Relationship between protein intake in each meal and physical activity level : Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Protein intake plays an important role in the synthesis and maintenance of skeletal muscle in the prevention of health risks. It is also widely known that physical activity influences muscle function. However, no large-scale studies have examined the relationship between daily dietary habits, especially the timing of protein intake, and daily physical activity. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between protein intake and composition during the three meals and the amount of daily physical activity using a cross-sectional study design. METHODS Using the daily dietary data accumulated in the phone food-log application “Asken” and a web-based cross-sectional survey to the Asken users (total N = 8,458), we analyzed the nutrient intake and daily activity levels. RESULTS Correlation analysis revealed that breakfast and lunch protein intake had higher positive correlations with daily physical activity among the three major macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate). These findings were confirmed by multiple regression analysis with confounding factors. Also, participants with higher protein intake and composition at breakfast or lunch tended to exhibit significantly greater physical activity than those with the higher protein intake at dinner. CONCLUSIONS Among the three macronutrients, protein intake during breakfast and lunch was closely associated with daily physical activity.

Accelerometry Correlates in Body Composition, Physical Fitness, and Disease Symptom Burden: A Pilot Study in End-Stage Renal Disease

There is strong evidence that hemodialysis (HD) patients with a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of death compared to peers who engage in regular physical activity. Therefore, monitoring physical activity is of utmost importance. However, there is a lack of data on objectively measured physical activity behaviors in HD patients. Therefore, this study aimed to objectively measure physical activity in HD patients throughout the week, with particular attention to dialysis and non-dialysis days. We also examined how objectively measured physical activity correlated with physical fitness, body composition, and disease burden. Daily physical activity, body composition, serum parameters, comorbidity index, sit-to-stand, and hand-grip strength tests were measured in 14 HD patients. Daily physical activity was measured using the Actigraph GT9X accelerometer. The Dialysis Symptom Index questionnaire was also used. We found significant differences in anthropometric variables (weight, body mass index, overhydration, lean tissue index, and fat tissue index, all p < 0.05) and phase angle (p < 0.01) between HD patients reaching and patients not reaching physical activity guidelines for patients with chronic diseases. HD patients showed to be less active during dialysis days compared to non-dialysis days as indicated in sedentary time (–11.7%; p = 0.001), light (–47.3%; p = 0.003), moderate (–51.5%; p = 0.001), moderate to vigorous (–49.3%; p = 0.001), and vigorous (–34.3%; p = 0.067) physical activity. No significant correlations were found among serum parameters, symptom burden, and comorbidity burden, but a very large and positive correlation was found between phase angle and total moderate to vigorous physical activity (p < 0.01). Our findings support the need to implement physical activity on dialysis days in HD units to mitigate the effects of sedentary behavior. Prospective, long-term studies evaluating the use of accelerometers in HD patients and their effects on physical activity are needed.

Daily Physical Activity Patterns: A Window on Cognitive Decline in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)

Gradual disengagement from essential daily physical activity (PA) necessary for independent living could signal present or emerging mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We used BLSA data to examine whether PA patterns including: 1) total activity counts/day, 2) minutes/day spent active, and 3) activity fragmentation (reciprocal of the mean active bout length) differs between participants with adjudicated normal cognition (n=498) and MCI/AD diagnoses (n=32). Linear models were used and adjusted for demographics, APOE-e4 status, morbidity, and gait speed. Compared to those with normal cognition, those with MCI/AD had 3.0% higher activity fragmentation (SE=1.1%, p=0.006) but similar mean total activity counts/day (p=0.08) and minutes/day spent active (p=0.19). Results suggest that activity fragmentation may arise as a compensatory strategy in the absence of reduced activity in MCI and early AD and that activity monitoring may be potentially useful for detecting MCI and AD at an earlier stage.

The role of COVID-19 fears and related behaviors in understanding daily adolescent health behaviors during the pandemic

We examined the prospective associations of COVID-19 fears and behavior, and daily physical activity and dysregulated eating. Adolescents ( N = 31) aged 11–17 completed selected subscales of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation and completed a 7-day health behavior diary. Greater fear of contamination was associated with lower daily physical activity. In contrast, greater COVID-19 precautionary behavior was associated with greater daily physical activity. COVID-19 fears and precautionary behaviors have differential associations with health promoting behavior engagement. Future studies should explore the mechanisms underlying these links to guide adaptation of health behavior interventions for this unique cohort.