The use of two non-consecutive 24 h recalls using EPIC-Soft for standardised dietary monitoring in European countries has previously been proposed in the European Food Consumption Survey Method consortium. Whether this methodology is sufficiently valid to assess nutrient intake in a comparable way, among populations with different food patterns in Europe, is the subject of study in the European Food Consumption Validation consortium. The objective of the study was to compare the validity of usual protein and K intake estimated from two non-consecutive standardised 24 h recalls using EPIC-Soft between five selected centres in Europe. A total of 600 adults, aged 45-65 years, were recruited in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, The Netherlands and Norway. From each participant, two 24 h recalls and two 24 h urines were collected. The mean and distribution of usual protein and K intake, as well as the ranking of intake, were compared with protein and K excretions within and between centres. Underestimation of protein (range 2 -13 %) and K (range 4 -17 %) intake was seen in all centres, except in the Czech Republic. We found a fair agreement between prevalences estimated based on the intake and excretion data at the lower end of the usual intake distribution (,10 % difference), but larger differences at other points. Protein and K intake was moderately correlated with excretion within the centres (ranges ¼ 0·39-0·67 and 0·37 -0·69, respectively). These were comparable across centres. In conclusion, two standardised 24 h recalls (EPIC-Soft) appear to be sufficiently valid for assessing and comparing the mean and distribution of protein and K intake across five centres in Europe as well as for ranking individuals.

During TT, antioxidant supplementation at nutritional doses reinforces antioxidant status response to exercise, with an effect on exercise-induced oxidative stress, and no effect on oxidative damage.

Our results, which should be confirmed in other populations, suggest that it is possible to evaluate the risk of the metabolic syndrome in a pragmatic fashion with a continuous score, obtained from principal components analysis of the basic, continuous syndrome measures.

The present controlled-training double-blind study (supplemented (S) group, n 7; placebo (P) group, n 10) was designed to investigate whether an antioxidant mixture (Se 150 mg, retinyl acetate mg, ascorbic acid 120 mg, a-tocopheryl succinate) would allow overloaded triathletes to avoid adaptation failure in the antioxidant system. Dietary intakes were recorded. The supplement of Se, and vitamins A and E provided 100 % of the French RDA. Four weeks of overloaded training (OT) followed 4 weeks of normal training (NT). After NT and OT, biological studies were conducted at rest and after a duathlon test (run 5 km, cycle 20 km, run 5 km). During the 4-week period of NT, blood levels of GSH levels increased in response to supplementation (P, 0·05) and remained elevated during OT. Plasma glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly higher in the S group in all situations after NT and OT (P, 0·01). The S group had increased erythrocyte Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity in response to OT (P, 0·05). Supplementation significantly reduced (P, 0·05) the magnitude in duathlon-induced creatine kinase isoenzyme MB mass increase, which tended to be higher with OT (P¼0·09). We conclude that the antioxidant mixture helped to preserve the antioxidant system during an OT-induced stress in subjects with initially low antioxidant intakes. Effects of supplementation during NT and/or OT are shown mostly by the alleviated muscle damage. The effects of the antioxidant mixture were observed for doses that can be provided by a diversified and well-balanced diet. The maintenance of normal nutritional status with regard to the antioxidant intake (Se, vitamins C and E) plays a key role in antioxidant adaptive effects during NT and OT.