Nutrient Intake and Physical Exercise Significantly Impact Physical Performance, Body Composition, Blood Lipids, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Male Rats

Membrane technologies for sports supplementation

The important developments in membrane techniques used in the dairy industrial processes to whey manufacturing are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the description of membrane processes, characterization of protein products, biological issues related to bacteriophages contamination, and modeling of the processes. This choice was dictated by the observed research works and consumer trends, who increasingly appreciate healthy food and its taste qualities.

Host Factors Affect the Gut Microbiome More Significantly than Diet Shift

The determining factors of the composition of the gut microbiome are one of the main interests in current science. In this work, we compared the effect of diet shift (DS) from heavily relying on meatatarian diets to vegetarian diets and physical exercise (EX) on the composition of the gut microbiome after 3 months. Although both DS and EX affected the composition of the gut microbiome, the patterns of alteration were different. The α-diversity analyzed by InvSimpson, Shannon, Simpson, and Evenness showed that both EX and DS affected the microbiome, causing it to become more diverse, but EX affected the gut microbiome more significantly than DS. The β-diversity analyses indicated that EX and DS modified the gut microbiome in two different directions. Co-occurrence network analysis confirmed that both EX and DS modified the gut microbiome in different directions, although EX modified the gut microbiome more significantly. Most notably, the abundance of Dialister succinatiphilus was upregulated by EX, and the abundances of Bacteroides fragilis, Phascolarctobacterium faecium, and Megasphaera elsdenii were downregulated by both EX and DS. Overall, EX modulated the composition of the gut microbiome more significantly than DS, meaning that host factors are more important in determining the gut microbiome than diets. This work also provides a new theoretical basis for why physical exercise is more health-beneficial than vegetarian diets.

The addition of exercise to a weight loss diet on inflammatory markers: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials

This systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials was performed to evaluate the effects of weight-loss diets plus exercise compared with weight-loss diets alone on inflammatory biomarkers in adults. PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science (ISI), and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2021. Overall effects were derived using a random effects model. The overall quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Twenty-nine trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed no significant difference in serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -0.004 mg/l, 95% CI: -0.140, 0.132, P = 0.954], interleukin-6 (IL-6) (WMD = -0.039 pg/ml, 95% CI: -0.233 to 0.156, P = 0.696), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (WMD = 0.405 ng/ml, 95% CI: -1.036 to 0.226, P = 0.209) after adding exercise to a weight-loss diet compared with a weight-loss diet alone. Subgroup analysis revealed that exercise plus a weight-loss diet significantly reduced TNF-α in studies greater than 16 weeks in duration (WMD = -0.742 ng/ml, 95% CI: -1.384 to -0.1, P = 0.024). This systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that exercise in addition to a weight-loss diet does not have a significant effect on further reducing inflammatory markers compared to a weight loss diet alone.

Sex-dependent effects of forced exercise in the body composition of adolescent rats

Determining the body composition during adolescence can predict diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndromes later in life; and physical activity became an effective way to restore changes in body composition. However, current available literature assessing the body composition before, during and after adolescence in female and male rodents by in vivo techniques is scarce. Thus, by using computerized tomography, we aimed to define the baseline of the weight and body composition during the adolescence and young adulthood of female and male Sprague-Dawley rats (on P30, P60 and P90) under standard diet. Then, we determined the effect of 18 days of forced exercise on the body weight and composition during the early adolescence (P27-45). The highest percentual increments in weight, body volume and relative adipose contents occurred during the female and male adolescence. Forced running during the early adolescence decreased weight, body volume and relative adipose delta and increment values in males only. The adolescence of rats is a period of drastic body composition changes, where exercise interventions have sex-dependent effects. These results support a model that could open new research windows in the field of adolescent obesity.

Optimal exercise intensity and volume to impact rats with Traditional Chinese Medicine phlegm-dampness constitution

Objective

We aim to investigate the effects of different exercise intensities and volumes on Phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC).

Methods

The rats were fed with high-fat food and lived in 75%–85% humidity for 6 weeks to establish the model of PDC. Then PDC rats were screened and intervened by varying exercise intensities for 8 weeks. Weight, constitution scores, blood and liver tissues were collected to detect the concentration of serum total cholesterol (Tch), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), homocysteine (Hcy), blood glucose (GLU), alanine transaminase (ALT) and percentage of lipid droplet area in liver tissue (PLDA).

Results

The weight, Tch, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, Hcy, GLU, and ALT of rats in moderate-intensity exercise group returned to normal. The rats with high-intensity or low-intensity exercise did not recover as well as moderate-intensity.

Conclusion

Different exercise intensities and volumes have different effects on PDC, moderate-intensity exercise over an 8-week intervention is most appropriate.

Working memory and hippocampal expression of BDNF, ARC, and P-STAT3 in rats: effects of diet and exercise

OBJECTIVES

Mounting evidence suggests diet and exercise influence learning and memory (LM). We compared a high-fat, high-sucrose Western diet (WD) to a plant-based, amylose/amylopectin blend, lower-fat diet known as the Daniel Fast (DF) in rats with and without regular aerobic exercise on a task of spatial working memory (WM).

METHODS

Rats were randomly assigned to the WD or DF at 6 weeks of age. Exercised rats (WD-E, DF-E) ran on a treadmill 3 times/week for 30 min while the sedentary rats did not (WD-S, DF-S). Rats adhered to these assignments for 12 weeks, inclusive of ab libitum food intake, after which mild food restriction was implemented to encourage responding during WM testing. For nine months, WM performance was assessed once daily, six days per week, after which hippocampal sections were collected for subsequent analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein (ARC), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (P-STAT3, Tyr705).

RESULTS

DF-E rats exhibited the best DSA performance. Surprisingly, the WD-S group outperformed the WD-E group, but had significantly lower BDNF and ARC relative to the DF-S group, with a similar trend from the WD-E group. P-STAT3 expression was also significantly elevated in the WD-S group compared to both the DF-S and WD-E groups.

DISCUSSION

These results support previous research demonstrating negative effects of the WD on spatial LM, demonstrate the plant-based DF regimen combined with chronic aerobic exercise produces measurable WM and neuroprotective benefits, and suggest the need to carefully design exercise prescriptions to avoid over-stressing individuals making concurrent dietary changes.

Exercise-induced muscle damage: mechanism, assessment and nutritional factors to accelerate recovery

There have been a multitude of reviews written on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and recovery. EIMD is a complex area of study as there are a host of factors such as sex, age, nutrition, fitness level, genetics and familiarity with exercise task, which influence the magnitude of performance decrement and the time course of recovery following EIMD. In addition, many reviews on recovery from exercise have ranged from the impact of nutritional strategies and recovery modalities, to complex mechanistic examination of various immune and endocrine signaling molecules. No one review can adequately address this broad array of study. Thus, in this present review, we aim to examine EIMD emanating from both endurance exercise and resistance exercise training in recreational and competitive athletes and shed light on nutritional strategies that can enhance and accelerate recovery following EIMD. In addition, the evaluation of EIMD and recovery from exercise is often complicated and conclusions often depend of the specific mode of assessment. As such, the focus of this review is also directed at the available techniques used to assess EIMD.

Time of Feeding Alters Obesity-Associated Parameters and Gut Bacterial Communities, but Not Fungal Populations, in C57BL/6 Male Mice

BACKGROUND

Fasting and timed feeding strategies normalize obesity parameters even under high-fat dietary intake. Although previous work demonstrated that these dietary strategies reduce adiposity and improve metabolic health, limited work has examined intestinal microbial communities.

OBJECTIVES

We determined whether timed feeding modifies the composition of the intestinal microbiome and mycobiome (yeast and fungi).

METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HF) for 6 wk. Animals were then randomly assigned to the following groups (n = 8-10/group): 1) HF ad libitum; 2) purified high-fiber diet (Daniel Fast, DF); 3) HF-time-restricted feeding (TRF) (6 h); 4) HF-alternate-day fasting (ADF); or 5) HF at 80% total caloric restriction (CR). After 8 wk, obesity and gut parameters were characterized. We also examined changes to the gut microbiome and mycobiome before, during, and following dietary interventions.

RESULTS

Body mass gain was reduced with all restricted dietary groups. HF-fed microbiota displayed lower α-diversity along with reduced phylum levels of Bacteroidetes and increased Firmicutes. Animals switched from HF to DF demonstrated a rapid transition in bacterial taxonomic composition, α-, and β-diversity that initially resembled HF, but was distinct after 4 and 8 wk of DF feeding. Time-or calorie-restricted HF-fed groups did not show changes at the phylum level, but α-diversity was increased, with specific genera altered. Six weeks of HF feeding reduced various fungal populations, particularly Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Talaromyces, and increased Candida, Hanseniaspora, and Kurtzmaniella. However, 8 wk of intervention did not change the fungal populations, with the most abundant genera being Candida, Penicillium, and Hanseniaspora.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that timed-feeding protocols and diet composition do not significantly affect the gut fungal community, despite inducing measurable shifts in the bacterial population that coincide with improvements in metabolism.

Integrated Role of Nutrition and Physical Activity for Lifelong Health

It is well established that healthy nutrition and physical activity (PA) are key lifestyle factors that modulate lifelong health through their ability to improve body composition, musculoskeletal health, and physical and cognitive performance, as well as to prevent metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease across the lifespan [...].

A Comparison of Dietary and Caloric Restriction Models on Body Composition, Physical Performance, and Metabolic Health in Young Mice

Time-restricted feeding (TRF), alternate day fasting (ADF), and the dietary restriction model known as the Daniel Fast (DF; a vegan/non-processed food diet plan) have garnered attention recently as nutritional interventions to combat obesity. We compared the effects of various dietary models on body composition, physical performance, and metabolic health in C57BL/6 mice. Sixty young C57BL/6 male mice were assigned a diet of TRF, ADF, DF, caloric restriction (CR), a high-fat Western diet (HF) fed ad libitum, or standard rodent chow for eight weeks. Their body composition, run time to exhaustion, fasting glucose, insulin, and glucose tolerance test area under the glucose curve (AUC) were determined. Compared to the HF group, all groups displayed significantly less weight and fat mass gain, as well as non-significant changes in fat-free mass. Additionally, although not statistically significant, all groups displayed greater run time to exhaustion relative to the HF group. Compared to the HF group, all groups demonstrated significantly lower fasting glucose, insulin, and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), as well as improved glucose tolerance, and the ADF group displayed the best fasting glucose and glucose tolerance results, with DF having the best HOMA-IR. All investigated fasting protocols may improve body composition, measures of insulin sensitivity, and physical performance compared to a high-fat Western diet. The DF and ADF protocols are most favorable with regards to insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Since our selected dietary protocols have also been investigated in humans with success, it is plausible to consider that these dietary models could prove beneficial to men and women seeking improved body composition and metabolic health.