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β-Alanine (BA) is one of the most widely used sport supplements, due to its capacity to improve high-intensity exercise performance by increasing muscle carnosine (MCarn) content, and consequently, the buffering capacity of the muscle. BA is also available in a variety of animal foods, but little is currently known about the influence of dietary BA intake on MCarn. The aim of the current study was to compile a detailed summary of available data on the BA content of commonly consumed foods, and to explore whether associations could be detected between self-reported dietary BA intake and skeletal MCarn in a group of 60 healthy, active, omnivorous men and women. Dietary BA intake was assessed via 3-day food records, and MCarn content assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography. A series of univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to explore associations between estimated dietary BA and MCarn. No evidence of associations between dietary BA intake and MCarn were identified, with effect sizes close to zero calculated from models accounting for key demographic variables (f2 ≤ 0.02 for all analyses). These findings suggest that capacity to increase MCarn via dietary strategies may be limited, and that supplementation may be required to induce increases of the magnitude required to improve performance.

Bone mass and quality declines with age, and can culminate in osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. This investigation modelled associations between bone and physical, dietary, and metabolic factors in a group of 200 pre-frail/frail older adults using factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to compose factors and to assess their robustness. SEM was used to quantify associations between bone and the other factors. Factors arising from EFA and CFA were: Bone (whole body, lumbar and femur bone mineral density and trabecular bone score; good fit), Body composition-lean (lean mass, body mass, vastus lateralis and femoral cross-sectional area; good fit), Body composition-fat (total fat mass, gynoid, android and visceral fat; acceptable fit), Strength (bench and leg press, handgrip and knee extension peak torque; good fit), Dietary intake (kilocalories, carbohydrate, protein and fat; acceptable fit), and metabolic status (cortisol, IGF1, GH and free testosterone; poor fit). SEM using isolated factors showed that body composition (lean) (β=0.66, p

ObjectiveTo describe acute/postacute COVID-19 presentations in athletes.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesThe search was conducted in four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, SPORTDiscus) and restricted to studies published from 2019 to 6 January 2022.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesStudies were required to (1) include professional, amateur or collegiate/university athletes with COVID-19; (2) present data on acute/postacute COVID-19 symptoms and (3) have an observational design. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools.Results43 studies with 11 518 athletes were included. For acute presentation, the pooled event rates for asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 were 25.5% (95% CI: 21.1% to 30.5%) and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.7% to 2.3%), respectively. For postacute presentations, the pooled estimate of persistent symptoms was 8.3% (95% CI: 3.8% to 17.0%). Pooled estimate for myocardial involvement was 5.0% (95% CI: 2.5% to 9.8%) in athletes undergoing any cardiac testing, and 2.5% (95% CI: 1.0% to 5.8%) in athletes undergoing MRI, although clinical symptoms were not characterised. None of the studies with a control group (eg, non-infected athletes) could confirm a causal relationship between COVID-19 and myocardial involvement.ConclusionThis broad characterisation of COVID-19 presentations in athletes indicates that ~94% exhibited mild or no acute symptoms. The available evidence did not confirm a causal relationship between COVID-19 and myocardial involvement. A small proportion of athletes experienced persistent symptoms while recovering from infection, which were mostly mild in nature, but could affect return-to-play decisions and timing.

There is growing evidence that supplementation with carnosine, or its rate-limiting precursor β-alanine, can ameliorate aspects of metabolic dysregulation that occur in diabetes and its related conditions. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of carnosine or β-alanine supplementation on markers of glycemic control and insulin resistance in humans and animals. We performed a systematic search of 6 electronic databases up to 31 December 2020. Primary outcomes were changes in 1) fasting glucose, 2) glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and 3) 2-h glucose following a glucose-tolerance test. A set of additional outcomes included fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) 2.0 (human studies) and the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) RoB (animal studies) tools; and used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess certainty. We used Bayesian hierarchical random-effects models, with informative priors for human data and noninformative priors for animal data. Inferences were made on posterior samples generated by Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo using 90% credible intervals (90% CrI) and calculated probabilities. Twenty studies (n = 4 human, n = 16 rodent) were included, providing data for 2 primary outcomes (fasting glucose and HbA1c) and 3 additional outcomes (fasting insulin, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR). The model provides evidence that supplementation decreases fasting glucose [humans: mean difference (MD)0.5 = –0.95 mmol · L–1 (90% CrI: –2.1, 0.08); rodent: MD0.5 = –2.26 mmol · L–1 (90% CrI: –4.03, –0.44)], HbA1c [humans: MD0.5 = –0.91% (90% CrI: –1.46, –0.39); rodents: MD0.5 = –1.05% (90% CrI: –1.64, –0.52)], HOMA-IR [humans: standardized mean difference (SMD)0.5 = –0.41 (90% CrI: –0.82, –0.07); rodents: SMD0.5 = –0.63 (90% CrI: –1.98, 0.65)], and fasting insulin [humans: SMD0.5 = –0.41 (90% CrI: –0.77, –0.07)]. GRADE assessment showed our certainty in the effect estimate of each outcome to be moderate (human outcomes) or very low (rodent outcomes). Supplementation with carnosine or β-alanine may reduce fasting glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR in humans and rodents, and fasting insulin in humans; both compounds show potential as therapeutics to improve glycemic control and insulin resistance. This review was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42020191588., Statement of Significance: This study includes all available human and animal data to provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of the effects of carnosine and β-alanine supplementation on glycemic control and insulin resistance.

Extracellular buffering supplements [sodium bicarbonate (SB), sodium citrate (SC), sodium/calcium lactate (SL/CL)] are ergogenic supplements, although questions remain about factors which may modify their effect. To quantify the main effect of extracellular buffering agents on exercise outcomes, and to investigate the influence of potential moderators on this effect using a systematic review and meta-analytic approach. This study was designed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Three databases were searched for articles that were screened according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis and meta-regression models were used to investigate pooled effects of supplementation and moderating effects of a range of factors on exercise and biomarker responses. 189 articles with 2019 participants were included, 158 involving SB supplementation, 30 with SC, and seven with CL/SL; four studies provided a combination of buffering supplements together. Supplementation led to a mean estimated increase in blood bicarbonate of + 5.2 mmol L−1 (95% credible interval (CrI) 4.7–5.7). The meta-analysis models identified a positive overall effect of supplementation on exercise capacity and performance compared to placebo [ES0.5 = 0.17 (95% CrI 0.12–0.21)] with potential moderating effects of exercise type and duration, training status and when the exercise test was performed following prior exercise. The greatest ergogenic effects were shown for exercise durations of 0.5–10 min [ES0.5 = 0.18 (0.13–0.24)] and > 10 min [ES0.5 = 0.22 (0.10–0.33)]. Evidence of greater effects on exercise were obtained when blood bicarbonate increases were medium (4–6 mmol L−1) and large (> 6 mmol L−1) compared with small (≤ 4 mmol L−1) [βSmall:Medium = 0.16 (95% CrI 0.02–0.32), βSmall:Large = 0.13 (95% CrI − 0.03 to 0.29)]. SB (192 outcomes) was more effective for performance compared to SC (39 outcomes) [βSC:SB = 0.10 (95% CrI − 0.02 to 0.22)]. Extracellular buffering supplements generate large increases in blood bicarbonate concentration leading to positive overall effects on exercise, with sodium bicarbonate being most effective. Evidence for several group-level moderating factors were identified. These data can guide an athlete’s decision as to whether supplementation with buffering agents might be beneficial for their specific aims.

Purpose: Women’s professional cycling has grown in popularity, and this increase is also apparent in Brazil, which has increased its female cycling calendar in recent years. The aim of this observational study was to (1) determine training and competition loads of a top-level Brazilian female cycling team, (2) evaluate nutrition and clinical health, and (3) measure whether exercise capacity changed throughout the season. Methods: Training and competition data were collected over the season using global positioning system monitors, while laboratory-based physiological and performance measures (incremental cycling test, 30-s Wingate, 4-km time trial) and clinical and nutritional analyses were performed at time points throughout the season. Results: Total distance covered over the year was 11,124 (2895) km (7382–14,698 km). Endurance capacity was reduced over the season (P = .005) but not anaerobic power (all P > .05). Nutrition and stress markers remained largely unchanged throughout the season, although there were some individual fluctuations in some measures, and testosterone concentration was low for some. Median estimated energy availability ranged between 32.3 and 56.8 kcal·kgLBM−1·d−1 during training and 26.4 and 53.8 kcal·kgLBM−1·d−1 during competition. Percentage of training spent in optimal estimated energy availability was generally low, with 3 athletes spending Conclusions: Substantial training and competition loads of the monitored professional Brazilian female cyclists may have reduced exercise capacity toward the end of the season, indicative of a grueling yearlong schedule. Several athletes may have had suboptimal energy availability during the season, potentially affecting testosterone concentration. These data demonstrate the difficulties in maintaining optimal nutrition, health, and performance throughout a season in professional female cycling and highlight the need for quality sport-science support for this type of top-level athlete.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the time-course of decrements in physical performance following a pre-match warm-up in soccer players. Knowledge of this information could be used to inform re-warm-ups and pre-pitch entry practices of soccer substitutes. Data were collected over five sessions with 12 male youth professionals (15–17 yrs). Across the five sessions each player performed countermovement jumps (CMJ) and drop jumps (30 and 40 cm), pre-warm-up, immediately post-warm-up, and following 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-min of inactivity. Physical performance was assessed by jump height and calculation of reactive strength index (RSI). Hierarchical generalised linear models (HGLMs) were fitted within a Bayesian framework to identify plausible time to achieve 10 to 50% decrements of the initial pre to post warm-up improvement. Mean improvements of 5.4 cm (95%CrI: 4.8 to 6.0), 0.24 ms−1 (95%CrI: 0.19 to 0.29), and 0.32 ms−1 (0.27 to 0.36) were obtained for the CMJ, and RSI measured from the 30 and 45 cm box, respectively. Decrements for all assessments were non-linear with the steepest rates of decline measured in the initial periods following warm-up. High probabilities were calculated ( p ≥ 0.979) that up to 50% of the initial warm-up improvement for the CMJ would be lost between 20 and 30 min. The results of this study provide a guide for future research and practitioners managing the pre-pitch entry of soccer substitutes. It is suggested that practitioners consider and assess the effectiveness of exposing players to a re-warm-up between 20- and 30-min prior to pitch entry to maintain performance capabilities.

Sodium bicarbonate (SB) is considered an effective ergogenic supplement for improving high-intensity exercise capacity and performance, although recent data suggests that women may be less amenable to its ergogenic effects than men. Currently, an apparent paucity of data on women means no consensus exists on whether women benefit from SB supplementation. The aim of the current study was to quantify the proportion of the published literature on SB supplementation that includes women, and to synthesise the evidence regarding its effects on blood bicarbonate and exercise performance in women by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic searches of the literature were undertaken using three databases (MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus) to identify relevant articles. All meta-analyses were performed within a Bayesian framework. A total of 149 SB articles were identified, 11 of which contained individual group data for women. Results indicated a pooled blood bicarbonate increase of 7.4 [95%CrI: 4.2 to 10.4 mmol·L-1] following supplementation and a pooled standardised exercise effect size of 0.37 [95%CrI: -0.06 to 0.92]. The SB literature is skewed, with only 20% (30 studies) of studies employing female participants, of which only 11 studies (7.4%) provided group analyses exclusively in women. Despite the small amount of available data, results are consistent in showing that SB supplementation in women leads to large changes in blood bicarbonate and that there is strong evidence for a positive ergogenic effect on exercise performance that is likely to be small to medium in magnitude.

The energy costs of athletic training can be substantial, and deficits arising from costs unmet by adequate energy intake, leading to a state of low energy availability, may adversely impact athlete health and performance. Life history theory is a branch of evolutionary theory that recognizes that the way the body uses energy—and responds to low energy availability—is an evolved trait. Energy is a finite resource that must be distributed throughout the body to simultaneously fuel all biological processes. When energy availability is low, insufficient energy may be available to equally support all processes. As energy used for one function cannot be used for others, energetic “trade-offs” will arise. Biological processes offering the greatest immediate survival value will be protected, even if this results in energy being diverted away from others, potentially leading to their downregulation. Athletes with low energy availability provide a useful model for anthropologists investigating the biological trade-offs that occur when energy is scarce, while the broader conceptual framework provided by life history theory may be useful to sport and exercise researchers who investigate the influence of low energy availability on athlete health and performance. The goals of this review are: (1) to describe the core tenets of life history theory; (2) consider trade-offs that might occur in athletes with low energy availability in the context of four broad biological areas: reproduction, somatic maintenance, growth, and immunity; and (3) use this evolutionary perspective to consider potential directions for future research.

The energy costs of athletic training can be substantial, and deficits arising from costs unmet by adequate energy intake, leading to a state of low energy availability, may adversely impact athlete health and performance. Life history theory is a branch of evolutionary theory that recognizes that the way the body uses energy-and responds to low energy availability-is an evolved trait. Energy is a finite resource that must be distributed throughout the body to simultaneously fuel all biological processes. When energy availability is low, insufficient energy may be available to equally support all processes. As energy used for one function cannot be used for others, energetic "trade-offs" will arise. Biological processes offering the greatest immediate survival value will be protected, even if this results in energy being diverted away from others, potentially leading to their downregulation. Athletes with low energy availability provide a useful model for anthropologists investigating the biological trade-offs that occur when energy is scarce, while the broader conceptual framework provided by life history theory may be useful to sport and exercise researchers who investigate the influence of low energy availability on athlete health and performance. The goals of this review are: (1) to describe the core tenets of life history theory; (2) consider trade-offs that might occur in athletes with low energy availability in the context of four broad biological areas: reproduction, somatic maintenance, growth, and immunity; and (3) use this evolutionary perspective to consider potential directions for future research.

Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is a common treatment used in rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, owing to its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. However, GC therapy can also induce a number of adverse effects, including muscle and bone loss, hypertension, metabolic perturbations and increased visceral adiposity. We review available evidence in this area and provide nutritional recommendations that might ameliorate these adverse effects. Briefly, optimizing calcium, vitamin D, sodium and protein intake and increasing consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods, while decreasing the consumption of ultra-processed foods, might counteract some of the specific challenges faced by these patients. Importantly, we identify a dearth of empirical data on how nutritional intervention might impact health-related outcomes in this population. Further research is required to investigate the clinical and therapeutic efficacy of these theory-based recommendations.

Histidine containing dipeptides (HCDs: carnosine, anserine and balenine) have numerous therapeutic and ergogenic properties, but there is a lack of consensus on the mechanistic pathways through which they function. Potential roles include intracellular buffering, neutralisation of reactive species, and calcium regulation. Comparative investigations of the HCD content of various species provide unique insight into their most likely mechanisms of action. This review chronologically describes how the comparative physiology studies, conducted since the beginning of the 20th century, have shaped our understanding of the physiological roles of HCDs. The investigation of a wide range of physiologically distinct species indicates that those species with a strong reliance on non-oxidative forms of energy production are abundant in HCDs. These include: whales who experience long periods of hypoxia while diving; racehorses and greyhound dogs who have highly developed sprint abilities, and chickens and turkeys whose limited capacity for flight is largely fuelled by their white, glycolytic, muscle. Additionally, a higher HCD content in the Type 2 muscle fibres of various species (which have greater capacity for non-oxidative metabolism) was consistently observed. The pKa of the HCDs render them ideally suited to act as intracellular physicochemical buffers within the pH transit range of the skeletal muscle. As such, their abundance in species which show a greater reliance on non-oxidative forms of energy metabolism, and which experience regular challenges to acid-base homeostasis, provides strong evidence that intracellular proton buffering is an important function of the HCDs in skeletal muscle.

Freshwater turtles found in higher latitudes can experience extreme challenges to acid-base homeostasis while overwintering, due to a combination of cold temperatures along with the potential for environmental hypoxia. Histidine-containing dipeptides (HCDs; carnosine, anserine and balenine) may facilitate pH regulation in response to these challenges, through their role as pH buffers. We measured the HCD content of three tissues (liver, cardiac and skeletal muscle) from the anoxia-tolerant painted turtle (C. picta bellii) acclimated to either 3 or 20 °C. HCDs were detected in all tissues, with the highest content shown in the skeletal muscle. Turtles acclimated to 3 °C had more HCD in their skeletal muscle than those acclimated to 20 °C (carnosine = 20.8 ± 4.5 vs 12.5 ± 5.9 mmol·kg DM−1; ES = 1.59 (95%CI: 0.16–3.00), P = 0.013). The higher HCD content shown in the skeletal muscle of the cold-acclimated turtles suggests a role in acid-base regulation in response to physiological challenges associated with living in the cold, with the increase possibly related to the temperature sensitivity of carnosine's dissociation constant.

Freshwater turtles found in higher latitudes can experience extreme challenges to acid-base homeostasis while overwintering, due to a combination of cold temperatures along with the potential for environmental hypoxia. Histidine containing dipeptides (HCDs; carnosine, anserine and balenine) may facilitate pH regulation in response to these challenges, through their role as pH buffers. We measured the HCDs content of three tissues (liver, cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle) from the anoxia-tolerant painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) acclimated to either 3 or 20°C. HCDs were detected in all tissues, with the highest content shown in the skeletal muscle. Turtles acclimated to 3°C had more HCD in their skeletal muscle than those acclimated to 20°C (carnosine = 20.8±4.5 vs 12.5±5.9 mmol·kg DM-1; ES = 1.59 (95%CI: 0.16 – 3.00), P = 0.013). The higher HCD content observed in the skeletal muscle of the cold-acclimated turtles suggests a role in acid-base regulation in response to physiological challenges associated with living in the cold, with the increase possibly related to the temperature sensitivity of carnosine’s dissociation constant and buffering power of the skeletal muscle during anoxic submergence.HighlightspH regulation is a major challenge for overwintering freshwater turtles.Histidine containing dipeptides are important intracellular buffers.Turtles acclimated to 3°C had higher HCD content than those at 20°C.HCDs may be important pH regulators in cold-acclimated turtles.

Introduction: Placebos are used as a control treatment that is meant to be indistinguishable from the active intervention. However, where substantive placebo effects may occur, studies that do not include a non-placebo control arm may underestimate the overall effect of the intervention (active plus placebo components). This study aimed to determine the relative magnitude of the placebo effect associated with nutritional supplements (caffeine and extracellular buffers) by meta-analysing data from studies containing both placebo and non-placebo control sessions. Methods: Bayesian multilevel meta-analysis models were used to estimate pooled effects and express the placebo effect as a percentage of the overall intervention effect. Results: Thirty-four studies were included, with the median pooled effect size (ES0.5) indicating a very small (ES0.5=0.09 [95%CrI:0.01 to 0.17]) improvement in performance of placebo compared to control. There was no moderating effect of exercise type (capacity or performance), exercise duration or training status. The comparison between active intervention and control indicated a small to medium effect (ES0.5=0.37 [95%CrI:0.20 to 0.56]). Expressed in relative terms, the placebo effect was equivalent to 25% [75%CrI:16 to 35%] and 59% [75%CrI:34 to 94%] of the total intervention effect for buffers and caffeine. Conclusion: These results demonstrate a very small, but potentially important placebo effect with nutritional supplementation studies. A substantive proportion of supplement effects may be due to placebo effects, with the relative proportion influenced by the magnitude of the overall ergogenic effect. Where feasible, intervention studies should employ non-placebo control-arm comparators to identify the proportion of the effect estimated to come from placebo effects and avoid underestimating the overall benefits that the physiological plus psychobiological aspects associated with an intervention provide in the real world.

Currently, little is known about the extent of interindividual variability in response to beta-alanine (BA) supplementation, nor what proportion of said variability can be attributed to external factors or to the intervention itself (intervention response). To investigate this, individual participant data on the effect of BA supplementation on a high-intensity cycling capacity test (CCT110%) were meta-analyzed. Changes in time to exhaustion (TTE) and muscle carnosine were the primary and secondary outcomes. Multilevel distributional Bayesian models were used to estimate the mean and SD of BA and placebo group change scores. The relative sizes of group SDs were used to infer whether observed variation in change scores were due to intervention or non-intervention-related effects. Six eligible studies were identified, and individual data were obtained from four of these. Analyses showed a group effect of BA supplementation on TTE (7.7, 95% credible interval [CrI] [1.3, 14.3] s) and muscle carnosine (18.1, 95% CrI [14.5, 21.9] mmol/kg DM). A large intervention response variation was identified for muscle carnosine (σIR = 5.8, 95% CrI [4.2, 7.4] mmol/kg DM) while equivalent change score SDs were shown for TTE in both the placebo (16.1, 95% CrI [13.0, 21.3] s) and BA (15.9, 95% CrI [13.0, 20.0] s) conditions, with the probability that SD was greater in placebo being 0.64. In conclusion, the similarity in observed change score SDs between groups for TTE indicates the source of variation is common to both groups, and therefore unrelated to the supplement itself, likely originating instead from external factors such as nutritional intake, sleep patterns, or training status.

Commercial saturation divers are exposed to unique environmental conditions and are required to conduct work activity underwater. Consequently, divers’ physiological status is shown to be perturbed and therefore, appropriate strategies and guidance are required to manage the stress and adaptive response. This study aimed to evaluate the daily energy expenditure (DEE) of commercial saturation divers during a 21-day diving operation in the North Sea. Ten saturation divers were recruited during a diving operation with a living depth of 72 metres seawater (msw) and a maximum working dive depth of 81 msw. Doubly labelled water (DLW) was used to calculate DEE during a 10-day measurement period. Energy intake was also recorded during this period by maintaining a dietary log. The mean DEE calculated was 3030.9 ± 513.0 kcal/day, which was significantly greater than the mean energy intake (1875.3 ± 487.4 kcal; p = 0.005). There was also a strong positive correction correlation between DEE and total time spent performing underwater work (r = 0.7, p = 0.026). The results suggested saturation divers were in a negative energy balance during the measurement period with an intraindividual variability in the energy cost present that may be influenced by time spent underwater.

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements worldwide, and it is frequently used by both athletic and nonathletic populations to improve power, strength, muscle mass, and performance. However, new uses for creatine are emerging, as it seems to have therapeutic effects in a wide variety of clinical conditions, such as insulin insensitivity, cancer, muscle, bone, and cartilage disorders. Creatine have also been reported to influence the brain and to have therapeutic applications to many neurological disorders such as creatine supplementation has been shown to improve mental fatigue, memory, and attention, to reduce oxidative stress, and to control the progression of some neurodegenerative diseases. The combination of these benefits has made creatine as a strong candidate for therapeutic use against age-related diseases, such as long-term memory impairments, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. In this chapter, we explore the therapeutic potential of creatine supplementation to improve diseases and disorders associated with aging brain.

Health coaching has emerged as a potential supporting tool for health professionals to overcome behavioral barriers, but its efficacy in weight management remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize and evaluate the quality of evidence supporting the use of self-reported health coaching for weight loss. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Psyinfo, Virtual Health Library, and Scielo) were independently searched from inception to May 2020. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation recommendations. Any study that investigated a self-reported health coaching intervention with the goal of inducing weight loss in individuals of any age, health, or training status was considered for inclusion. Quantitative data were analyzed using multilevel hierarchical metaregression models conducted within a Bayesian framework. A total of 653 studies were screened and 38 were selected for inclusion. The quality of evidence supporting outcomes based on the entire evidence base was very low and studies were deemed to have high risk of bias. Meta-analysis of controlled studies provided evidence of an effect favoring coaching compared with usual care but was trivial in magnitude [effect size (ES)0.5: -0.09; 95% credible interval (CrI): -0.17, -0.02]. The multilevel extension of Egger's regression-intercept test indicated the existence of publication bias, whereas a sensitivity analysis based only on those studies deemed to be of high quality provided no evidence of an effect of coaching on weight loss (ES0.5: -0.04; 95% CrI: -0.12, 0.09). Considered collectively, the results of this investigation indicate that the available evidence is not of sufficient quality to support the use of self-reported health coaching as a health care intervention for weight loss. This trial was registered at Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) as CRD42020159023.

Purpose: Cycling is an activity that depends on a range of physiological attributes, as well as genetic, dietary, lifestyle and training factors. The aim of this study was to determine what self-reported training-related factors (e.g. intensity, frequency, supervision, etc) might predict laboratory-measured physiological and performance characteristics of a heterogeneous group of male and female self-classified cyclists. Methods: Forty-eight male and fourteen female cyclists completed all aspects of the study including a training questionnaire, incremental cycling test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), 30-s Wingate test and a 4-km cycling time-trial. Principle component analysis and LASSO regression modelling were used to analyse laboratory-measures and training variables and the predictive capacity of the latter. Results: Total distance covered across all intensities was the only training variable included in most bootstrap models (63.8%), although the actual contribution was very low with a median f2 effect size equal to 0.01. Self-reported classification of cycling level was weakly correlated to guideline classification of relative VO2max in men (r=0.396, p=0.004), but not women (r=0.024, p=0.925). Conclusions: Self-reported training variables were poor predictors of laboratory-based physiological and performance variables in this heterogeneous group of cyclists. Total distance covered was the only training variable included in most regression models, but the predictive capability of outcomes was low. This suggests that most of these self-report variables are not useful pre-screening tools for categorising non-elite cyclists or raises the potential that non-elite cyclists cannot accurately quantify their own training intensities. Researchers and coaches should be wary that self-reported classification may not directly reflect the level of the cyclist.

Muscle fatigue is defined as the loss in force of power production in response to a muscle contraction and, during exercise, this results in the inability to sustain exercise at a given intensity. Although exercise-induced muscle fatigue is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, it is accepted that hydrogen cation (H+) accumulation in skeletal muscle during intense exercise, which causes a reduction in the intramuscular pH, disrupts muscle energetics and muscle contraction and is a major cause of peripheral fatigue. The resultant increase in H+ within the skeletal muscle can negatively affect performance, particularly in those high-intensity events lasting between 1–10 minutes. The body has several intracellular and extracellular buffering systems that maintain pH homeostasis, although these may be exceeded during exercise. Nutritional interventions that might increase intracellular or extracellular buffering capacity could delay H+ accumulation and ultimately fatigue. Beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate and calcium, and sodium lactate are all buffering supplements with the capacity to increase intracellular or extracellular buffering capacity. Each of these supplements has been shown to improve exercise capacity and performance on numerous occasions, although several factors may modify their efficacy. The most promising of these are chronic supplementation with beta-alanine (to increase intramuscular buffering via an increase in muscle carnosine content) and acute supplementation with sodium bicarbonate (to increase extracellular buffering via an increase in circulating bicarbonate), which have been shown to be particularly effective for high-intensity exercise lasting 1–10 minutes in duration.

Background Bone is a plastic tissue that is responsive to its physical environment. As a result, exercise interventions represent a potential means to influence the bone. However, little is currently known about how various exercise and participant characteristics interact to influence bone metabolism. Acute, controlled, interventions provide an in vivo model through which the acute bone response to exercise can be investigated, typically by monitoring circulating bone biomarkers. Currently, substantial heterogeneity in factors such as study design, quality, exercise, and participant characteristics render it difficult to synthesize and evaluate the available evidence. Using a systematic review and meta-analytic approach, the aim of this investigation is to quantify the effect of an acute exercise bout on circulating bone biomarkers as well as examine the potential factors that may moderate this response, e.g., variation in participant, exercise, and sampling characteristics. Methods This protocol was designed in accordance with the PRISMA-P guidelines. Seven databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Sport Discus, Cochrane CENTRAL, PEDro, LILACS, and Ibec) will be systematically searched and supplemented by a secondary screening of the reference lists of all included articles. The PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes and Study Design) approach was used to guide the determination of the eligibility criteria. Participants of any age, sex, training, or health status will be considered for inclusion. We will select studies that have measured the bone biomarker response before and after an acute exercise session. All biomarkers considered to represent the bone metabolism will be considered for inclusion, and sensitivity analyses will be conducted using reference biomarkers for the measurement of bone resorption and formation (namely β-CTX-1 and P1NP). Multi-level, meta-regression models within a Bayesian framework will be used to explore the main effect of acute exercise on bone biomarkers as well as potential moderating factors. The risk of bias for each individual study will be evaluated using a modified version of the Downs and Black checklist while certainty in resultant outcomes will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Discussion A better understanding of the bone metabolic response to an acute bout of exercise has the potential to advance our understanding of the mechanisms through which this stimulus impacts bone metabolism, including factors that may moderate this response. Additionally, we will identify current gaps in the evidence base and provide recommendations to inform future research. Systematic review registration This protocol was prospectively registered in the Open Science Framework Registry (https://osf.io/6f8dz)

Bone health is determined by the rate of accrual in early life, followed by the rate of age-associated bone loss. Dietary protein intake might have a role in bone health across both of these phases via pleiotropic mechanistic pathways. Herein we summarise the pathways through which protein may exert either a positive or negative influence on bone. In the introduction, we describe the acid-ash hypothesis, which states that a high-protein intake may lead to an acidic residue that must be neutralised through the leaching of calcium and other minerals from the bone, subsequently leading to demineralisation and bone weakening. Conversely, and as described in the ‘Against: mechanisms through which protein may negatively impact bone’ section, protein intake may act to strengthen the bone by stimulating the activity of various anabolic hormones and growth factors, or by optimising muscle mass and functionality, which itself has an osteogenic influence. The net effect of these contrasting pathways is described in the ‘For: mechanisms through which protein may positively impact bone’ section, where a number of meta-analyses have demonstrated that higher protein intakes have a small positive impact on bone mass and fracture risk. Sometimes higher than recommended protein intakes are advised, e.g. during the earlier and later phases of the lifespan or during reduced energy availability. We conclude that protein is an essential nutrient for bone health, although further research is required to clarify the mechanistic pathways through which it exerts its influence, along with the clarification of the quantities, food sources and timing to allow for the optimisation of this protective influence and ultimately a reduction in fracture risk.

Background: β-alanine (BA) supplementation may be ergogenic during high intensity exercise, primarily due to the buffering of hydrogen cations, although the effects of beta-alanine supplementationon strength endurance are equivocal.\ud \ud Aim: To determine the effects of 4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle endurance using a battery of performance tests.\ud \ud Methods: This study employed a parallel group, repeated measures, randomised, double-blinded and placebo controlled design. Twenty recreationally strength-trained healthy males completed tests of isotonic strength endurance (repeated bench and leg press), along with tests of isometric and isokinetic endurance conducted using an isokinetic dynamometer. Tests were performed before and after a 4 week intervention, comprising an intake of 6.4g.day-1 10 of BA (n = 9) or placebo (maltodextrin, n = 11).\ud \ud Results: Time-to-exhaustion during the isometric endurance test improved by ~17% in the BA group (p < 0.01), while PL remained unchanged. No significant within-group differences (p > 0.1) were shown for any of the performance variables in the isokinetic test (peak torque, fatigue index, total work) nor for the total number of repetitions performed in the isotonic endurance tests (leg or bench press).\ud \ud Conclusions: Four weeks of BA supplementation (6.4 g.day-1 15 ) improved isometric, but not isokinetic or isotonic endurance performance.

This study investigated the effect of beta-alanine supplementation on short-duration sprints and final 4-km simulated uphill cycling time-trial performance during a comprehensive and novel exercise protocol representative of the demands of road-race cycling, and determined if changes were related to increases in muscle carnosine content. Seventeen cyclists (age 38 ± 9 y, height 1.76 ± 0.07 m, body mass 71.4 ± 8.8 kg, V̇O2max 52.4 ± 8.3 ml·kg-1·min-1) participated in this placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Cyclists undertook a prolonged intermittent cycling protocol lasting 125 minutes, with a 10-s sprint every 20 minutes, finishing with a 4-km time-trial at 5% simulated incline. Participants completed two familiarization sessions, and two main sessions, one pre-supplementation and one post-supplementation following 28 days of 6.4 g·day-1 of beta-alanine (N=11) or placebo (N=6; maltodextrin). Muscle biopsies obtained pre- and post-supplementation were analysed for muscle carnosine content. There were no main effects on sprint performance throughout the intermittent cycling test (all P>0.05). There was no group (P=0.69), time (P=0.50) or group x time interaction (P=0.26) on time-to-complete the 4-km time-trial. Time-to-completion did not change from pre- to post-supplementation for BA (-19.2 ± 45.6 s, P=0.43) or PL (+2.8 ± 31.6 s, P=0.99). Beta-alanine did not influence blood lactate values or ratings of perceived exertion during the prolonged cycling test. Beta-alanine supplementation increased muscle carnosine content from pre- to post-supplementation (+9.4 ± 4.0 mmol·kg-1dm; P

Purpose: The present review critically evaluates existing literature on the effects of short- and long-term low energy availability (EA) on bone metabolism and health in physically active individuals.\ud \ud Methods: We reviewed the literature on the short-term effects of low EA on markers of bone metabolism and the long-term effects of low EA on outcomes relating to bone health (bone mass, microarchitecture and strength, bone metabolic markers and stress fracture injury risk) in physically active individuals.\ud \ud Results: Available evidence indicates that short-term low EA may increase markers of bone resorption and decrease markers of bone formation in physically active women. Bone metabolic marker responses to low EA are less well known in physically active men. Cross-sectional studies investigating the effects of long-term low EA suggest that physically active individuals who have low EA present with lower bone mass, altered bone metabolism (favouring bone resorption), reduced bone strength and increased risk for stress fracture injuries.\ud \ud Conclusions: Reduced EA has a negative influence on bone in both the short- and long-term, and every effort should be made to reduce its occurrence in physically active individuals. Future interventions are needed to explore the effects of long-term reduced EA on bone health outcomes, while short-term low EA studies are also required to give insight into the pathophysiology of bone alterations.