of nutrition in health and performance. This Special Issue is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of sports performance, metabolic recovery, immune function, and physiology processes. 

For the present Special Issue, The Role of Nutrition in Applied Physiology, we welcome original articles, narratives and systematic reviews.

Dr. Álvaro López Samanes
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sports physiology
  • exercise physiology
  • applied physiology
  • nutrition
  • diet
  • nutrition
  • sport performance
  • health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 971 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Sports Supplement Consumption of Elite Referees of the Spanish Professional Fotball League
by Antonio Jesús Sánchez-Oliver, Víctor Moreno-Pérez, Pablo Terrón-Manrique, Vicente Fernández-Ruiz, Iñaki Quintana-Milla, Javier Sánchez-Sánchez, Guillermo Rodríguez, Juan José Ramos-Álvarez, Raúl Domínguez and Álvaro López-Samanes
Nutrients 2024, 16(15), 2486; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16152486 - 31 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Background: Sports supplements (SSs) are widely used among team sport athletes; however, evidence supporting the use of SSs among football referees at the elite level is scarce. The aim of the present study was to analyze the consumption of SSs among referees with [...] Read more.
Background: Sports supplements (SSs) are widely used among team sport athletes; however, evidence supporting the use of SSs among football referees at the elite level is scarce. The aim of the present study was to analyze the consumption of SSs among referees with respect to their level of competition and referee type (main referees (MRs) vs. assistant referees (ARs)). Methods: A total of 106 football referees participated in this study, with 46.2% from the First Spanish Division and 53.8% from the Second Spanish Division, representing 84.13% of the total number of referees. Each participant completed a validated questionnaire about SS consumption, with the SSs classified according to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) ABCD system: Group A has strong evidence for enhancing athlete health and performance, Group B shows potential benefits but needs more evidence, Group C has inconclusive evidence against use, and Group D includes prohibited substances. Results: A total of 84.0% of the MRs and ARs reported the consumption of at least one SS. Differences were found only in the consumption of medical supplements between division (p = 0.016) and type of referee (p = 0.041), though no significant differences were found among the remaining AIS SS categories (p > 0.05). Sport performance (49.6%), Internet (41.0%), and dietitian–nutritionists (31.7%) were the primary reason for SS consumption, purchase location, and source of information, respectively. The most frequently consumed SS were whey protein (45.3%), followed by creatine (33.0%), sport bars and sports drinks (28.3%), and caffeine (19.8%). Conclusions: MRs and ARs reported a high prevalence of dietary supplement (SS) consumption, with significant differences between division and referee type observed only in medical supplement consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Applied Physiology)
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13 pages, 1731 KiB  
Article
Influence of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Level of Physical Activity with Liver Steatosis in People Aged > 50 Years and with a BMI > 25 kg/m2: Association with Biochemical Markers
by Laura Cano-Lallave, Jaime Ruiz-Tovar, Lucia Martin-de-Bernardo, Malena Martinez-Oribe, Cristina Rodriguez-Obispo, Sara Carrascosa-Corrochano, Ana Martín-Nieto, Isabel Baeza, Marta Gonzalez-Ramos, Marta Benito and Isabel Olazabal
Nutrients 2024, 16(13), 1996; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16131996 - 23 Jun 2024
Viewed by 918
Abstract
Background: The main objective of this study is to determine the accuracy of different biochemical markers of hepatic steatosis and to correlate liver steatosis with adherence to the Mediterranean diet and level of physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, including [...] Read more.
Background: The main objective of this study is to determine the accuracy of different biochemical markers of hepatic steatosis and to correlate liver steatosis with adherence to the Mediterranean diet and level of physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, including subjects over 50 years of age, with a BMI > 25 kg/m2, but excluding any patient with documented hepatic pathology other than hepatic steatosis. Participants were divided into two groups: patients with hepatic steatosis diagnosed by ultrasound (SG) and a control group of individuals without hepatic steatosis (CG). The level of physical activity was recorded by the IPAQ-SF questionnaire and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was recorded using the PREDIMED questionnaire. Biochemical markers analyzed included the Hepatic steatosis index (HSI), AST-to-Platelet ratio (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4). Results: A total of 116 patients were included, 71 belonging to the SG and 45 to the CG. A total of 58.6% of the patients showed low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, 35.4% moderate adherence and 6% high adherence. The median estimated physical activity was 495 METS, with most participants reporting light activity. In the SG, significantly higher HSI values were observed (p < 0.001). A cut-off point of a HSI of 40 was established, with a sensitivity of 73.2% and a specificity of 65.8%. Significantly higher FIB-4 values (p = 0.039) were also observed in the SG. A cut-off point of FIB-4 was set at 0.27, with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 57.9%. Patients in the SG showed lower scores in the PREDIMED. Patients in the SG tended to show lower METS scores. However, the higher number of patients with intense activity in the CG group stands out (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The HSI and FIB-4 showed a significant correlation with liver steatosis. Hepatic steatosis is associated with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and patients with hepatic steatosis tended to have lower METS scores. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Applied Physiology)
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11 pages, 2408 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Six-Gram D-Aspartic Acid Supplementation on the Testosterone, Cortisol, and Hematological Responses of Male Boxers Subjected to 11 Days of Nocturnal Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia
by Kamila Płoszczyca, Miłosz Czuba, Agnieszka Zakrzeska and Robert Gajda
Nutrients 2024, 16(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010076 - 25 Dec 2023
Viewed by 2622
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of D-aspartic acid (DAA) supplementation during a simulated altitude protocol on the hormonal and hematological responses in athletes. We hypothesized that DAA supplementation would contribute to an increase in the luteinizing hormone (LH), [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of D-aspartic acid (DAA) supplementation during a simulated altitude protocol on the hormonal and hematological responses in athletes. We hypothesized that DAA supplementation would contribute to an increase in the luteinizing hormone (LH), free, and testosterone and a greater increase in hematological variables. Sixteen male boxers participated; they were randomly assigned to an experimental group (DAA) or a control group (C) and underwent 14 days of supplementation, 6 g/day of DAA. Both DAA and C participants were exposed to normobaric hypoxia (FiO2 = 15.5%; 2500 m) for 10–12 h a day over a period of 11 days. The results showed that DAA had no significant effect on resting, LH, or the testosterone/cortisol ratio during the training camp. Hypoxic exposure significantly (p < 0.05) increased red blood cell and reticulocyte counts as well as hemoglobin and hematocrit concentrations in both groups, but DAA had no significant effect on these changes. In conclusion, we found that DAA supplementation at a dose of 6 g/day for 14 days does not affect the testosterone, cortisol, or hematological responses of athletes during. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Applied Physiology)
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