Relations of change in fruit and vegetable intake with overall energy reduction and physical activity with weight change:Assessing theory-based psychosocial mediators

Background'.Increased physical activity and fruit and vegetable(FV)intake are typically suggested to counter obesity.Sustained behavior change in those areas has,however,been poor,possibly because of a lack of understanding of the effects of psychosocial factors.Using data from previous research,this study aimed to better define the role of physical activity and FV intake in short;and long-term weight loss via changes in malleable psychosocial mediators and moderators.Methods:Women who were obese(n=183;age=50.0±7.9 years;body mass index=35.2±3.2 kg/m2,mean±SD)and who previously participated in 3 different community-based behavioral weight-loss treatments were assessed over 2 years.Changes in FV intake,physical activity,sei^regulation of physical activity and eating(aggregated),negative mood,and weight were measured over 6 and 24 months.Results'.Changes in each variable over both 6 and 24 months were significant(all p values<0.001).The FV intake to the weight-related caloric intake relationship(β=.0.30,p<0.001)was significantly mediated by selfregulation change over 6 months.The physical activity to weightchange relationship(β=.0.46,p<0.001)was significantly mediated by both sei±regulation and mood change over 24 months.Physical activity,itself,accounted for only 16%of weight-related caloric expenditure differences.Changes in physical activity and FV intake were each independent predictors of weight change over 24 months(overall R2=0.50,p<0.001).Conclusion-.Findings clarified theory-based targets for weight-management treatments and suggested that future weight-loss treatments strongly focus on developing self-regulatory skills to address barriers to behavioral changes.

The Road to the Beijing Winter Olympics and Beyond: Opinions and Perspectives on Physiology and Innovation in Winter Sport

Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics,and China strengthens research on various aspects to allow their athletes to compete successfully in winter sport.Simultaneously,Government-directed initiatives aim to increase public participation in recreational winter sport.These parallel developments allow research to advance knowledge and understanding of the physiological determinants of performance and health related to winter sport.Winter sport athletes often conduct a substan-tial amount of training with high volumes of low-to-moderate exercise intensity and lower volumes of high-intensity work.Moreover,much of the training occur at low ambient temperatures and winter sport athletes have high risk of developing asthma or asthma-related conditions,such as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.The high training volumes require optimal nutrition with increased energy and dietary protein requirement to stimulate muscle protein synthesis response in the post-exercise period.Whether higher protein intake is required in the cold should be investigated.Cross-country ski-ing is performed mostly in Northern hemisphere with a strong cultural heritage and sporting tradition.It is expected that innovative initiatives on recruitment and training during the next few years will target to enhance performance of Chinese athletes in classical endurance-based winter sport.The innovation potential coupled with resourcing and population may be substantial with the potential for China to become a significant winter sport nation.This paper discusses the physiological aspects of endurance training and performance in winter sport highlighting areas where innovation may advance in athletic performance in cold environments.In addition,to ensure sustainable development of snow sport,a quality ski patrol and rescue system is recommended for the safety of increasing mass participation.