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Special Issue "Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry"

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A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry, Biophysics and Computational Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 8510

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberto Cannataro

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
2. Research Division, Dynamical Business and Science Society–DBSS International SAS, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: nutrition; diet; ketogenic diet; lipedema; biochemistry of nutrition; nutraceuticals; polyphenols; microRNA; epigenetics; sport nutrition; strength training; nutritional supplementation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Diego A. Bonilla

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Guest Editor

Research Division, Dynamical Business & Science Society—DBSS International SAS, Bogota 110311, Colombia
Interests: signal transduction; allostasis; physiological stress response; sports medicine; nutrition and dietetics; nutritional biochemistry; nutritional supplements; quality of life; muscle strength; cardiorespiratory fitness; recovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Richard B. Kreider

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Guest Editor

Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Human Clinical Research Facility, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: exercise physiology; sports nutrition; performance enhancement; weight loss; women's health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jorge Luis Petro

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Guest Editor

Research Group in Physical Activity, Sports and Health Sciences (GICAFS), Universidad de Córdoba, Montería 230002, Colombia
Interests: exercise; fitness physiology; molecular and cellular biology; physiology of movement; physiology of nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sport medicine is now a well-established field with many different applications, ranging from well-being to competitive sports, up to professional athletes. In particular, as in other sectors, nutrition is experiencing exponential growth in interest, leading to the drive to have an increasingly scientific and systematic approach to the subject.

This Special Issue aims to put a particular emphasis on sports nutrition, in particular evaluating the aspects of hormonal and biochemical regulation. This includes "classic" aspects of sports nutrition, such as pre and post workout, pre- and post-competition nutrition, nutrition during physical activity, dietary supplementation with particular focus on ergogenics (creatine, BCAA, HMB, beta- alanine ...) and sport foods (protein powders, bars, gels ...),and also innovative aspects such as the analysis of metabolites through urine or miRNAs to evaluate the nutritional status and consequent performance. Finally, we include new concepts that may involve AI and computational models such as fractals.

Potential topics include, but are not limited, the following:

Nutrition “peri” workout
Nutritional supplements and performance
Role of metabolomic in sport nutrition
Role of miRNA in sport nutrition
New consideration on metabolic pathway applied to sport nutrition
Ergogenics and sport food: new insight
AI and sport nutrition
Nutrition and body composition evaluation

Dr. Roberto Cannataro
Dr. Diego A. Bonilla
Prof. Dr. Richard B. Kreider
Dr. Jorge Luis Petro
Guest Editors

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. Life 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 2600 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

sport nutrition
sport supplementation
sport biochemistry
metabolomic
miRNA

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Athletic Burnout and Its Association with Diet in Children and Adolescents

María Morales-Suárez-Varela

Isabel Peraita-Costa

Agustín Llopis-Morales

and

Agustín Llopis-González

Life 2023, 13(6), 1381; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061381 - 13 Jun 2023

Viewed by 643

Abstract

Children today are constantly exposed to several risk factors and high levels of stress that can impact their mental, emotional, and physical health, which can trigger burnout. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and frequency of burnout in young amateur athletes and to study the role of the Mediterranean diet on burnout risk. An observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study of 183 basketball players between 8 and 15 years old was carried out. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the KIDMED questionnaire and the risk of burnout was assessed with the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Medians, minimums and maximum values for quantitative variables and absolute frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables were obtained. The results show a higher percentage of burnout among girls. The children who meet the established threshold for burnout spend more time watching television. Participants with better adherence to the Mediterranean diet have lower burnout values in both genders and those with a higher risk of burnout have a worse adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Therefore, it is important to implement a balanced diet appropriate to the individual needs of the athlete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry)

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Open AccessArticle

How Does the Level of Physical Activity Influence Eating Behavior? A Self-Determination Theory Approach

Antonio Hernández-Mendo

Verónica Morales-Sánchez

and

Diogo Monteiro

Life 2023, 13(2), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020298 - 20 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1914

Abstract

Physical activity and diet are two predominant determinants of population health status that may influence each other. Physical activity has been identified as a behavior that may lead to a healthier diet and regulates eating behaviors. This research aimed to investigate how the level of physical activity is associated with the motivation related to eating behaviors and, consequently, the eating style individuals have on a daily basis. This was a cross-sectional study in which participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed the following variables: the level of physical activity, the motivation toward eating behavior, and the type of eating behavior. In total, 440 individuals (180 men and 260 women) who regularly exercised in gyms and fitness centers aged between 19 and 64 years (M = 33.84; SD = 10.09) took part in the study. The data were collected following the Declaration of Helsinki and with the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic of Leiria. For the statistical analysis, mean and standard deviations were first calculated, as well as bivariate correlations between all the variables of interest. Then, structural equation model analyses were performed considering the levels of physical activity as the independent variable, motivations toward eating behavior as the mediators, and eating styles as the dependent variables. It was concluded that a greater level of physical activity leads to a more self-determined type of eating regulation, which in turn results in less constricted eating behaviors that are influenced by external factors and emotional factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry)

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Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 in European Soccer: A Public 2-Year Comparison of COVID-19 Case Management and Case Characteristics between the 1st Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League

Jan-Niklas Droste

Robert Percy Marshall

Stephan Borte

Sebastian Seyler

and

Helge Riepenhof

Life 2022, 12(8), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081220 - 11 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1352

Abstract

To evaluate the extent and characteristics of COVID-19 cases in relation to environmental COVID-19 incidences in the four best European soccer leagues (Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) from the first of January 2020 until the end of January 2022. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of all publicly available COVID-19 cases in the studied cohorts was performed. The 14-day case incidences from epidemiological national data were used as reference values. The leagues studied are the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (Great Britain), Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain). For all cases, the duration of time loss and date of case notification were recorded. Results: League-specific mean time loss due to disease or quarantine per COVID-19 case differs significantly between La Liga (11.45; ±5.21 days) and the other leagues studied (Bundesliga 20.41; ±33.87; p 0.0242; Premier League 17.12; ±10.39; p 0.0001; Serie A 17.61; ±12.71; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation between 14-day national incidence with COVID-19 disease occurrence in soccer leagues was found for all leagues studied. The correlations were strong in the Bundesliga (r 0.5911; CI 0.4249–0.7187; p < 0.0001), Serie A (r 0.5979; CI 0.4336–0.7238; p < 0.0001) and La Liga (r 0.5251; CI 0.3432–0.6690; p < 0.0001). A moderate correlation was found for the Premier League (r 0.3308; CI 0.1147–0.5169; p 0.0026). Odds ratios for altered environmental case risk in the cohorts studied could be calculated for four different national COVID-19 incidence levels (<50/100.000 to >500/100.000). A trend towards shorter COVID-19 case duration in the second half of 2021 was shown for all leagues studied. Conclusions: There was a significantly lower mean time-loss caused by a COVID-19 infection for cases occurred in La Liga compared with the other three leagues studied. For all four leagues studied, a positive, significant correlation of national environmental COVID-19 incidence level and the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the cohort of a football league was found. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry)

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Open AccessArticle

Segmental Bioimpedance Analysis as a Predictor of Injury and Performance Status in Professional Basketball Players: A New Application Potential?

Alexander Bertuccioli

Marco Cardinali

and

Piero Benelli

Life 2022, 12(7), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12071062 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 991

Abstract

Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a technique used for the assessment of body composition based on the electrical properties of biological tissues and for evaluating variations related to hydration and nutrition status changes. The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of predicting performance status and injuries using segmental BIVA analysis. Data were collected from 14 professional male athletes aged between 20 and 39 years of Caucasian and Afro-American ethnicity belonging to the US Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro Pesaro team in the Italian Serie A basketball championship. From an analysis of training injuries, the data highlight a possible positive link between the number of training injuries and upper hemisoma reactance (XCEmsSup) (t = 2.881, p = 0.007), an inverse relationship between training injury duration and higher right lower limb reactance (XCLegDx) (t = −4.213, p < 0.001), and an inverse relationship between injury duration and higher body mass index (t = −4.213, p < 0.001), highlighting how higher cellularity seems less prone to severe training injuries. Analyzing match-day injuries, right upper-limb higher reactance (XCArmdx) negatively correlates with match-day number of injuries (t = −4.469, p < 0.001), right upper limb resistance (RZArmDx) negatively correlates with lower match-day injury duration (t = −4.202, p < 0.001), and trunk resistance (RZTrunk) positive correlates with lower match-day injury duration (t = 2.803, p = 0.008), in contrast with the training data analysis. Analyzing the relationship between the BIVA parameters and performance indicators, right upper limb resistance (RzArmDx) has a positive link with plus–minus (t = 2.889, p = 0.007); however, RzArmDx negatively correlates with assist number (t = −3.362, p = 0.002), and BMI is directly proportional to assist number (t = 2.254, p = 0.032). These first data suggest a good correlation between the cellularity of different body districts and the risk of injuries in training but still leave several doubts surrounding the concrete predictive potential regarding performance and injuries during competitions while considering the numerous factors involved. Further studies on BIVA and similar applications could provide tools for managing athlete health and physical integrity preservation and potentially help us better understand the factors involved in improving performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry)

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Open AccessSystematic Review

Effects of Nutrition Interventions on Athletic Performance in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review

Ines Aguinaga-Ontoso

Sara Guillen-Aguinaga

Laura Guillen-Aguinaga

Rosa Alas-Brun

and

Francisco Guillen-Grima

Life 2023, 13(6), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061271 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1953

Abstract

Background: More than 270 million participants and 128,893 professional players play soccer. Although UEFA recommendations for nutrition in elite football exist, implementing these guidelines among professional and semiprofessional soccer players remains suboptimal, emphasizing the need for targeted and individualized nutritional strategies to improve adherence to established recommendations. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and clinical trial registers. Inclusion criteria focused on professional or semiprofessional soccer players, nutrition or diet interventions, performance improvement outcomes, and randomized clinical trial study types. We assessed quality using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. We identified 16 eligible articles involving 310 participants. No nutritional interventions during the recovery period effectively improved recovery. However, several performance-based interventions showed positive effects, such as tart cherry supplementation, raw pistachio nut kernels, bicarbonate and mineral ingestion, creatine supplementation, betaine consumption, symbiotic supplements, and a high-carbohydrate diet. These interventions influenced various aspects of soccer performance, including endurance, speed, agility, strength, power, explosiveness, and anaerobic capacity. Conclusions: Specific strategies, such as solutions with bicarbonate and minerals, high carbohydrate diets, and supplements like creatine, betaine, and tart cherry, can enhance the performance of professional soccer players. These targeted nutritional interventions may help optimize performance and provide the competitive edge required in professional soccer. We did not find any dietary interventions that could enhance recovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine: Nutritional Sciences and Nutritional Biochemistry)

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