Oral post-exercise garlic extract supplementation enhances glycogen replenishment but does not up-regulate mitochondria biogenesis mRNA expression in human-exercised skeletal muscle.

PURPOSE: Garlic extract (GA) is purported to enhance antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and glucose regulation in humans. The present study investigated the effects of post-exercise GA supplementation on GLUT4 expression, glycogen replenishment, and the transcript factors involved with mitochondrial biosynthesis in exercised human skeletal muscle. METHODS: The single-blinded crossover counterbalanced study was completed by 12 participants. Participants were randomly divided into either GA (2000 mg of GA) or placebo trials immediately after completing a single bout of cycling exercise at 75% Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) for 60 minutes. Participants consumed either GA (2000 mg) or placebo capsules with a high glycemic index carbohydrate meal (2 g carb/body weight) immediately after exercise. Muscle samples were collected at 0-h and 3-h post-exercise. Muscle samples were used to measure glycogen levels, GLUT4 protein expression, as well as transcription factors for glucose uptake, and mitochondria biogenesis. Plasma glucose, insulin, glycerol, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations, and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were also analyzed during the post-exercise recovery periods. RESULTS: Skeletal muscle glycogen replenishment was significantly elevated during the 3-h recovery period for GA concurrent with no difference in GLUT4 protein expression between the garlic and placebo trials. PGC1-α gene expression was up-regulated for both GA and placebo after exercise (p < 0.05). Transcript factors corresponding to muscle mitochondrial biosynthesis were significantly enhanced under acute garlic supplementation as demonstrated by TFAM and FIS1. However, the gene expression of SIRT1, ERRα, NFR1, NFR2, MFN1, MFN2, OPA1, Beclin-1, DRP1 were not enhanced, nor were there any improvements in GLUT4 expression, following post-exercise garlic supplementation. CONCLUSION: Acute post-exercise garlic supplementation may improve the replenishment of muscle glycogen, but this appears to be unrelated to the gene expression for glucose uptake and mitochondrial biosynthesis in exercised human skeletal muscle.

Effect of green tea extract supplementation on glycogen replenishment in exercised human skeletal muscle.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week green tea extract (GTE) supplementation on promoting postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis and systemic energy substrate utilisation in young college students. A total of eight healthy male participants (age: 22·0 (se 1·0) years, BMI: 24·2 (se 0·7) kg/m2, VO2max: 43·2 (se 2·4) ml/kg per min) participated in this study. GTE (500 mg/d for 8 weeks) was compared with placebo in participants in a double-blind/placebo-controlled and crossover study design with an 8-week washout period. Thereafter, all participants performed a 60-min cycling exercise (75 % VO2max) and consumed a carbohydrate-enriched meal immediately after exercise. Vastus lateralis muscle samples were collected immediately (0 h) and 3 h after exercise, and blood and gaseous samples were collected during the 3-h postexercise recovery period. An 8-week oral GTE supplementation had no effects on further promoting muscle glycogen resynthesis in exercised human skeletal muscle, but the exercise-induced muscle GLUT type 4 (GLUT4) protein content was greater in the GTE supplementation trial (P<0·05). We observed that, during the postexercise recovery period, GTE supplementation elicited an increase in energy reliance on fat oxidation compared with the placebo trial (P<0·05), although there were no differences in blood glucose and insulin responses between the two trials. In summary, 8-week oral GTE supplementation increases postexercise systemic fat oxidation and exercise-induced muscle GLUT4 protein content in response to an acute bout of endurance exercise. However, GTE supplementation has no further benefit on promoting muscle glycogen resynthesis during the postexercise period.

3-Month physical activity checklist: development and validation with Taiwanese adults with mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been shown to be an effective intervention to improve psychological and emotional functions for individuals with mental illness. Many scales have been used to measure physical activity in general populations, but most existing scales may not be easily applied to individuals with mental illness. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the 3-Month Physical Activity Checklist developed to measure physical activity performance in Taiwanese adults with mental illness. DESIGN: A survey questionnaire design was used to gather cross-sectional data for the scale. DATA COLLECTION AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of patients recruited in 2007-2010 from two mental health clinics in central Taiwan. The study was conducted in three phases: test-retest reliability and scale restructuring (n=28), test-retest reliability and criterion-validity testing of the restructured scale (n=60), and cross-sample testing (n=273). In third phase, participants were diagnosed with anxiety disorders (n=153), schizophrenia (n=98), and bipolar disorders (n=22). MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: Data were collected by self-report 3-Month Physical Activity Checklist and an administered Chinese version of the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall. Data were analyzed by intraclass correlation coefficients and chi-square test. RESULTS: The restructured scale had 2-week test-retest reliability coefficients for light, moderate, and vigorous activity of 0.71, 0.78, and 0.86, respectively. Moderate to high agreement was found between the two scales for light (r=0.47), moderate (r=0.64), and vigorous activities (r=0.73). Recommended physical activity levels were achieved by 28.6% of participants (n=78) and differed significantly by type of mental disorder (χ(2)=21.98, p<0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The 3-Month Physical Activity Checklist has acceptable reliability and criterion validity to measure physical activity performance of Taiwanese adults with mental illness. The scale can be used by mental health professionals to identify levels and types of physical activity, which may be used to evaluate treatment effects or nursing care outcomes for patients with mental illness.

Role strain of different gender nursing students in obstetrics practice: a comparative study.

The purpose of this study was to compare gender-based differences in levels of role strain and related attitudes among nursing students and to examine factors associated with role strain experienced by students during obstetric practice. A cross-sectional survey was used on a sample of 95 female and 55 male baccalaureate nursing students who had completed their obstetric practice at one of two universities in central Taiwan. Results showed role strain in male nursing students to be significantly higher than that in female nursing students, especially in terms of role incongruity. The attitude of male nursing students toward clinical instructors, healthcare providers, and clients and their families and the stereotyped viewpoint about the gender role and occupation were all significantly higher than those of their female counterparts. Most variance (57.3%) in role strain in male nursing students was explained by attitude toward clinical instructors, attitude toward clients with their families, a lack of interest in nursing, and attitude toward healthcare providers. By way of comparison, attitude toward clinical instructors, attitude toward clients and their families, and attitude toward healthcare providers explained 30.1% of the variance of role strain in female nursing students. Results of this study may enhance understanding of the experiences of nursing students in obstetric practice and serve as a reference for nursing educators on curriculum development and clinical instruction.