Chronic pantothenic acid supplementation does not affect muscle coenzyme A content or cycling performance.

This study determined if supplementation with pantothenic acid (PA) for 16 weeks could increase skeletal muscle coenzyme A (CoASH) content and exercise performance. Trained male cyclists ( = 14) were matched into control or PA (6 g·day) groups. At 0, 4, 8, and 16 weeks, subjects performed an incremental time to exhaustion cycle with muscle biopsies taken prior to and following exercise.

Potato ingestion is as effective as carbohydrate gels to support prolonged cycling performance.

Carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion is an established strategy to improve endurance performance. Race fuels should not only sustain performance but also be readily digested and absorbed. Potatoes are a whole-food-based option that fulfills these criteria, yet their impact on performance remains unexamined.

Differences in visceral adipose tissue and biochemical cardiometabolic risk markers in elite rugby union athletes of Caucasian and Polynesian descent.

Polynesian individuals are leaner with greater musculature than Caucasians of an equivalent size, and this genetically different morphology provides a physique that is often compatible with success in a number of sports, including rugby union. Evidence indicates that Polynesians have greater stores of absolute and relative abdominal fat mass and this is known to confer cardiometabolic risk. The aims of this study were to (1) explore the relationship between ethnicity, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and cardiometabolic disease risk markers in elite Caucasian and Polynesian rugby union athletes, and (2) assess the impact of a pre-season training programme on these markers.

Measured and predicted resting energy expenditure in wheelchair rugby athletes.

Report measured resting energy expenditure (REE) in wheelchair rugby athletes and evaluate agreement between REE and the prediction models of Chun, Cunningham, Harris-Benedict, Mifflin, Nightingale and Gorgey, and Owen. Cohort-based validation study. Paralympic team training camp.

Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and impaired bone health: A survey of elite para athletes.

Introduction: The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is a syndrome describing three interrelated conditions: low energy availability (LEA), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density (BMD). Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) expands the Triad to include multiple physiologic consequences of LEA in both sexes. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of factors associated with the Triad/RED-S in an elite para athlete population.

Same-Day Vs Consecutive-Day Precision Error of Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry for Interpreting Body Composition Change in Resistance-Trained Athletes.

The application of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in sport science settings is gaining popularity due to its ability to assess body composition. The International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) recommends application of the least significant change (LSC) to interpret meaningful and true change. This is calculated from same-day consecutive scans, thus accounting for technical error.

Physiological responses during a 25-km time trial in elite wheelchair racing athletes.

Study Design: Observational study.

Objectives: To characterize the cardiorespiratory and metabolic response of elite wheelchair racing (WCR) athletes during a 25 km, field-based time trial.

Settings: University laboratory and field racing course in Urbana, Illinois, USA.

Preseason Body Composition Adaptations in Elite White and Polynesian Rugby Union Athletes.

During preseason training, rugby union (RU) athletes endeavor to enhance physical performance characteristics that are aligned with on-field success. Specific physique traits are associated with performance; therefore body composition assessment is routinely undertaken in elite environments. This study aimed to quantify preseason physique changes in elite RU athletes with unique morphology and divergent ethnicity.

Longitudinal Changes in Body Composition Assessed Using DXA and Surface Anthropometry Show Good Agreement in Elite Rugby Union Athletes.

Rugby union athletes have divergent body composition based on the demands of their on-field playing position and ethnicity. With an established association between physique traits and positional requirements, body composition assessment is routinely undertaken. Surface anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are the most common assessment techniques used, often undertaken synchronously.

Skinfold Prediction Equations Fail to Provide an Accurate Estimate of Body Composition in Elite Rugby Union Athletes of Caucasian and Polynesian Ethnicity.

Body composition in elite rugby union athletes is routinely assessed using surface anthropometry, which can be utilized to provide estimates of absolute body composition using regression equations. This study aims to assess the ability of available skinfold equations to estimate body composition in elite rugby union athletes who have unique physique traits and divergent ethnicity. The development of sport-specific and ethnicity-sensitive equations was also pursued.

Circulating Progenitor Cell Response to Exercise in Wheelchair Racing Athletes.

Introduction: Circulating progenitor cells (CPC) are a heterogeneous population of stem/progenitor cells in peripheral blood that participate in tissue repair. CPC mobilization has been well characterized in able-bodied persons but has not been previously investigated in wheelchair racing athletes. The purpose of this study was to characterize CPC and CPC subpopulation mobilization in elite wheelchair racing athletes in response to acute, upper-extremity aerobic exercise to determine whether CPC responses are similar to ambulatory populations.

Resting energy expenditure in male athletes with a spinal cord injury.

Objective: To investigate whether there are differences in the resting energy expenditure (REE) and body composition of athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to active able-bodied controls.

Design: In this cross sectional study, male athletes with a SCI were compared to active able-bodied controls matched for age, stretch stature and body mass. In addition, the accuracy of standard REE prediction equations in estimating REE was assessed.

Case Study: Nutrition Planning and Intake for Marathon des Sables-A Series of Five Runners.

This case study describes the nutrition plans, intakes and experiences of five ultra-marathon runners who completed the Marathon des Sables in 2011 and 2013; age 37 (28-43) y, height 184 (180-190) cm, body mass 77.5 (71-85.5) kg, marathon personal best 3:08 (2:40-3:32).

Do current sports nutrition guidelines conflict with good oral health?

For optimal athletic performance, an athlete requires good oral health to reduce the risk of oral pain, inflammation, and infection and thereby minimize the use of analgesics and antimicrobial agents. Increased intake, frequency, and dental contact time of carbohydrate-rich foods, sports nutrition products, and acidic carbohydrate-containing sports and energy drinks may contribute to risks of dental erosion, caries, and inflammatory periodontal conditions in the athlete, especially when he or she also exhibits dehydration and poor oral hygiene habits. Examining the athlete before he or she begins participating in a sport allows the dental care provider to determine the patient's existing oral health, hygiene, and susceptibility to risk factors for erosion, caries, and inflammatory periodontal disease.

Body composition characteristics of elite Australian rugby union athletes according to playing position and ethnicity.

This study describes the body composition traits of modern-day elite rugby union athletes according to playing position and ethnicity. Thirty-seven international Australian rugby athletes of Caucasian and Polynesian descent undertook body composition assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and surface anthropometry. Forwards were significantly taller, heavier and had a greater total fat mass and lean mass than backs.

The effect of variable doses of inorganic nitrate-rich beetroot juice on simulated 2,000-m rowing performance in trained athletes.

Context: Beetroot juice is a naturally rich source of inorganic nitrate (NO(3-)), a compound hypothesized to enhance endurance performance by improving exercise efficiency.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of different doses of beetroot juice on 2000-m ergometer-rowing performance in highly trained athletes.

Methods: Ten highly trained male rowers volunteered to participate in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded crossover study.

Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis.

Quantity and timing of protein ingestion are major factors regulating myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS). However, the effect of specific ingestion patterns on MPS throughout a 12 h period is unknown. We determined how different distributions of protein feeding during 12 h recovery after resistance exercise affects anabolic responses in skeletal muscle.

Effects of exercise intensity and altered substrate availability on cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise after oral carnitine supplementation in athletes.

The effects of 15 d of supplementation with L-carnitine L-tartrate (LC) on metabolic responses to graded-intensity exercise under conditions of altered substrate availability were examined. Fifteen endurance-trained male athletes undertook exercise trials after a 2-d high-carbohydrate diet (60% CHO, 25% fat) at baseline (D0), on Day 14 (D14), and after a single day of high fat intake (15% CHO, 70% fat) on Day 15 (D15) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, pair-matched design. Treatment consisted of 3 g LC (2 g L-carnitine/d; n = 8) or placebo (P, n = 7) for 15 d.

Carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism during exercise after oral carnitine supplementation in humans.

Twenty nonvegetarian active males were pair-matched and randomly assigned to receive 2 g of L-carnitine L-tartrate (LC) or placebo per day for 2 wk. Participants exercised for 90 min at 70% VO2max after 2 days of a prescribed diet (M +/- SD: 13.6 +/- 1.

Effects of four weeks L-carnitine L-tartrate ingestion on substrate utilization during prolonged exercise.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design, 15 trained males undertook exercise trials during two 4 wk supplementation periods, with either 3 g L-Carnitine L-tartrate (LCLT) or 3 g placebo (P) daily. Total carbohydrate and fat oxidation during 90 min steady state cycling were not different between 0 or 4 wk within LCLT or P trials (mean +/- standard deviation: carbohydrate oxidation P0 99 +/- 36, P4W 111 +/- 27, LCLT0 107 +/- 33, LCLT4W 112 +/- 32 g, respectively; fat oxidation P0 99 +/- 28, P4W 92 +/- 21, LCLT0 94 +/- 18, LCLT4W 90 +/- 22 g, respectively). Subsequent 20 km time trial duration was shorter after P (P0 31:29 +/- 3:50, P4W 29:55 +/- 2:58 min:s, P < 0.

Eating patterns and meal frequency of elite Australian athletes.

We undertook a dietary survey of 167 Australian Olympic team athletes (80 females and 87 males) competing in endurance sports (n = 41), team sports (n = 31), sprint- or skill-based sports (n = 67), and sports in which athletes are weight-conscious (n = 28). Analysis of their 7-day food diaries provided mean energy intakes, nutrient intakes, and eating patterns. Higher energy intakes relative to body mass were reported by male athletes compared with females, and by endurance athletes compared with other athletes.

Effect of alcohol intake on muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise.

We studied the effects of alcohol intake on postexercise muscle glycogen restoration with samples from vastus lateralis being collected immediately after glycogen-depleting cycling and after a set recovery period. Six well-trained cyclists undertook a study of 8-h recovery (2 meals), and another nine cyclists undertook a separate 24-h protocol (4 meals). In each study, subjects completed three trials in crossover order: control (C) diet [meals providing carbohydrate (CHO) of 1.