Health-enhancing physical activity,psychological needs satisfaction,and well-being: Is it how often,how long,or how much effort that matters?

The objective of this study was to examine the role of basic psychological need satisfaction as a potential mediator of the relationship between health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) and well-being. Participants (N = 201) were young adults who recalled their HEPA behavior, experiences of psychological need satisfaction, and levels of well-being across multiple indicators using a cross-sectional design targeting the previous day. Results from path analysis demonstrated that effort put forth in HEPA activities, as opposed to frequency or duration of HEPA, predicted well-being. Further, psychological needs satisfaction mediated between 10% and 44% of the HEPA-Effort – well-being relationship. Overall, these findings lend credence to the notion that effortful investment is associated with well-being when engaged in HEPA, and that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs may act as a salient explanatory mechanism partially accounting for that relationship.     

Safety of Purified Isoflavones in Men With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

Our purpose was to evaluate the safety of 80 mg of purified isoflavones administered to men with early stage prostate cancer. A total of 53 men with clinically localized prostate cancer, Gleason score of 6 or below, were supplemented with 80 mg purified isoflavones or placebo for 12 wk administered in 2 divided doses of 40 mg to provide a continuous dose of isoflavones. Compliance, changes in plasma isoflavones, and clinical toxicity were analyzed at baseline, 4, and 12 wk. A total of 50 subjects completed the 12-wk intervention. A continuous, divided-dose administration of 80 mg/day of purified isoflavones at amounts that exceeded normal American dietary intakes significantly increased (P < 0.001) plasma isoflavones in the isoflavone-treated group compared to placebo and produced no clinical toxicity. With the current evidence on the cancer preventive properties of isoflavones, these results are significant and offer promise for these phytochemicals to be developed as potent agents to prevent cancer progression.