Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC): human studies design and protocol.

Physical activity, including structured exercise, is associated with favorable health-related chronic disease outcomes. Although there is evidence of various molecular pathways that affect these responses, a comprehensive molecular map of these molecular responses to exercise has not been developed. The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) is a multicenter study designed to isolate the effects of structured exercise training on the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise and physical activity.

Soy Isoflavones for Reducing Bone Loss Study: effects of a 3-year trial on hormones, adverse events, and endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women.

Objective: This study aims to assess the overall safety and potential endometrium-stimulating effects of soy isoflavone tablets consumed (3 y) by postmenopausal women and to determine endometrial thickness response to treatment among compliant women, taking into account hormone concentrations and other hypothesized modifying factors.

Methods: We randomized healthy postmenopausal women (aged 45.8-65.

Flavonoid intake and bone health.

Flavonoids, found in a wide diversity of plant foods from fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, essential oils, and beverages, have the most potential of dietary components for promotion of bone health beyond calcium and vitamin D. Recent epidemiological studies show flavonoid consumption to have a stronger association with bone than general fruit and vegetable consumption. Bioactive flavonoids are being assessed for properties beyond their chemical antioxidant capacity, including anti-inflammatory actions.

The effect of soy protein beverages on serum cell adhesion molecule concentrations in prehypertensive/stage 1 hypertensive individuals.

Objective: Prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals are at increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), in part because hypertension contributes to endothelial dysfunction and increased cell adhesion molecule expression. Soy protein and isoflavones may favorably alter CVD risk factors, and hence the aim of this study was to determine whether intake of cow's milk compared with soy beverage prepared from whole soy bean (WSB) or soy protein isolate (SPI) would lower soluble cell adhesion molecule concentrations as a means of decreasing CVD risk.

Methods: We enrolled healthy prehypertensive/stage 1 hypertensive men (n = 60; 18-63 years) and premenopausal women (n = 8; 20-48 years).

The effect of soy food intake on mineral status in premenopausal women.

Background: Soy foods have been substituted for meat in recent years because of proposed health benefits. Research indicates, however, that soy protein and phytate in soy products inhibit the absorption of divalent cations.

Methods: Our study was primarily designed to determine the effect of consuming two to three servings per day of soy foods, providing ∼19 g protein and ∼36 mg isoflavones, on iron and zinc status in premenopausal women during a 10-weeks period.

The soy isoflavones for reducing bone loss study: 3-yr effects on pQCT bone mineral density and strength measures in postmenopausal women.

Soy isoflavones exert inconsistent bone density-preserving effects, but the bone strength-preserving effects in humans are unknown. Our double-blind randomized controlled trial examined 2 soy isoflavone doses (80 or 120mg/d) vs placebo tablets on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and strength (by means of peripheral quantitative computed tomography) in healthy postmenopausal women (46-63yr). We measured 3-yr changes in cortical BMD (CtBMD), cortical thickness (CtThk), periosteal circumference (PC), endosteal circumference (EC), and strength-strain index (SSI) at 1/3 midshaft femur (N=171), and trabecular BMD (TbBMD), PC, and SSI at 4% distal tibia (N=162).

Androidal fat dominates in predicting cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women.

We hypothesized that soy isoflavones would attenuate the anticipated increase in androidal fat mass in postmenopausal women during the 36-month treatment, and thereby favorably modify the circulating cardiometabolic risk factors: triacylglycerol, LDL-C, HDL-C, glucose, insulin, uric acid, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and homocysteine. We collected data on 224 healthy postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis (45.8-65 y, median BMI 24.

Contribution of serum inflammatory markers to changes in bone mineral content and density in postmenopausal women: a 1-year investigation.

Bone formation and resorption are influenced by inflammatory processes. We examined the relationships among inflammatory markers and bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) and determined the contribution of inflammatory markers to 1-yr changes in BMC and BMD in healthy postmenopausal women. This analysis included 242 women at baseline from our parent Soy Isoflavones for Reducing Bone Loss project who were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: placebo, 80 mg/d soy isoflavones, or 120 mg/d soy isoflavones.

Appetitive hormones, but not isoflavone tablets, influence overall and central adiposity in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: One of the multiple health benefits of soy protein or its isoflavones may be their purported favorable effect on body composition. We examined the effect of isoflavones extracted from soy protein on overall and regional body composition, taking into account appetitive hormones as potential mediators, as well as the direct effect on appetitive hormones.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial included 229 healthy postmenopausal women (age, 45.

The soy isoflavones for reducing bone loss (SIRBL) study: a 3-y randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women.

Background: Our previous study indicated that soy protein with isoflavones lessened lumbar spine bone loss in midlife women.

Objective: We examined the efficacy of isoflavones (extracted from soy protein) on bone mineral density (BMD) in nonosteoporotic postmenopausal women. We hypothesized that isoflavone tablets would spare BMD, with biological (age, body weight, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) and lifestyle (physical activity, dietary intake) factors modulating BMD loss.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is related to indicators of overall physical fitness in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: Inadequate vitamin D status is related to increased adiposity, risk of falls, and muscle weakness, particularly in older people. We hypothesized that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is related to physical fitness indices (androidal fat, whole body lean mass, balance, strength) in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods: Covariates for fitness indices included age or years since menopause, weight, 25(OH)D, energy expenditure, and calcium intake.

Association of oxidative stress, iron, and centralized fat mass in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: Centralized adiposity, insulin resistance, excess iron, and elevated oxidative stress place postmenopausal women at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to determine the relationship among excess iron, oxidative stress, and centralized fat mass in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods: The parent project recruited healthy women for a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial designed to examine the effect of soy isoflavones on bone.

Centrally located body fat is related to appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: Body composition and energy homeostasis are thought to affect the appetitive hormones: adiponectin, leptin, insulin, and ghrelin. This study examined whether centrally located fat and/or overall adiposity were related to these appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.

Design: Overall and regional body composition was assessed by dual-energy X ray absorptiometry in relation to plasma adiponectin, serum leptin, serum insulin, and plasma ghrelin in 242 postmenopausal women.

Centrally located body fat is related to inflammatory markers in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objective: C-reactive protein and fibrinogen are established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors. These acute-phase proteins and the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1beta may be elevated in obesity and with menopause. The purpose of this multicenter study was to identify whether centrally located fat and/or overall adiposity were related to these inflammatory markers in healthy postmenopausal women.

Quantifying leisure physical activity and its relation to bone density and strength.

Purpose: Compare three published methods of quantifying physical activity (total activity, peak strain, and bone-loading exposure (BLE) scores) and identify their associations with areal bone mineral density (aBMD), volumetric BMD (vBMD), and bone strength.

Methods: Postmenopausal women (N = 239; mean age: 53.8 yr) from Iowa (ISU) and California (UCD) completed the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire, which was scored with each method.

Relationship of circulating total homocysteine and C-reactive protein to trabecular bone in postmenopausal women.

Homocysteine (Hcy) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are novel risk factors for osteoporosis. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the relationship of Hcy and CRP to volumetric trabecular bone, but also to assess their relationship to areal composite bone in healthy postmenopausal women (N=184). We used peripheral quantitative computed tomography to assess volumetric bone at the distal tibia and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to assess areal composite bone at the proximal femur and lumbar spine.

Effects of soy isoflavones and phytate on homocysteine, C-reactive protein, and iron status in postmenopausal women.

Background: Soy protein or its components may protect against the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors total homocysteine (tHcy), C-reactive protein (CRP), and excess body iron, which generally increase with menopause.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the independent effect of the soy protein components isoflavones and phytate on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women. The secondary objective was to identify factors [blood lipids, oxidative stress indexes, serum ferritin, plasma folate, plasma vitamin B-12, and body mass index (BMI)] contributing to tHcy and CRP concentrations.

Body composition, dietary intake, and iron status of female collegiate swimmers and divers.

This study determined the effect of training on body composition, dietary intake, and iron status of eumenorrheic female collegiate swimmers (n = 18) and divers (n = 6) preseason and after 16 wk of training. Athletes trained on dryland (resistance, strength, flexibility) 3 d/wk, 1.5 h/d and in-water 6 d/wk, nine, 2-h sessions per week (6400 to 10,000 kJ/d).

Blood lipid and oxidative stress responses to soy protein with isoflavones and phytic acid in postmenopausal women.

Background: Postmenopausal women are at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a result of unfavorable blood lipid profiles and increased oxidative stress. Soy protein consumption may help protect against these risk factors.

Objective: Our objective was to ascertain the effect of the soy protein components isoflavones and phytate on CVD risk in postmenopausal women.

Skeletal benefits of soy isoflavones: a review of the clinical trial and epidemiologic data.

Purpose Of Review: Osteoporosis is a worldwide problem of immense magnitude that is expected to worsen in many countries with aging populations. Consequently, there is a need to identify ways to reduce the risk of developing this disease. This is especially true in light of clinical trial data showing the long-term harm of conventional hormone therapy outweighs the benefits.

Rapid gut transit time and slow fecal isoflavone disappearance phenotype are associated with greater genistein bioavailability in women.

The bioavailability of soybean isoflavones varies widely among individuals due to many factors, including activities of gut microflora. To characterize factors that affect fecal isoflavone disappearance phenotype and isoflavone bioavailability in women, 35 Asian and 33 Caucasian women, 18-43 y of age, provided fecal samples for anaerobic incubation with isoflavones in vitro at two times 5 mo apart (Phases I and II). Diet, physical activity and health history were investigated at these times.

Isoflavone-rich soy protein prevents loss of hip lean mass but does not prevent the shift in regional fat distribution in perimenopausal women.

Objective: Menopause-induced estrogen deficiency increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is related to a shift in regional fat distribution. We tested the hypothesis that estrogen-like isoflavones in soy protein isolate (SPI+) would lessen both regional fat gain and lean loss compared with isoflavone-poor soy (SPI-).

Design: Perimenopausal participants (N = 69) were randomly assigned (double-blind) to 24 weeks of treatment (40 g soy or whey protein per day): SPI+ (n = 24), SPI- (n = 24), or whey control (n = 21); each participant had blood drawn in the fasted (12 hours) state, had physical activity assessed, and kept a 5-day food diary.

Frame size, ethnicity, lifestyle, and biologic contributors to areal and volumetric lumbar spine bone mineral density in Indian/Pakistani and American Caucasian premenopausal women.

Published data on the spinal bone mineral density (BMD) of premenopausal women originating from the Indian subcontinent (Indian/Pakistani) are few. We compared anteroposterior (AP) and lateral areal BMD (aBMD) using dual X-ray absorptiometry and calculated volumetric BMD (vBMD) in Indian/Pakistani (n = 47) vs American (n = 47) women with dissimilar statures and skeletal sizes. To account for differences, we "adjusted" lumbar aBMD separately for vertebral size (aBMD/the square root of the projected area), height (aBMD/height), and hip skeletal width (aBMD/hip width).

Iron indexes and total antioxidant status in response to soy protein intake in perimenopausal women.

Background: Elevated iron stores, oxidative stress, and estrogen deficiency may place postmenopausal women at greater risk of heart disease and cancer than premenopausal women.

Objective: The objective was to determine the effect of soy-protein isolate (SPI) intake and iron indexes on plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) in perimenopausal women after control for other contributing factors.

Design: Perimenopausal women (n = 69) were randomly assigned (double blind) to treatment: isoflavone-rich SPI (SPI+; n = 24), isoflavone-poor SPI (SPI-; n = 24), or whey protein (control; n = 21).