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Nutrition and Energy Expenditure with Physical Activity or Physical Performance

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Dr. Ifigenia Giannopoulou

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Senior Lecturer in Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Brighton Hillbrow, Denton Road, Eastbourne BN20 7SR, UK
Interests: mindful eating and mental health in young adults; eating disorders in athletes; exercise and diet effects on mental health; lifestyle interventions of diet and exercise in peri- and postmenopausal women and older adults; obesity; type 2 diabetes
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Dear Colleagues,

Energy balance and its ensuing effects have a pivotal role in physical and mental health, Exercise capacity and recreational and competitive sports performance have been well documented in the literature in relation to energy balance. The nutritional status of a person and/or an athlete in conjunction with their level of energy expenditure from daily activities and primarily exercise training can determine a person’s health and adaptations to exercise. Despite the abundant scientific evidence in the research literature on the importance of energy balance and nutritional statuses on exercise capacity and training, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of dysregulated energy expenditure on physical activity and sports performance is still lacking. On the one hand, chronic imbalances of positive energy intake and lowered energy expenditure in the general population are known to lead to excess fat storage, obesity and limitations in exercise participation and adherence. On the other hand, a long-term negative energy balance via extreme energy expenditure and limited energy intake in competitive athletes can accentuate the physical and mental challenges that athletes experience, and adversely affect immunity, health status and wellbeing.

Dr. Ifigenia Giannopoulou
Guest Editor

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15 pages, 2288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sum of Skinfold-Corrected Girths Correlates with Resting Energy Expenditure: Development of the NRG_CO Equation

by Diego A. Restrepo-Botero, Camilo A. Rincón-Yepes, Katherine Franco-Hoyos, Alejandra Agudelo-Martínez, Luis A. Cardozo, Leidy T. Duque-Zuluaga, Jorge M. Vélez-Gutiérrez, Andrés Rojas-Jaramillo, Jorge L. Petro, Richard B. Kreider, Roberto Cannataro and Diego A. Bonilla

Nutrients 2024, 16(18), 3121; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183121 - 15 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1934

Abstract

Our study aimed to validate existing equations and develop the new NRG_CO equation to estimate resting energy expenditure (REE) in the Colombian population with moderate-to-high physical activity levels. Upon satisfying the inclusion criteria, a total of 86 (43F, 43M) healthy adults (mean [SD]: 27.5 [7.7] years; 67.0 [13.8] kg) were evaluated for anthropometric variables and REE by indirect calorimetry using wearable gas analyzers (COSMED K4 and K5). Significant positive correlations with REE were found for body mass (r = 0.65), body mass-to-waist (r = 0.58), arm flexed and tensed girth (r = 0.66), corrected thigh girth (r = 0.56), corrected calf girth (r = 0.61), and sum of breadths (∑3D, r = 0.59). As a novelty, this is the first time a significant correlation between REE and the sum of corrected girths (∑3CG, r = 0.63) is reported. Although existing equations such as Harris–Benedict (r = 0.63), Mifflin–St. Jeor (r = 0.67), and WHO (r = 0.64) showed moderate-to-high correlations with REE, the Bland-Altman analysis revealed significant bias (p < 0.05), indicating that these equations may not be valid for the Colombian population. Thus, participants were randomly distributed into either the equation development group (EDG, n = 71) or the validation group (VG, n = 15). A new model was created using body mass, sum of skinfolds (∑8S), corrected thigh, corrected calf, and age as predictors (r = 0.755, R² = 0.570, RMSE = 268.41 kcal). The new NRG_CO equation to estimate REE (kcal) is: 386.256 + (24.309 × BM) − (2.402 × ∑8S) − (21.346 × Corrected Thigh) + (38.629 × Corrected Calf) − (7.417 × Age). Additionally, a simpler model was identified through Bayesian analysis, including only body mass and ∑8S (r = 0.724, R² = 0.525, RMSE = 282.16 kcal). Although external validation is needed, our validation resulted in a moderate correlation and concordance (bias = 91.5 kcal) between measured and estimated REE values using the new NRG_CO equation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Energy Expenditure with Physical Activity or Physical Performance)

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12 pages, 1289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Low Energy Availability (LEA) and Impaired Sleep Quality in Young Rugby Players

by Oussama Saidi, Maher Souabni, Giovanna C. Del Sordo, Clément Maviel, Paul Peyrel, Freddy Maso, Fabrice Vercruyssen and Pascale Duché

Nutrients 2024, 16(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050609 - 23 Feb 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2219

Abstract

Low energy availability (LEA) has been associated with several physiological consequences, but its impact on sleep has not been sufficiently investigated, especially in the context of young athletes. This study examined the potential association between energy availability (EA) status and objective sleep quality in 42 male rugby players (mean age: 16.2 ± 0.8 years) during a 7-day follow-up with fixed sleep schedules in the midst of an intensive training phase. Participants’ energy intake was weighed and recorded. Exercise expenditure was estimated using accelerometry. Portable polysomnography devices captured sleep on the last night of the follow-up. Mean EA was 29.3 ± 9.14 kcal·kg FFM⁻¹·day⁻¹, with 47.6% of athletes presenting LEA, 35.7% Reduced Energy Availability (REA), and 16.7% Optimal Energy Availability (OEA). Lower sleep efficiency (SE) and N3 stage proportion, along with higher wake after sleep onset (WASO), were found in participants with LEA compared to those with OEA (p = 0.04, p = 0.03 and p = 0.005, respectively, with large effect sizes). Segmented regression models of the EA-sleep outcomes (SE, sleep onset latency [SOL]), WASO and N3) relationships displayed two separate linear regions and produced a best fit with a breakpoint between 21–33 kcal·kg FFM⁻¹·day⁻¹. Below these thresholds, sleep quality declines considerably. It is imperative for athletic administrators, nutritionists, and coaches to conscientiously consider the potential impact of LEA on young athletes’ sleep, especially during periods of heavy training. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Energy Expenditure with Physical Activity or Physical Performance)

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