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Abstract Background β-Alanine (βA) has been shown to improve performance during cycling. This study was the first to examine the effects of βA supplementation on the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) during incremental treadmill running. Methods Seventeen recreationally-active men (mean ± SE 24.9 ± 4.7 yrs, 180.6 ± 8.9 cm, 79.25 ± 9.0 kg) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pre/post test 2-treatment experimental design. Subjects participated in two incremental treadmill tests before and after 28 days of supplementation with either βA (6.0 g·d-1)(βA, n = 8) or an equivalent dose of Maltodextrin as the Placebo (PL, n = 9). Heart rate, percent heart rate maximum (%HRmax), %VO2max@OBLA (4.0 mmol.L-1 blood lactate concentration) and VO2max (L.min-1) were determined for each treadmill test. Friedman test was used to determine within group differences; and Mann-Whitney was used to determine between group differences for pre and post values (p < 0.05). Results The βA group experienced a significant rightward shift in HR@OBLA beats.min-1 (p < 0.01) pre/post (161.6 ± 19.2 to 173.6 ± 9.9) but remained unchanged in the PL group (166.8 ± 15.8 to 169.6 ± 16.1). The %HRmax@OBLA increased (p < 0.05) pre/post in the βA group (83.0% ± 9.7 to 88.6% ± 3.7) versus no change in the PL group (86.3 ± % 4.8 to 87.9% ± 7.2). The %VO2max@OBLA increased (p < 0.05) in the βA group pre/post (69.1 ± 11.0 to 75.6 ± 10.7) but remained unchanged in the PL group (73.3 ± 7.3 to 74.3 ± 7.3). VO2max (L.min-1) decreased (p < 0.01) in the βA group pre/post (4.57 ± 0.8 to 4.31 ± 0.8) versus no change in the PL group (4.04 ± 0.7 to 4.18 ± 0.8). Body mass kg increased (p < 0.05) in the βA group pre/post (77.9 ± 9.0 to 78.3 ± 9.3) while the PL group was unchanged (80.6 ± 9.1 to 80.4 ± 9.0). Conclusions βA supplementation for 28 days enhanced sub-maximal endurance performance by delaying OBLA. However, βA supplemented individuals had a reduced aerobic capacity as evidenced by the decrease in VO2max values post supplementation.

Childhood obesity remains a problem in the United States. Preschool teachers can help to attenuate it but need to have the confidence or self-efficacy to provide healthy practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (a) develop and validate a preschool teacher self-efficacy tool to examine teachers' confidence in addressing the nutrition and physical activity needs of children in their care and (b) examine relationships between teachers' self-efficacy and knowledge of healthy nutrition and physical activity practices. Instrument design included examination of related literature and review by 12 subject matter experts. Two hundred seventy-three early childhood professionals submitted a 58-item questionnaire with 48 self-efficacy items in four domains of healthy practices for the preschool classroom; the remaining 10 items reflected knowledge of healthy practices. Two hundred fourteen professionals completed the questionnaire. A principle components factor analysis supported a five-factor self-efficacy scale (three of the original domains and one domain split into two factors) with 46 items. Knowledge of healthy practices and age of the professionals predicted overall self-efficacy. Results indicated evidence of validity for this new assessment tool to assess early childhood professionals' self-efficacy toward healthy practices in preschool classrooms.

Child care teachers and staff are important influences on preschoolers' nutrition and physical activity habits, and their views may be influenced by education level, years of field experience, and program involvement. For the 360 participants surveyed, responses on 5 of 18 survey items significantly differed by education level (e.g., less education led to more agreement about difficulty with foods at school). Years of field experience significantly differed on three items, such as less experience led to agreeing that government guidelines were helpful. Perceptions significantly differed between Head Start and other programs' staff on two items about food and activity school practices. Following the survey, 32 Head Start professionals participated in focus groups, yielding 16 main ideas among three broad themes involving teachers' roles, perceptions, and strategies concerning nutrition and physical activity practices. Roles revolved around use of Head Start guidelines and checklists. Perceptions included (1) mealtime routines, (2) menus, (3) planned physical activity time, and (4) sedentary lifestyles. Strategies included (1) posting weekly menus and lesson plans, (2) working with the dietitian for classroom ideas, (3) using music to encourage movement, and (4) having large motor areas. Recommendations for future research, policy initiatives, and educational implications are suggested. (Contains 5 tables.)

Background: Inflammation in the body may be exacerbated by food intolerances, which often go undiagnosed due to delayed symptoms and improper testing. The antigen leukocyte cellular activation test (Alcat), a food intolerance test, determines leucocytic response to specific foods. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of an Alcat-guided elimination diet on pro-inflammatory markers, body composition, and self-reported medical symptoms. Methods: In this pre-test/post-test double-blind experiment, subjects were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (TX; n = 87) or the placebo group (PL; n = 46). Subjects followed a four-week Alcat-guided elimination diet. The TX group eliminated foods to which they tested "sensitive," and the PL eliminated foods to which they tested "not sensitive." Blood samples, body composition measurements, and Medical Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) were completed on days 1 and 30. Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance found an interaction effect for serum amyloid A (SAA), with values decreased for the TX and increased for the PL over time (P < 0.035). Body mass index (BMI) and MSQ scores decreased over time for both groups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), but decreases were significantly greater for the TX for both BMI (P = 0.003) and MSQ scores (P < 0.001). There were main effects for time for myeloperoxidase (P < 0.001), interleukin-6 (P < 0.03), and percent body fat (P < 0.001), but no interaction effects or main effects for elimination diet. Conclusion: Elimination of Alcat-identified inflammatory foods had a positive impact on SAA, BMI, and MSQ scores, suggesting that Alcat-guided dietary changes reduced body inflammation, body weight, and negative medical symptoms associated with food intolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined the effectiveness of an innovative childhood obesity prevention model for professional development of preschool staff to meet agency health promotion goals. Methods: Targeted training based on teachers' individual learning needs was implemented through a nonequivalent group design. Convergent mixed-methods analysis included statistical comparison of teacher and classroom pre- and post-intervention observations and qualitative analysis of a process evaluation. Results: In 3 cohorts of Head Start teachers (N = 35), teacher content knowledge, self-efficacy, and in-class activities improved, baseline to follow-up. Process evaluation of teacher feedback and discussions with agency administrators highlighted content areas meeting goals of teachers, supervisors, and agency administrators. Conclusions: Collaborative efforts and individualized programming can support professional development and increase teacher confidence with efforts to form healthy habits for preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: β-Alanine (βA) has been shown to improve performance during cycling. This study was the first to examine the effects of βA supplementation on the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) during incremental treadmill running. Methods: Seventeen recreationally-active men (mean ± SE 24.9 ± 4.7 yrs, 180.6 ± 8.9 cm, 79.25 ± 9.0 kg) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pre/post test 2-treatment experimental design. Subjects participated in two incremental treadmill tests before and after 28 days of supplementation with either βA (6.0 g·d- 1)(βA, n = 8) or an equivalent dose of Maltodextrin as the Placebo (PL, n = 9). Heart rate, percent heart rate maximum (%HRmax), %VO-2max@OBLA (4.0 mmol.L-1 blood lactate concentration) and VO-2max (L.min-1) were determined for each treadmill test. Friedman test was used to determine within group differences; and Mann-Whitney was used to determine between group differences for pre and post values (p < 0.05). Results: The βA group experienced a significant rightward shift in HR@OBLA beats.min-1 (p < 0.01) pre/post (161.6 ± 19.2 to 173.6 ± 9.9) but remained unchanged in the PL group (166.8 ± 15.8 to 169.6 ± 16.1). The %HRmax@OBLA increased (p < 0.05) pre/post in the βA group (83.0% ± 9.7 to 88.6% ± 3.7) versus no change in the PL group (86.3 ± % 4.8 to 87.9% ± 7.2). The %VO-2max@OBLA increased (p < 0.05) in the βA group pre/post (69.1 ± 11.0 to 75.6 ± 10.7) but remained unchanged in the PL group (73.3 ± 7.3 to 74.3 ± 7.3). VO-2max (L.min-1) decreased (p < 0.01) in the βA group pre/post (4.57 ± 0.8 to 4.31 ± 0.8) versus no change in the PL group (4.04 ± 0.7 to 4.18 ± 0.8). Body mass kg increased (p < 0.05) in the βA group pre/post (77.9 ± 9.0 to 78.3 ± 9.3) while the PL group was unchanged (80.6 ± 9.1 to 80.4 ± 9.0). Conclusions: βA supplementation for 28 days enhanced sub-maximal endurance performance by delaying OBLA. However, βA supplemented individuals had a reduced aerobic capacity as evidenced by the decrease in VO-2max values post supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic malted products reduce dietary bulk while maintaining nutrient density of cooked cereals. This study examined whether height/weight changes of malnourished Panamanian children fed oatmeal supplemented with high diastase malted barley flour were greater than for those fed unenhanced oatmeal. A pre-test/post-test control-group design was used, with random assignment to treatment/control groups. Treatment-group subjects gained more weight than did control-group subjects, both per day (t = 2.48, p = 0.016) and overall (t = 2.47, p = 0.016). Findings provide evidence that supplementation of oatmeal with malted barley improves nutritional status of malnourished children, as evidenced by weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adults over the age of 65 years are more prone to gastroesophageal reflux and, as such, are commonly prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPIs inhibit gastric acid secretion which can have adverse effects on vitamin B12 absorption. This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine whether chronic use (≥1 year) of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) results in decreased vitamin B12 in adults aged 68-94 years, as indicated by increased urinary methylmalonic acid (uM-MA). Methods: Fifteen men and women who had been using PPIs daily for a minimum of one year were recruited. Fifteen subjects not using PPIs were age (±3 years) and gender matched to the subjects taking PPIs. Tissue stores of vitamin B12 were determined using uM-MA. Results: The majority of subjects in this study resided in assisted care living facilities (55.66%) and the remaining subjects (43.33%) were free living. There were no significant differences in uM-MA levels between those using PPIs (Mdn = 1.1 μg uM-MA/mg creatinine), and those not using PPIs (Mdn = 1.1 μg uM-MA/mg creatinine) (p = 0.75). Conclusion: Chronic use of PPIs did not alter vitamin B12 in healthy individuals aged 68-94 years. Larger studies are indicated to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are no set standards or quantitative guidelines available in the U.S. for arsenic levels in rice cereal, one of the most common first solid foods for infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the detected levels of inorganic arsenic (As(i)) in rice cereal in the U.S. market are safe for consumption by infants and toddlers. A risk assessment was conducted based on literature reviews of the reported As(i) in rice cereal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) survey and the recommended daily intake of rice cereal by body weight, for infants and toddlers between four and 24 months old. As a part of risk management, a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Asi in rice cereal was computed considering overall exposure sources including drinking water, infant formula, and other infant solid foods. Hazard quotients (HQs) for acute and chronic exposures were calculated based on the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Minimal Risk Level (MRL)(acute) (5.0 × 10(-3) mg/kg/day) and MRL(chronic) (3.0 × 10(-4) mg/kg/day). A cancer slope or potency factor of 1.5 mg/kg/day was used to predict an incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). Exposure assessment showed that the largest source of As(i) for infants and toddlers between four and 24 months old was rice cereal (55%), followed by other infant solid food (19%), and drinking water (18%). Infant formula was the smallest source of As(i) for babies (9%) at the 50th percentile based on Monte Carlo simulations. While HQ(acute) were consistently below 1.0, HQ(chronic) at the 50 and 75th percentiles exceeded 1.0 for both rice cereal and total sources. ILCR ranged from 10(-6) (50th) to 10(-5) (75th percentile). MCLs for As(i) in rice cereal ranged from 0.0 (chronic) to 0.4 mg/kg (acute exposures).