Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes

When weight loss (WL) is necessary, athletes are advised to accomplish it gradually, at a rate of 0.5-1 kg/wk. However, it is possible that losing 0.5 kg/wk is better than 1 kg/wk in terms of preserving lean body mass (LBM) and performance. The aim of this study was to compare changes in body composition, strength, and power during a weekly body-weight (BW) loss of 0.7% slow reduction (SR) vs. 1.4% fast reduction (FR). We hypothesized that the faster WL regimen would result in more detrimental effects on both LBM and strength-related performance. Twenty-four athletes were randomized to SR (n = 13, 24 ± 3 yr, 71.9 ± 12.7 kg) or FR (n = 11, 22 ± 5 yr, 74.8 ± 11.7 kg). They followed energy-restricted diets promoting the predetermined weekly WL. All athletes included 4 resistance-training sessions/wk in their usual training regimen. The mean times spent in intervention for SR and FR were 8.5 ± 2.2 and 5.3 ± 0.9 wk, respectively (p < .001). BW, body composition (DEXA), 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) tests, 40-m sprint, and countermovement jump were measured before and after intervention. Energy intake was reduced by 19% ± 2% and 30% ± 4% in SR and FR, respectively (p = .003). BW and fat mass decreased in both SR and FR by 5.6% ± 0.8% and 5.5% ± 0.7% (0.7% ± 0.8% vs. 1.0% ± 0.4%/wk) and 31% ± 3% and 21 ± 4%, respectively. LBM increased in SR by 2.1% ± 0.4% (p < .001), whereas it was unchanged in FR (-0.2% ± 0.7%), with significant differences between groups (p < .01). In conclusion, data from this study suggest that athletes who want to gain LBM and increase 1RM strength during a WL period combined with strength training should aim for a weekly BW loss of 0.7%.     

Prevalence of eating disorders in dental patients

670 dental patients completed the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE). Criteria of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) were used for identification of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). We identified one 19 year old woman with a questionnaire response suggestive of restricting type AN, one 49 years old man with a questionnaire response suggestive ofBN, and five subjects with questionnaire responses suggestive of BED. The prevalence of BITE symptom scores of 20 and more (indicating a highly disordered eating pattern and the presence of binge eating, probably meeting criteria of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 3rd Edition for BN) is 0%for male and 1.6% for female probands and 2.7% for girls and women up to the age of 30 years. We concluded that dentists could play an important part in secondary prevention of eating disorders.     

Biventricular adaptation to volume overload in mice with aortic regurgitation

Background

Pulmonary regurgitation is a common and clinically important residual lesion after repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) phase contrast velocity mapping is widely used for measurement of pulmonary regurgitant fraction. Breath-hold acquisitions, usually acquired during held expiration, are more convenient than the non-breath-hold approach, but we hypothesized that breath-holding might affect the amount of pulmonary regurgitation.

Methods

Forty-three adult patients with a previous repair of tetralogy of Fallot and residual pulmonary regurgitation were investigated with CMR. In each, pulmonary regurgitant fraction was measured from velocity maps transecting the pulmonary trunk, acquired during held expiration, held inspiration, by non-breath-hold acquisition, and also from the difference of right and left ventricular stroke volume measurements.

Results

Pulmonary regurgitant fraction was lower when measured by velocity mapping in held expiration compared with held inspiration, non-breath-hold or stroke volume difference (30.8 vs. 37.0, 35.6, 35.4%, p = 0.00017, 0.0035, 0.026). The regurgitant volume was lower in held expiration than in held inspiration (41.9 vs. 48.3, p = 0.0018). Pulmonary forward flow volume was larger during held expiration than during non-breath-hold (132 vs. 124 ml, p = 0.0024).

Conclusion

Pulmonary regurgitant fraction was significantly lower in held expiration compared with held inspiration, free breathing and stroke volume difference. Altered airway pressure could be a contributory factor. This information is relevant if breath-hold acquisition is to be substituted for non-breath-hold in the investigation of patients with a view to re-intervention.     

Screening for Low Energy Availability in Male Athletes: Attempted Validation of LEAM-Q

A questionnaire-based screening tool for male athletes at risk of low energy availability (LEA) could facilitate both research and clinical practice. The present options rely on proxies for LEA such screening tools for disordered eating, exercise dependence, or those validated in female athlete populations. in which the female-specific sections are excluded. To overcome these limitations and support progress in understanding LEA in males, centres in Australia, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden collaborated to develop a screening tool (LEAM-Q) based on clinical investigations of elite and sub-elite male athletes from multiple countries and ethnicities, and a variety of endurance and weight-sensitive sports. A bank of questions was developed from previously validated questionnaires and expert opinion on various clinical markers of LEA in athletic or eating disorder populations, dizziness, thermoregulation, gastrointestinal symptoms, injury, illness, wellbeing, recovery, sleep and sex drive. The validation process covered reliability, content validity, a multivariate analysis of associations between variable responses and clinical markers, and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis of variables, with the inclusion threshold being set at 60% sensitivity. Comparison of the scores of the retained questionnaire variables between subjects classified as cases or controls based on clinical markers of LEA revealed an internal consistency and reliability of 0.71. Scores for sleep and thermoregulation were not associated with any clinical marker and were excluded from any further analysis. Of the remaining variables, dizziness, illness, fatigue, and sex drive had sufficient sensitivity to be retained in the questionnaire, but only low sex drive was able to distinguish between LEA cases and controls and was associated with perturbations in key clinical markers and questionnaire responses. In summary, in this large and international cohort, low sex drive was the most effective self-reported symptom in identifying male athletes requiring further clinical assessment for LEA.     

Wie wirksam und akzeptabel ist ein Selbstbehandlungsmanual mit begleitender Kurztherapie bei Bulimia nervosa?

Zusammenfassung Je 31 DSM-III-R-Bulimia-nervosa-Kranke erhielten 8 vierzehnt?gige Therapiestunden und ein Selbstbehandlungsmanual (angeleitete Selbstver?nderung, ASV) bzw. 16 w?chentliche Einzelsitzungen kognitiver Verhaltenstherapie (KVT). Beide Modalit?ten erzielten signifikante Besserungen sowohl der E?st?rung (nach Selbsteinsch?tzung und Interviewerinnenurteil) als auch von Depressivit?t, Selbstwertgefühl, Lebensqualit?t und Wissen über Ern?hrung, Gewicht und Figur. Sie unterschieden sich nicht signifikant bezüglich Abbrecherinnenquote, Teilnahme an der Nachuntersuchung und Zahl der Patientinnen, die eine Nachbehandlung in Anspruch nahmen. Zu keinem Me?zeitpunkt ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede zwischen ASV- und KVT-Gruppe hinsichtlich Schweregrad der Bulimia nervosa, Beck-Depressionsinventarwert, Selbstwertgefühl und Lebensqualit?t. Ein signifikant h?herer Anteil der KVT-Gruppe hatte am Ende der Behandlung mindestens eine Woche lang keine bulimischen Attacken erlebt. Drei Monate nach dem Ende der Behandlung hatte die ASV-Gruppe in dieser Hinsicht aufgeholt und war den KVT-Patientinnen im Wissen über Ern?hrung, Gewicht und Figur überlegen. Lediglich die Gesamtwerte auf einem Bulimiefragebogen zeigten sowohl bei Therapieende als auch in der Nachuntersuchung günstigere Ergebnisse für KVT. In der Nützlichkeitsbeurteilung der Behandlung und Gesamtzufriedenheit mit ihr ergaben sich keine bedeutsamen Unterschiede. Angeleitete Selbstver?nderung mit einem Selbstbehandlungsmanual kann also ohne wesentliche Qualit?tseinbu?en Therapeut(inn)enzeit sparen.      

Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in US Urban Middle Schools Using a Multiple Baseline Experimental Design

Prevention Science - We evaluated the impact of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in an 8-year study in urban middle schools that served primarily African American students living in...     

Adult-Generated Hippocampal Neurons Allow the Flexible Use of Spatially Precise Learning Strategies

Despite enormous progress in the past few years the specific contribution of newly born granule cells to the function of the adult hippocampus is still not clear. We hypothesized that in order to solve this question particular attention has to be paid to the specific design, the analysis, and the interpretation of the learning test to be used. We thus designed a behavioral experiment along hypotheses derived from a computational model predicting that new neurons might be particularly relevant for learning conditions, in which novel aspects arise in familiar situations, thus putting high demands on the qualitative aspects of (re-)learning.