Objective
Various nutritional strategies are adopted for athletes to maintain and improve performance during the competition season. Betaine may enhance performance during a competitive season by increasing the testosterone to cortisol ratio and reducing systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of betaine supplementation on the bio-motor abilities in young soccer players.
Methods
Twenty-nine professional young soccer players (age, 15.5 ± 0.3 years) were matched by position and randomly assigned to one of two groups for 14 weeks: betaine (BG, 2 g/day; n = 14) or placebo (PG n = 15). Diet was standardized by a nutritionist, and measures of muscular power (countermovement jump: CMJ), change of direction (modified 5-0-5), acceleration (10 m sprint), sprint performance (30 m sprint time: SpT), muscular strength (leg press and bench press 1-RM), repeated sprint ability (running-based anaerobic sprint test: RAST), and aerobic capacity (30 − 15 intermittent fitness test) were assessed in the pre (P1), mid (P2), and post (P3) season over the course of 5 days. All subjects participated in one soccer match and five training sessions per week.
Results
Significant (p < 0.05) group x time interactions were found for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), anaerobic peak power, and muscular strength favoring BG at P2 and P3 compared to P1. There were meaningful (p < 0.05) group x time interactions for CMJ, SpT, and peak power during the RAST that favored the BG.
Conclusion
14-week of betaine supplementation increased 1-RM, VO2max, and repeated sprint ability performance in youth professional soccer players. Betaine supplementation seems to be a useful nutritional strategy to improve and maintain performance during a competitive soccer season.
We aimed to assess the effects of spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss on serum concentrations of follistatin (FST), myostatin (MST), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and body composition in competitive wrestlers. Forty competitive wrestlers (age: 22 ± 2 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: gradual weight loss + spirulina (SP; n=20) or gradual weight loss + placebo (PL; n=20). Subjects in both groups lost weight according to a designed diet over 12 days and were required to reduce baseline body mass by 4%. Subjects in the SP group received two tablets of spirulina, while subjects in the PL received two tablets of placebo before each meal. Concentrations of mentioned serum markers and body composition were measured before and after the interventions. Body mass (SP = -3.1 kg and PL= -2.9 kg), body fat percentage (SP = -2.1 % and PL= -0.6 %), fat mass (SP = -2.2 kg and PL= -0.9 kg), and skeletal muscle mass (SP = -1.4 kg and PL= -1.5 kg) significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05). The changes in body fat percentage and fat mass were significantly greater in SP compared to the PL group (P<0.001). Additionally, MST (SP = -0.1 ng/ml), AST (SP = -2.1 u/l), and ALT (SP = -2.7 u/l) concentrations significantly diminished in SP group (P=0.005) while FST (PL = -0.1 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (PL = -2.6 ng/ml) concentrations significantly decreased in PL group (P<0.05). Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss is beneficial in reducing body fat percentage, fat mass, MST, and liver enzymes while maintaining IGF-1 and FST concentrations in competitive wrestlers.
Background: Some chemokines like C C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 2 and 5 and their receptors (CCR) 2 and 5 are mediators of chronic inflammation and cancer development. Moreover, physical exercise can increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, its effect on cancer cells has not been reported at present. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed to ascertain the effect of 12-week aerobic exercise training (AET) on CCL2, CCR2, CCL5, and CCR5 in mice with breast cancer. Methods: Sixteen Balb/c mice aged 4 - 5 weeks (n = 16; approximate weight: 18 ± 2 g) were divided into two groups: AET group (AETG) and control group (CG) (n = 8 per group). The AETG performed 12-week treadmill running at 18 m/min for 40 min and five times a week. Plasma levels of CCL2 and CCL5 were measured by ELISA, and the CCR2 and CCR5 were evaluated by Western blotting. Two independent sample t-test was applied to compare the differences between AETG and CG. Results: The analysis displayed after 12 weeks showed a significant reduction in AETG compared to CG in CCL2 (3.94 ± 1.12 vs. 15.40 ± 3.29 pg/ml; P = 0.001), CCR2 (0.56 ± 0.19 vs. 1.00 ± 0.001; P = 0.002), CCL5 (138.59 ± 15.72 vs. 267.57 ± 49.06 ng/ml; P = 0.001) and CCR5 (0.36 ± 0.12 vs. 1.00 ± 0.001; P = 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: We concluded that one of the main mechanisms of a positive effect of exercise on breast cancer is reducing the inflammation via CCL2 and CCL5 and their related receptors CCR2 and CCR5, respectively. Since these molecules can be triggered off oxidative stress and tumorigenesis, these results can pave the way for further studies in this field.
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