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The main objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of short‐term supplementation with a mixture containing creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) versus creatine alone on body composition indices in men and women. Twenty‐three apparently healthy young adults (mean age: 21.4 ± 0.6 years; 10 females) were randomly assigned to receive either a mixture (consisting of 2 g of creatine monohydrate and 2 g of GAA) or an equimolar amount of creatine monohydrate in a pretest–posttest control group experimental crossover design. After the intervention period, participants entered a 2‐week washout phase to minimize any residual effects of the treatment. Body composition was assessed using a multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline (preadministration) and at the 7‐day follow‐up (postadministration). A significant interaction effect was found for extracellular mass (p = 0.009), with creatine–GAA outperforming creatine in augmenting extracellular mass across the whole sample. In the male subsample, creatine was superior to the mixture in increasing intracellular water (p = 0.049), whereas the mixture increased extracellular mass, contrasting with the reduction observed with creatine alone (p = 0.008). No significant differences between interventions were reported in the female subsample (p > 0.05), indicating that adding GAA to creatine may produce unique, sex‐specific effects on body composition. Further studies are needed to validate our findings across different demographic cohorts and various interventional regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprint performance is commonly assessed via discrete sprint tests and analyzed through kinematic estimates modeled using a mono-exponential equation, including estimated maximal sprinting speed ( M S S ), relative acceleration ( T A U ), maximum acceleration ( M A C ), and relative propulsive maximal power ( P M A X ). The acceleration–velocity profile (AVP) provides a simple summary of short sprint performance using two parameters: MSS and MAC, which are useful for simplifying descriptions of sprint performance, comparison between athletes and groups of athletes, and estimating changes in performance over time or due to training intervention. However, discrete testing poses logistical challenges and defines an athlete's AVP exclusively from the performance achieved in an isolated testing environment. Recently, an in situ AVP (velocity–acceleration method) was proposed to estimate kinematic parameters from velocity and acceleration data obtained via global or local positioning systems (GPS/LPS) over multiple training sessions, plausibly improving the time efficiency of sprint monitoring and increasing the sample size that defines the athlete's AVP. However, the validity and sensitivity of estimates derived from the velocity–acceleration method in relation to changes in criterion scores remain elusive. To assess the concurrent validity and sensitivity of kinematic measures from the velocity–acceleration method, 31 elite youth basketball athletes (23 males and 8 females) completed two maximal effort 30 m sprint trials. Performance was simultaneously measured by a laser gun and an LPS (Kinexon), with kinematic parameters estimated using the time–velocity and velocity–acceleration methods. Agreement ( % B i a s ) between laser gun and LPS-derived estimates was within the practically significant magnitude ( ± 5%), while confidence intervals for the percentage mean absolute difference ( % M A D ) overlapped practical significance for T A U , M A C , and P M A X using the velocity–acceleration method. Only the M S S parameter showed a sensitivity ( % M D C 95 ) within practical significance (<5%), with all other parameters showing unsatisfactory sensitivity (>10%) for both the time–velocity and velocity–acceleration methods. Thus, sports practitioners may be confident in the concurrent validity and sensitivity of M S S estimates derived in situ using the velocity–acceleration method, while caution should be applied when using this method to infer an athlete's maximal acceleration capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance of body composition and lower-body strength and power for basketball players' on-court performance, as well as a lack of sports science research focused on female athletes, the purpose of the present investigation was to record the anthropometric and countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) characteristics of top-tier U16 and U18 female basketball players and examine between-group differences in the aforementioned tests. Thirty-two athletes who were a part of the national basketball academy volunteered to participate in the present investigation. Following the body composition assessment conducted via a segmental multifrequency bioimpedance analyzer, athletes performed three CMJs while standing on a force plate system sampling at 1000 Hz. Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to examine between-group differences. The findings reveal significant differences in body composition and lower-body neuromuscular performance characteristics between female basketball players ages 16 and 18. Although no differences were observed in muscle and body fat percentages, the U18 group had significantly greater height, overall body mass (both muscle and fat mass), as well as greater segmental fat-free mass (trunk, both legs and arms), intracellular and extracellular water, and body mass index when compared to their U16 counterparts. On the other hand, the U18 group demonstrated longer eccentric, concentric, and braking phase duration, as well as overall contraction time when compared to the U16 players. In addition, the U18 athletes exhibited higher eccentric mean force and power, concentric impulse, peak power, and mean and peak force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifecourse nutrition encompasses nourishment from early development into parenthood. From preconception and pregnancy to childhood, late adolescence, and reproductive years, life course nutrition explores links between dietary exposures and health outcomes in current and future generations from a public health perspective, usually addressing lifestyle behaviours, reproductive well-being and maternal-child health strategies. However, nutritional factors that play a role in conceiving and sustaining new life might also require a molecular perspective and recognition of critical interactions between specific nutrients and relevant biochemical pathways. The present perspective summarises evidence about the links between diet during periconception and next-generation health and outlines the main metabolic networks involved in nutritional biology of this sensitive time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA, also known as glycocyamine or guanidinoacetate) is a naturally occurring alpha amino acid derivative and newly recognized dietary compound obtainable by different foods and nutritional supplements. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the GAA exposure from supplements might be a major source of GAA supply, out‐competing other food sources for several orders of magnitude. This original technical paper summarizes information about GAA levels in different nutritional supplements, as derived from the U.S. National Institutes of Health dietary supplement database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed the effects of an experimental novel protocol of intensive hydrotherapy with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on injury recovery in athletic men who suffered an acute ankle sprain (AAS) and compared it with a RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation). Professional athletes (age 23.7 ± 4.0 years; weight 78.6 ± 5.7 kg, height 182.5 ± 4.3 cm; professional experience 5.9 ± 3.9 years) who incurred AAS during a sport-related activity were randomly assigned immediately after the injury to either hydrogen group (n = 9) or a conventional RICE treatment group (n = 9). Hydrogen group received six 30-min ankle baths with HRW throughout the first 24 h post-injury, with hydrotherapy administered every 4 hours during the intervention period. RICE group stood off the injured leg, with ice packs administered for 20 min every 3 hours, with the injured ankle compressed with an elastic bandage for 24 hours and elevated at all possible times above the level of the heart. HRW was equivalent to RICE protocol to reduce ankle swelling (2.1 ± 0.9% vs. 1.6 ± 0.8%; P = 0.26), range of motion (2.4 ± 1.3 cm vs. 2.7 ± 0.8 cm; P = 0.60), and single-leg balance with eyes opened (18.4 ± 8.2 sec vs. 10.7 ± 8.0 sec; P = 0.06) and closed (5.6 ± 8.4 sec vs. 3.9 ± 4.2 sec; P = 0.59). This non-inferiority pilot trial supports the use of HRW as an effective choice in AAS management. However, more studies are needed to corroborate these findings in other soft tissue injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial, we evaluated the effects of 7-day H-2 inhalation on exercise performance outcomes and serum hormonal and inflammation profiles in a cohort of young men and women. All participants (age 22.9 ± 1.5 years; body mass index 23.4 ± 2.5 kg m-2; 10 women and 10 men) were allocated to receive either gaseous hydrogen (4%) or placebo (room air) by 20-min once-per-day inhalation for 7 days, with a wash-out period of 7 days to prevent the residual effects of interventions across study periods. The primary treatment outcome was the change in running time-to-exhaustion in the incremental maximal test from baseline to day 7. Additionally, assessment of other exercise performance endpoints and clinical chemistry biomarkers was performed at baseline and at 7 days after each intervention. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID NCT03846141). Breathing 4% hydrogen for 20 min per day resulted in increased peak running velocity (by up to 4.2%) as compared to air inhalation (P = 0.05). Hydrogen inhalation resulted in a notable drop in serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by 48.2 ng/mL at follow-up (95% confidence interval [CI]: from -186.7 to 89.3) (P < 0.05), while IGF-1 levels were elevated by 59.3 ng/mL after placebo intervention (95% CI; from -110.7 to 229.5) (P < 0.05). Inhalational hydrogen appears to show ergogenic properties in healthy men and women. Gaseous H-2 should be further evaluated for its efficacy and safety in an athletic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to analyze the effects of medium-term supplementation with hydrogen-rich water on brain metabolism, appetite-regulating hormones, body composition, and safety biomarkers in overweight adults. Twenty (n = 20, 10 females) apparently healthy adults with a body mass index >24.9 kg/m2 were assigned to receive 0.5 L per day of hydrogen-rich water (7.5 mg of hydrogen) or hydrogen-free water (tap water) for 12 weeks. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed a significant difference between the two interventions in several body composition indices (P ≤ 0.05), with hydrogen-rich water superior to placebo to reduce waist circumference and mid-upper arm circumference by 1.31 cm (95% confidence interval, from –0.23 to 2.85) and 0.65 cm (95% confidence interval, from –0.10 to 1.40), respectively. Hydrogen-rich water outcompeted placebo to raise serum ghrelin levels, as the mean difference from the placebo group was 17.28 pmol/L (95% confidence interval, from 1.81 to 32.75) (P = 0.02). A non-significant strong positive trend (P = 0.10) was reported toward hydrogen-rich water being superior to placebo in augmenting total serum short-chain fatty acid levels, with a mean difference from the control group of 195.6 µmol/L (95% confidence interval, from –64.55 to 275.85). The mean fecal calprotectin levels were significantly reduced after hydrogen-rich water intervention for 19.7 µg/mg (95% confidence interval, from 0.31 to 39.09) (P = 0.03). Our findings advance hydrogen-rich water as a promising metabolic intervention in overweight adults, but further validation via multicentric longitudinal randomized controlled trials in metabolic and nutritional disorders is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this randomized controlled pilot trial was to evaluate the effects of hydrogen-rich water on spermiogram parameters in normospermic and oligospermic men. As many as 12 healthy young men (age 29.1 ± 5.9 years; n = 6 normospermic; n = 6 oligospermic) volunteered. Participants were allocated in a double-blind manner to receive 1 L of hydrogen-rich water per day or 1 L of tap water fortified with magnesium for 8 weeks. Following hydrogen-rich water supplementation, sperm concentration and morphology tended to increase by 12.4 million per milliliter (95% CI; -31.8 to 56.6), and live cells increased by 3.8% (95% CI; -12.5 to 20.1), respectively (P = 0.30). A significant difference between the two interventions was found in sperm vitality (P = 0.03), with hydrogen-rich water being superior to the placebo in terms of an increase in the number of live sperm cells. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences between interventions in sperm viability outcomes in oligospermic men (P > 0.05). However, sperm count increased by over 20 million in two of the three oligospermic men (66.7%) receiving hydrogen-rich water, while no oligospermic men in the placebo group increased sperm concentration to euspermic levels (P < 0.01). These preliminary findings suggest hydrogen-rich water is an effective intervention for improving some aspects of male subfertility; further large-sample trials are warranted to corroborate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal supplements are often used by elderly populations in aim to manage age-related traits; yet, most have shown limited benefits, keeping a quest for safe and effective longevity-promoting mixtures open. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of 6-month supplementation with multi-component herbal mixture P-DNA for telomere length, biomarkers of mitochondrial function and chronic inflammation, and self-reported adverse events in men and women aged 65 years and older. Fourteen older adults (74.6 ± 6.3 years, height 164.1 ± 13.0 cm, weight 69.9 ± 13.4 kg; 11 women) signed an informed consent to voluntarily participate in this randomized controlled parallel-group pilot trial. All participants were allocated in a double-blind design to receive either P-DNA or placebo (inulin) during a 6-month intervention period, with the outcomes assessed at baseline and 6-month follow-up were biomarkers of mitochondrial function (fibroblast growth factor 21, growth-differentiation factor 15), inflammation (high-sensitive C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and amyloid A), and telomere length. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to establish if any significant differences existed between patients' responses over time of intervention; for data with nonhomogenous variances the Kruskal-Wallis test was employed for the between group comparisons and Freidman's test for the within group comparisons. Growth-differentiation factor 15 significantly dropped after PhytoDyNAmicTM intervention as compared to the baseline levels (P = 0.02), while serum interleukin-6 significantly increased from baseline levels in both groups at 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05). No participant reported major side effects of any intervention. PhytoDyNAmicTM appears to favorably affect mitochondrial function in adults aged 65 years and older; additional studies are needed to corroborate these promising findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of medium-term supplementation with an eight-herbs extract on running performance, biomarkers of antioxidant status and telomere length, and self-reported outcome measures of safety events in healthy men. Ten healthy young men (age 23.1 ± 3.2 years, weight 73.7 ± 9.9 kg, and height 179.4 ± 8.0 cm) volunteered to participate in this randomized controlled trial. The participants were allocated in a double-blind cross-over design to receive either an eight-herbs extract or placebo during a 6-week intervention period. Two-way mixed analysis of variance (treatment vs. time interaction) revealed no significant differences for exercise performance outcomes and telomere length between groups (P > 0.05). Compared with placebo, P-DNA provoked a significant rise in serum total antioxidant capacity (316.0 ± 183.4 µmol/mL at baseline; 792.7 ± 68.1 µmol/mL at follow-up in the eight-herbs extract group vs. 298.1 ± 90.7 µmol/mL at follow-up in the placebo group; P < 0.001), and less reduction in serum superoxide dismutase levels at follow-up (150.4 ± 5.1 IU/mL at baseline; 145.5 ± 3.0 IU/mL at follow-up in the eight-herbs extract group vs. 139.3 ± 3.3 IU/mL at follow-up in the placebo group; P = 0.01). No participant reported any side effects of either intervention. The eight-herbs extract can thus be recommended as a well tolerated dietary supplement that can enhance antioxidant capacity in healthy men. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04263246). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary studies demonstrated beneficial effects of dietary creatine across different post-viral fatigue syndromes. Creatine is often co-administered with glucose to improve its potency yet whether glucose boost the efficacy of creatine in long COVID remains currently unknown. In this report, we investigate the effects of 8-wk creatine intake with and without glucose on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and tissue creatine levels in patients with long COVID. Fifteen male and female long COVID adult patients (age 39.7±16.0 y; 9 women) with moderate fatigue and at least one of additional long COVID-related symptoms volunteered to participate in this randomized controlled parallel-group interventional trial. All patients were allocated in a double-blind parallel-group design (1 : 1 : 1) to receive creatine (8 g of creatine monohydrate per day), a mixture of creatine and glucose (8 g of creatine monohydrate and 3 g of glucose per day), or placebo (3 g of glucose per day) t.i.d. during an 8-wk intervention interval. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures (treatment vs. time interaction) revealed significant differences in changes in total creatine levels between the groups, showing an interaction effect at two brain locations (right precentral white matter F=34.740, p=0.008; partial η 2 =0.72; left paracentral grey matter F=19.243, p=0.019; partial η 2 =0.88), with creatine and creatine-glucose outcompeted placebo to elevate creatine levels at these two locations. Several long COVID symptoms (including body aches, breathing problems, difficulties concentrating, headache, and general malaise) were significantly reduced in creatine-glucose group at 8-wk follow-up (p≤0.05); the effect sizes for reducing body aches, difficulties concentrating, and headache were 1.33, 0.80, and 1.12, respectively, suggesting a large effect of creatine-glucose mixture for these outcomes. Our preliminary findings suggest that supplying exogenous creatine with glucose could be recommended as an effective procedure in replenishing brain creatine pool and alleviating long COVID features in this prevalent condition.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial, we evaluated the effects of 7-day H 2 inhalation on exercise performance outcomes and serum hormonal and inflammation profiles in a cohort of young men and women. All participants (age 22.9 ± 1.5 years; body mass index 23.4 ± 2.5 kg m -2 ; 10 women and 10 men) were allocated to receive either gaseous hydrogen (4%) or placebo (room air) by 20-min once-per-day inhalation for 7 days, with a wash-out period of 7 days to prevent the residual effects of interventions across study periods. The primary treatment outcome was the change in running time-to-exhaustion in the incremental maximal test from baseline to day 7. Additionally, assessment of other exercise performance endpoints and clinical chemistry biomarkers was performed at baseline and at 7 days after each intervention. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID NCT03846141). Breathing 4% hydrogen for 20 min per day resulted in increased peak running velocity (by up to 4.2%) as compared to air inhalation ( P = 0.05). Hydrogen inhalation resulted in a notable drop in serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by 48.2 ng/mL at follow-up (95% confidence interval [CI]: from -186.7 to 89.3) ( P < 0.05), while IGF-1 levels were elevated by 59.3 ng/mL after placebo intervention (95% CI; from -110.7 to 229.5) ( P < 0.05). Inhalational hydrogen appears to show ergogenic properties in healthy men and women. Gaseous H 2 should be further evaluated for its efficacy and safety in an athletic environment., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript., (Copyright © Biology of Sport 2019.)