Background: The effect of ketogenic diets (KD) on body composition in different populations has been investigated. More recently, some have recommended that athletes adhere to ketogenic diets in order to optimize changes in body composition during training. However, there is less evidence related to trained women. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a KD on body composition and strength in trained women following an eight-week resistance training (RT) program. Methods: Twenty-one strength-trained women (27.6 ± 4.0 years; 162.1 ± 6.6 cm; 62.3 ± 7.8 kg; 23.7 ± 2.9 kg•m − 2) were randomly assigned to either a non-KD group (n = 11, NKD) or a KD group (n = 10, KD). Study outcomes included body composition as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), strength levels measured using one maximum repetition (RM) in back squat and bench press (BP), and countermovement jump (CMJ) measured on a force plate. Results: A significant reduction in fat mass was observed in KD (− 1.1 ± 1.5 kg; P = 0.042; d = − 0.2) but not in NDK (0.3 ± 0.8 kg; P = 0.225; d = 0.1). No significant changes in fat-free mass were observed in KD (− 0.7 ± 1.7 kg; P = 0.202; d = − 0.1) or NKD (0.7 ± 1.1 kg; P = 0.074; d = 0.2), but absolute changes favored NKD. No significant changes in BP were observed in KD (1.5 ± 4.6 kg; P = 0.329; d = 0.2), although significant changes were noted in the squat and CMJ (5.6 ± 7.6 kg; P = 0.045; d = 0.5 and 1.7 ± 1.9 cm; P = 0.022; d = 0.6, respectively). In contrast, NKD showed significant increases in BP (4.8 ± 1.8; P < 0.01; d = 0.7), squat (15.6 ± 5.4 kg; P = 0.005; d = 1.4) and CMJ (2.2 ± 1.7 cm; P = 0.001; d = 0.5). Conclusions: Findings indicate that a KD may help to decrease fat mass and maintain fat-free mass after eight 8 weeks of RT in trained-women but is suboptimal for increasing fat-free mass.

Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function, dramatically affects the quality of life. Although there is a consensus that sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome, the etiology and underlying mechanisms are not yet delineated. Moreover, research about nutritional interventions to prevent the development of sarcopenia is mainly focused on the amount and quality of protein intake. The impact of several nutrition strategies that consider timing of food intake, anti-inflammatory nutrients, metabolic control, and the role of mitochondrial function on the progression of sarcopenia is not fully understood. This narrative review summarizes the metabolic background of this phenomenon and proposes an integral nutritional approach (including dietary supplements such as creatine monohydrate) to target potential molecular pathways that may affect reduce or ameliorate the adverse effects of sarcopenia. Lastly, miRNAs, in particular those produced by skeletal muscle (MyomiR), might represent a valid tool to evaluate sarcopenia progression as a potential rapid and early biomarker for diagnosis and characterization.

BackgroundKetogenic diets (KD) have become a popular method of promoting weight loss. More recently, some have recommended that athletes adhere to ketogenic diets in order to optimize changes in body composition during training. This study evaluated the efficacy of an 8-week ketogenic diet (KD) during energy surplus and resistance training (RT) protocol on body composition in trained men.MethodsTwenty-four healthy men (age 30 ± 4.7 years; weight 76.7 ± 8.2 kg; height 174.3 ± 19.7 cm) performed an 8-week RT program. Participants were randomly assigned to a KD group (n = 9), non-KD group (n = 10, NKD), and control group (n = 5, CG) in hyperenergetic condition. Body composition changes were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Compliance with the ketosis state was monitored by measuring urinary ketones weekly. Data were analyzed using a univariate, multivariate and repeated measures general linear model (GLM) statistics.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in fat mass (mean change, 95% CI; p-value; Cohen’s d effect size [ES]; − 0.8 [− 1.6, − 0.1] kg; p < 0.05; ES = − 0.46) and visceral adipose tissue (− 96.5 [− 159.0, − 34.0] g; p < 0.05; ES = − 0.84), while no significant changes were observed in the NKD and CG in fat mass (− 0,5 [− 1.2, 0.3] kg; p > 0.05; ES = − 0.17 and − 0,5 [− 2.4, 1.3] kg; p > 0.05; ES = − 0.12, respectively) or visceral adipose tissue (− 33.8 [− 90.4, 22.8]; p > 0.5; ES = − 0.17 and 1.7 [− 133.3, 136.7]; p > 0.05; ES = 0.01, respectively). No significant increases were observed in total body weight (− 0.9 [− 2.3, 0.6]; p > 0.05; ES = [− 0.18]) and muscle mass (− 0.1 [− 1.1,1.0]; p > 0,05; ES = − 0.04) in the KD group, but the NKD group showed increases in these parameters (0.9 [0.3, 1.5] kg; p < 0.05; ES = 0.18 and (1.3[0.5, 2.2] kg; p < 0,05; ES = 0.31, respectively). There were no changes neither in total body weight nor lean body mass (0.3 [− 1.2, 1.9]; p > 0.05; ES = 0.05 and 0.8 [− 0.4, 2.1]; p > 0.05; ES = 0.26, respectively) in the CG.ConclusionOur results suggest that a KD might be an alternative dietary approach to decrease fat mass and visceral adipose tissue without decreasing lean body mass; however, it might not be useful to increase muscle mass during positive energy balance in men undergoing RT for 8 weeks.

According to current therapeutic approaches, a nitrate-dietary supplementation with beetroot juice (BRJ) is postulated as a nutritional strategy that might help to control arterial blood pressure in healthy subjects, pre-hypertensive population, and even patients diagnosed and treated with drugs. In this sense, a systematic review of random clinical trials (RCTs) published from 2008 to 2018 from PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and manual searches was conducted to identify studies examining the relationship between BRJ and blood pressure. The specific inclusion criteria were: (1) RCTs; (2) trials that assessed only the BRJ intake with control group; and (3) trials that reported the effects of this intervention on blood pressure. The search identified 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria. This review was able to demonstrate that BRJ supplementation is a cost-effective strategy that might reduce blood pressure in different populations, probably through the nitrate/nitrite/nitric oxide (NO3−/NO2−/NO) pathway and secondary metabolites found in Beta vulgaris. This easily found and cheap dietary intervention could significantly decrease the risk of suffering cardiovascular events and, in doing so, would help to diminish the mortality rate associated to this pathology. Hence, BRJ supplementation should be promoted as a key component of a healthy lifestyle to control blood pressure in healthy and hypertensive individuals. However, several factors related to BRJ intake (e.g., gender, secondary metabolites present in B. vulgaris, etc.) should be studied more deeply.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of various recovery techniques on muscle tissue after eccentric exercise-induced muscle fatigue (EIMF). Forty subjects (24.3 ± 2.6 years; 77.45 ± 8.3 kg; 177.0 ± 6.4 cm; 24.66 ± 1.6 kg∙m−2) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: manual therapy (n =10, MT), mechanical vibration (n = 10, MV), percussion therapy (n = 10, PT) or foam roller (n = 10, FR). The contraction time (Tc) and the radial displacement (Dm) of the gastrocnemius was evaluated through tensiomyography (TMG). The application of the different techniques had positive effects for Tc and Dm in the treated leg compared to the untreated leg (F = 50.01, p < 0.01, η2p = 0.58 and F = 27.58, p < 0.01, η2p = 0.43, respectively) and for the interaction of the factors (Time x Leg x Therapy: F = 5.76, p < 0.01, η2p = 0.32 and F = 5.93, p < 0.01, η2p = 0.33, respectively). The results of the various methods used were similar: Tc (F = 0.17, p = 0.917; η2p = 0.01) and Dm (F = 3.30, p = 0.031, η2p = 0.22). PT interventions show potential for restoring muscle compliance and reducing stiffness, similar to MT and possibly more effective (cost-time relationship) compared to MV or FR.