Eirini Manthou

Effects of acute exercise on liver function and blood redox status in heavy drinkers

Excessive alcohol consumption can induce oxidative stress, resulting in the development of several diseases. Exercise has been reported to prevent and/or improve a number of health issues through several mechanisms, including an improvement in redox status. It has also been previously suggested that exercise can help individuals with alcohol use disorders reduce their alcohol intake; however, research in this field is limited. The aim of the present study was to investigage the effects of acute exercise of moderate intensity on the liver function and blood redox status in heavy drinkers. For this purpose, a total of 17 heavy drinkers [age, 31.6±3.2 years; body mass index (BMI), 27.4±0.8 kg/m2; experimental group (EG)] and 17 controls [age, 33.5±1.3 years; BMI, 26.1±1.4 kg/m2; control group (CG), who did not exceed moderate alcohol consumption], underwent one trial of acute exercise of moderate intensity (50–60% of the heart rate reserve) for 30 min on a cycle ergometer, following an overnight fast, and abstaining from smoking and alcohol consumption. Blood samples were obtained before and immediately after exercise for later determination of the indices of liver function and blood redox status. The subjects in the EG had significantly higher (p<0.05) baseline γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) levels compared to the subjects in the CG. Exercise thus resulted in significantly higher γ-GT levels (p<0.005) only in the EG. No significant differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) baseline levels were observed between the 2 groups. Following exercise, the AST levels increased significantly (p<0.001) in both groups, whereas the ALT levels increased significantly (p<0.01) only in the EG. The baseline glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly lower (p<0.05) and remained low following exercise in the EG. In addition, we observed a trend for higher (p=0.07) baseline levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), which remained elevated post-exercise in the EG compared to the CG. Significantly increased post-exercise total antioxidant capacity (TAC; p<0.01) and uric acid (UA; p<0.05) levels were noted in the CG, whereas the TAC (p=0.06) and UA (p=0.08) levels increased and approached significance post-exercise in the EG. No significant differences in the baseline levels of total bilirubin and protein carbonyl were observed between the 2 groups, even post-exercise. Thus, the findings of the present study indicate that even though heavy drinkers may be prone to oxidative stress, their exercise-induced antioxidant response is similar to that of individuals who do not drink heavily.

Beta Endorphin and Alcohol Urge Responses in Alcoholic Patients Following an Acute Bout of Exercise

Objective: To examine the effects of low intensity exercise on beta endorphin (β-E) levels and urge for alcohol in alcoholic patients. Methods: Nine alcoholic patients (M= 41.2 + 6.7 yrs) and 9 healthy controls (M=38.2 + 10.7 yrs) exercised for 30 minutes at a low intensity (61.1 + 4.9 % of their maximum heart rate). Blood was collected prior to and immediately following exercise and was analyzed for a complete blood count (CBC), β-E and lactic acid. Furthermore, an alcohol urge questionnaire was filled by the subjects prior to and immediately following exercise. Results: Data analysis revealedthat β-E levels were significantly lower in alcoholic patients whereas exercise resulted in significant (p< .001) increases in β-E (pre: 1.57 + 0.39 pmol/L, post: 4.8 + 1.6 pmol/L) only in alcoholic patients. Lactic acid increased significantly in both groups. There was a 17% decrease in alcohol urge in alcoholic patients without however this difference being significant. No differences in the parameters assessed through the CBC were seen between the two groups whereas exercise resulted in significant increases in red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit in both groups. Conclusion: These results indicate that a bout of low intensity exercise affects the endogenous opioids in alcoholic patients.

Role of exercise in the treatment of alcohol use disorders (Review)

Excessive alcohol use can cause harmful effects on the human body, which are associated with serious health problems, and it can also lead to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). There is certain evidence that physical exercise positively affects excessive alcohol use and the associated problems by leading to reduced alcohol intake. A literature search was conducted using the databases PubMed, Medline and Web of Science. The search terms used as keywords were: Addiction, abuse, alcohol use disorders, exercise training, β-endorphin, opioids, brain, ethanol and alcohol. The current study presents the studies that reported on the use of exercise in the treatment of AUDs between 1970 and 2015. The potential psychological and physiological mechanisms that contribute to the action of exercise were also reviewed, highlighting the role of β-endorphin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in AUDs and the possible association among physical activity, the endogenous opioid system and the desire for alcohol. Only 11 studies were identified that refer to the effect of exercise on alcohol consumption and/or the associated outcomes. Six of those studies concluded that exercise may have a positive impact towards alcohol consumption, abstinence rates or the urge to drink. One of those studies also indicated that a bout of exercise affects the endogenous opioids, which may be associated with the urge to drink. Another 3 studies indicated that responses to acute exercise in individuals with AUDs are different compared to those in healthy ones. Generally, despite limited research data and often contradictory results, there is certain early promising evidence for the role of exercise as an adjunctive tool in the treatment of AUDs. Physiological and biochemical parameters that would confirm that exercise is safe for individuals with AUDs should be examined in future studies.

Exercise training reduces alcohol consumption but does not affect HPA-axis activity in heavy drinkers

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that physical exercise could have potential beneficial effects in substance abusers, which are based on both physiological and psychological theories. Although a few studies have examined the effect of exercise on alcohol intake and fitness in individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), there is a gap in the literature concerning the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that could be affected by physical exercise in this population. PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to examine physiological and biochemical responses to exercise after an 8-week supervised exercise training (ET) intervention in heavy drinkers. The investigation was mainly focused on the relationship among exercise, opioids, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity and heavy alcohol drinking. METHODS Eleven (Age: 30.3±3.5yrs; Body Mass Index: 28.4±0.86kg/m2) male heavy drinkers volunteered to participated in an 8-week supervised intervention of moderate intensity exercise (50-60% of Heart Rate Reserve). All participants were exhibiting low physical activity and used to drink heavily. Before intervention, the participants were asked to record their daily alcohol intake without changing their physical activity levels for 4weeks (control condition). During the 8-week supervised ET intervention, participants were recording their daily alcohol intake and were motivated to increase gradually the duration and frequency of ET. Blood samples were collected prior to and after 4weeks of the control condition, the day before the beginning of the ET intervention, and at the end of the 4th and 8th week of ET intervention. Blood samples were analyzed for β-E, epinephrine, norepinephrine, adrenocorticotropin, cortisol, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase. Physiological and alcohol-related indices were also examined. RESULTS The 8-week supervised ET intervention resulted in reduced alcohol consumption, reduced γ-GT levels, and fitness improvement in heavy drinker. ET intervention did not significantly change the hormonal responses. CONCLUSION The results indicate that physical exercise could act as a healthy habit that can help individuals with AUDs reduce alcohol intake and improve health status; however, this is not related with changes in hormones associated with the HPA-axis.

An initial investigation of smokers’ urges to smoke and their exercise intensity preference: A mixed-methods approach

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine whether smokers preferred a “self-selected” form of physical activity (PA) in which they were allowed to determine themselves the intensity of PA or preferred a “set” form of PA in which the instructor chose the exercise intensity for them. In addition, we examined effects of ‘set” and “self-selected” intensity exercise, on urges to smoke. Participants were 20 (mean age = 27.10 ± 7.37) adults, non-physically active, heavy smokers. Four of them were also interviewed. Results demonstrated that smokers exhibited an enhanced preference for “self-selected” forms of PA as opposed to “set” forms of PA. Smoking urge was significantly lower immediately after exercise in both conditions, returned to baseline levels at 30 min post-exercise, and increased further at 60 min post-exercise. Qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and gave insight to dimensions that needs to be taken under account when we design exercise programs for smokers. The implication of the overall findings is that smoking cessation and motivation for PA participation can be increased by allowing smokers to select intensity of PA programs.

Glycemic Response of a Carbohydrate-Protein Bar with Ewe-Goat Whey

In this study we examined the glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) of a functional food product, which contains ewe-goat whey protein and carbohydrates in a 1:1 ratio. Nine healthy volunteers, (age, 23.3 ± 3.9 years; body mass index, 24.2 ± 4.1 kg·m2; body fat %, 18.6 ± 10.0) randomly consumed either a reference food or amount of the test food both with equal carbohydrate content in two visits. In each visit, seven blood samples were collected; the first sample after an overnight fast and the remaining six at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after the beginning of food consumption. Plasma glucose concentration was measured and the GI was determined by calculation of the incremental area under the curve. The GL was calculated using the equation: test food GI/100 g available carbohydrates per test food serving. The GI of the test food was found to be 5.18 ± 3.27, while the GL of one test food serving was 1.09 ± 0.68. These results indicate that the tested product can be classified as a low GI (<55) and low GL (<10) food. Given the health benefits of low glycaemic response foods and whey protein consumption, the tested food could potentially promote health beyond basic nutrition.

Effect of pomegranate juice consumption on biochemical parameters and complete blood count

Pomegranate has been used therapeutically for centuries. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of pomegranate juice (PJ) supplementation on complete blood count (CBC), glucose, blood lipids and C-reactive protein (CRP) in healthy subjects. A total of 5 males and 5 females (aged 31.8±6.6 years, weighing 66.2±12.9 kg) were randomly assigned into one of two groups and either consumed 500 ml PJ/day or no PJ for 14 days. Blood samples were obtained from participants prior to and following the experimental period. PJ consumption resulted in a significant increase in red blood cell count (P<0.05), hemoglobin levels (P<0.001) and hematocrit levels (P<0.05). Other CBC parameters, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and CRP levels did not significantly change following PJ consumption. These results indicate that PJ intake for a short period of time may result in increased erythropoiesis or decreased degradation without any significant alterations in factors associated with metabolic health and inflammation in healthy individuals.

AB1215-HPR Effects of beetroot juice supplementation n endothelial function and markers of inflammation among patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background Nitric oxide (NO) is central in the process of vasodilatation (1). Limited bioavailability of NO often associates with endothelial dysfunction, a precursor to atherogenesis (1). Such dysfunction is often observed in patients with chronic conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (2) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (3). Common therapies for this include the administration of nitrate-rich medication. However, in the general population beetroot juice supplementation has been shown to increase NO bioavailability (4). It could therefore have beneficial effects on endothelial function of these patients as well. Objectives To evaluate the effects of short-term beetroot juice supplementation on endothelial function in patients with RA and COPD. Methods A total of 28 patients, 9 with RA, 9 with COPD and 10 healthy controls participated in the study. Following consent, they were asked to report at the testing venue (Ultrasonography Laboratory, General Hospital of Trikala) early in the morning, following an overnight fast. Demographic and disease characteristics were recorded; height, weight, classical risk factor for cardiovascular disease and body composition were assessed. Endothelial function was assessed using flow mediated vasodilatation. They randomly received either beetroot (experimental leg) or blackcurrant juice (control leg), which they consumed daily for two weeks. Thereafter they were re-evaluated. Following a two-week washout period, they crossed over to the other leg of the study. Results There was no difference in pre-occlusion diameter between any of the time-points. Endothelial function was significantly improved following beetroot juice consumption for both patient groups (RA: 2.6% [0.9 – 6.2] vs 10.7% [6.2 – 11.7]; p=0.013. COPD: 3.4% [1.2 – 4.8] vs 7.8% [3.6 – 10.2]; p=0.034) while it remained relatively unaffected by blackcurrant consumption (Overall: 3.9% [0 – 5.1] vs 4.2% [2.3 – 6.1]; p=0.26).Figure 1 Conclusions A two week consumption of beetroot juice seems to be able to improve endothelial function among patients with RA and COPD. This could elicit significant health benefits. Further research to investigate the benefits of longer-term use on endothelial function and related cardiovascular health, as well as disease symptoms, and quality of life is advocated. References Moncada, S. and Higgs, E.A. The discovery of nitric oxide and its role in vascular biology. British Journal of Pharmacology 2006, 147: S193–S201. Sandoo, A. et al. Vascular function and morphology in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review. Rheumatology 2011, 50 (11): 2125–2139. Clarenbach, C.F. Determinants of endothelial function in patients with COPD. European Respiratory Journal 2013, 42 (5): 1194–1204. Clifford, T. et al. The Potential Benefits of Red Beetroot Supplementation in Health and Disease. Nutrients 2015, 7.4: 2801–2822. Disclosure of Interest None declared