Background: Poor dietary habits and low levels of physical activity (PA) have a strong tendency to track from childhood into adulthood. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is known to be extremely healthy, associated with lower BMI and a lower risk of obesity in children and adolescents. Therefore, adherence to the MD was compared between Spanish (n = 182) and German (n = 152) children aged 10 to 13 years to examine a possible more “westernized” diet in Spain with a non-Mediterranean country, that traditionally prefers a “Western diet” and to determine the association between adherence to the MD and gender, body composition, and PA levels. Methods: In the German observational longitudinal cohort study and the Spanish cohort study, body composition and questionnaires (KIDMED, Diet Quality (IAES)) were obtained, and accelerometers (Actigraph) were applied to detect PA. Results: Girls had higher BMI-standard deviation score (SDS) than boys and Spanish girls were less active than boys. Differences were detected in MD habits, such as favorable fruit-, vegetables-, fish-intakes, and dairy products in Spanish children and unfavorable consumptions of fast food, processed bakery goods, candies, and sweet beverages in German children. Independently of country, girls, children with lower BMI-SDS and children with higher PA level were related with better diet quality. Conclusion: Spanish children showed higher adherence to MD and diet quality (IAES) compared to German children, but there was a trend toward a more “westernized” diet. Gender, body composition, and PA influenced nutrition regardless of country.

Specific wheelchair basketball (WB) skills on the court have been poorly analyzed in relation to improving players’ performance according to their functional class. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between maximum velocity (Vmax) and peak moment (PM) in the shoulder and elbow joints in specific WB skills and to compare performance between the main two groups by functional class. Twelve male WB players, divided in categories A (functional classes 1.0–2.5) and B (class 3.0–4.5), performed a sprint test battery composed by four tests (with and without ball) and isokinetic tests. A significant relationship between PM of the internal and external shoulder rotation and the flexion and extension elbow with Vmax (p < 0.05) was found. During a 5 m backward sprint test, category B was faster in the last three meters than category A (p < 0.05) and also for the rest of the test but p = NS. Category B showed higher PM than category A for internal shoulder rotation (ISR) at 60 °/s and at 180 °/s on the dominant side (DS) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, ISR on the DS was found different for both groups and showed significant relationship with Vmax in all of the tests performed. Moreover, at higher speeds the elbow flexion and extension in DS were correlated with Vmax in all the actions with ball (passing, bouncing, and braking) reflected the importance of these joints movements in acquiring speed when performing sport specific WB skills.

The application of new technologies in wheelchair basketball (WB) is important for the advancement and improvement of athletic performance. The purposes of this study are twofold: (a) to develop a methodological design in order to assess WB players’ performance, using wireless inertial measurement units (WIMU^®) and a laser system (BioLaserSport^® with computer vision), in a 20 m sprint test on court and (b) to assess bilateral symmetry as a performance indicator and for injury prevention purposes, the study of which in previous research is unknown. For both aims, the relation of the acceleration of the players’ wrists to the speed achieved by the player in the wheelchair was explored. Ten elite WB players participated in an on-court 20 m sprint test during real training. BioLaserSport^® with computer vision was used to assess the average velocity (Va) and maximum velocity (Vmax) of the WB players, and two WIMU^® were used for the total acceleration (AcelT) of the players’ wrists. A very high correlation was obtained in the assessment of the Va (0.97) and AcelT of both wrists (0.90 and 0.85). There was a significant relationship between the average AcelT of the dominant wrist and the Va on-court sprint velocity (p < 0.05). Two players did not show good wrist symmetry. In conclusion, a new methodological protocol was developed, making it possible to assess the bilateral symmetries in elite WB players in on-court real training and the relation between the acceleration of players’ wrists and players’ wheelchair speed. Coaches can use this protocol to assess performance or for injury prevention, as it shows very good reliability, with high ICC values.

The present industrial food-production system is not suitably ecological for the environment. Mindful nutrition in sport is a relevant emergent sub-discipline that could help reduce environmental degradation. This case study describes a sustainable support diet during an ultra-endurance running (UR) event called the “Indoor Everest Challenge”. This UR challenge involved attaining the altitude of Mount Everest (8849 m) in a simulated way, in less than 24 h, without using ultra-processed food and without wasting plastics. During this challenge, a male athlete (34 years, weight: 78 kg, and height: 173 cm) wore a SenseWear Armband^® (BodyMedia Inc., Pittsburg, PA, USA) accelerometer on his right arm to estimate energy expenditure. To supply his nutritional requirements, the athlete consumed only specially prepared homemade and organic food. All consumption was weighed and recorded in real-time; we determined nutrients using two databases: a food composition software, Dial Alce Ingenieria^® (Madrid, Spain), to measure energy and macro- and micro-nutrients, and Phenol Explorer Database^® (INRA Institut National de Recherche pour l’Alimentation, Paris, France) precisely to determine polyphenolic content. Most energy intake (up to 96%) came from plant foods. We found that subject consumed 15.8 g/kg⁻¹/d⁻¹ or 1242 g of carbohydrates (CHO), (2.4 g/kg⁻¹/d⁻¹) or 190 g of proteins (P), and 10,692 mL of fluid. The total energy intake (7580 kcal) showed a distribution of 65% CHO, 10% P, and 25% lipids (L). Furthermore, this sustainable diet lead to a high antioxidant intake, specifically vitamin C (1079 mg), vitamin E (57 mg), and total polyphenols (1910 mg). This sustainable approach was suitable for meeting energy, CHO, and P recommendations for UR. Physical and mental training (mindfulness) were integrated from the specific preliminary phase to the day of the challenge. The athlete completed this challenge in 18 h with a low environmental impact. This sports event had an educational component, as it awakened curiosity towards food sustainability.

Desde su constitución en diciembre de 2019, la Oficina de Aprendizaje-Servicio (ApS) de la UPM se ha dedicado a promover y difundir la metodología ApS en el ámbito de las enseñanzas de nuestra universidad. Nuestra misión es trabajar en colaboración con entidades externas a la UPM para abordar las demandas y necesidades sociales, utilizando los conocimientos de nuestros estudiantes y profesores para contribuir a la construcción de una sociedad más justa y equitativa. En línea con los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) y la Agenda 2030, se han impulsado convocatorias de proyectos de impacto social, colaborando estrechamente con otras oficinas con objetivos similares en diferentes universidades. Se han establecido numerosas colaboraciones con Ayuntamientos, Asociaciones, ONG, Fundaciones y centros de enseñanza, enfocadas en mejorar entornos desfavorecidos y apoyar a colectivos vulnerables en nuestro entorno. La positiva acogida de estas iniciativas ha generado un creciente interés por parte de nuestros docentes y estudiantes, reflejado en la participación en las actividades organizadas por la oficina. En cuanto a la difusión, el año pasado publicamos la primera edición del ebook "Experiencias de Aprendizaje-Servicio Universitario". En esta segunda edición, hemos recopilado algunas de las experiencias más destacadas realizadas durante 2023 por el profesorado y los estudiantes de nuestra universidad en el ámbito del AprendizajeServicio. Nuestra intención es continuar ampliando estas publicaciones con futuras ediciones, dando visibilidad a las iniciativas meritorias que se llevan a cabo en nuestra comunidad universitaria. Agradecemos sinceramente a todos los profesores que han contribuido a esta segunda edición con sus experiencias y esperamos que sirva como inspiración y guía para futuros proyectos de Aprendizaje-Servicio en nuestra universidad. ¡Gracias por su compromiso y dedicación!.