High-intensity exercise can elicit acute changes in the biochemical and physiological processes in the body of an athlete, including increased oxidative stress and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of acute moderate-intensity exercise on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and serum levels of anti-inflammatory adiponectin (APN), and inflammatory markers in competitive cyclists. Ten male cyclists (age 15–26 years, body mass index 19.4–24.7 kg/m²) participated in this study. Each subject performed the maximal oxygen uptake test (VO_2peak) and completed a 10-min cycling exercise at a workload of 50% of the peak of VO_2peak. Blood samples were collected on three different occasions: after an overnight fasting and at the exercise workloads of 50% and 100% VO_2peak. We measured APN, TAC, inflammatory markers as well as assessed nutrient and energy intake for each participant. Baseline concentration of serum APN (10.92 µg/mL) significantly increased at 50% and at 100% VO_2peak. In addition, TAC also increased after acute exercise (0.079 vs 0.093 nmol/µL). The concentration of APN at 50% VO_2peak positively correlated with the CRP ( r = 0.640, p = 0.046) and negatively correlated with TNF-α ( r = −0.696, p = 0.025). This test showed that short (10 min) and medium-intensity (50% VO_2peak) exercise activity in trained athletes evoked beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. Importantly, this response correlates with the increase in APN levels thereby showing that highly trained individuals have beneficial responses originating from adipose tissue. Our observations show that a short training at moderate activity can be an important preservative strategy during the recovery training period.

Introduction: This article presents the development, implementation and results of the project “An interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of overweight children” under the name “My Challenge” camp. It is a 2-week multidisciplinary programme involving a physician, a dietitian, a psychologist, an occupational therapist or physiotherapist and a kinesiologist. The children stay in camp for 2 weeks and are actively involved in the daily preparation of healthy meals, participate in cooking workshops and interactive nutrition lessons, and are active outdoors throughout the programme. Methods: The study included 117 overweight or obese children, aged 7–18 years, 66 girls and 51 boys from ten camps between 2017 and 2023. Completed dietary questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were compared at baseline, after 2 weeks, and after 1 month. Results: Changes in children's diets include an increase in meal frequency, in higher vegetables, fish, and seafood consumption, lower consumption of fried food and reduced consumption of sugary drinks. Boys more frequently consume fried food than girls and less frequently consume milk and dairy products. After one month, there was a decrease in body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in both genders. Conclusions: The “My Challenge” camp demonstrates promising outcomes in combating childhood obesity. Through a two-week multidisciplinary programme, significant improvements in dietary habits and anthropometric measures were observed. The findings underscore the importance of preventive education programmes for children in addressing the long-term health consequences of obesity. Further research and continued implementation of such initiatives are warranted to effectively tackle this public health issue.

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity remains a major global health challenge influenced by poor dietary patterns and excessive energy intake. Understanding gender-specific nutritional deviations may improve the effectiveness of preventive and therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to evaluate differences in energy and nutrient intake between boys and girls with overweight or obesity status and to identify the main food sources contributing to these differences. Methods: Data from a total of 180 participants (83 boys, 97 girls; 7–18 years) attending the national obesity intervention program Camp My Challenge was analyzed. Anthropometric parameters and dietary intake were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire (OPKP). Intakes were compared with Slovenian dietary reference values (DRVs). Group differences were tested using ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson correlations (p < 0.05). Results: Boys exhibited higher body mass (79.9 ± 22.6 kg vs. 69.2 ± 19.1 kg; p = 0.001) and BMI (30.8 ± 4.8 kg/m² vs. 28.5 ± 4.4 kg/m²; p = 0.001). Mean energy intake was 2543 ± 1138 kcal/day, exceeding DRV by 16% (t = 3.31, p < 0.001). Girls exceeded energy requirements by 24.5% vs. 5.4% in boys (p = 0.019). Boys consumed significantly more total fat (106 ± 61 g vs. 85 ± 47 g; p = 0.014), saturated fatty acids (34 ± 20 g vs. 27 ± 13 g; p = 0.011), protein (119 ± 63 g vs. 98 ± 41 g; p = 0.008), and sodium (3628 ± 2086 mg vs. 2852 ± 1520 mg; p = 0.005). Girls showed higher sugar intake (208% vs. 166% of DRV; p = 0.032), mainly from sweet foods (24%) and fruit (26%), whereas beverages—predominantly isotonic drinks—accounted for 27% of boys’ sugar intake. Sugar intake correlated with waist circumference (r = 0.305, p = 0.002) and fat mass (r = 0.272, p = 0.007) in girls. Sodium intake exceeded DRV sixfold in both sexes. Conclusions: Marked sex-specific dietary disparities exist among children with obesity. Interventions should target high sugar and energy intake in girls and excessive fat, sodium, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in boys to enhance the efficacy of pediatric obesity management.

Recent literature suggests that a specific diet can alter taste sensitivities, but little is known about how dietary patterns, excluding whole food groups from the diet (low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (LCHF), vegan) relate to taste sensitivity. Eighty-two healthy participants were categorized into four groups: omnivore (n = 22), vegan (n = 29), vegetarian (n = 17) and LCHF (n = 14). For all participants, detection thresholds (DT) for four tastes were determined based on the three-alternative forced-choice method. K-means clustering of DTs for tastes was performed and the nearest neighbor classifier was applied to predict taste sensitivity in clustering classes. There were differences between dietary patterns, nutrient intakes and biochemical values (p < 0.05), but no significant differences in DTs for tastes between the dietary pattern groups. Cluster analysis of tasters identified four taste sensitivity profiles. Based on our model, a combination of 30 variables from four categories predicted a person’s taste perception cluster with 72% accuracy. Our findings reveal a multifaceted interplay of factors shaping an individual’s taste sensitivity. With the exception of vegetarians, participants with other eating habits were in the majority categorized in the cluster of „good taster“.

Purpose: Shooting is a sport in which dietary habits and the timing of meals is not often represented. The aim of this paper is to compare the dietary habits, timing of meals and training frequency of Slovenian and foreign athletes. Methods: The sample included 88 shooter athletes (35 Slovenian and 53 foreign athletes), aged 14 to 60, who participate in competitions. Data by dietary habits, diet, training and BMI were collected via a questionnaire. Results: Athletes train and compete most frequently using an air rifle. Foreign athletes train more often and spend more time training than Slovenian athletes (p < 0.001). The average BMI was 24.9 ± 4.9 kg/m2 and was higher in athletes who competed at national level (26.8 ± 5.6 kg/m2) compared to international level (23.0 ± 3.1 kg/m2) (p = 0.022). We found a difference between the groups in lunch (p = 0.041), morning (p = 0.020) and evening (p = 0.008) snacks. Slovenian athletes reached for food during training less frequently than foreign athletes (p = 0.007). More than half of the athletes eat their first post-workout meal within 1-2 hours after training but only 8.6% of Slovenian athletes plan a meal after training, in comparison with 54.7% of foreign athletes (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlights significant differences in the timing and frequency of meals and dietary planning by Slovenian and foreign shooting athletes. Foreign athletes tend to train more frequently, have better nutritional planning and eat more meals after training than their Slovenian counterparts.