Browse results
Abstract
The issue of consumer acceptance is largely investigated in the literature relative to entomophagy, as edible insects are not a common part of European food habits. This topic was also discussed in the current study, which analysed 1,382 responses to an online survey in Belgium. The first aim of this research was to study the potential influence of personal factors, including field of work, on consumer acceptance. The second objective was to determine the most appropriate context for entomophagy, regarding timing and style of preparation. Gender, nationality and field of work of respondents were identified as influencing factors, while age was identified as a factor that did not impact consumer acceptance. Personal factors that influenced acceptance must be used as discriminating factors to select willing consumers of edible insects. Regarding context, edible insects were not appropriate at breakfast, while they were considered as snacks. Such considerations provide useful information in determining the most appropriate insect-based food for European markets.
Abstract
Cardiovascular parameters and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents may be influenced by eating habits. The aim was to evaluate the association between the levels of some nutrients and micronutrients with blood pressure and VO2max in adolescents. A total of 60 adolescents (15.77 ± 0.96 years old) participated in the study, of whom 35 were girls and 25 were boys. Eating habits were assessed frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Before and after a cardiorespiratory fitness test (YOYO TEST), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were collected. A backward elimination method of multiple regression was performed to analyse the data. A positive association was found between VO2max and the intake of iron (
Abstract
Exercise can be an effective non-pharmacological method to reduce the complications of menopause. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of circuit resistance training (CRT) on the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), apolipoprotein A (Apo-A), Apo-B, and their ratio in sedentary postmenopausal women. Thirty postmenopausal women (age 54 ± 3 years, body mass index 27.6 ± 1.97 kg/m2) without any serious diseases and no hormone therapy volunteered to participate in the research. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: circuit resistance training (n = 15, CRT) and Control (n = 15) groups. Resistance training was performed for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, including 12 stations for the whole body in 3 sets and 8-12 repetitions. The exercises started at 40% of one repetition maximum (1RM) and gradually reached 75% of 1RM in the last week. Blood samples were taken before and 48 hours after the end of both interventions to measure CRP, ICAM-1, Apo-A-I, and Apo-B. To analyse the data, a two-way analysis of variance test was used. The CRT intervention by reducing Apo-B (−8.9% vs −0.1%; change percentage relative to pre-to-post values in each group) and increasing Apo-A1 (+4.7% vs −0.1%) led to a significant increase in the Apo-B/A ratio (−13.0% vs −0.08%) compared to the Control group. In addition, a substantial decrease in the inflammatory levels of CRP (−21.0% vs +6.3%) and ICAM-1 (−22.7% vs +1.6%) was observed after 8 weeks of CRT compared to the Control group. The observed changes were consistent with a reduction in body mass and an improvement in the waist-hip ratio (WHR). The findings indicated that CRT could reduce the complications of menopause by reducing inflammatory markers and improving the lipid profile.
Abstract
Osteoporosis and body composition changes are prevalent musculoskeletal issues contributing to increased risk of frailty in older people. Weight bearing directly influences bone mineral density and body composition. Study aims to determine feasibility of high intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol on body composition parameters and bone mineral density (BMD) in older individuals. Twenty-four participants were randomly allocated to two study groups. The interventional group received supervised HIIT protocol while control group performed non-supervised brisk walking on alternate days over 3 months. Pre- and post-outcome measures were taken at baseline and 3 months which included, BMD using portable densitometer, body composition using a bioelectric impedance analyser, and basic anthropometry. Between group analysis demonstrated the interventional group to be significantly better than control group for all parameters (
Clinical Trials Registry-India with CTRI number CTRI/2022/01/039740.
Abstract
Exercise intolerance may be a primary symptom of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and a significant factor in reducing the quality of a dog’s life. Aerobic training effectively improves oxygen uptake and life expectancy in human patients with chronic heart failure. Lactate threshold (LT) is used to prescribe training programs. We conducted a study with dogs diagnosed with asymptomatic MMVD (stage B1), using the velocity corresponding to the visual lactate threshold (VLTv) and an eight-week submaximal training program (STP), three times a week, with each session lasting 30 min, to improve their aerobic fitness. The dogs were assigned into two groups: a healthy control group and a MMVD group (stage B1). The treadmill-based graded exercise test (GXT) was used to determine the lactate-velocity curve (LVC) inflexion point. We utilised the velocity corresponding to 70% VLTv as the external load STP, representing a training zone between 145 and 157 bpm. Before the STP, VLTv and maximum velocity (Vmax) were lower in B1 dogs compared with the healthy group. The VLTv increased in the B1 dogs, resulting in rightward shifts of the LVC. The VLT values for healthy dogs were 3.62 ± 0.90 m/s and 4.75 ± 0.6 m/s; for B1 dogs were 3.03 ± 0.6 m/s and 3.8 ± 0.75 m/s in the pre-STP and post-STP. The Vmax values were 4.50 ± 0.70 m/s and 4.75 ± 1.04 m/s for healthy dogs, and 4.0 ± 0.53 m/s and 4.66 ± 0.74 m/s for B1 dogs. In both groups, changes in the relationship between lactatemia and exercise work may indicate improvements in aerobic and anaerobic capacities. VLTv, as an external training loading, should be considered when prescribing tailored training programs for dogs with asymptomatic myxomatous mitral valve disease to improve their muscular and cardiovascular function and exercise tolerance.