Sareena Hanim Binti Hamzah

Slimming and Appetite-Suppressing Effects of Caraway Aqueous Extract as a Natural Therapy in Physically Active Women

Following the current ‘Globesity’ trend, there is an increasing demand for alternative natural therapies for weight management. Numerous phytoconstituents reduce body weight through suppressing appetite and reducing food intake. Caraway (Carum carvi L.) is one of the medicinal plants that is traditionally used for weight loss. In this study, the appetite‐suppressing effects of caraway aqueous extract (CAE) on 70 aerobically trained, overweight, and obese women were examined in a triple‐blind, placebo‐controlled, clinical study. Subjects were randomly allocated into placebo and experimental groups and consumed either 30 mL/day of CAE or placebo without changing their diet or physical activity over a period of 90 days. Calorie and macronutrient intake and anthropometric indices were measured before and after the intervention. In addition, appetite changes were assessed through a visual analog scale and an ad libitum pizza test. After the intervention, the results showed a significant reduction in appetite levels and carbohydrate intake of the experimental group compared with the placebo group. All of the anthropometric indices were reduced significantly in CAE compared with placebo group (p < 0.01). These preliminary outcomes suggest that a dietary CAE might be effective in weight management of physically active, adult females, reducing their body size and hunger level. Copyright

Effect of quantity and quality of pre-exercise carbohydrate meals on central fatigue

Both the quantity and quality of pre-exercise carbohydrate (CHO) meals have been shown to improve endurance performance. However, their role in attenuating central fatigue (CF) is inconclusive. The use of neurophysiological techniques, such as voluntary activation (VA) and the central activation ratio (CAR), alongside maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and sustained MVC (sMVC) can provide information on CF. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of isocaloric pre-exercise meals: 1) a high versus low quantity of CHO and 2) a high quantity of CHO with a high versus low glycemic index (GI) on MVC, VA, and CAR following a 90-min run. The high and low quantity of CHO was 1.5 and 0.8 g/kg body wt, respectively, and high and low GI was ~75 and ~40, respectively. Blood insulin, serotonin, tryptophan, and gaseous exchange were also measured. High CHO preserved sMVC, VA, CAR, and serotonin postrunning with greater CHO oxidation and insulin response, whereas in low CHO, greater reductions in sMVC, VA, and CAR were accompanied by higher serotonin and fat oxidation with lower insulin response. These observations indicate central involvements. Meanwhile, high GI CHO better preserved force (sMVC), CAR, and tryptophan with greater CHO oxidation and insulin response compared with low GI. The findings of this study suggest that pre-exercise meals with varying quantity and quality of CHO can have an effect on CF, where greater CHO oxidation and insulin response found in both high CHO and high GI lead to attenuation of CF. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This paper examined the effects of carbohydrate interventions (high and low: quantity and quality wise) on central activity during prolonged exercise using mainly neurophysiological techniques along with gaseous exchange and blood insulin, serotonin, and tryptophan data.

Diet and Bone Status in Eumenorrheic Female Athletes

Various risk factors for low bone mass density (BMD) have been reported, such as diet restriction, unbalance body composition and menstrual irregularities. This is apparent in female athletes who have a tendency to seek for a low body weight by adopting chronic energy deficits (low calories intake or malnutrition) practices. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between energy intake, nutrient consumption amount, energy availability, body weight with BMD status. Eighty-five moderately trained female athletes aged 18–29 years took part in this study. Body fat percentage and BMD were measured using the Tanita Weighing Scale and 200-CM Furuno Ultrasound bone densitometer, respectively. Data on physical activity, menstrual cycle status, and eating attitude were obtained using questionnaires. Dietary variables were assessed from a prospective combination of 24-hour diet recall and 3-day food diary of macronutrients and micronutrients. Results showed that more than half (53%) of the female athletes have low BMD, with z-scores ranging between -2.00 and -0.03 (below the normal range). The mean (SD) of energy intake of female athletes was 1291 (304) kcal/day which is below than recommended nutrient intake (RNI). Similarly minerals (Calcium and Phosphorus) intake did not achieve the RNI. Low energy intake was significantly (p≤0.05) correlated with low eating attitude score (EAT-26). Pearson Correlation also showed that low BMD was significantly associated with low body weight. The common factors of low BMD among eumenorrheic athletes are an insufficient intake of energy intake and bone building nutrients (Calcium, Vitamins D, Vitamin C and Zinc). Higher BMD could be achieved through actively encouraging high-risk group of athletes to focus on good dieting practice.

Effect of Eurycoma Longifolia Jack Extract on Lipolysis in Collegiate Athletes: Pilot study

Studies have shown that usage of EL could promote lipid lowering and improvement in muscle strength. In view of that, lipid mobilization and utilizations would be the main mechanisms involved. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether acute consumption of Eurycoma longifolia Jack extract would influence lipolysis among athletes. Ten male athletes were randomly assigned either to Eurycoma longifolia Jack group (EL, n = 5) or placebo group (PG, n = 5). Athletes from both groups ingested 1.7 mg/kg of body weight of either EL or PG for three days prior to the treadmill exercise test (65% of VO2max) for an hour. Plasma free fatty acid (FFA), glycerol and triglycerides (TG) levels were measured at pre-exercise and post-exercise on days 0 and 3. Plasma FFA in EL group was significantly lower than that in PG after 3 days (p < 0.05), and plasma glycerol level was significantly increased in EL compared to PG (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that EL supplementation could promote fat lipolysis, resulting towards better energy yield. Therefore, EL can be considered as an ergogenic aid to improve performances and to boost energy production.

Effect of High and Low Carbohydrate Meals on Sustained Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) after Prolonged Exercise

Fatigue is a natural physiological phenomenon where the body’s capability to do work is reduced, and in general carbohydrate (CHO) depletion has been attributed to the aetiology of this condition. However, its composition in iso-caloric meals has never been investigated on capacity of sustained force production following a prolonged exercise. Aim: To investigate the effects of high and low CHO meals on sustained maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) capability after a 90-minute run. Methods: Ten (n=10) moderately trained runners (age: 25±3.7 years, and VO2max: 51.42±4.78 ml/min/kg) were prescribed, in a cross-over, randomised, and double blind design, either one of these iso-caloric meals: high CHO meal (1.5 g/kg body weight), or a low CHO meal (0.8 g/kg body weight) prior to the 90-minute run at 65% of VO2max. A 90-second sustained MVC was measured before and after the run (represented at 30, 60, and 90 seconds respectively). Results: MVC dropped significantly (p<0.01) after the prolonged running exercise in both groups. The difference in the sustained MVC was significant between the two groups at all time points (p<0.01). Conclusion: While both groups completed the 90-minute running task successfully, the high CHO meal allowed a higher sustained force production (MVC) post-exercise, suggesting physiological changes that allows better neuromuscular functions. Theoretically, several factors could be attributed to this phenomenon, such as preservation of fuel source, and/or alteration of brain neurotransmitter concentrations that affect neural drive.

Acute increase in either simple sugars or complex carbohydrates: negative impact on plasma lipids of individuals with desirable plasma lipids

Eleven healthy endurance-trained males took part in Cr/Gly/Glu supplementation study (age, 31 ± 10·5 y; BMI, 23 ± 1·8 kg/m 2 ; VO2 max, 61 ± 3·9 mL/kg/min) and seventeen healthy active individuals (age, 25 ± 4 y; BMI, 21 ± 2 kg/m 2 ;V O2 max, 57 ± 6 mL/ kg/min) in the dietary intervention study. Participants of the supplementation study consumed a Cr/Gly/Glu solution (11· 4g of Cr-H2O, 1 g of Gly/kg BM and 150 g of Glu) for 7 days. Participants of the dietary intervention for 7 days were on a prescribed high CHO diet, the energy content of which was based on habitual energy requirements. In both studies, fasting blood samples were collected before and after interventions. Proportion of energy provided by CHO was significantly increased during both Cr/Gly/Glu supplementation (Pre, 53 ± 4 %; Post, 68 ± 2 %, P<0·05) and dietary intervention (Pre, 53 ± 2 %; Post, 70 ± 1 %, P<0·05) and proportion of energy obtained from fat was reciprocally reduced. Fasting concentration of TAG before and after high CHO diet and before and after supplementation with Cr/Gly/Glu are shown in the table below.