Justin D. Roberts

Anglia Ruskin University | ARU · School of Psychology and Sport Science

P4, a specific combination of dairy proteins (whey and casein) and plant-based protein isolates (pea and soy), has been shown to provide a more balanced amino acid (AA) profile than its single constituent proteins; however, less is known about how this translates to muscle protein synthesis (MPS). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect...

The Conversation invited us to write a piece on Matcha Green tea and the research behind it and its' benefits. The link for the web article is attached. https://theconversation.com/matcha-tea-what-the-current-evidence-says-about-its-health-benefits-202782

https://theconversation.com/creatine-supplements-what-the-research-says-about-how-they-can-help-you-get-in-shape-197260?fbclid=IwAR2jBCHZmygE-i3xogXHvjFCja3CrO1WZEYyTQ3xj0vMmpUiFjGBtI5gIEA

There is current scientific interest in naturally sourced phenolic compounds and their potential benefits to health, as well as the effective role polyphenols may provide in an exercise setting. This study investigated the chronic effects of supplementation with a biodynamic and organic olive fruit water phytocomplex (OliPhenolia® [OliP]), rich in...

The role of natural polyphenols in reducing oxidative stress and/or supporting antioxidant mechanisms, particularly relating to exercise, is of high interest. The aim of this study was to investigate OliPhenolia® (OliP), a biodynamic and organic olive fruit water phytocomplex, rich in hydroxytyrosol (HT), for the first time within an exercise domai...

https://theconversation.com/why-food-labels-showing-the-exercise-needed-to-burn-off-calories-wont-work-for-everyone-191825

ABSTRACT Dietary manipulation with high-protein or high-carbohydrate content are frequently employed during elite athletic training, aiming to enhance athletic performance. Such interventions are likely to impact upon gut microbial content. This study explored the impact of acute high-protein or high-carbohydrate diets on measured endurance perform...

As conditions that are strongly related to pain are associated with inflammation, the “itises” (conditions that usually end with “itis”) are extraordinarily important in terms of individuals’ suffering and the tremendous burden that they place on health care delivery systems throughout the world. While these conditions are important in and of thems...

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify a list of common, candidate genes associated with the three components of fitness, specifically cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and anaerobic power, and how these genes are associated with exercise response phenotype variability, in previously untrained participants. A t...

Background: People of Black and Asian ethnicities have a higher infection rate and mortality as a result of COVID-19. It has also been reported that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in this, possibly because of the multi-gene regulatory function of the vitamin D receptor. As a result, increased dietary intake and/or supplementation to attain a...

Ultra-endurance has been defined as any exercise bout that exceeds 6 h. A number of exceptional, record-breaking performances by female athletes in ultra-endurance sport has roused speculation that they might be predisposed to success in such events. Indeed, while the male-to-female performance gap in traditional endurance sport (e.g., marathon) re...

Abstract: We evaluated the impact of protein supplementation on adaptations to arduous concurrent training in healthy adults with potential applications to individuals undergoing military training. Peer-reviewed papers published in English meeting the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome (PICO) criteria were included. Database searches...

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify a list of common, candidate genes associated with the three components of fitness, specifically cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and anaerobic power, and how these genes are associated with exercise response phenotype variability, in previously untrained participants. A t...

Green tea extract (GTE) improves exercise outcomes and reduces obesity. However, case studies indicate contradictory physiology regarding liver function and toxicity. We studied the effect of two different decaffeinated GTE (dGTE) products, from a non-commercial (dGTE1) and commercial (dGTE2) supplier, on hepatocyte function using the human cell mo...

By using deceptive experiments in which participants are informed that they received caffeine when, in fact, they received an inert substance (i.e., placebo), several investigations have demonstrated that exercise performance can be enhanced to a similar degree as a known caffeine dose. This ‘placebo effect’ phenomenon may be part of the mechanisms...

This study investigated the effect of decaffeinated green tea extract (dGTE), with or without antioxidant nutrients, on fat oxidation, body composition and cardio-metabolic health measures in overweight individuals engaged in regular exercise. Twenty-seven participants (20 females, 7 males; body mass: 77.5 ± 10.5 kg; body mass index: 27.4 ± 3.0 kg·...

Objective: Low-grade inflammation in the young may contribute to the early development of adverse cardiometabolic risk profiles. We assessed whether measures of glycoprotein acetylation (GlycA) were better able to detect the development of these changes compared to the more commonly used biomarker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), and inve...

Background: Studies determining the effects of blood donation (BD) on oxygen uptake kinetics are limited. This study aims to ascertain the effects of BD (~470 mL) over a period of 96 hours on oxygen uptake kinetics in moderate and heavy exercise domains. Study design and methods: Twelve participants (nine males and three females; 31.1 ± 11.7 yea...

Introduction It is important to collate the literature that has assessed dietary intake within military settings to establish which methods are commonly used and which are valid so that accurate nutrition recommendations can be made. This scoping review aims to identify which methods are typically used to assess dietary intake in military settings...

We assessed dietary intake and nitrogen balance during 14 weeks of Basic Training (BT) in British Army Infantry recruits. Nineteen men (mean ± SD: age 19.9 ± 2.6 years, height: 175.7 ± 6.5 cm, body mass 80.3 ± 10.1 kg) at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick (ITC(C)) volunteered. Nutrient intakes and 24-h urinary nitrogen balance were assessed i...

Protein is an important component of a healthy diet and appears to be integral to enhancing training adaptations in exercising individuals. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an evidence-based assessment of the current literature examining increases in dietary protein intake above the recommended dietary allowance (RDA: 0.8 g/kg/d)...

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential antiobesity benefits of hot tea consumption at the population level. Methods: Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006, the association between hot tea consumption and dual-energy x-ray-measured body fat was examined in a large representative...

Background: British Army Phase One training exposes men and women to challenging distances of 13.5 km·d- 1 vs. 11.8 km·d- 1 and energy expenditures of ~ 4000 kcal·d- 1 and ~ 3000 kcal·d- 1, respectively. As such, it is essential that adequate nutrition is provided to support training demands. However, to date, there is a paucity of data on habitua...

In this Position Statement, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) provides an objective and critical review of the literature pertinent to nutritional considerations for training and racing in single-stage ultra-marathon. Recommendations for Training. i) Ultra-marathon runners should aim to meet the caloric demands of training by fol...

Background: Variations in the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) are associated with obesity; however, it is unclear if changes in energy intake affect the adaptive response to caloric restriction in those with risk variants. The three FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1421085, rs17817449 and rs9939609, are in strong linkage di...

The psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) measures one’s behavioral alertness. It is a visual test that involves measuring the speed at which a person reacts to visual stimuli over a fixed time frame (e.g., 5 min). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an energy drink on psychomotor vigilance as well as a simple measure of muscular endu...

The authors wish to make a correction to the published version of their paper [...]

Background: Clinical electrocardiographic (ECG) guidelines for athlete’s heart are based upon cross-sectional data. We aimed to longitudinally evaluate the influence of endurance training on the ECG and compare the prevalence of ECG abnormalities defined by contemporary criteria. Methods: A group of 66 training-naïve individuals completed a six-mon...

Although a large body of literature has documented detrimental effects of overweight and obesity on physical and mental health, there is controversy in the literature regarding the optimal weight for healthy outcomes, particularly in older people (Flegal et al. 2013). In a seminal study of patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneou...

PURPOSE: This case-report characterised the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nutritional/gastrointestinal (GI) responses of a trained individual to a novel ultra-endurance exercise challenge. METHODS: A male athlete (age 45 y, mass 80.7 kg, stature 1.71 m, V̇O2max 54.8 mL∙kg-1∙min-1) summited 100 mountains on foot (all elevations >600 m) in 25 con...

Background: This case-report characterized the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nutritional/gastrointestinal (GI) responses of a trained individual to a novel ultra-endurance exercise challenge. Case Presentation: A male athlete (age 45 years; V ˙ O2max 54.0 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1) summited 100 mountains on foot in 25 consecutive days (all elevations >60...

The purpose of this investigation was to compare two different methods of assessing body composition (i.e., a multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)) over a four-week treatment period in exercise-trained men and women. Subjects were instructed to reduce their energy intake while maintain...

Background This systematic review aimed to collect the relevant historical and current literature to produce an informed analysis of the acute effects on cardiorespiratory and haematological factors following whole blood donation (~ 470 ml) during exercise. Testing the hypothesises that blood donation produces either no changes (Null) or produces s...

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The aim of the present study was to map and grade evidence for the relationships between telomere length with a diverse range of health outcomes, using an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We searched for meta-analyses of observational studies reporting on the association of telomere length with any health outcome (clinical...

Background Research has demonstrated that low fermentable oligiosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide and polyol (FODMAP) diets improve gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome sufferers. Exercise-related GI issues are a common cause of underperformance, with current evidence focusing on the use of FODMAP approaches with recrea...

Short-term energy deficit strategies are practiced by weight class and physique athletes, often involving high protein intakes to maximize satiety and maintain lean mass despite a paucity of research. This study compared the satiating effect of two protein diets on resistance-trained individuals during short-term energy deficit. Following ethical a...

Abstract Background β-alanine (βA) supplementation has been shown to increase intramuscular carnosine content and subsequent high-intensity performance in events lasting 0.05) with comparable values at T3 for mean distance (βA1: 163.9 ± 3.8 m; βA2: 161.2 ± 3.5 m; PL: 162.7 ± 3.6 m), average power (βA1: 352.7 ± 14.5 W; βA2: 342.2 ± 13.5 W; PL: 348.2...

Background and objective: Population levels of physical activity are an international concern. The purpose of the present study was to describe and analyse physical activity levels in Lithuanian adolescents. Materials and methods: With this aim in mind, the Physician-based Assessment and Counselling for Exercise (PACE) questionnaire was administere...

This article discusses the literature on overweight and obesity with a specific focus on older adults. Overweight and obesity refers to an excess of body fat relative to lean body mass. Globally data suggests that overweight and obesity are on the rise and this is likely driving the corresponding increase in metabolic syndrome. Strong evidence exis...

This chapter discusses the literature including likely mechanisms that are driving associations between calorie restriction and health outcomes. Calorie restriction refers to a reduction in energy intake well below the amount of calories that would be consumed ad libitum (≥ 10% in human studies and usually 20% or higher in rodent species) but with...

Current practice basing dialysis dose on urea distribution volume (V) has been questioned. We explored the impact on survival of scaling dialysis dose (Kt) to parameters reflective of metabolic activity. In a multicentre prospective cohort study of 1500 patients on thrice-weekly haemodialysis, body surface area (BSA) and resting energy expenditure...

Stressful situations, performance pressure, and setbacks are part of contemporary organizational life. The dynamic nature of technological advances and globalisation of business leads to tougher competitive pres-sures and constant change. People‘s responses to these challenging cir-cumstances vary widely. Some bounce back and adapt to increasing ch...

Children of South Asian ethnicity residing in England have low levels of physical activity. Limited literature exists on correlates, barriers, and facilitators to activity in South Asian children. The aim of this study was to fill this gap in the literature. Interviews were conducted with 10 parents of South Asian ethnicity residing in the UK. Inte...

Background Dietary protein intakes up to 2.9 g.kg−1.d−1 and protein consumption before and after resistance training may enhance recovery, resulting in hypertrophy and strength gains. However, it remains unclear whether protein quantity or nutrient timing is central to positive adaptations. This study investigated the effect of total dietary protei...

Time spent outdoors is associated with higher levels of physical activity. To date, correlates of independent outdoor play have not been investigated. This study aimed to identify potential demographic, behavioural, environmental and social correlates of children's independent outdoor play. Data were from the Millennium Cohort Study when children w...

The physical demands of fast-medium bowling are increasingly being recognised, yet comparative exploration of the differing demands between competitive formats (i.e. one-day [OD] versus multi-day [MD] matches) remain minimal. The aim of this study was to describe in-match physiological profiles of professional fast-medium bowlers from England acros...

Probiotic and glutamine supplementation increases tissue Hsp72, but their influence on extracellular Hsp72 (eHsp72) has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic probiotic supplementation, with or without glutamine, on eHsp72 concentration before and after an ultramarathon. Thirty-two participants were sp...

Mitochondrial quantity and density are associated with increased oxidative metabolism. It has been demonstrated that a hypocaloric high fat/low carbohydrate (HF/LC) diet can up-regulate transcriptional markers of mitochondrial biogenesis; this was yet to be explored in vivo subsequent to a high protein/low carbohydrate (HP/LC) diet. Thus the aims o...

Background Establishing an understanding of an athlete’s nutrition knowledge can inform the coach/practitioner and support the development of the athlete. Thus the purpose of the study was to develop a psychometrically valid and reliable tool to assess general and sport nutrition knowledge. Methods An 85 question questionnaire was developed in cons...

This study investigated the effect of a long-term training program on the development of mental toughness (MT). Thirty (2 female and 28 male) recreationally active participants (age: 33.53±6.83years; height: 177.41±7.11cm; weight: 78.40±11.94kg; maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max): 47.00±6.48 ml.kg-1 .min-1 ; mean±SD) undertook 6 months of training prio...

Gastrointestinal (GI) ischemia during exercise is associated with luminal permeability and increased systemic lipopolysaccharides (LPS). This study aimed to assess the impact of a multistrain pro/prebiotic/antioxidant intervention on endotoxin unit levels and GI permeability in recreational athletes. Thirty healthy participants (25 males,5 females)...

Background: Women and small men treated by hemodialysis (HD) have reduced survival. This may be due to use of total-body water (V) as the normalizing factor for dialysis dosing. In this study, we explored the equivalent dialysis dose that would be delivered using alternative scaling parameters matching the current recommended minimum Kt/V target o...