Understanding mental fatigue and its detection: a comparative analysis of assessments and tools.

Mental fatigue has shown to be one of the root causes of decreased productivity and overall cognitive performance, by decreasing an individual's ability to inhibit responses, process information and concentrate. The effects of mental fatigue have led to occupational errors and motorway accidents. Early detection of mental fatigue can prevent the escalation of symptoms that may lead to chronic fatigue syndrome and other disorders.

Pure Juice Supplementation: Its Effect on Muscle Recovery and Sports Performance.

Strenuous exercise causes increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), creating an imbalance between ROS and antioxidants. The reduced antioxidant defence leads to defective elimination of ROS and consequently, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS due to exhaustive or prolonged exercise typically peaks between 24 h and 72 h after exercise results in soreness, inflammation, pain and decreased muscle function.

Training Induced Oxidative Stress-Derived DNA and Muscle Damage in Triathletes.

Objective: Regular moderate-intensity exercise has beneficial health effects, whereas regular strenuous exercise increases the production of oxidants that may lead to DNA, skeletal, and cardiac muscle damages. Triathletes experience strenuous muscular activity both during competition and training, being at risk of developing these tissue damages. The objective of the present study was to estimate DNA, skeletal, and cardiac muscle damages using blood biomarkers, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), myoglobin, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) among young triathletes.

Melatonin ameliorates the adverse effects of leptin on sperm.

This study examined the effects of melatonin on leptin-induced changes in sperm parameters in adult rats. Five groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either leptin or leptin and melatonin or melatonin for 6 weeks. Leptin was given daily via the intraperitoneal route (60 μg kg-1 body weight) and melatonin was given in drinking water (10 mg kg-1 or 20 mg kg-1 body weight per day).

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor delivered to the brain using poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles improves neurological and cognitive outcome in mice with traumatic brain injury.

Currently, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death or disabilities in young individuals worldwide. The multi-complexity of its pathogenesis as well as impermeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes the drug choice and delivery very challenging. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates neuronal plasticity, neuronal cell growth, proliferation, cell survival and long-term memory.

Effect of gender specific anthropometric characteristics on lung function in young competitive triathletes from Malaysia.

Background: Anthropometric and lung function characteristics of triathletes are important for the implementation of individual specific training and recovery recommendations. However, limited data are available for these parameters in triathletes. Hence, the aim of this study was to characterize and examine the gender differences of lung function and anthropometry parameters in competitive triathletes from Malaysia.

Dysregulation of Glucose Homeostasis Following Chronic Exogenous Administration of Leptin in Healthy Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Introduction: Impaired glucose utilization is seen in chronic hyperleptinaemia associated conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is unclear if this impaired glucose utilization is due to the effect of persistent hyperleptinaemia on insulin secretion from the beta cells of pancreas.

Aim: To examine the effects of chronic leptin administration on plasma glucose regulation in rats.

Effects of Ramadan fasting on glucose homeostasis and adiponectin levels in healthy adult males.

Background: Adiponectin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes during the fasting phase of the fast-fed cycle. Ramadan fasting involves prolonged fasting for up to twelve hours and thus could lead to increased secretion of adiponectin by adipocytes. However, studies on the role of adiponectin on glucose and body weight homeostasis during Ramadan fasting is still a matter of controversy.

Common misconceptions and future intention to smoke among secondary school students in Malaysia.

Background: The prevalence of smoking among secondary school children continues to remain unchanged over the last 3 decades even though awareness regarding the health effects of smoking is increasing. Common misconceptions about smoking and parental influence could be factors influencing future intentions to smoke among these students. Hence, we looked at the common misconceptions as well as student perceptions about their future intention to smoke among Form 4 students in Shah Alam, Malaysia.

Prediction equations for lung function in healthy, life time never-smoking Malaysian population.

Several equations have been used to predict lung function standard results for different populations. It is important lung function evaluations use appropriate standards for the study population. The objective of this study was to develop a prediction equation for lung function test results for the Malaysian population.

The daily phenylalanine requirement of healthy Indian adults.

Background: The daily requirement for phenylalanine is not known with certainty. Earlier 24-h tracer studies have suggested that the requirement is between 30 and 40 mg . kg(-1) .

Branched-chain amino acid requirements in healthy adult human subjects.

There is now an expanding body of evidence to recommend, in the case of adult humans, the use of revised indispensable amino acid requirement values; these are approximately 2 to 3 times higher than the current international recommendations. The earlier methodologies for determining amino acid requirements, based on nitrogen balance, were criticized because of their design and the associated high energy intakes. The 1985 World Health Organization/Food & Agriculture Organization/United Nations University requirement for leucine has been demonstrated to be too low by short- and long-term (24-h) tracer-derived estimates of leucine oxidation and balance.

The daily valine requirement of healthy adult Indians determined by the 24-h indicator amino acid balance approach.

Background: The 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU requirement for valine was set at 10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) on the basis of nitrogen balance studies carried out in Western subjects. It is likely that the requirement is higher, however, because the requirement of another branched-chain amino acid, leucine, was found to be about 3 times as high (40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) as the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU value (14 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)).

Objective: We assessed the valine requirement in healthy, well-nourished Indians by using 7 test valine intakes (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and the 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation (24-h IAAO) and balance (24-h IAAB) method, with phenylalanine as the indicator amino acid, while maintaining leucine intake at 40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).

Effect of cystine on the methionine requirement of healthy Indian men determined by using the 24-h indicator amino acid balance approach.

Background: The 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU requirement for methionine in healthy adults consuming a cystine-free diet is 13 mg.kg(-1).d(-1).

Daily requirement for total sulfur amino acids of chronically undernourished Indian men.

Background: Earlier studies of the requirement for total sulfur amino acids (SAAs; methionine in the absence of cystine) in healthy, well-nourished Indians indicated a value of 15 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), but it is unknown whether this estimate is applicable to chronically undernourished subjects.

Intestinal parasites increase the dietary lysine requirement in chronically undernourished Indian men.

Background: We previously used the 24-h indicator amino acid balance method to show that the lysine requirement in undernourished Indian men from low socioeconomic and unsanitary environments is approximately 50% higher than the mean requirement of 30 mg lysine. kg(-1). d(-1) in well-nourished men.

Daily methionine requirements of healthy Indian men, measured by a 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation and balance technique.

Background: The 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU upper requirement for the sulfur-containing amino acids in healthy adults, which was set at 13 mg . kg(-)(1) . d(-)(1), is based on nitrogen balance studies in Western subjects.

Leucine requirement and splanchnic uptake of leucine in chronically undernourished adult Indian subjects.

Background: We showed previously by the 24-h direct amino acid balance (DAAB) method that the leucine requirement of well-nourished Western and South Asian subjects is approximately 40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).

Objective: It is not known whether this estimated leucine requirement is applicable in chronic undernutrition; therefore, we assessed the leucine requirement in Indian men with chronic, but stable, undernutrition.

Design: We studied 26 chronically undernourished men during 2 randomly assigned 7-d diet periods consisting of an L-amino acid diet (n = 20) and supplying either 14 and 30 (n = 10) or 22 and 40 (n = 10) mg leucine x kg(-1)x d(-1) or consisting of the subjects' habitual cereal-and-lentil-based diets (n = 6).

Lysine requirements of chronically undernourished adult Indian men, measured by a 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation and balance technique.

Background: In earlier studies with well-nourished subjects that used a 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation or balance approach, we concluded that the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU requirement for lysine (12 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was inadequate for healthy South Asian subjects and proposed a tentative requirement of 30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).

Objective: We assessed whether chronic undernutrition, with low habitual dietary protein and lysine intakes, leads to changed lysine requirements.

Design: Twenty-seven otherwise clinically healthy, chronically undernourished Indian men were studied during 2 randomly assigned 7-d diet periods supplying 12 and 30, 18 and 36, or 24 and 42 mg lysine x kg(-1) x d(-1), based on an L-amino acid diet.

Threonine requirements of healthy Indian men, measured by a 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation and balance technique.

Background: We previously questioned the validity of the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU upper requirement value for threonine (7 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and proposed a tentative mean requirement of 15 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).

Objective: In this study we used a 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation and balance technique, with [1-(13)C]leucine as the indicator amino acid, to assess threonine adequacy at 6 test intakes (7, 11, 15, 19, 22, and 27 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) with a 6-d dietary adaptation phase in healthy, well-nourished Indian men.

Design: Sixteen men were randomly allocated to 3 of 6 test intakes and were studied after 6 d of adaptation to the experimental diets.

Intravenously infused 13C-leucine is retained in fasting healthy adult men.

We have proposed a leucine requirement of 40 mg/(kg. d) in adults, based on 24-h direct amino acid balance (24-h DAAB) studies in which leucine intake is calculated as the sum of diet and tracer intake. However, it is possible that the tracer intake that is given during the fasting state in the 24-h studies is oxidized, thereby not contributing to the effective daily leucine intake and thus lowering the intake and, consequently, the requirement estimate.