Physical fitness, hormonal profile, nutritional and psychological aspects assessment of transgender women volleyball players submitted to physical tests: protocol paper of a prospective cohort.

To evaluate aerobic capacity, strength and other physiological, nutritional, and psychological variables which may influence the performance of transgender women (TW) athletes and compare them to cisgender women (CW) and cisgender men (CM) athletes, as well as changes in TW performance over the course of a year. Prospective cohort study including three groups: TW, CW and CM volleyball athletes. Subjects will be comprehensively assessed at two different moments: baseline and after 6-12 months of adequate hormonal therapy. Evaluation will comprise clinical, medical, nutritional and psychological interviews, incremental treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing, hand grip strength test, vertical jump test, analysis of sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), hormonal profile, echocardiogram, analysis of resting energy expenditure, assessment of bone mass and body composition through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, and untargeted metabolomic analysis. CW and CM matched by age, body mass index and level of physical activity will undergo a similar evaluation. The assessment of the strength, aerobic capacity, haematological, nutritional and psychological status of TW using gold-standard tests will contribute to understanding the impact of oestrogen therapy on the exercise performance of these athletes and how they compare with CW and CM.

One-month of a low-energy diet, with no additional effect of high-protein, reduces Obstructive Sleep Apnea severity and improve metabolic parameters in obese males.

PURPOSE: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is closely associated with obesity. Weight loss ameliorates OSA and its associated metabolic disorders. A high protein intake may improve weight loss through increased energy expenditure, and fat-free mass maintenance during weight loss. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a low-energy, high-protein diet on OSA severity and metabolic parameters in obese men. METHODS: Forty-five OSA obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) males were included in this randomized study and submitted to nocturnal polysomnography, body composition measured by plethysmography, biochemical analyses of blood glucose, insulin and lipids, and food intake evaluations before and after one month of a low-energy diet. Diets were designed to create a 30% deficit in total energy expenditure with 1.6 g of protein/kg/day (High Protein group - HP) or 0.8 g of protein/kg/day (Low Protein group - LP). RESULTS: Only a time effect of the intervention was observed in body mass (-3.7 ± 2.0% for the LP group and -4.0 ± 1.5% for the HP group; p < 0.001), Body Mass Index (p < 0.001), fat mass in kg (p < 0.01) and fat-free mass in kg (p < 0.01). Significant improvements in Apnea Hypopnea Index were observed in both groups (54.0 ± 25.0 to 33.7 ± 31.7 in LP group; 39.7 ± 24.3 to 21.4 ± 25.9 in HP group; p = 0.06). Improvements of 38% and 46% in the Apnea-Hypopnea Index were observed in the LP and HP groups, respectively. Both interventions provided equivalent metabolic benefits as reductions in glucose (p < 0.001), insulin (p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.005), triglycerides (p = 0.002), and in total cholesterol (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: One month of a low-energy diet resulted in significant improvements in OSA severity in obese men. Increased protein intake during a short period of low-energy diet had no further beneficial effects on OSA severity or biochemical parameters than a standard protein diet. Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT01985035.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Acute Skeletal Muscle Recovery after Exercise.

PURPOSE: Sleep is considered essential for muscle recovery, mainly due to its effect on hormone secretion. Total sleep deprivation or restriction is known to alter not only blood hormones but also cytokines that might be related to skeletal muscle recovery. This study aimed to evaluate whether total sleep deprivation after eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage (EEIMD) modifies the profiles of blood hormones and cytokines. METHODS: In two separate conditions, with a crossover and randomized model, 10 men (age, 24.5 ± 2.9 yr; body mass index, 22.7 ± 2.3 kg·m) performed a unilateral EEIMD protocol that comprised 240 eccentric contractions of the knee extensor muscles using an isokinetic dynamometer. In one condition, a "muscle damage" protocol was followed by 48 h of total sleep deprivation and 12 h of normal sleep (DEPRIVATION). In the other condition, the same muscle damage protocol was conducted, followed by three nights of regular sleep (SLEEP). Isometric muscle voluntary contraction tests and blood samples were collected serially throughout the protocol and analyzed for creatine kinase, free and total testosterone, IGF-1, cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, receptor antagonist of IL-1 and IL-10. RESULTS: Muscle voluntary contraction and serum creatine kinase increased equally over the study period in both conditions. From the cytokines evaluated, only IL-6 increased in DEPRIVATION. No differences were detected in testosterone levels between conditions, but IGF-1, cortisol, and cortisol/total testosterone ratio were higher in DEPRIVATION. CONCLUSIONS: Total sleep deprivation after EEIMD does not delay muscle strength recovery but modifies inflammatory and hormonal responses.

Weight loss probiotic supplementation effect in overweight and obesity subjects: A review.

Obese individuals present adverse changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota, leading to alterations in energy balance, lipid metabolism, endocrine disturbances, and low-grade chronic systemic inflammation increases. Probiotic supplementation appears to change gut microbiota by decrease gut permeability, inflammation, and metabolic disorders, creating a promising environment to weight loss. This revision resumes the main findings of probiotic supplementation and weight loss that contributed to building the current background linking changes in gut microbiota profile and with obesity.

Relationship of evening meal with sleep quality in obese individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between habitual food intake, resting energy expenditure and sleep pattern in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. METHODS: Forty-five OSA obese males were included in the study. All participants were submitted to nocturnal polysomnography, body composition measurements by plethysmography, resting energy expenditure (REE) analysis by indirect calorimetry and they filled in a 3-day food record. RESULTS: No differences in body composition, REE and food intake were found between the moderate and severe OSA groups. A trend towards higher energy intake in the severe OSA group was observed, compared to the moderate group (p = 0.08). Significant associations between apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) with body weight, body mass index (BMI) and resting energy expenditure (REE) were found. Higher food intake in the evening period was positively correlated with sleep stage NREM1, arousal index, and AHI and negatively correlated with sleep stage NREM3 and sleep efficiency. A multivariate linear regression showed energy intake at breakfast to be a significant negative predictor of AHI; protein intake (g/kg) showed a positive association, while energy intake at breakfast and at dinner were negative predictors of sleep efficiency; and energy intake at dinner was a negative predictor of stage NREM1 sleep. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that higher amounts of food intake during the evening period may diminish sleep quality in moderate and severe sleep apnea patients. In addition, despite observing no differences between OSA severity groups, a moderate correlation between REE and sleep quality and OSA exists.