ALBERT

Description: The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is a master metabolic regulator with roles in nutritional sensing, protein translation, and autophagy. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green alga, TOR has been linked to the regulation of increased triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation, suggesting that TOR or a downstream target(s) is responsible for the elusive “lipid switch” in control of increasing TAG accumulation under nutrient limitation. However, while TOR has been well characterized in mammalian systems, it is still poorly understood in photosynthetic systems, and little work has been done to show the role of oxidative signaling in TOR regulation. In this study, the TOR inhibitor AZD8055 was used to relate reversible thiol oxidation to the physiological changes seen under TOR inhibition, including increased TAG content. Using oxidized cysteine resin-assisted capture enrichment coupled with label-free quantitative proteomics, 401 proteins were determined to have significant changes in oxidation following TOR inhibition. These oxidative changes mirrored characterized physiological modifications, supporting the role of reversible thiol oxidation in TOR regulation of TAG production, protein translation, carbohydrate catabolism, and photosynthesis through the use of reversible thiol oxidation. The delineation of redox-controlled proteins under TOR inhibition provides a framework for further characterization of the TOR pathway in photosynthetic eukaryotes.

Description: As a major public health concern, childhood obesity is a multifaceted and multilevel metabolic disorder influenced by genetic and behavioral aspects. While genetic risk factors contribute to and interact with the onset and development of excess body weight, available evidence indicates that several modifiable obesogenic behaviors play a crucial role in the etiology of childhood obesity. Although a variety of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of several interventions in community-based, school-based, and home-based programs regarding childhood obesity, the prevalence of children with excess body weight remains high. Additionally, researchers and pediatric clinicians are often encountering several challenges and the characteristics of an optimal weight management strategy remain controversial. Strategies involving a combination of physical activity, nutritional, and educational interventions are likely to yield better outcomes compared to single-component strategies but various prohibitory limitations have been reported in practice. This review seeks to (i) provide a brief overview of the current preventative and therapeutic approaches towards childhood obesity, (ii) discuss the complexity and limitations of research in the childhood obesity area, and (iii) suggest an Etiology-Based Personalized Intervention Strategy Targeting Childhood Obesity (EPISTCO). This purposeful approach includes prioritized nutritional, educational, behavioral, and physical activity intervention strategies directly based on the etiology of obesity and interpretation of individual characteristics.

Description: It has been well-documented that female and male athletes differ in many physiological and psychological characteristics related to endurance performance. This sex-based difference appears to be associated with their nutritional demands including the patterns of supplement intake. However, there is a paucity of research addressing the sex differences in supplement intake amongst distance runners. The present study aimed to investigate and compare supplement intake between female and male distance runners (10 km, half-marathon, (ultra-)marathon) and the potential associations with diet type and race distance. A total of 317 runners participated in an online survey, and 220 distance runners (127 females and 93 males) made up the final sample after a multi-stage data clearance. Participants were also assigned to dietary (omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan) and race distance (10-km, half-marathon, marathon/ultra-marathon) subgroups. Sociodemographic characteristics and the patterns of supplement intake including type, frequency, dosage, and brands were collected using a questionnaire. One-way ANOVA and logistic regression were used for data analysis. A total of 54.3% of female runners and 47.3% male runners reported consuming supplements regularly. The frequency of supplement intake was similar between females and males (generally or across dietary and distance subgroups). There was no significant relationship for sex alone or sex interactions with diet type and race distance on supplement intake (p 〈 0.05). However, a non-significant higher intake of vitamin and mineral (but not CHO/protein) supplements was reported by vegan and vegetarian (but not by omnivorous) females compared to their male counterparts. In summary, despite the reported findings, sex could not be considered as a strong modulator of supplement intake among different groups of endurance runners.

Description: Nutrient deficiency is a common cause of underperformance in endurance athletes, and supplement intake is frequently considered compensatory for vegan and vegetarian athletes specifically. This study aimed to investigate the patterns of supplement intake among vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous distance (〉10 km) runners and its association with age, sex, and race distance. From a total of 317 runners who participated in an online survey, 220 distance runners (mean age: 38.5 years; mean BMI: 21.75 kg/m2) were selected for the final sample after data clearance and assigned to 100 omnivores, 40 vegetarians, or 80 vegans. Sociodemographic information, racing experience, and patterns of supplement intake, including type, frequency, dosage, etc., were collected using a questionnaire. Macronutrient intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. ANOVA and logistic regression were used for data analysis. The prevalence of supplement intake was 51% for total runners and 72% among vegan runners. Age, sex, and race distance had no significant effect on the type of supplement intake (p 〉 0.05). Compared to omnivores and vegetarians, vegan runners reported consuming more vitamin (but not carbohydrate/protein or mineral) supplements (p 〈 0.05). Vitamin B12, magnesium, and multivitamin had the most prevalent use amongst micronutrient supplements. This study points to a central role for supplementary nutritional strategies in different groups of distance runners. The present findings may help future investigations by design to identify specific requirements of endurance runners when adhering to specific kinds of diet particularly plant-based diets.