In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the body composition and dietary intake of 44 adolescent tennis players. After being divided into two groups (age 10-13 years and age 14-18), the players had their weight, height, and sexual maturation assessed. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. Food intake was obtained from a non-consecutive 4-day food record. The data were analysed using the Virtual Nutri v.1.0 software and compared with the present recommendations for adolescent athletes or dietary reference intakes. Body mass index and body fat for tennis practice were adequate for 89% and 71% of the tennis players respectively, regardless of age group. A calorie deficit greater than 10% of energy expenditure was observed in 32% of the sample. Fifty percent of the athletes consumed carbohydrates in accordance with recommended values. Protein and lipid intakes were above recommended values, while fibre, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and folic acid intakes were below recommendation for 98%, 80%, 100%, 100%, and 98% of the tennis players respectively. The observed nutritional deficiencies represent an additional barrier for adolescents engaged in competitive sports to achieve an optimum nutrition to maintain growth, health, and performance.

In this prospective, cross-sectional study male adolescent tennis players (44) and nonathletic controls (32) were evaluated to determine the effects of physical activity, dietary nutrient intakes, sexual maturation, and body composition on bone-mineral density (BMD). Dietary nutrient intakes and physical activity expenditure were estimated by 4-d diaries. Total body composition, bone-mineral content (BMC), and BMD (L1-L4, femur, and nondominant forearm) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Tennis players had significantly greater lean body mass (mean [SEM] 50.6 [1.6] kg vs. 45.1 [1.7] kg, p = .022), trochanter BMD (1.0 [0.02] g/cm2 vs. 0.9 [0.03] g/cm2, p = .032), and dominant forearm BMC (173.7 [7.4] g vs. 146.5 [9.3] g) but lower BMD in the nondominant forearm (0.7 [0.02] g/cm2 vs. 0.8 [0.03] g/cm2, p = .028). Daily average calcium intake was below the recommendation in both groups. No correlation was found between BMD and calcium intake and exercise. Lean body mass was the best predictor of BMD and BMC for both tennis players and controls (R2 = .825, .628, and .693 for L1-L4, total femur, and nondominant forearm, respectively). Based on these results the authors conclude that lean body mass is the best predictor of BMD and BMC for both tennis players and others. Tennis exerts a site-specific effect, and training should focus on ways minimize this effect. Although calcium intake showed no effect on BMD, nutrition education for young athletes should focus on promoting a balanced diet, providing energy and nutrients in adequate amounts.

The aim of the study was (1) to translate the "Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-Multidimensional Fatigue Scale" (PedsQL-Fatigue) into Brazilian Portuguese language and culture and evaluate its reliability and (2) to measure fatigue among patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA): (1) Translation of the PedsQL-Fatigue by two bilingual researchers; (2) Backtranslation into English assessed by the authors of the original version; (3) Pilot study with five patients followed in the Pediatric Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic and their parents; and (4) Field study and assessment of measurement properties (internal consistency, reproducibility, and construct validity). In this stage, the scale was administered to 67 patients with JIA and 63 healthy individuals, aged from 2 to 18 years old, matched by age (from 2 to 4, 5 to 7, 8 to 12, and from 13 to 18 years old). Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 for children and parents, indicating the instrument's good internal consistency. The scale's construct validity was confirmed by a satisfactory Spearman's coefficient between the PedsQL-Fatigue and the generic PedsQL 4.0 (0.840 for the children and 0.742 for the parents). Reproducibility was also adequate (0.764 for the children and 0.938 for the parents). No differences were found between the scores obtained by the JIA group and control group, though lower scores were observed among patients with clinically active JIA when compared to those without clinical activity. The PedsQL-Fatigue is a valid and reliable tool, and that can be used to measure fatigue among patients with JIA.

Children with obesity have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and hypertension, which is associated with the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation and kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) inactivation. Although recent studies have identified several peptide-based biomarkers for obesity, circulating peptides from the RAS and KKS in adolescents with obesity have not been described. The aim of this study was to examine circulating levels of RAS and KKS peptides in adolescents with obesity to investigate the turnover of these peptides and their relationship to metabolic disorders resulting from weight gain. The subjects (n = 104) were divided into normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), obese (OB), and morbidly obese (MO) groups. Anthropometric profiles were created by measuring height, weight, blood pressure, and skinfolds. Plasma levels of Ang I, II, (1-7), BK, and des-Arg 9 BK were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The levels were as follows:

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