Influence of nitrate supplementation on motor unit activity during recovery following a sustained ischemic contraction in recreationally active young males.

Purpose: Dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation enhances muscle blood flow and metabolic efficiency in hypoxia, however, its efficacy on neuromuscular function and specifically, the effect on motor unit (MU) activity is less clear. We investigated whether NO supplementation affected MU activity following a 3 min sustained ischemic contraction and whether this is influenced by blood flow restriction (BFR) during the recovery period.

Method: In a randomized, double-blinded, cross-over design, 14 males (mean ± SD, 25 ± 6 years) completed two trials following 5 days of supplementation with NO-rich (NIT) or NO-depleted (PLA) beetroot juice to modify plasma nitrite (NO) concentration (482 ± 92 vs.

Acute effect of different doses of caffeinated chewing gum on exercise performance in caffeine-habituated male soccer players.

The ergogenic benefits of caffeine have been well established, but there is scarce research on its chewing gum form. The present research aimed to examine the effects of different doses (100 and 200 mg) of caffeinated chewing gum on muscle strength, vertical jump performance, and ball-kicking speed in trained male soccer players. In a double-blind, randomized counterbalanced, and crossover research design, 14 male soccer players (age = 22 ± 2 y; body mass = 74.

Acute beetroot juice supplementation did not enhance intermittent running performance in trained rugby players.

Since the effect of dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation on rugby performance is unclear, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of acute NO supplementation, on the modified Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (IR1) performance test in trained male rugby players. In a randomised, counterbalanced, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 12 trained rugby union players performed two experimental trials three hours after supplementation of either 140 mL NO-rich (BRJ; ∼12.8 mmol NO) or NO-depleted (PLA) BRJ.

Structure-informed microbial population genetics elucidate selective pressures that shape protein evolution.

Comprehensive sampling of natural genetic diversity with metagenomics enables highly resolved insights into the interplay between ecology and evolution. However, resolving adaptive, neutral, or purifying processes of evolution from intrapopulation genomic variation remains a challenge, partly due to the sole reliance on gene sequences to interpret variants. Here, we describe an approach to analyze genetic variation in the context of predicted protein structures and apply it to a marine microbial population within the SAR11 subclade 1a.

Practical Nutrition Strategies to Support Basketball Performance during International Short-Term Tournaments: A Narrative Review.

A short-term (e.g., 6 days) basketball tournament is a shorter version of international tournaments, and qualification in it enables participation in international tournaments such as the Olympics and World championships or preparation before major tournaments.

Low and Moderate Doses of Caffeinated Coffee Improve Repeated Sprint Performance in Female Team Sport Athletes.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of low and moderate doses of caffeine ingestion via caffeinated coffee on repeated sprint test (RST) and plasma catecholamine concentration in trained female team-sport athletes. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, 13 female team-sport athletes (VO2max: 48.7 ± 4 mL·kg·min−1) completed three RST trials, separated by 4-day, 60 min post-ingestion of either 3 mg·kg−1 (LCOF) or 6 mg·kg−1 (MCOF) or placebo (PLA).

High Dose of Acute Normobaric Hypoxia Does Not Adversely Affect Sprint Interval Training, Cognitive Performance and Heart Rate Variability in Males and Females.

Although preliminary studies suggested sex-related differences in physiological responses to hypoxia, the effects of sex on sprint interval training (SIT) performance in different degrees of hypoxia are largely lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the acute effect of different doses of normobaric hypoxia on SIT performance as well as heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive performance (CP) in amateur-trained team sport players by comparing potential sex differences. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, 26 (13 females) amateur team-sport (football, basketball, handball, rugby) players completed acute SIT (6 × 15 s all-out sprints, separated with 2 min active recovery, against a load equivalent to 9% of body weight) on a cycle ergometer, in one of four conditions: (I) normoxia without a mask (FiO2: 20.

Does Dominant Somatotype Differentiate Performance of Jumping and Sprinting Variables in Young Healthy Adults?

The relationship between an athlete's somatotype three-numeral rating and his or her athletic performance is well known. However, a direct effect of the different dominant somatotype on jumping and sprinting variables has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dominant somatotype on sport-specific explosive variables.

One-Week L-Arginine Supplementation Had No Effect on 200m Freestyle Swimming Time Trial in Moderately-Trained Male Swimmers.

Research on the effect of L-arginine supplementation on exercise performance is still inconsistent and its influence on single-bout swimming performance has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess if one-week L-arginine supplementation would enhance 200-m freestyle swimming performance in trained/developmental (regularly training ∼3 times per week with a purpose to compete) male swimmers. In a randomized, cross-over, double-blind design, 8 trained/developmental male swimmers (age 25 ± 5 years; mean ± SD) completed 200-m freestyle swimming time-trial on 3 separate occasions: a control trial; and after 2 separate 7-d supplementation periods, with a daily dose of either 8 g/d of L-arginine or placebo trials.

High-Dose Nitrate Supplementation Attenuates the Increased Blood Pressure Responses to Isometric Blood Flow Restriction Exercise in Healthy Males.

The effect of nitrate (NO3−) supplementation on blood pressure (BP) responses during large muscle mass isometric and ischaemic exercise in healthy young adults is unclear. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of 5-day supplementation of NO3− on BP responses during a short isometric contraction and a sustained ischaemic contraction. In a randomised, double-blinded, crossover design, 14 healthy active young adults underwent BP measurements after 5 days of either NO3− (NIT) or placebo (PLA) supplementation.

Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation Enhances Intermittent Running Performance but Does Not Reduce Oxygen Cost of Exercise among Recreational Adults.

Nitrate (NO3−) supplementation has been reported to enhance intermittent exercise performance; however, its impact on oxygen (O2) cost during intermittent running exercise is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess if acute NO3− supplementation would elicit performance benefits in recreationally active individuals during the Yo−Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test, with its potential benefit on O2 consumption (VO2), in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 12 recreational males consumed NO3−-rich (NIT; ~12.8 mmol), and NO3−-depleted (PLA; 0.

The Effect of Dietary Nitrate on the Contractile Properties of Human Skeletal Muscle: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The propose of this study was to systematically review the current literature and meta-analyse the effects of dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation on the contractile properties of skeletal muscle. A literature search of three databases was conducted in June 2021, with 19 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were included if a placebo versus dietary NO-only supplementation protocol was used in healthy human, assessed muscle contraction or activities that was < 3 minutes in duration and focused on the lower-body.

Effect of nitrate supplementation on skeletal muscle motor unit activity during isometric blood flow restriction exercise.

Background: Nitrate (NO) supplementation has been reported to lower motor unit (MU) firing rate (MUFR) during dynamic resistance exercise; however, its impact on MU activity during isometric and ischemic exercise is unknown.

Purpose: To assess the effect of NO supplementation on knee extensor MU activities during brief isometric contractions and a 3 min sustained contraction with blood flow restriction (BFR).

Methods: Sixteen healthy active young adults (six females) completed two trials in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design.

Eight Days of L-Citrulline or L-Arginine Supplementation Did Not Improve 200-m and 100-m Swimming Time Trials.

The effects of L-citrulline or L-arginine supplementation on exercise performance are equivocal, and the effects on swimming performance are unclear. We aimed to assess whether 8-day supplementation with L-arginine or L-citrulline supplementation would improve 200 m and 100 m freestyle swimming time-trial performances. After the baseline trial (first visit), in a double-blind, randomised design, 15 trained/developmental (5 females) swimmers and triathletes were assigned to three groups and underwent an 8-day supplementation period, with a daily dose of either 8 gr L-arginine (Arg, n = 5) or L-citrulline (Cit, n = 5) or placebo (Pla, n = 5).

Effects of a 12% carbohydrate beverage on tackling technique and running performance during rugby league activity: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12% carbohydrate (CHO) beverage on tackling technique and running performance during rugby league activity. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, crossover design, 15 academy rugby league players ingested a 250 ml bolus of a 12% CHO solution (30 g maltodextrin and 30 g sucrose in 500 ml) 15 minutes before two bouts of rugby activity. The rugby league match simulation for interchange players was used to standardise the movement patterns of activity and provide reliable outcome measures, whilst also reflecting the duration of a typical field-based conditioning session.

Community-led, integrated, reproducible multi-omics with anvi'o.

Big data abound in microbiology, but the workflows designed to enable researchers to interpret data can constrain the biological questions that can be asked. Five years after anvi’o was first published, this community-led multi-omics platform is maturing into an open software ecosystem that reduces constraints in ‘omics data analyses.

FORENSIC: an Online Platform for Fecal Source Identification.

Sewage overflows, agricultural runoff, and stormwater discharges introduce fecal pollution into surface waters. Distinguishing these sources is critical for evaluating water quality and formulating remediation strategies. With the falling costs of sequencing, microbial community-based water quality assessment tools are under development.

Genome-resolved insights into a novel symbiont of the Wheat Stem Sawfly (.

Arthropods often have obligate relationships with symbiotic microbes, and recent investigations have demonstrated that such host-microbe relationships could be exploited to suppress natural populations of vector carrying mosquitos. Strategies that target the interplay between agricultural pests and their symbionts could decrease the burden caused by agricultural pests; however, the lack of comprehensive genomic insights into naturally occurring microbial symbionts presents a significant bottleneck. Here we employed amplicon surveys, genome-resolved metagenomics, and scanning electron microscopy to investigate symbionts of the wheat stem sawfly (), a major pest that causes an estimated $350 million dollars or more in wheat yield losses in the northwestern United States annually.

Single-amino acid variants reveal evolutionary processes that shape the biogeography of a global SAR11 subclade.

Members of the SAR11 order Pelagibacterales dominate the surface oceans. Their extensive diversity challenges emerging operational boundaries defined for microbial 'species' and complicates efforts of population genetics to study their evolution. Here, we employed single-amino acid variants (SAAVs) to investigate ecological and evolutionary forces that maintain the genomic heterogeneity within ubiquitous SAR11 populations we accessed through metagenomic read recruitment using a single isolate genome.

Author Correction: The Wolbachia mobilome in Culex pipiens includes a putative plasmid.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The Wolbachia mobilome in Culex pipiens includes a putative plasmid.

Wolbachia is a genus of obligate intracellular bacteria found in nematodes and arthropods worldwide, including insect vectors that transmit dengue, West Nile, and Zika viruses. Wolbachia's unique ability to alter host reproductive behavior through its temperate bacteriophage WO has enabled the development of new vector control strategies. However, our understanding of Wolbachia's mobilome beyond its bacteriophages is incomplete.

No Effect of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on 100-m and 200-m Swimming Performance in Moderately Trained Swimmers.

Dietary nitrate supplementation has been reported to improve performance in kayaking and rowing exercise, which mandate significant recruitment of the upper-body musculature. Because the effect of dietary nitrate supplementation on swimming performance is unclear, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of dietary nitrate supplementation on 100-m and 200-m swimming freestyle time-trial (TT) performance. In a double-blind, randomized crossover design, 10 moderately trained swimmers underwent 2 separate 3-d supplementation periods, with a daily dose of either 140 mL nitrate-rich (∼800 mg/d nitrate) or nitrate-depleted (PLA) beetroot juice (BRJ).