Playing with Fire: Masculinity, Health, and Sports Supplements

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Growth Hormones ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Fitness Centers ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Sports Supplements ◽  
Recreational Athletes ◽  
Select Group ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ethnographic Data

Canadian men flock to gyms to enlarge, reshape, and sculpt their bodies. Fitness centers, health-food stores, muscle magazines, and Internet sites profit by aggressively selling “sports supplements” to a wide range of exercising men. Once associated with only the hardcore factions of male bodybuilders (Klein, 1995), designer protein powders, creatine products, energy bars, ephedrine, amino acids, diuretics, and growth hormones such as androstenedione are generically marketed to men as health and lifestyle-improving aids. This paper explores how a select group of Canadian men connect the consumption of sports supplements to the pursuit of “established” masculinity. I collected ethnographic data from 57 recreational athletes in Canada and interpreted the data through the lens of figurational sociology. Analytic attention is thus given to how contemporary discourses and practices of supplementation are underscored by middle-class understandings of masculine bodies in a time of perceived “gender crisis” in Canada.

The Use of Nutritional Supplements Among Recreational Athletes in Athens, Greece

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Tsitsimpikou ◽  
Nastasia Chrisostomou ◽  
Peter Papalexis ◽  
Konstantinos Tsarouhas ◽  
Aristidis Tsatsakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Anabolic Steroids ◽  
Nutritional Supplements ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Recreational Athletes ◽  
Mass Spectrometric Detector ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Source Of Information

Although the use of nutritional supplements by professional athletes and the benefits thereof have been extensively studied, information on recreational athletes’ use of supplements is limited. This study investigated the consumption of nutritional supplements, source of information and supply of supplements, and level of awareness with regard to the relevant legislation among individuals who undertake regular exercise in Athens, Greece. A closed-ended, anonymous questionnaire was answered by 329 subjects (180 men, 149 women), age 30.6 ± 12.1 yr, from 11 randomly selected gym centers. Preparations declared as anabolic agents by the users were submitted to a gas chromatographic analyzer coupled to a mass spectrometric detector. Consumption of nutritional supplements was reported by 41% of the study population, with proteins/amino acids and vitamins being the most popular. Age (r = .456, p = .035), sex (χ2 = 14.1, df = 1, p < .001), level of education (χ2 = 14.1, df = 3, p < .001), and profession (χ2 = 11.4, df = 4, p = .022) were associated with the subjects’ decision to consume nutritional supplements. Most (67.1%) purchased products from health food stores. Only 17.1% had consulted a physician or nutritionist, and one third were aware of the relevant legislation. Two preparations were detected containing synthetic anabolic steroids not stated on the label. In conclusion, use of nutritional supplements was common among recreational athletes in Athens, Greece. A low level of awareness and low involvement of health care professionals as sources of information and supply were observed.

scholarly journals Prospects for the use of non-traditional vegetable raw materials for the creation of new food products

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-97
Author(s):  
N. A. Lesnikova ◽  
L. A. Kokoreva ◽  
G. B. Pishchikov ◽  
L. G. Protasova
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Pantothenic Acid ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Online Stores ◽  
Almost All

Quinoa is an unconventional agricultural crop for Russia, however, experiments on its cultivation have successfully completed in the Krasnodar Territory. A study of the possibility of using this cereal in Russian catering enterprises is under development. Quinoa cereal surpasses traditional Krasnodar rice in almost all indicators of nutritional and biological value: in the content of essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that quinoa cereal differs from Krasnodar's rice in the increased content of all amino acids: essential – by 3.38, replaceable – by 3.38 g per 100 g of product. The following amino acids are present in the largest amount in quinoa: arginine (6.8%), lysine (6.2%), isoleucine (6.8%), aspartic acid (12.8%), glutamic acid (11.4%) , proline (6.9%), glycine (6.8%). The share of the daily rate of fat (84 g) for rice and quinoa is 0.2 and 2.3%, respectively. Quinoa cereal contains more vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folates, tocopherol, and betaine in rice. An increased content of iron, manganese and zinc was also noted. After analyzing the biological and physico-chemical parameters, we can conclude the feasibility of introducing new raw materials into the assortment of catering products, since quinoa cereal is not inferior to traditional rice cereal in its technological properties, it can improve the quality indicators of ready-made dishes. An analysis of the assortment showed that in the Yekaterinburg market in health food stores and online stores specializing in the delivery of healthy food products, the quinoa assortment is represented quite widely.

scholarly journals Autophagy Deficiency by Atg4B Loss Leads to Metabolomic Alterations in Mice

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 481
Author(s):  
Gemma G. Martínez-García ◽  
Raúl F. Pérez ◽  
Álvaro F. Fernández ◽  
Sylvere Durand ◽  
Guido Kroemer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Tissue Homeostasis ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Protective Mechanism ◽  
Cardiac Damage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time

Autophagy is an essential protective mechanism that allows mammalian cells to cope with a variety of stressors and contributes to maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis. Due to these crucial roles and also to the fact that autophagy malfunction has been described in a wide range of pathologies, an increasing number of in vivo studies involving animal models targeting autophagy genes have been developed. In mammals, total autophagy inactivation is lethal, and constitutive knockout models lacking effectors of this route are not viable, which has hindered so far the analysis of the consequences of a systemic autophagy decline. Here, we take advantage of atg4b−/− mice, an autophagy-deficient model with only partial disruption of the process, to assess the effects of systemic reduction of autophagy on the metabolome. We describe for the first time the metabolic footprint of systemic autophagy decline, showing that impaired autophagy results in highly tissue-dependent alterations that are more accentuated in the skeletal muscle and plasma. These changes, which include changes in the levels of amino-acids, lipids, or nucleosides, sometimes resemble those that are frequently described in conditions like aging, obesity, or cardiac damage. We also discuss different hypotheses on how impaired autophagy may affect the metabolism of several tissues in mammals.

scholarly journals Destruxin A Interacts with Aminoacyl tRNA Synthases in Bombyx mori

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 593
Author(s):  
Jingjing Wang ◽  
Alexander Berestetskiy ◽  
Qiongbo Hu
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Bombyx Mori ◽  
Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽  
Free Amino ◽  
Molecular Target ◽  
Trna Synthetases ◽  
Interaction Mode ◽  
Aminoacyl Trna Synthetases ◽  
Wide Range

Destruxin A (DA), a hexa-cyclodepsipeptidic mycotoxin produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, exhibits insecticidal activities in a wide range of pests and is known as an innate immunity inhibitor. However, its mechanism of action requires further investigation. In this research, the interactions of DA with the six aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (ARSs) of Bombyx mori, BmAlaRS, BmCysRS, BmMetRS, BmValRS, BmIleRS, and BmGluProRS, were analyzed. The six ARSs were expressed and purified. The BLI (biolayer interferometry) results indicated that DA binds these ARSs with the affinity indices (KD) of 10−4 to 10−5 M. The molecular docking suggested a similar interaction mode of DA with ARSs, whereby DA settled into a pocket through hydrogen bonds with Asn, Arg, His, Lys, and Tyr of ARSs. Furthermore, DA treatments decreased the contents of soluble protein and free amino acids in Bm12 cells, which suggested that DA impedes protein synthesis. Lastly, the ARSs in Bm12 cells were all downregulated by DA stress. This study sheds light on exploring and answering the molecular target of DA against target insects.

scholarly journals Health Information Provided by Retail Health Food Outlets

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 767-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Calder ◽  
Robert Issenman ◽  
Ruth Cawdron
Keyword(s):  
Information Sources ◽  
Nutritional Supplements ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Research Assistant ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Herbal Supplements ◽  
Alternative Health ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Source Of Information

Alternative health practices have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many patients visit specific complementary practitioners, while others attempt to educate themselves, trusting advice from employees at local health food stores or the Internet. Thirty-two retail health food stores were surveyed on the nature of the information provided by their staff. A research assistant visited the stores and presented as the mother of a child in whom Crohn’s disease had been diagnosed. Seventy-two per cent (23 of 32) of store employees offered advice, such as to take nutritional and herbal supplements. Of the 23 stores where recommendations were made, 15 (65%) based their recommendation on a source of information. Fourteen of the 15 stores using information sources used the same reference book. This had a significant impact on the recommendations; the use of nutritional supplements was favoured. In conclusion, retail health food stores are not as inconsistent as hypothesized, although there are many variances in the types of supplements recommended for the same chronic disease.

scholarly journals Impact of Foliar Application of Amino Acids on Total Phenols, Phenolic Acids Content of Different Mints Varieties under the Field Condition

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 599
Author(s):  
Živilė Tarasevičienė ◽  
Aloyzas Velička ◽  
Aurelija Paulauskienė
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Phenolic Acids ◽  
Foliar Application ◽  
Mentha Piperita ◽  
Total Phenolic ◽  
Total Phenol Content ◽  
Individual Response ◽  
Total Phenols ◽  
Wide Range

Phenolic compounds have a number of benefits to human health and can be used as preventive compounds for the development of some chronic diseases. Mentha plants are not only a good source of essential oils, but also contain significant levels of wide range of phenolic compounds. The aim of this research was to investigate the possibility to increase phenols content in Mentha plants under the foliar application with L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine at two concentrations (100 mg L−1 and 200 mg L−1) and to create preconditions for using this plant for even more diverse purposes. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of phenols in mints were performed by HPLC method. Foliar application of amino acids increased the total phenol content from 1.22 to 3.51 times depending on the treatment and mint variety. The most pronounced foliar application to total phenols content was tryptophane especially in Mentha piperita “Swiss”. Mentha piperita “Swiss” was affected most by foliar application and the amount of total phenolic acids depending on the treatment ranged from 159.25 to 664.03 mg 100 g−1 (DW), respectively, non-sprayed and sprayed with tryptophane 100 mg L−1. Our results suggest that the biophenol content varies according to such factors as foliar application and variety, and every single mint variety has individual response to different applications of amino acids.

Reactions of the radical cation derived from 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS·+) with amino acids. Kinetics and mechanism

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1052-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Aliaga ◽  
E A Lissi
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Radical Cation ◽  
Sulfonic Acid ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Kinetics And Mechanism ◽  
Specific Rate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Initial Ph ◽  
Secondary Reactions

Stable free radicals derived from 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS·+) have been extensively employed to monitor the antioxidant capacity of biological fluids and beverages. Besides reacting with typical antioxidants (such as phenols or thiols) these radicals react with a variety of hydrogen or electron donors. The present work reports on the kinetics and mechanism of these radical reactions with several amino acids. Reaction rates notably increase when the pH of the media increases and, when measured under similar conditions, follows the ordercysteine > > tryptophan > tyrosine > histidine > cystineThe kinetics of the process is interpreted in terms of a mechanism comprising an initial pH dependent reversible step, followed by secondary reactions of the substrate derived radical with itself or with another ABTS·+; this simple three-step mechanism leads to very complex kinetic expressions. The specific rate constants of several of the elementary steps were determined by working under a wide range of substrate, radical, and ABTS concentrations. The values obtained for the initial interaction between the ABTS derived radical and the substrate range from 0.5 M–1 s–1 to 1.9 × 106 M–1 s–1 for histidine and cysteine, respectively.Key words: ABTS radical cation, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), amino acids, kinetics.

scholarly journals Desenvolvimento e validação de instrumento para avaliar o impacto de um programa de intervenção em comércios de alimentos em área de deserto alimentar/Development and validity of an instrument to evaluate the impact of an intervention in food stores at an urban food desert

2018 ◽  
pp. 396-411
Author(s):  
Lucas Daniel Sanches ◽  
Renata Fagundes Lopes ◽  
Matheus Ribeiro Theodósio Fernandes Melzer ◽  
Maria Aparecida De Oliveira ◽  
Paula Andrea Martins
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Food Desert ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Cronbach Alpha ◽  
The Impact

ResumoObjetivou-se desenvolver e validar um instrumento adequado para avaliar o impacto de um programa piloto de intervenção no ambiente alimentar local para promoção da alimentação saudável em comércios de varejo de alimentos da Zona Noroeste em Santos/SP, região caracterizada como deserto alimentar. Foi realizada pesquisa formativa para validação do instrumento, incluindo reuniões de pesquisadores, varredura no território estudado para identificação dos comércios de alimentos, visitas a atores do canal de distribuição de alimentos, oficinas comunitárias com a comunidade local e entrevistas em profundidade com proprietários dos estabelecimentos para validação de conteúdo e validade aparente. Foi testada confiabilidade do instrumento por coeficiente de alfa de Cronbach. O desenvolvimento do questionário incluiu questões para avaliação da Identificação e Caracterização do Comércio; Parâmetros de Comercialização, incluindo importância de fatores para a inclusão de um novo alimento, frequência de aquisição de produtos, rentabilidade; e Escala de Fatores Psicossociais, incluindo expectativa em relação às vendas de alimentos saudáveis, expectativa em relação ao impacto, e autoeficácia em relação à comercialização de alimentos saudáveis. A validação permitiu revisão de todas as questões e alternativas de resposta do questionário, com alfa de Cronbach variante de 0,440 a 0,967 nas questões do instrumento final. Este resultado indica que o instrumento proposto foi capaz de identificar características relevantes do sistema de distribuição de alimentos á nível local e pode ser utilizado em estudos epidemiológicos para avaliação de políticas públicas territoriais elaboradas para aumento do acesso a alimentos saudáveis.Palavras-chave: Estudos de Validação; Saúde da População Urbana; Ambiente Alimentar AbstractThe objective was to develop and validate a culturally appropriate instrument to evaluate the impact of a pilot intervention program in the food environment to promote healthy eating in small food stores in an urban food desert. A formative research was carried out for the validation of the instrument, including meetings of researchers, visits to all the streets in the study's region to identify food stores, visits to food distribution system agents', community workshops with the local community and in-depth interviews with food store owners for content and apparent validity. Instrument reliability was tested by Cronbach alpha coefficient. The development of the instrument included questions to evaluate the Identification and Characterization of Store; Marketing Parameters (i.e. influencers for including new food itens and frequency of product acquisition and profitability); and Psychosocial Factors Scale (i.e. expectations regarding healthy food sales, expectations regarding impact of intervention, and self-efficacy in relation to the marketing of healthy foods). Validation process allowed a review of all questions and questions' responses, with Cronbach alpha between 0.440 to 0.967 in the final instrument questions. It can be concluded that the instrument was developed to identify relevant characteristics of the food distribution system and can be used in epidemiological studies and public policies to evaluate increase access to healthy foods.Key words:Validation Studies; Urban Health; Food Environment

scholarly journals Oxidative properties of carp red and white muscle

1989 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Moyes ◽  
L. T. Buck ◽  
P. W. Hochachka ◽  
R. K. Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
White Muscle ◽  
Citrate Synthase ◽  
Ketone Bodies ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Oxidation Rates ◽  
Substrate Preferences ◽  
Glycerophosphate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Wide Range

Substrate preferences of isolated mitochondria and maximal enzyme activities were used to assess the oxidative capacities of red muscle (RM) and white muscle (WM) of carp (Cyprinus carpio). A 14-fold higher activity of citrate synthase (CS) in RM reflects the higher mitochondrial density in this tissue. RM mitochondria oxidize pyruvate and fatty acyl carnitines (8:O, 12:O, 16:O) at similarly high rates. WM mitochondria oxidize these fatty acyl carnitines at 35–70% the rate of pyruvate, depending on chain length. WM has only half the carnitine palmitoyl transferase/CS ratio of RM, but similar ratios of beta-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase/CS. Ketone bodies are poor substrates for mitochondria from both tissues. In both tissues mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate oxidation was minimal, and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase was present at low activities, suggesting the alpha-glycerophosphate shuttle is of minor significance in maintaining cytosolic redox balance in either tissue. The mitochondrial oxidation rates of other substrates relative to pyruvate are as follows: alpha-ketoglutarate 90% (RM and WM); glutamate 45% (WM) and 70% (RM); proline 20% (WM) and 45% (RM). Oxidation of neutral amino acids (serine, glycine, alanine, beta-alanine) was not consistently detectable. These data suggest that RM and WM differ in mitochondrial properties as well as mitochondrial abundance. Whereas RM mitochondria appear to be able to utilize a wide range of metabolic fuels (fatty acids, pyruvate, amino acids but not ketone bodies), WM mitochondria appear to be specialized to use pyruvate.

scholarly journals Making Sense of “Nonsense” and More: Challenges and Opportunities in the Genetic Code Expansion, in the World of tRNA Modifications

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 938
Author(s):  
Olubodun Michael Lateef ◽  
Michael Olawale Akintubosun ◽  
Olamide Tosin Olaoba ◽  
Sunday Ocholi Samson ◽  
Malgorzata Adamczyk
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Genetic Code ◽  
Protein Design ◽  
Side Chains ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Trna Modifications ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Code Extension ◽  
Genetic Code Expansion

The evolutional development of the RNA translation process that leads to protein synthesis based on naturally occurring amino acids has its continuation via synthetic biology, the so-called rational bioengineering. Genetic code expansion (GCE) explores beyond the natural translational processes to further enhance the structural properties and augment the functionality of a wide range of proteins. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal machinery have been proven to accept engineered tRNAs from orthogonal organisms to efficiently incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with rationally designed side chains. These side chains can be reactive or functional groups, which can be extensively utilized in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies. Genetic code extension offers the contingency of introducing more than one ncAA into protein through frameshift suppression, multi-site-specific incorporation of ncAAs, thereby increasing the vast number of possible applications. However, different mediating factors reduce the yield and efficiency of ncAA incorporation into synthetic proteins. In this review, we comment on the recent advancements in genetic code expansion to signify the relevance of systems biology in improving ncAA incorporation efficiency. We discuss the emerging impact of tRNA modifications and metabolism in protein design. We also provide examples of the latest successful accomplishments in synthetic protein therapeutics and show how codon expansion has been employed in various scientific and biotechnological applications.

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