Background: To date, there is limited consensus on post-contest recovery recommendations for natural physique athletes. The available literature emphasizes the negative consequences of extreme dieting associated with physique contests, yet offers only speculative suggestions to facilitate physiological recovery post-contest. This scoping review evaluates evidence-based recommendations for recovery in post-physique contests. Methods: The online search engines and databases Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched systematically and 12 peer reviewed journal articles were included in the review. Results: Six key factors were identified that directly impacted on physiological recovery post-contest: (1) body composition, (2) recovery dietary intake, (3) resting metabolic rate (RMR) restoration, (4) endocrine measures recovery, (5) menstrual cycle recovery, and (6) psychological aspects of recovery. Conclusions: Three dietary strategies have been proposed to facilitate physiological recovery post-contest while bearing in mind body composition and future athlete outcomes; (1) a gradual increase in energy intake to maintenance requirements, (2) ad libitum eating, (3) an immediate return to maintenance energy requirements. Future research is required to determine the timeline in which full physiological recovery occurs post-contest and which strategies best support athlete health and performance during post-contest recovery.
Background: Small islands in the Pacific such as Tonga, have largely replaced their diet of locally sourced foods with imported, highly processed foods. This has contributed to a significant increase in prevalence of noncommunicable disease. The present pilot study aims to identify labelling quality, nutrient content, and availability of ready-to-eat processed food items sold in Tonga. Methods: An inventory of packaged snack foods was taken in three supermarkets in the downtown area of the country’s capital, Nuku’alofa. Health Star Ratings (HSR), country of origin, ingredient lists, and nutrient panel labelling were sourced from front of labels or online credible sources. Results: Out of food items identified, only 50% had legible nutrient panel information. Only 14% of products used the HSR scheme. Non-dairy beverages and confectionary formed the largest proportion of food items. The majority of items were high in sugar, total fat, saturated fat, and/or sodium. Trans-fats and dietary fibre were the most commonly unreported nutrients. Conclusions: The findings of this pilot study provide important evidence regarding the need to improve food labelling regulation in Tonga. Access to front of package nutrition information will help Tongan consumers make informed decisions regarding the processed food they purchase which, in turn, may help improve health outcomes.
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