Publications by authors named "Richard J Bloomer"

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 60-day low-calorie nutrition-rich diet plan compared to usual care on weight loss, physiological factors, markers of metabolic health, and perceived wellness.

Methods:  Overweight or obese adults (N = 60) were randomly assigned to either the active nutrition group (n = 30) or the usual care group (n = 30). The active nutrition plan consisted of two meal replacement shakes, an electrolyte replacement drink, a metabolic support supplement, one whole food meal, and three to five servings of whole food snacks (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although fasting is increasingly applied for disease prevention and treatment, consensus on terminology is lacking. Using Delphi methodology, an international, multidisciplinary panel of researchers and clinicians standardized definitions of various fasting approaches in humans. Five online surveys and a live online conference were conducted with 38 experts, 25 of whom completed all 5 surveys.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Maintaining adequate hydration is critical to optimal health, well-being, and performance. Those who are physically active in stressful environments, such as warm and/or humid scenarios, may be at particular risk for dehydration with ensuing loss of electrolytes, leading to sluggishness and impaired physical performance.

Methods: We evaluated an electrolyte and amino acid product containing L-alanine and L-glutamine, as well as select vitamins [B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid)].

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective This study aimed to assess the impact of acute and short-term supplementation with NAD3, a theacrine-containing supplement, on circulating adult stem cell numbers in a healthy male and female population aged 40-70 years. Methods This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 12 participants randomized to receive either NAD3® or a placebo for seven days. Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast, before and after the seven-day supplementation period, and one and two hours after the final supplement dose.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Probiotics are increasingly used to treat conditions associated with gastrointestinal injury and permeability, including exercise-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. This study assessed safety and efficacy of a probiotic in altering the intestinal milieu and mitigating gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) in endurance runners. In a double blind, crossover study, 16 runners were randomized to 4 weeks of daily supplementation with a probiotic cocktail containing bacteria and or placebo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: Joint pain afflicts millions of adults worldwide. The effect of a bone morphogenetic protein complex on joint pain is assessed in this study.

Methods: We compared the impact of a dietary supplement protein complex (Cyplexinol) and placebo in 18 men and women (aged 43 ± 10 years) with self-reported joint pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The intestinal ecosystem, including epithelium, immune cells, and microbiota, are influenced by diet and timing of food consumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate various dietary protocols after ad libitum high fat diet (HFD) consumption on intestinal morphology and mucosal immunity.

Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were fed a 45% high fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks and then randomized to the following protocols; (1) chow, (2) a purified high fiber diet known as the Daniel Fast (DF), HFD consumed (3) ad libitum or in a restricted manner; (4) caloric-restricted, (5) time-restricted (six hours of fasting in each 24 h), or (6) alternate-day fasting (24 h fasting every other day).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Joint pain is a common ailment among adults worldwide. Six men and 14 women (aged 51 ± 10 years) with self-reported joint pain were randomly assigned, using a cross-over design, to a botanical ointment (Yeahhh Baby!®) or placebo, twice daily for 14 days. Subjects completed questionnaires regarding their joint pain and discomfort (eg, WOMAC and subjective pain using a visual analog scale [VAS]) each evening and underwent a washout period of two weeks before crossing into the other condition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Firefighters are plagued with cardiometabolic disease (CMD). Obesity, poor cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and blood lipids (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) are risk factors for CMD. However, markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance can provide further insight regarding CMD risk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with reduced markers of oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors; however, this relationship has not been elucidated in firefighters. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in markers of CVD risk between firefighters who have either high or low levels of CRF.

Methods: Forty-six firefighters participated in a maximal graded exercise test and a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan and provided a fasted blood sample.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: The activity of "gaming" has increased greatly in popularity in recent years, with many gamers using nutritional supplements to aid mood and gaming performance. We evaluated the impact of AmaTea Max (referred to as AmaTea throughout; a patented dietary supplement consisting of a blend of caffeine and polyphenol antioxidants), compared to both caffeine and a placebo, on gaming and cognitive performance in active gamers.

Methods: Subjects reported to the lab on three occasions, separated by approximately 1 week.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lengthening the daily eating period contributes to the onset of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Dietary approaches, including energy restriction and time-restricted feeding, are promising methods to combat metabolic disorders. This study explored the effect of early and late time-restricted feeding (TRF) on weight and adiposity, food consumption, glycemic control, clock gene expression, and liver metabolite composition in diurnal Nile grass rats (NGRs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As a redox-sensitive coenzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism and homeostasis. Low NAD levels are linked to multiple disease states, including age-related diseases, such as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, restoring/increasing NAD levels in vivo has emerged as an important intervention targeting age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study investigated the effects of 6 mg/day of astaxanthin supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and substrate metabolism during a graded exercise test in active young men. A double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over design was used. Fourteen men (age = 23 ± 2 years) supplemented with 6 mg/day of astaxanthin and a placebo for 4 weeks, with a 1 week washout period between treatments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is becoming a popular way of eating in physically active populations, despite a lack of research on metabolic and performance outcomes as they relate to the timing of food consumption in relation to the time of exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if the timing of feeding/fasting after exercise training differently affects muscle metabolic flexibility and response to an acute bout of exercise. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to one of three groups for 8 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables are known to reduce inflammation and improve overall health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a fruit and vegetable concentrate (FVC) and high fiber component on the gut microbiome in an overweight/obese, female population. The study was a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial with 57 asymptomatic, pre-menopausal, overweight/obese females between 25-50 years of age working in healthcare.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Mounting evidence suggests diet and exercise influence learning and memory (LM). We compared a high-fat, high-sucrose Western diet (WD) to a plant-based, amylose/amylopectin blend, lower-fat diet known as the Daniel Fast (DF) in rats with and without regular aerobic exercise on a task of spatial working memory (WM).

Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to the WD or DF at 6 weeks of age.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Maintaining adequate hydration is important for overall health and has major implications for athletes involved in physically demanding tasks. While water is viewed as an effective means to rehydrate, and is inexpensive and readily available, electrolyte beverages appear to be more beneficial, in particular for athletes who routinely lose electrolytes through sweating. Nuun tablets contain a mix of electrolytes and are quickly dissolved in water to create an electrolyte-rich beverage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

McAllister, MJ, Steadman, KS, Renteria, LI, Case, MJ, Butawan, MB, Bloomer, RJ, and McCurdy, KW. Acute resistance exercise reduces postprandial lipemia and oxidative stress in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2139-2146, 2022-Acute ingestion of a high-fat meal (HFM) results in significant increases in postprandial triacylglycerols (TAG) and markers of oxidative stress (OS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coffea liberica possesses stimulant properties without accumulating the methylxanthine caffeine. The basis for this peculiar observation is that methylurates (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Waldman, HS, Smith, JW, Lamberth, J, Fountain, BJ, Bloomer, RJ, Butawan, MB, and McAllister, MJ. A 28-day carbohydrate-restricted diet improves markers of cardiovascular disease in professional firefighters. J Strength Cond Res 34(10): 2785-2792, 2020-This study compared the effects of a 4-week, nonketogenic, carbohydrate-restricted (<25% of calories) diet (CRD) on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in professional firefighters (FF).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Certain dietary fibers have been reported to improve gut health and cellular immunity. Ambrotose is a glyconutrient supplement that contains mannose-rich polysaccharides (acemannan), reported to improve immune function. A more nutrient-dense version of this dietary supplement has been developed recently, with added aloe leaf gel powder (acemannan).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Dietary supplements purported to increase circulating nitric oxide are very popular among consumers. We determined the acute impact of two novel dietary supplements on plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) and nitrite alone.

Methods: 20 men and women (age: 24 ± 5 years) ingested two different nitrate-rich supplements (Resync Recovery Blend at 7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Fasting and timed feeding strategies normalize obesity parameters even under high-fat dietary intake. Although previous work demonstrated that these dietary strategies reduce adiposity and improve metabolic health, limited work has examined intestinal microbial communities.

Objectives: We determined whether timed feeding modifies the composition of the intestinal microbiome and mycobiome (yeast and fungi).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ingestion of ketone supplements, caffeine, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) may all be effective strategies to increase blood levels of the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (D-BHB). However, acute ingestion of a bolus of lipids may increase oxidative stress (OS). The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of adding varying amounts of MCTs to coffee on blood levels of D-BHB and markers of OS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF