Anxiety, mood disturbance, eating and sleep disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image are prevalent disorders in women with fibromyalgia. The authors of this study aimed to determine the effects of tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium-enriched (MG) Mediterranean diet on psychological variables (trait anxiety, mood state, eating disorders, self-image perception) and sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia (n = 22; 49 ± 5 years old). In this randomized, controlled trial, the participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the placebo group. The intervention group received a Mediterranean diet enriched with high doses of TRY and MG (60 mg of TRY and 60 mg of MG), whereas the control group received the standard Mediterranean diet. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire, Body Shape Questionnaire, State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS-29) Questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test-26, and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and 16 weeks after the intervention. Significant differences were observed between groups after the intervention for the mean scores of trait anxiety (p = 0.001), self-image perception (p = 0.029), mood disturbance (p = 0.001), and eating disorders (p = 0.006). This study concludes that tryptophan and magnesium-enriched Mediterranean diet reduced anxiety symptoms, mood disturbance, eating disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image but did not improve sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia.
Background and objectives: Pregnancy is a stage associated with various biopsychosocial changes. These changes, along with concerns about keeping an adequate weight, can modulate an individual’s risk for psychological disorders, especially eating disorders (EDs). The aim of this review was to investigate the prevalence, associated risks, and consequences of eating disorders in pregnancy and in breastfeeding mothers. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines in the scientific databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Search terms related to EDs, pregnancy, and breastfeeding were used. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies was carried out using different scales; CASP (Checklist for Cohort Study), NICE (Methodology Checklist for Cohort Study), ARHQ (Methodology Checklist for Cross-Sectional), and NOS (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for Cohort). Results: From 2920 studies, 16 were selected to study EDs in pregnant women and 2 studies in nursing mothers. Most of the studies used questionnaires and scales as tools for the diagnosis of EDs. Binge eating, anxiety, and depression were the most common comorbidities of EDs, accompanied in most cases by excessive concern about weight gain. The consequences of EDs are diverse. The prevalence of EDs in this population is estimated to be 1 out of 20. Conclusions: Eating disorders are related to anxiety and depression and have negative consequences for both mothers and fetuses (cesarean, miscarriages, premature births). More research on the field to determine the risk factors for EDs in the population of pregnant and lactating women is needed.
Our aim was to characterize the effects of calorie restriction on the anthropometric characteristics and physical performance of sportsmen and to evaluate the effects of calorie restriction and acute exercise on mitochondria energetics, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Twenty volunteer taekwondo practitioners undertook a calorie restriction of 30–40% on three alternate days a week for one month. Eleven volunteer sportsmen participated as controls. Both groups performed an energy efficiency test to evaluate physical performance, and samples were taken before and after exercise. The total weight of participants significantly decreased (5.9%) after calorie restriction, while the efficiency of work and the contributions of fat to obtain energy were enhanced by calorie restriction. No significant differences induced by acute exercise were observed in individual non-esterified fatty acid percentage or oxidative stress markers. Calorie restriction downregulated the basal gene expression of nitric oxide synthase, antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial uncoupling proteins, and repairing stress proteins, but it enhanced the expression of sirtuins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In conclusion, one month of calorie restriction decreases body weight and increases physical performance, enhancing energy efficiency, moderating the antioxidant and inflammatory basal gene expression, and influencing its response to acute exercise.
Low energy availability may precede or be caused by cognitive disturbances in professional athletes. Related psychological problems include disordered eating patterns, body shape preoccupation, depression or anxiety. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of different personalised dietary plans on psychological factors in young professional female handball players with low energy availability. This 12-week randomised clinical trial involved 21 female players aged 22 ± 4 years, 172.0 ± 5.4 cm and 68.4 ± 6.7 kg divided into three groups (FD: free diet; MD: Mediterranean diet; HAD: high antioxidant diet). Eating behaviour (Eating Attitude Test, EAT-26: diet, bulimia and oral control subscales), body image (Body Shape Questionnaire, BSQ) and mood state (Profile of Mode State, POMS: tension, vigour, anger, depression, fatigue) were assessed. All participants showed low energy availability (<30 kcal/lean mass per day). The different plans showed no significant differences between them but significant differences over time within groups for the variables: body image, Tension, Vigour and Depression (p < 0.05). Eating behaviour improved slightly but did not show statistically significant changes. Following an adequate nutritional planning for athletes seems to improve the mood and body perception of young female handball players. A longer intervention period is required to assess the differences between diets and improvement of other parameters.
Background and Objectives: Shift work has a significant influence on the mental health of workers. Nursing is characterised by a rotational work system. This study aimed to determine whether there was a link between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the risk of suffering an eating disorder (ED) in nurses according to their work shift. Materials and Methods: A total of 240 women (nurses and nursing assistants) were evaluated and completed the PREDIMED-PLUS questionnaire on adherence to the MD and the EAT-26 (Eating Attitude Test, 26 items). Results: The results indicate that there are no differences in adherence to the MD depending on the work shift, being that adherence to the diet is already low. Statistically significant differences appear depending on the work shift in the following dimensions: restrictive behaviours and bulimia subscales (presenting higher scores in the 7-h rotating shift versus the fixed morning shift or 12-h rotating shift) and for total EAT-26 score. Conclusion: Whilst they do not condition adherence to a MD, the nursing shifts that are the most changing in terms of time patterns may condition restrictive behaviours and compensatory risk behaviours related to an ED.
(1) Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, necessitating effective risk prediction strategies. This study was aimed at developing and validating a multivariate predictive model integrating body composition and lipid profile to assess cardiovascular risk in an adult population. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 90 participants from the general Spanish population was conducted. Participants were classified into cardiovascular risk groups (low, medium, high) based on systolic blood pressure. (3) Results: Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between cardiovascular risk and specific parameters, such as visceral fat, glucose levels, and waist-to-hip ratio. Visceral adiposity emerged as a strong predictor of high cardiovascular risk, highlighting its critical role in cardiovascular health. Glucose levels were also significantly associated with increased risk, underscoring the importance of metabolic health in cardiovascular outcomes. Contrary to expectations, lipid markers like cholesterol and triglycerides did not show significant variations across risk categories, suggesting that traditional lipid profiles may not fully capture cardiovascular risk in the study group. Waist-to-hip ratio showed significant associations with cardiovascular risk transitions, particularly between low and medium risk, emphasizing the importance of fat distribution patterns. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that body composition, particularly visceral fat, is a crucial determinant of cardiovascular risk, necessitating more personalized risk assessment approaches that move beyond traditional lipid markers.