Changes in physical activity and sleep following the COVID-19 pandemic on a university campus: Perception versus reality.

It has been hypothesized that key lifestyle behaviors of physical activity and sleep worsened in response to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, there have been inconsistencies in findings of changes in these key lifestyle behaviors across populations likely due to the wide variety of assessment methods. The purpose of the study was to compare physical activity and sleep before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using accelerometers and self-reported behaviors.

The design and development of a dashboard for improving sustainable healthy food choices.

Over the last decade, several digital tools have been designed to provide consumers with nutritional and environmental impact information about their food choices post-consumption. Many of these tools lack behavioral change modules, have low user engagement, and ignore inherent environmental nutrition trade-offs to stimulate dietary change. This study presents the design and development of a decision support system to enhance consumer health while meeting sustainability goals from a pre-consumption perspective.

From bytes to bites: Advancing the food industry with three-dimensional food printing.

The rapid advancement of three-dimensional (3D) printing (i.e., a type of additive manufacturing) technology has brought about significant advances in various industries, including the food industry.

Nutritional-environmental trade-offs in potato storage and processing for a sustainable healthy diet.

Over the last decade, poor diets and limited access to nutritious foods have been critical drivers of micronutrient deficiency in human health. However, food fortification at an industrialized scale in developed countries has helped eliminate deficiency-related diseases. In developing countries, fortified foods and biofortified materials have been delivered to nutrient-deficient communities.

Sustainable healthy diet modeling for a plant-based dietary transitioning in the United States.

The potential environmental and nutritional benefits of plant-based dietary shifts require thorough investigation to outline suitable routes to achieve these benefits. Whereas dietary consumption is usually in composite forms, sustainable healthy diet assessments have not adequately addressed composite diets. In this study, we build on available data in the Food4HealthyLife calculator to develop 3 dietary concepts (M) containing 24 model composite diet scenarios (S) assessed for their environmental and nutritional performances.

Nutrition as the foundation for successful aging: a focus on dietary protein and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Skeletal muscle plays a critical role throughout the aging process. People living with sarcopenia, a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, often experience diminished quality of life, which can be attributed to a long period of decline and disability. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable factors that preserve skeletal muscle and promote successful aging (SA).

Transitioning to sustainable healthy diets: A model-based and conceptual system thinking approach to optimized sustainable diet concepts in the United States.

Food production and consumption are essential in human existence, yet they are implicated in the high occurrences of preventable chronic diseases and environmental degradation. Although healthy food may not necessarily be sustainable and vice versa, there is an opportunity to make our food both healthy and sustainable. Attempts have been made to conceptualize how sustainable healthy food may be produced and consumed; however, available data suggest a rise in the prevalence of health-related and negative environmental consequences of our food supply.

The Effects of Maternal Intake of EPA and DHA Enriched Diet During Pregnancy and Lactation on Offspring's Muscle Development and Energy Homeostasis.

EPA and DHA are n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with a diversity of health benefits on offspring. The objective of this study was to test the effect of maternal ingestion of EPA and DHA on fetal and offspring muscle development and energy balance. Two groups of female C57BL/6 mice were fed EPA and DHA enriched diet (FA) and diet devoid of EPA and DHA (CON) respectively throughout the entire period of gestation and lactation.

The potential role of beef and nutrients found in beef on outcomes of wellbeing in healthy adults 50 years of age and older: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Shifts in wellbeing and health occur as we age. As life expectancy increases, maintenance of wellbeing and health becomes increasingly important. Nutrients found in beef are associated with outcomes of wellbeing such as physical and cognitive function, lean body mass, and mood in older adults and individuals with chronic disease.

The Effects of Blueberry Phytochemicals on Cell Models of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Blueberries have been extensively studied for the health benefits associated with their high phenolic content. The positive impact of blueberry consumption on human health is associated in part with modulation of proinflammatory molecular pathways and oxidative stress. Here, we review in vitro studies examining the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of blueberry phytochemicals, discuss the results in terms of relevance to disease and health, and consider how different blueberry components modulate cellular mechanisms.

DHA but not EPA induces the trans-differentiation of C2C12 cells into white-like adipocytes phenotype.

Muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) and myoblast play an important role in myotube regeneration when muscle tissue is injured. However, these cells can be induced to differentiate into adipocytes once exposed to PPARγ activator like EPA and DHA that are highly suggested during pregnancy. The objective of this study aims at determining the identity of trans-differentiated cells by exploring the effect of EPA and DHA on C2C12 undergoing differentiation into brown and white adipocytes.

Dietary Protein Requirements in Children: Methods for Consideration.

The current protein requirement estimates in children were largely determined from studies using the nitrogen balance technique, which has been criticized for potentially underestimating protein needs. Indeed, recent advances in stable isotope techniques suggests protein requirement as much as 60% higher than current recommendations. Furthermore, there is not a separate recommendation for children who engage in higher levels of physical activity.

Net protein balance correlates with expression of autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and fat metabolism-related genes in skeletal muscle from older adults.

The mechanisms leading to sarcopenia, the main cause for frailty in older adults, are still unclear. Autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) may play a role in mediating muscle protein breakdown related to sarcopenia. In addition to loss of muscle mass, compromised muscle performance observed in sarcopenic patients has been linked to muscle mitochondria dysfunction.

Concurrent EPA and DHA Supplementation Impairs Brown Adipogenesis of C2C12 Cells.

Maternal dietary supplementation of -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (-3 PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is considered to play positive roles in fetal neuro system development. However, maternal -3 PUFAs may induce molecular reprogramming of uncommitted fetal myoblasts into adipocyte phenotype, in turn affecting lipid metabolism and energy expenditure of the offspring. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined effects of EPA and DHA on C2C12 cells undergoing brown adipogenic differentiation.

The Short-Term Effect of Whey Compared with Pea Protein on Appetite, Food Intake, and Energy Expenditure in Young and Older Men.

Background: Diets higher in protein have been reported to improve age-related changes in body composition via increased energy expenditure, shifts in substrate oxidation (SO), and decreased appetite. However, how protein source (e.g.

Leucine decreases intramyocellular lipid deposition in an mTORC1-independent manner in palmitate-treated C2C12 myotubes.

Higher intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) deposition in skeletal muscle is commonly observed in patients with obesity, resulting in mitochondrial damage. Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid, has been reported to induce obesogenic conditions in C2C12 myotubes. Leucine has been shown to improve obesity-related metabolic signatures; however, evidence for the effect of leucine on IMCL and the underlying mechanisms are still lacking.

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on C2C12 cell adipogenesis and inhibition of myotube formation.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) modulate cellular metabolic functions and gene expression. This study investigated the impacts of EPA and DHA on gene expression and morphological changes during adipogenic inducement in C2C12 myoblasts. Cells were cultured and treated with differentiation medium with and without 50 μM EPA and DHA.

Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Myogenesis and Mitochondrial Biosynthesis during Murine Skeletal Muscle Cell Differentiation.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are important nutrients for human health, especially omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have been found to play positive roles in the prevention of various diseases. However, previous studies have reported that excessive omega-3 fatty acids supplement during pregnancy caused side effects such as slower neural transmission times and postnatal growth restriction. In this study, we investigated the effect of EPA and DHA on mitochondrial function and gene expression in C2C12 myoblasts during skeletal muscle differentiation.

Factors contributing to the selection of dietary protein food sources.

Protein is the only dietary macronutrient required for life. As such, it is reasonable to consider dietary protein as the centerpiece of a healthy eating pattern. To do so requires consideration of what type of protein should be eaten.

The effect of egg supplementation on growth parameters in children participating in a school feeding program in rural Uganda: a pilot study.

: School feeding programs have gained popularity in developing countries . Eggs are an inexpensive source of micronutrients and high-quality protein. Therefore, the objective of this study was to gain preliminary data regarding the impact of egg supplementation on growth in primary school students participating in a school feeding program in rural Uganda.

Educational nutrition messaging at breakfast reduces snack intake and influences snack preferences in adult men and women.

Breakfast skipping is associated with increased risk of weight gain and obesity in young adults, possibly due to increased snacking later in the day. Recent research suggests that providing and animal versus a plant source of protein at breakfast can reduce snack intake later in the day. In addition, providing nutrition information via a nutrition label, front-of-pack information, or via text messaging has been shown to help individuals make healthier food choices.

A High-Protein Diet Reduces Weight Gain, Decreases Food Intake, Decreases Liver Fat Deposition, and Improves Markers of Muscle Metabolism in Obese Zucker Rats.

A primary factor in controlling and preventing obesity is through dietary manipulation. Diets higher in protein have been shown to improve body composition and metabolic health during weight loss. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a high-protein diet versus a moderate-protein diet on muscle, liver and fat metabolism and glucose regulation using the obese Zucker rat.

Effects of phosphatidic acid supplementation on muscle thickness and strength in resistance-trained men.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of phosphatidic acid (PA) supplementation on muscle thickness and strength following an 8 week supervised resistance-training program. Fifteen resistance trained men (22.8 ± 3.

The Akt/mTOR pathway: Data comparing young and aged mice with leucine supplementation at the onset of skeletal muscle regeneration.

The data described herein is related to the article "Differential Effects of Leucine Supplementation in Young and Aged Mice at the Onset of Skeletal Muscle Regeneration" [1]. Aging is associated with a decreased ability of skeletal muscle to regenerate following injury. Leucine supplementation has been extensively shown, in young subjects, to promote protein synthesis during regeneration; however, the effects of leucine supplementation on the Akt/mTOR pathway in aged mice at the onset of muscle regeneration are not fully elucidated.

Leucine supplementation at the onset of high-fat feeding does not prevent weight gain or improve glycemic regulation in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Obesity is a major public health concern and it is essential to identify effective treatments and preventative strategies to stop continued increases in obesity rates. The potential functional roles of the branched chain amino acid leucine make this amino acid an attractive candidate for the treatment and/or prevention of obesity. The objective of this study was to determine if long-term leucine supplementation could prevent the development of obesity and reduce the risk factors for chronic disease in rats fed a high-fat (60 % fat) diet.