Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Delving into the exciting connection between exercise, nutrition, and brainpower, this research explores how what we eat and how we move can supercharge our cognitive function and general well-being for peak physical performance. We are taking a close look at how specific diets, supplements, and workout routines can enhance thinking skills, slow down age-related mental decline, and contribute to overall better mental and physical states. The quest is to uncover the optimal nutrition and fitness strategies for both mental sharpness and athletic prowess. This involves examining the impact of various types of exercise, from heart-pumping cardio to muscle-building strength training, on brain function and mood. Simultaneously, we are investigating how certain nutrients and supplements can fuel the brain for top performance. A major focus is harnessing the power of exercise to safeguard long-term brain and physical health, with the goal of preventing age-related cognitive as well as physical decline and mood disorders. This includes a deep dive into the gut–brain connection and how the food we eat influences our mental state through the bacteria in our gut. Experts from diverse fields, such as sports science, nutrition, psychology, and neuroscience, are joining forces to develop innovative ways to optimize cognitive, mental, and physical well-being for both athletes and the everyday person. Beyond the field, it empowers individuals to make informed lifestyle choices that promote global wellness. In essence, this topic embraces a comprehensive view of health, emphasizing how exercise and nutrition can work hand-in-hand to boost brain function and physical well-being. The ultimate aim is to create practical, personalized strategies that empower everyone to achieve better physical and mental health through smart lifestyle choices.

Dr. Gian Mario Migliaccio
Dr. Luca Russo
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Sciences applsci	2.5	5.5	2011	19.8 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Brain Sciences brainsci	2.8	5.6	2011	16.2 Days	CHF 2200	Submit
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology jfmk	2.5	3.7	2016	26.9 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Nutrients nutrients	5.0	9.1	2009	12.9 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Sports sports	2.9	4.1	2013	18.7 Days	CHF 1800	Submit

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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23 pages, 2746 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Hydration Status and Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers in NCAA Female Soccer Athletes During Preseason Conditioning

by Daniel E. Newmire, Erica M. Filep, Jordan B. Wainwright, Heather E. Webb and Darryn S. Willoughby

Nutrients 2025, 17(13), 2185; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17132185 - 30 Jun 2025

Viewed by 494

Abstract

Exercise training in extreme temperatures concurrent with hypohydration status may potentiate the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in young, healthy persons. Background/Objectives: It is unknown how repeated training bouts in ambient higher temperatures and humidity may influence measures of AKI. The [...] Read more.

Exercise training in extreme temperatures concurrent with hypohydration status may potentiate the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in young, healthy persons. Background/Objectives: It is unknown how repeated training bouts in ambient higher temperatures and humidity may influence measures of AKI. The purpose of this study was to investigate hydration status and renal biomarkers related to AKI in NCAA Division I female soccer athletes during preseason conditioning. Methods: A convenience sample of n = 21 athletes were recruited (mean ± SEM; age: 19.3 ± 0.25 y; height: 169.6 ± 1.36 cm; mass: 68.43 ± 2.46 kg; lean body mass: 45.91 ± 1.13 kg; fat mass: 22.51 ± 1.69 kg; body fat %: 32.22 ± 1.32%). The average temperature was 27.43 ± 0.19 °C, and the humidity was 71.69 ± 1.82%. Body composition, anthropometric, workload, and 14 urine samples were collected throughout the preseason training period for urine specific gravity (USG), creatinine (uCr), cystatin C (uCyst-C), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) analyses. Results: Our investigation showed that, when compared to baseline (D0), the athletes maintained a USG-average euhydrated status (1.019 ± 0.001) and were euhydrated prior to each exhibition game (D5-Pre: p = 0.03; 1.011 ± 0.001; D10-Pre: p = 0.0009; 1.009 ± 0.001); uCr was elevated on D8 (p = 0.001; 6.29 ± 0.44 mg·dL⁻¹·LBM⁻¹) and D10-Post (p = 0.02; 6.61 ± 0.44 mg·dL⁻¹·LBM⁻¹); uCyst-C was elevated on D6 through D10 (p = 0.001; ~0.42 ± 0.01 mg·dL⁻¹); no differences were found in uNGAL concentration. The highest distance (m) displaced was found during exhibition games (D5: p = <0.0001; ~8.6 km and D10: p = <0.0001; ~9.6 km). During the preseason conditioning, the athletes maintained a euhydrated status (~1.019) via USG, an increase in uCr that averaged within a normal range (208 mg·dL⁻¹), and an increase in uCyst-C to near AKI threshold levels (0.42 mg·L⁻¹) for several practice sessions, followed by an adaptive decline. No differences were found in uNGAL, which may be explained by athlete variation, chosen time sample collection, and variation in training and hydration status. Conclusions: The athletes maintained a euhydrated status, and this may help explain why urinary markers did not change or meet the reference threshold for AKI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being)

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29 pages, 2914 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Protein and Amino Acid Supplementation Among Recreational Gym Goers and Associated Factors—An Exploratory Study

by Sandor-Richard Nagy, Magdalena Mititelu, Violeta Popovici, Mihaela Gabriela Bontea, Annamaria Pallag and Tünde Jurca

J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(3), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030248 - 28 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1711

Abstract

Objective: The present study investigated the relationship between protein and amino acid supplementation and various associated aspects among recreational gym goers at 2 gymnasiums in Oradea (Romania). Methods: A total of 165 gym goers (110 men and 55 women, most of them 18–30 [...] Read more.

Objective: The present study investigated the relationship between protein and amino acid supplementation and various associated aspects among recreational gym goers at 2 gymnasiums in Oradea (Romania). Methods: A total of 165 gym goers (110 men and 55 women, most of them 18–30 years old) with high educational levels were included in the present study, which was conducted as face-to-face interviews. Results: Participants were divided into 4 groups: protein supplement users (PSUs, 42/165), creatine supplement users (CSUs, 38/165), L-carnitine supplement users (LcSUs, 37/165), and protein + creatine + L-carnitine supplement users (PCLcSUs, 48/165). Most consumers were young (18–30 years) and preferred the triple combination. Females consumed PS and CS (38.2% and 34.5%, respectively), while the most-used NSs by males were PCLcS (36.4%) and LcS (27.3%). Obese gym goers opted for LcS consumption (r = 0.999, p < 0.05). Creatine and L-carnitine were consumed for force training (65.79 and 62.16%), while PCLcS and PS were used in cardio + force and force training in equal measures (42.86 and 47.92%, respectively). Most PSUs were gym goers for 7–12 months and more than 1 year (r = 0.999 and r = 0.952, respectively, p < 0.05), while PCLcSUs had a training frequency of at least 5 times a week (r = 0.968, p < 0.05). Muscle mass growth was the primary training focus for all NS users (57.89%), followed by muscular tonus (40.54%, p < 0.05). Almost 30% of one-only NS users reported various side effects, whereas all PCLcSUs claimed side effects (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Age and gender were key factors in diet type, training type, frequency, duration, scope, NS type, and dose intake. The frequency of side effects substantially depended on the kind of NS and the dose consumed. The present study’s results highlight the need for health professionals’ advice and monitoring in personalized diets and protein and amino acid supplementation in recreational gym goers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being)

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22 pages, 1468 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Vigorous Exercise Enhances Verbal Fluency Performance in Healthy Young Adults

by Maya M. Khanna, Corey L. Guenther, Joan M. Eckerson, Dion Talamante, Mary Elizabeth Yeh, Megan Forby, Krystal Hopkins, Emmali Munger, Grace Rauh, Shringala Chelluri, Courtney Schmidt, Isabel Walocha and Matthew Sacco

Brain Sci. 2025, 15(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15010096 - 20 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1378

Abstract

Background/Objectives: We examined the effects of cardiovascular exercise on verbal fluency using a between-groups design. Methods: Within our experimental (i.e., exercise) group, participants performed phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks (VFTs) before, during, and after a vigorous 30 min bout of cycling. Participants [...] Read more.

Background/Objectives: We examined the effects of cardiovascular exercise on verbal fluency using a between-groups design. Methods: Within our experimental (i.e., exercise) group, participants performed phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks (VFTs) before, during, and after a vigorous 30 min bout of cycling. Participants within our control group also completed these VFTs before, during, and after a non-physical activity. We compared the VFT performance of the experimental (exercise) and control (no-exercise) groups of participants in terms of the characteristics of the words that they produced within the VFTs. In addition, we examined these aspects of VFT performance for each participant group across time within the experiment session. Conclusions: From these comparisons, we see that exercise influenced VFT performance. Most notably, participants engaged in exercise changed their VFT performance over time, while control group participants did not. Exercising participants produced more words over the course of their exercise session that contained fewer letters over time and were lower in frequency during and after exercise as compared to before exercise. Additionally, topic switches in the VFTs increased after exercise as compared to before exercise. Participants in the control group did not change their VFT performance over time according to any of these measures. These findings indicate that exercise impacted participants’ lexical access and that these VFT performance changes were not due to practice effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being)

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13 pages, 251 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

The Fitness, Rest, and Exercise for Strength and Health (FRESH) Study: A Three-Year Comparison of College Students’ Perceived and Measured Health Metrics

by Julia Blouin, Adelaide Feek, Yichen Jin, Jennifer Cook, Timothy O’Neal and Jennifer M. Sacheck

Nutrients 2025, 17(2), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020217 - 8 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2507

Abstract

The undergraduate college years are a critical transition period for young adults in establishing life-long health behaviors. Background/Objective: Within the FRESH Study, we aimed to understand the relationship between perceived physical health, perceived mental health, and specific health metrics (e.g., physical activity, [...] Read more.

The undergraduate college years are a critical transition period for young adults in establishing life-long health behaviors. Background/Objective: Within the FRESH Study, we aimed to understand the relationship between perceived physical health, perceived mental health, and specific health metrics (e.g., physical activity, food insecurity, sleep quality) among college students following the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: First-year undergraduate students (n = 271) from an urban university were recruited in three study waves (2021–2022, 2022–2023, and 2023–2024). Participants answered online surveys on demographics, health perceptions, physical activity, dietary patterns, beverage consumption, food insecurity, stress, and sleep quality. Results: Overall, participants rated their physical health better than their mental health (‘good’, ‘very good’, or ‘excellent’; 89.6% vs. 62.2%), even though 30.7% were not of ‘healthy weight’ status, 34.5% did not meet physical activity recommendations, and 42.2% of students consumed some sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Students reporting suboptimal (‘fair’ or ‘poor’) physical and mental health were more likely to report food insecurity (p < 0.001, p = 0.010), poor sleep quality (p = 0.012, p < 0.001), and elevated stress (p = 0.001, p < 0.001). In addition, fast-food consumption (p < 0.001), breakfast consumption (p = 0.031), and food insecurity (p = 0.004) showed changes over three years. Conclusions: These findings call for targeted wellness initiatives addressing nutrition, food insecurity, stress management, sleep improvement, and physical activity among students and in university health programs. The FRESH Study emphasizes the need for continued longitudinal research to track health behaviors and inform future interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being)

12 pages, 1156 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Determining the Levels of Cortisol, Testosterone, Lactic Acid and Anaerobic Performance in Athletes Using Various Forms of Coffee

by Melda Gür, Vedat Çınar, Taner Akbulut, Kenan Bozbay, Polat Yücedal, Mehdi Aslan, Gökçe Avcu, Johnny Padulo, Luca Russo, Joanna Rog and Gian Mario Migliaccio

Nutrients 2024, 16(19), 3228; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193228 - 24 Sep 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 11937

Abstract

Background: Coffee is considered one of the most preferred and consumed beverage types in the world, and caffeine is known to increase physical performance due to its ergogenic properties. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of coffee consumption in [...] Read more.

Background: Coffee is considered one of the most preferred and consumed beverage types in the world, and caffeine is known to increase physical performance due to its ergogenic properties. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of coffee consumption in different forms on cortisol, testosterone, lactic acid and anaerobic performance levels. Methods: A total of 15 licensed male football players participated in the research voluntarily. The research was implemented in a single-blind, counterbalanced, randomized and crossover study design. Participants were given caffeinated coffee (CK), decaffeinated coffee (placebo) (DK), powdered caffeine (in a gelatin capsule) (PC) and powdered placebo (maltodextrin in a capsule) (PM) on different days, and the Wingate test protocol was performed after the warm-up protocol. Blood samples were collected post-test. Cortisol, testosterone and lactic acid levels in the serum samples taken were determined by the ELISA method. Results: As a result, it was revealed that caffeinated coffee given to participants who exercise increased anaerobic power. However, it was observed that lactic acid levels were higher in placebo and decaffeinated coffee. The highest level of cortisol was found in caffeinated coffee and powdered caffeine compared to the placebo. Testosterone values were observed to be highest in caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee compared to a placebo. Conclusions: The study suggests that the type of caffeine is a factor that affects absorption rate, which impacts performance and hormone levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Exercise and Nutrition for Physical Performance, Mental Health and General Well-Being)

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