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Nutrients
Special Issues
Effect of Dietary, Nutrition and Physical Activity on Body Composition
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Effect of Dietary, Nutrition and Physical Activity on Body Composition

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2024 | Viewed by 4261

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gian Pietro Emerenziani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università degli studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: sports nutrition; physical activity; exercise; body composition; nutritional supplements
Dr. Maria Grazia Tarsitano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: metabolism; overweight; obesity; nutrition; endocrine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Body composition is regulated by several mechanisms, including diet, physical activity/exercise, genetic and behavioural factors. Eating a balanced diet and being physically active are two modifiable factors for staying healthy at any age. Indeed, both behaviours may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, promote weight loss and prevent weight gain, improving the ability to live independently. Regarding sport and fitness performance, a body composition resulting from the consumption of a balanced diet and the regular practice of physical activity may lead to better results. Interestingly, the evaluation of body composition may help to detect and solve different health issues in both sport performance and malnutrition, ranging from undernutrition to overweight. Current evidence suggests a relationship among different nutrient intakes (normal foods, fortified foods, nutraceuticals, etc.), physical exercise (aerobic, strength, combined, etc.) and body composition, both in athletes and in the general population.

However, due to the complexity of nutrient intake and physical activity, their effects on health outcomes and physical performance should be deeply investigated. For example, the combination of diet and physical activity may lead to positive results in terms of body composition in one specific population (e.g., young people) but not in others (e.g., older adults). 

This Special Issue will draw attention to the effects of different food and nutrient intakes plus physical exercise on the control of body composition, and how these findings may be used towards the prevention and management of health and physical performance in different populations.

Prof. Dr. Gian Pietro Emerenziani
Dr. Maria Grazia Tarsitano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • exercise
  • sport
  • food intake
  • fortified food
  • nutritional supplements
  • macronutrients
  • nutraceuticals
  • sport nutrition
  • functional foods

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1200 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Online Home-Based Pilates Combined with Diet on Body Composition in Women Affected by Obesity: A Preliminary Study
by Francesca Greco, Maria Grazia Tarsitano, Loretta Francesca Cosco, Federico Quinzi, Katia Folino, Marco Spadafora, Moomna Afzal, Cristina Segura-Garcia, Samantha Maurotti, Roberta Pujia, Arturo Pujia, Pasqualina Buono and Gian Pietro Emerenziani
Nutrients 2024, 16(6), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060902 - 21 Mar 2024
Viewed by 678
Abstract
Diet and exercise intervention are the first strategies to counteract obesity. An online home-based exercise program may be a feasible approach in an obese population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of twelve weeks of online Pilates plus diet on body [...] Read more.
Diet and exercise intervention are the first strategies to counteract obesity. An online home-based exercise program may be a feasible approach in an obese population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of twelve weeks of online Pilates plus diet on body composition in individuals affected by obesity. Thirty-five females were randomly assigned to a home-based Pilates group (PG, n = 18) or a group without intervention (control group, CG, n = 17). All participants followed a Mediterranean diet. The PG followed a twelve-week online Pilates Matwork program (three times/week; 180 min/week), while the CG was not involved in any structured physical exercise program. Body composition and handgrip strength were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after the intervention (T1). A significant group × time interaction (p < 0.05) was found for the fat mass percentage (pFM). Specifically, the pFM was significantly lower at T1 than at T0 in the PG. Significant group × time interactions for fat-free mass (p < 0.05), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.05), and skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.01) were found. All these variables were significantly higher at T1 than at T0 in the PG (p < 0.05). Home-based Pilates combined with diet intervention may represent an effective strategy to improve body composition in terms of fat mass reduction and muscle mass gain in adults affected by obesity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Dietary, Nutrition and Physical Activity on Body Composition)
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18 pages, 2798 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Diet and Physical Activity on Fat-to-Lean Mass Ratio
by Elvira Padua, Massimiliano Caprio, Alessandra Feraco, Elisabetta Camajani, Stefania Gorini, Andrea Armani, Bruno Ruscello, Alfonso Bellia, Rocky Strollo and Mauro Lombardo
Nutrients 2024, 16(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010019 - 20 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1529
Abstract
In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of a personalised low-calorie Mediterranean Diet (MD) in promoting fat mass (FM) reduction while preserving fat-free mass (FFM). This study involved 100 Caucasian adults aged 18–65 years who followed a tailored low-calorie MD for two [...] Read more.
In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of a personalised low-calorie Mediterranean Diet (MD) in promoting fat mass (FM) reduction while preserving fat-free mass (FFM). This study involved 100 Caucasian adults aged 18–65 years who followed a tailored low-calorie MD for two months. The total energy expenditure was assessed using a multi-sensor armband. The change in body composition (BC) was evaluated using the Δ% FM-to-FFM ratio, calculated as the difference in the FM to FFM ratio before and after the diet, divided by the ratio before the diet, and multiplied by 100. A negative value indicates a greater decrease in FM than FFM, while a positive value suggests a greater increase in FM than FFM. This study demonstrated a significant FM reduction, with an average decrease of 5% (p < 0.001). However, the relationship between caloric reduction and the Δ% FM-to-FFM ratio showed a weak negative correlation (r = −0.03, p > 0.05). This suggests that the calorie deficit had a minimal direct impact on the BC changes. Subjects over the age of 30 showed an increase in muscle mass, while younger subjects showed no significant changes. Moreover, a direct correlation was observed between the changes in MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values and the Δ% FM-to-FFM ratio, indicating that improved average physical activity intensity positively influences BC. In the female subgroup, high protein intake, exercise intensity, and the duration of physical activity were positively correlated with an improvement in the Δ% FM-to-FFM ratio. However, for individuals with BMI 20–25 kg/m2, high fibre intake was surprisingly negatively correlated with the Δ% FM-to-FFM ratio. This study underscores the intricate interplay between calorie restriction, physical activity intensity, and BC changes. It also suggests that individual factors, including age, gender, and BMI, may influence the response to a low-calorie MD. However, further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm and expand upon these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Dietary, Nutrition and Physical Activity on Body Composition)
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9 pages, 254 KiB  
Article
Global Self-Esteem, Body Composition, and Physical Activity in Polish University Students
by Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Jarosław Markowski, Agnieszka Gdańska, Mateusz Grajek, Eliza Działach, Grzegorz Szlachta and Mateusz Rozmiarek
Nutrients 2023, 15(18), 3907; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183907 - 08 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
Global self-esteem is a psychological concept that refers to the overall assessment of oneself as a person of value. Body composition is measured by indices such as BMI, BF, and LBM, which have implications for health and self-esteem. Physical activity is associated with [...] Read more.
Global self-esteem is a psychological concept that refers to the overall assessment of oneself as a person of value. Body composition is measured by indices such as BMI, BF, and LBM, which have implications for health and self-esteem. Physical activity is associated with numerous health and self-esteem benefits. The purpose of this study focuses on assessing the relationship between global self-esteem, body composition, and physical activity among Polish students. The study was conducted on a group of 305 students between the ages of 19 and 26. The participants were divided into groups according to their level of physical activity. The SES scale by M. Rosenberg assessed the subjects’ global self-esteem. The results showed a negative correlation between body weight and BMI and global self-esteem, that is, the higher the body weight, the lower the self-esteem. On the other hand, higher levels of physical activity were associated with higher global self-esteem. The study suggests that maintaining healthy physical activity and body composition can help improve global self-esteem. The study highlights the importance of physical activity for mental health and self-esteem. It is worth encouraging and promoting physical activity among students to support an individual’s physical and emotional health. Ultimately, this study may have implications for health policy, education, and intervention for students to emphasize the importance of physical activity for self-esteem and overall health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Dietary, Nutrition and Physical Activity on Body Composition)
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