Maysa Vieira de Sousa

Short-term nutritional counseling reduces body mass index, waist circumference, triceps skinfold and triglycerides in women with metabolic syndrome

BackgroundIt is recognized that the growing epidemic of metabolic syndrome is related to dietary and lifestyle changes.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate short-term application of nutritional counseling in women with metabolic syndrome.MethodsThis follow-up study was conducted from September to November 2008 with thirty three women ≥35 years old screened clinically for nutritional counseling. Dietary intake was reported, and biochemical and body composition measures were taken at baseline and after three months of follow-up.ResultsOf the 33 women evaluated, 29 patients completed the study. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity was high at 38%, 72.4%, 55.2%, and 75.8%, respectively. At the end of three-months of follow-up, a significant decline in body mass index, waist circumference, triceps skinfold, and triglycerides was observed, as was an increase in calcium and vitamin D intake. The multiple regression analysis showed that changes in body mass index, triceps skinfold, waist circumference and triglyceride levels after nutritional intervention were positively associated with changes in anthropometric (loss of body weight) and biochemical (decrease of TG/HDL-c ratio) parameters. Moreover, waist circumference changes were negatively associated with changes in calcium and vitamin D intake.ConclusionShort-term nutritional counseling improved some factors of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, the increases in calcium and vitamin D consumption can be associated with the improvement in markers of metabolic syndrome.

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.

Combination of recreational soccer and caloric restricted diet reduces markers of protein catabolism and cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes

BackgroundModerate calorie-restricted diets and exercise training prevent loss of lean mass and cardiovascular risk. Because adherence to routine exercise recommendation is generally poor, we utilized recreational soccer training as a novel therapeutic exercise intervention in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.ObjectiveWe compared the effects of acute and chronic soccer training plus calorie-restricted diet on protein catabolism and cardiovascular risk markers in T2D.Design, setting and subjectsFifty-one T2D patients (61.1±6.4 years, 29 females: 22 males) were randomly allocated to the soccer+diet-group (SDG) or to the dietgroup (DG). The 40-min soccer sessions were held 3 times per week for 12 weeks.ResultsNineteen participants attended 100% of scheduled soccer sessions, and none suffered any injuries. The SDG group showed higher levels of growth hormone (GH), free fatty acids and ammonia compared with DG. After 12 weeks, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFPB)-3 and glucose levels were lower in SDG, whereas insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1/ IGFBP-3 ratio increased in both groups. After the last training session, an increase in IGF-1/IGFBP-3 and attenuation in ammonia levels were suggestive of lower muscle protein catabolism.ConclusionsRecreational soccer training was popular and safe, and was associated with decreased plasma glucose and IGFBP-3 levels, decreased ammoniagenesis, and increased lipolytic activity and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, all indicative of attenuated catabolism.

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.

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.

Recreational team sports: The motivational medicine

Remember way back when? When we were kids? We played games like soccer, basketball, rugby, and volleyball because they were fun. If we stayed with it long enough (and became good enough) we might have played competitively, where the objective was to win. Herman Edwards, a former head coach in the National Football League (NFL), has become well known for answering a reporter’s question with an emphatic, “You play TO WIN THE GAME.” Sure, the game was still fun, but enjoyment took a back seat to outcome. Eventually, most of us stopped playing for any number of reasons—we retired. But don’t you still miss the youthful joy of playing your game? The pure fun? Maybe you have found some other people feeling a similar loss and you have started just messing around again. What you may have discovered (or re-discovered) is just how much fun you have playing the game. And you look forward to playing a couple times a week. You justify playing as a break, a release from the stress of daily life. We have some exceptional news. News that is so good that you will want to share it. Share the good news with friends who bemoan the repetitive boredom associated with traditional aerobic exercises like jogging, cycling, swimming, or walking. The good news is this: Team games are more than an activity reserved for the young. Team sports are still genuinely fun. And the most important benefit is that participation in recreational (“spontaneous” or “pick-up”) team sports is good for you. Sure, jogging improves your aerobic fitness. But so do team sports. And the neat thing about team sports as an acceptable mode for fitness development is that team sports improve far more than just endurance. The type of running and movement inherent in team sports means that almost all aspects of fitness are improved, not only endurance but also the fitness factors needed to support intermittent exercise performance and musculoskeletal fitness. There is a considerable body of published knowledge supporting the health and fitness benefits associated with recreational participation in team sports. The first published research reports on the effects on the cardiovascular system of spontaneous playing of team sports included one that examined high-school students playing 5-aside soccer in a school gym and a second that examined untrained young men with little prior experience with soccer. With the help of state-of-the-art technology, it was

Comparative effects of a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor and of NPH insulin on peripheral nerve conduction of patients with type 2 diabetes

Background Studies in animals have suggested that the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone (GLP-1) has neurotrophic properties that were independent of those related to the improvement of glucose control. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors increase GLP-1 levels and are effective in improving metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) but little is known about its effects on neurological disorders, including peripheral diabetic neuropathy.