Nutritional supplements improve cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese patients: A Bayesian network meta-analysis

Effects of Different Dietary Supplements on Swimming Performance: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Nutritional supplements are widely used by swimmers, but the effectiveness of various supplements and the identification of the most effective intervention require further investigation.

PURPOSE

This paper evaluated and compared the effectiveness of various nutrition-based interventions on swimming performance through both direct and indirect comparisons.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus databases were thoroughly searched up to 4 April 2024. The risk of bias was judged using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random-effect model was adopted to compute standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

L-arginine (Arg) demonstrated superior performance to the placebo (SMD = -1.66, 95% CI [-2.92, -0.44]), emerging as the most effective intervention for reducing 100 swimming time (SUCRA = 89.5%). Beta-alanine (BA) was the best intervention for improving blood lactate (SUCRA = 80%). Creatine combined with sodium bicarbonate (Creatine_NaHCO3) significantly increased blood pH compared to the placebo (SMD = 3.79, 95% CI [1.85, 5.80]), with a SUCRA score of 99.9%, suggesting it is the most effective intervention for this parameter. No prominent differences were noted among the interventions in 50 m time, 200 m time, heart rate, and body mass.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary supplements might provide benefits for improving swimming performance. Arg emerged as the most efficacious modality for reducing 100 m time. BA proved to be the preeminent strategy for decreasing blood lactate. Creatine_NaHCO3 was distinguished as the optimal approach for improving blood pH.

Targeting the Gut Microbiome to Treat Cardiometabolic Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiometabolic diseases, which include obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, constitute a worldwide health crisis of unparalleled proportions. The human gut microbiota has emerged as a prominent topic of inquiry in the search for novel treatment techniques. This review summarizes current research on the potential of addressing the gut microbiota to treat cardiometabolic disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have highlighted a complex link between the gut microbiota and host physiology, shedding light on the several processes through which gut microorganisms impact metabolic health, inflammation, and cardiovascular function. Furthermore, a growing corpus of research is available on microbiome-based therapies such as dietary interventions, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. These therapies show promise as methods for reshaping the gut microbiota and, as a result, improving cardiometabolic outcomes. However, hurdles remain, ranging from the intricacies of microbiome research to the necessity for tailored treatments that take individual microbial variations into consideration, emphasizing the significance of furthering research to bridge the gap between microbiome science and clinical practice. The gut microbiome is a beacon of hope for improving the management of cardiometabolic disease in the age of precision medicine, since its association with their pathophysiology is constantly being unraveled and strengthened. Available studies point to the potential of gut microbiome-based therapeutics, which remains to be tested in appropriately designed clinical trials. Further preclinical research is, however, essential to provide answers to the existing obstacles, with the ultimate goal of enhancing patient care.