Tácito Pessoa de Souza Junior

Relação da circunferência do pescoço com a força muscular relativa e os fatores de risco cardiovascular em mulheres sedentárias

OBJECTIVE To verify the relation of neck circumference and relative muscle strength and cardiovascular risk factors in sedentary women. METHODS A cross-sectional study with 60 premenopausal women (33.9±9.1 years; 67.4±13.6kg; 1.57±0.6cm and 27.2±5.3kg/m²). Based on the neck circumference, the sample was divided into two groups: Group Circumference <35cm (n=27) and Group Circumference >35cm (n=33) to compare relative muscle strength and cardiovascular risk factors. The correlation between variables was tested by Pearson and Spearman correlations, with a significance level established at p<0.05. RESULTS The findings revealed that women with neck circumference >35cm presented higher values of body mass, waist circumference, body adiposity index, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and volume of visceral fat when compared with the group with neck circumference <35cm. Additionally, the group with larger neck circumference presented lower values of relative strength. CONCLUSION Neck circumference seems to be an important predictive factor of cardiovascular risk and of relative strength loss in middle-aged sedentary women.

Track and Field School Athletes in the Brazilian National School Games: Characterization of Nutritional Aspects, Anthropometric Profile, Sport Training and Performance

This article focuses on the relationship between anthropometric profile, dietary practices, sport training, and sports performance of school- athletes (15-17 years old) from athletics, participating in the national stage of the Brazilian School Games (JEBs) in the year 2013. This study is justified not only by the importance of these aspects in the preparation of sports but also for a role in the determination of income contribution. Still, the article through empirical data will complement the few data in the literature about the nutritional status of school athletes, mainly in athletics. The goal was to characterize the anthropometric profile, nutritional aspects and sport training practices (type, frequency and duration) of 50 Brazilian school-athletes (23 ♂ and ♀ 27) practitioners of athletics, and correlate this information to sports performance of these athletes on the national stage of the Brazilian School Games 2013, in the 15 to 17 years old category. As a method, we utilized a nutritional survey and a questionnaire to obtain data about sport training, which was collected through anthropometric measurements and analysed through the performance of these athletes through the competition results. Among the results, the following stand out: low fat percentage for boys and girls with stature and BMI predominantly normal, but with classification of overweight and obesity among female participants on field trials; calorie intake below the recommended but with macronutrient intake inadequate in proteins and carbohydrates; 28% used dietary supplements and 10% used drugs due to pain and anaemia; as for sports performance a large part of the sample qualified (25.5%) and some participated in the Final (42.5%) and took the podium (6.4%), even under these conditions. Among those who earned a place at the podium there was predominance for those who were born in the first half of the year.

ASSOCIAÇÃO DO PERFIL GLICÊMICO COM ESTADO NUTRICIONAL E PRESSÃO ARTERIAL SISTÊMICA DE ADOLESCENTES

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are related to changes in blood glucose and blood pressure. However, this association has not been well established in adolescents. Objective: Investigate the association of nutritional status, blood pressure, and glycemic profile of adolescents. Patients and Methods: This is a pediatric cross-sectional study carried out in the city of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. Study sample was composed of 391 adolescents. Nutritional status was diagnosed using weight and height to calculated body mass index. The adolescents with a percentile > 85 were considered overweight and those with the percentile > 95 were considered obese. Blood pressure was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer in a single moment. The cutoff point for hypertension was systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic ≥ 95th percentile. Fasting glycemia was measured using a glucose meter. It was considered altered when values were greater than 100 mg/dL. Results: The prevalence of abnormal glucose was 29.7% for boys and 32.4% for the girls. There was a strong association (OR = 4.2; 95% CI 1.37, 12.86) between altered glycemia and systolic blood pressure in male students. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring these risk factors in young Brazilians, as well as interventions to encourage physically active behavior and a healthier diet.