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Applied Exercise Physiology and Nutrition to Physical Activity and Health: From Molecular to Clinical Aspects

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 34247

Special Issue Editor

Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Área de Educación Física y Deportiva, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Madrid, Spain
Interests: exercise physiology; sport nutrition; metabolism; muscular strength and power; myokines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regular physical activity and healthy nutrition are key lifestyle factors that modulate lifelong health. Both exercise and nutrition stimulate metabolic adaptations that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and result in beneficial effects on symptoms and the course of these diseases. However, further investigation is needed in which the dose–response effects of different exercise and nutrition protocols are elucidated toward facilitating an individualized prescription of physical activity and nutrition for different populations.

We encourage interested scientists, clinicians, and exercise specialists to submit their contributions, with a specific focus on applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism in physical activity and health, in which the manipulation of exercise and/or nutrition, from molecular to clinical perspectives, are used to prevent or treat chronic diseases (metabolic, immune, neurological, musculoskeletal or cardiovascular) and age-related syndromes in any population.

Dr. Alberto Pérez-López
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • clinical exercise physiology and biochemistry
  • nutrition
  • clinical nutrition
  • supplementation
  • public health
  • chronic diseases
  • exercise prescription and nutrition therapy

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 818 KiB  
Article
Physical Fitness, Screen Time and Sleep Habits According to Obesity Levels in Schoolchildren: Findings from the Health Survey of the Extreme South of Chile
by Fernanda Carrasco-Marín, Fanny Petermann-Rocha, Miquel Martorell, Yenny Concha-Cisternas, Solange Parra-Soto, Rafael Zapata-Lamana, Javier Albornoz-Guerrero, Guillermo García-Pérez-de-Sevilla, Maria Antonia Parra-Rizo and Igor Cigarroa
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13690; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192013690 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2506
Abstract
Obesity is a worry because it is associated with a greater burden of disease, and it has been shown to be related to the health habits and physical condition of children and adolescents. Objective: To associate physical fitness, screen time, and sleep habits [...] Read more.
Obesity is a worry because it is associated with a greater burden of disease, and it has been shown to be related to the health habits and physical condition of children and adolescents. Objective: To associate physical fitness, screen time, and sleep habits with the different categories of obesity in schoolchildren from the extreme south of Chile. Methods: 583 schoolchildren were included in this cross-sectional analysis. The screen time and sleep habits were measured with the Sleep Self-Report questionnaire, while the physical fitness was assessed with the Alpha Fitness test battery. The Body Mass Index/age (BMI/age) and the Waist-to-Height ratio (WtHr) were used to define adiposity using the following categories: healthy weight/low-risk waist-to-height ratio (H/LR), healthy weight/high-risk waist-to-height ratio (H/HR), overweight/low-risk waist to height ratio (O/LR), and overweight/high-risk waist to height ratio (O/HR). Results: A considerable number of schoolchildren (23.2%) presented sleep problems, while the mean screen time was 9.3 (95% CI: 8.4; 10.1) hours/day. Schoolchildren classified as H/HR showed better physical fitness than the O/HR group but worse physical fitness than the H/LR group. Conclusions: Significant differences were evidenced in the physical fitness between the adiposity categories, which could open future lines of research concerning the characterization of the healthy weight-obese adiposity categories in children. Full article
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17 pages, 572 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Time-Course Effects of Combined Training on Hypertensive Older Adults: A Randomized Control Trial
by Amanda V. Sardeli, Arthur F. Gáspari, Wellington M. dos Santos, Amanda A. de Araujo, Kátia de Angelis, Lilian O. Mariano, Cláudia R. Cavaglieri, Bo Fernhall and Mara Patrícia T. Chacon-Mikahil
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 11042; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191711042 - 04 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2253
Abstract
The aim was to identify whether 16 weeks of combined training (Training) reduces blood pressure of hypertensive older adults and what the key fitness, hemodynamic, autonomic, inflammatory, oxidative, glucose and/or lipid mediators of this intervention would be. Fifty-two individuals were randomized to either [...] Read more.
The aim was to identify whether 16 weeks of combined training (Training) reduces blood pressure of hypertensive older adults and what the key fitness, hemodynamic, autonomic, inflammatory, oxidative, glucose and/or lipid mediators of this intervention would be. Fifty-two individuals were randomized to either 16 weeks of Training or control group who remained physically inactive (Control). Training included walking/running at 63% of V˙O2max, three times per week, and strength training, consisting of one set of fifteen repetitions (seven exercises) at moderate intensity, twice per week. Both groups underwent a comprehensive health assessment at baseline (W0) and every four weeks, for 16 weeks total. p-value ≤ 0.05 was set as significant. Training did not reduce blood pressure. It increased V˙O2max after eight weeks and again after 16 weeks (~18%), differently from the Control group. At 16 weeks, Training increased strength (~8%), slightly reduced body mass (~1%), and reduced the number of individuals with metabolic syndrome (~7%). No other changes were observed (heart rate, carotid compliance, body composition, glycemic and lipid profile, inflammatory markers and oxidative profile, vasoactive substances, heart rate variability indices). Although Training increased cardiorespiratory fitness and strength, Training was able to reduce neither blood pressure nor a wide range of mediators in hypertensive older adults, suggesting other exercise interventions might be necessary to improve overall health in this population. The novelty of this study was the time-course characterization of Training effects, surprisingly demonstrating stability among a comprehensive number of health outcomes in hypertensive older adults, including blood pressure. Full article
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11 pages, 1214 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Body Composition in CrossFit® Athletes and the Relation with Their Results in Official Training
by Rubén Menargues-Ramírez, Isabel Sospedra, Francis Holway, José Antonio Hurtado-Sánchez and José Miguel Martínez-Sanz
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 11003; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191711003 - 02 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4141
Abstract
CrossFit® is a high-intensity sport that combines weightlifting, gymnastic skills, and cardiovascular exercises. To find the anthropometric references that define the optimal body composition, it is essential to first find an optimal body composition for one’s physical preparation. The objective of this [...] Read more.
CrossFit® is a high-intensity sport that combines weightlifting, gymnastic skills, and cardiovascular exercises. To find the anthropometric references that define the optimal body composition, it is essential to first find an optimal body composition for one’s physical preparation. The objective of this study is to describe the anthropometric characteristics of 27 Spanish CrossFit® athletes, 19 males aged 39 years old (24–44) and 8 females aged 28 years old (23–40), and how these characteristics influenced their performance. The athletes performed the Fran, Cindy, and Kelly workouts, establishing minimum marks, and the CrossFit Total workout to assess maximum strength. Significant differences were not found in time and repetitions between sexes in skill training, although there was a positive correlation r = 0.876 (p < 0.001) between muscle mass and the Total CrossFit result. We can conclude that the CrossFit® athlete has a low amount of fat mass and a small relative size, which is an advantage when training with bodyweight exercises, and a high muscle mass that provide benefits when strength training. In addition, despite executing movements from a multitude of disciplines, the physical demands for lifting heavy loads resulted in the anthropometric values of athletes being more similar to elite weightlifting athletes than in other sports. Full article
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Review

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10 pages, 910 KiB  
Review
Use It or Lose It? A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Resistance Training Cessation (Detraining) on Muscle Size in Older Adults
by Jozo Grgic
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14048; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192114048 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3182
Abstract
This review aimed to explore the effect of resistance training cessation (detraining) on muscle size in older adults. Five databases were searched to find eligible studies. Their methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro checklist. The data were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis. [...] Read more.
This review aimed to explore the effect of resistance training cessation (detraining) on muscle size in older adults. Five databases were searched to find eligible studies. Their methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro checklist. The data were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis. Six studies, with eight groups, were included in the review. Resistance training interventions lasted from 9 to 24 weeks. The detraining duration was from 12 to 52 weeks. Studies were classified as being of fair or good methodological quality. Compared to the baseline data, muscle size significantly increased following the resistance training intervention (Cohen’s d: 0.99; 95% confidence interval: 0.63, 1.36). Compared to the post-resistance training data, there was a significant decrease in muscle size following training cessation (Cohen’s d: −0.83; 95% confidence interval: −1.30, −0.36). In subgroup analyses, there was no significant decrease in muscle size following 12–24 weeks of training cessation (Cohen’s d: −0.60; 95% confidence interval: −1.21, 0.01). There was a significant decrease in muscle size following 31–52 weeks of training cessation (Cohen’s d: −1.11; 95% confidence interval: −1.75, −0.47). In summary, resistance training increases muscle size in older adults. In contrast, training cessation is associated with a decrease in muscle size. However, the loss of muscle size might be related to detraining duration, with greater muscle loss occurring during longer duration detraining periods. Future studies are required to establish the time course of muscle size changes during detraining in older adults. Full article
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13 pages, 466 KiB  
Review
Effects of Sodium Intake on Health and Performance in Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Sports
by Eleftherios Veniamakis, Georgios Kaplanis, Panagiotis Voulgaris and Pantelis T. Nikolaidis
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3651; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063651 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6838
Abstract
The majority of reviews on sports nutrition issues focus on macronutrients, often omitting or paying less attention to substances such as sodium. Through the literature, it is clear that there are no reviews that focus entirely on the effects of sodium and in [...] Read more.
The majority of reviews on sports nutrition issues focus on macronutrients, often omitting or paying less attention to substances such as sodium. Through the literature, it is clear that there are no reviews that focus entirely on the effects of sodium and in particular on endurance sports. Sodium intake, both at high and low doses, has been found to be associated with health and performance issues in athletes. Besides, there have been theories that an electrolyte imbalance, specifically sodium, contributes to the development of muscle cramps (EAMC) and hyponatremia (EAH). For this reason, it is necessary to create this systematic review, in order to report extensively on the role of sodium consumption in the population and more specifically in endurance and ultra-endurance athletes, the relationship between the amount consumed and the occurrence of pathological disorders, the usefulness of simultaneous hydration and whether a disturbance of this substance leads to EAH and EAMC. As a method of data collection, this study focused on exploring literature from 1900–2021. The search was conducted through the research engines PubMed and Scopus. In order to reduce the health and performance effects in endurance athletes, simultaneous emphasis should be placed on both sodium and fluid intake. Full article
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Other

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31 pages, 2833 KiB  
Systematic Review
Exercise Selection and Common Injuries in Fitness Centers: A Systematic Integrative Review and Practical Recommendations
by Diego A. Bonilla, Luis A. Cardozo, Jorge M. Vélez-Gutiérrez, Adrián Arévalo-Rodríguez, Salvador Vargas-Molina, Jeffrey R. Stout, Richard B. Kreider and Jorge L. Petro
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12710; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912710 - 05 Oct 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 8128
Abstract
Weight resistance training (RT) is an essential component of physical conditioning programs to improve the quality of life and physical fitness in different ages and populations. This integrative review aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the relationship between exercise selection and the [...] Read more.
Weight resistance training (RT) is an essential component of physical conditioning programs to improve the quality of life and physical fitness in different ages and populations. This integrative review aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the relationship between exercise selection and the appearance of musculoskeletal injuries in physical fitness centers (PFC). The PubMed or Medline, EMBASE or Science Direct, Google Scholar and PEDro databases were selected to examine the available literature using a Boolean algorithm with search terms. The review process was performed using the five-stage approach for an integrative review and it was reported according to the PRISMA in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport Medicine and Sports Science (PERSiST) guidelines. A total of 39 peer-reviewed articles (Price index = 71.7%) met the inclusion criteria and evaluated the link between exercise selection and the incidence of injuries in exercisers who regularly attend PFC. Most injuries occur to the shoulders, elbows, vertebrae of the spine, and knees. Although the injury etiologies are multifactorial, the findings of the reviewed articles include the impacts of overuse, short post-exercise recovery periods, poor conditioning in the exercised body areas, frequent use of heavy loads, improper technique in certain exercises, and the abuse of performance- and image-enhancing drugs. Practical recommendations addressed to clinical exercise physiologists, exercise professionals, and health professionals are given in this paper. The exercise selection in RT programs requires professional supervision and adhering to proper lifting techniques and training habits that consider the anatomical and biomechanical patterns of the musculoskeletal structures, as well as genetic, pedagogical, and methodological aspects directly related to the stimulus–response process to mitigate the occurrence of RT-related injuries in PFC. Full article
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17 pages, 2097 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Role of Exercise Training on Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review
by Paola Gonzalo-Encabo, Gonzalo Maldonado, David Valadés, Carmen Ferragut and Alberto Pérez-López
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13258; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413258 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6132
Abstract
Low-grade systemic inflammation leads to critical alterations of several tissues and organs that can promote the appearance of non-communicable diseases, a risk that is increased in adults with obesity. Exercise training may counteract low-grade systemic inflammation, but there is a lack of consensus [...] Read more.
Low-grade systemic inflammation leads to critical alterations of several tissues and organs that can promote the appearance of non-communicable diseases, a risk that is increased in adults with obesity. Exercise training may counteract low-grade systemic inflammation, but there is a lack of consensus on how cytokines are modulated by training in adults with obesity. This study aimed of examining the effects of exercise training on circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in adults with overweight and obesity, and whether exercise-induced fat mass reduction could mediate that effect. The search was conducted on Medline (Pubmed), SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases from January 1998 to August 2021, using keywords pertaining to inflammation, exercise, and obesity. A total of 27 studies were selected, in which the circulating concentration levels of cytokines were analyzed. Endurance training (ET) decreased circulating CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α levels. TNF-α was reduced after resistance and concurrent training (CT), while IL-10 increased after resistance training (RT). Changes in IL-10 and CRP coincided with fat mass reduction, while decreased TNF-α levels were concomitant with changes in IL-6 and IL-10. Exercise training may reduce systemic low-grade inflammation profile in adults with overweight and obesity. Full article
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