ABSTRACT
Purpose : This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between pedometer counts and food intake in Japanese elderly people.Methods : One-hundred-eighty healthy, community-dwelling elderly people were divided into three groups according to age. The number of steps taken by each subject was recorded with a pedometer over a 30-day period in August. The dietary and nutritional intakes were estimated using a food frequency questionnaire.Results : There was no significant difference in the pedometer counts between men and women. The number of steps significantly decreased with age (p<0.01). The intake of energy, protein and carbohydrate were significantly higher in men than in women (p<0.05), and they were nearly the same among the three aged groups. The calcium and vitamin C intakes after adjusting for sex and age increased with the number of daily steps, except for the intakes of energy, protein and carbohydrates.Conclusion : A higher number of daily steps was found to be associated with the calcium and vitamin C intakes.
ABSTRACT
Purpose : This study was undertaken to clarify the effect of heme-iron supplementation on the prevention of iron-deficiency anemia in male collegiate distance runners.Methods : Forty-one male collegiate runners were divided into three groups, consisting of a heme-iron group (HI), a citrate-iron group (CI), and a non-iron group (NI). Iron tablets (heme-iron or citrate-iron) were administered at a dose of 7 mg per day for two months. The blood components and nutritional intakes were estimated before and after the intervention.Results : The nutritional intakes did not differ among the three groups. The red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, ferritin, Glutamic-Pyruvate Transferase and <i>γ</i>-Glutamyl Transpeptidase levels were unchanged throughout the experimental periods. After the intervention, the serum iron levels significantly decreased in the NI group but not in the iron-supplemented groups, while the reticulocytes counts increased among the three groups.Conclusion : The small amount of heme-iron supplementation was thus found to have a preventive effect on iron deficiency anemia without causing any negative side affects.
ABSTRACT
Purpose : Rhythmic gymnasts sometimes develop severe iron-deficiency anemia. Preventing such anemia could thus enhance both their performance and health. We compared the relationship between a dietary intervention and RBC metabolism.Methods : Ten female rhythmic gymnasts were recruited for this study. Changes in the RBC delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity were used as an index of biosynthesis, and changes in the haptoglobin (hp) were used to assess degradation.Results : During the one month intervention period, the athletes consumed traditional Japanese foods which provide 1500 kcal energy, 2 g/kg body weight protein, 200 g carbohydrate and 15 mg iron. No main effect of this intervention on the hematological indexes was observed. The δ-ALAD activity was significantly greater in August than in July or September. Hp concentration was significantly lower in August in comparison to the other periods.Conclusion : Dietary intervention might enhance the RBC turnover by increasing the capacity for erythrocyte biosynthesis and degradation.