Stella Lucia Volpe

Virginia Tech | VT · Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise

High physical activity (PA) levels may compromise the energy available for vital functions (growth, maintenance) in children/adolescents. A new hypothesis suggests that physiological and behavioral compensatory mechanisms act to buffer daily energy expenditure due to high PA levels. One mechanism could be a reduction of the resting metabolic rate (...

Background and objectives There is a scarcity of data stemming from large-scale epidemiological longitudinal studies focusing on potentially preventable and controllable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRD). This study aimed to examine the effect of multiple metabolic factors and cardiovascular disorders on the r...

The cornerstones of good health are exercise, proper food, and sound nutrition. Physical exercise should be a lifelong routine, supported by proper food selections to satisfy nutrient requirements based on energy needs, energy management, and variety to achieve optimal metabolism and physiology. The human body is sustained by intermediary and syste...

Caffeine consumption has been shown to improve exercise performance, in particular, endurance performance. However, individuals who consume caffeine on a daily basis may not reap the benefits of caffeine. In addition, there is a lot of interindividual variation on who benefits from caffeine. Those for whom caffeine consumption is contraindicated, s...

Since 2008, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) American Fitness Index program has provided data, materials, resources, and connections to help city officials, public health professionals, and community-based organizations assess the fitness of their residents, identify opportunities to improve health outcomes, and enable physically acti...

High-dose vitamin D supplementation can increase total osteocalcin concentrations that may reduce insulin resistance in individuals at risk for prediabetes or diabetes mellitus. Magnesium is a cofactor in vitamin D metabolism and activation. The purpose of this study was to determine the combined effect of vitamin D and magnesium supplementation on...

Introduction/Purpose The crossover point occurs during exercise when one transitions energy substrates from fat to carbohydrate predominance. The crossover point varies in an intensity-dependent manner; however, less is known about its specificity in sports with varying metabolic demands. The purpose of our study was to determine if various sports...

Background: The long-term impact of vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome (MetS) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality are still a matter of debate. Aim: To test the hypotheses that lower serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations (a marker of vitamin D level) and MetS have a long-term impact on the risk of CVD an...

AI and machine learning technology are an expanding part of our daily lives. Because so much of our lives already include AI, it would benefit health professionals to learnmore about this technology and how it could be advantageous to their clients. Although additional research studies using big data sets are required to better elucidate how much A...

Recommendations for protein intake are based on total body weight; however, these recommendations do not consider lean body mass (LBM). The purpose of the present study was to identify the average protein intake in g/kg LBM in a group of healthy Masters Athletes (≥26 years of age, exercising ≥2 d/week). Data were obtained from a cross-sectional stu...

Background Exercise is primarily sustained by energy derived from lipids (plasma free fatty acids and intramuscular triglycerides), and glucose (plasma glucose and muscle glycogen). Substrate utilization is the pattern by which these fuel sources are used during activity. There are many factors that influence substrate utilization. We aim to deline...

Objective Poor vitamin D and Magnesium status is observed in individuals who are overweight and obese (Owt/Ob) and is often associated with heightened cardiovascular disease risk. Magnesium is a cofactor that assists in vitamin D metabolism. We aimed to determine (1) the efficacy of a combined magnesium and vitamin D regimen compared to vitamin D o...

Our study examined the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and spirulina supplementation on the humoral immunity, cardio-respiratory fitness, and body composition of overweight and obese women. Thirty sedentary women (height: 161.7 ± 2.8 cm, body mass: 75.8 ± 8.4 kg, body mass index [BMI]: 28.8 ± 2.5 kg/m2, age: 25.1 ± 6.7...

Dear Colleagues, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are calling for countries to contribute to a global culture of health. SDGs attempt to promote prosperity while also protecting the planet. In addition, the slogan of developing sports and friendship in the Olympic Games among the people of the world has paved the way for the scientific dev...

Magnesium and vitamin D are two micronutrients that contribute directly to the metabolism of macronutrients, maintenance of muscle function, and various metabolic processes (i.e., protein synthesis and bone metabolism). Dietary recommendations are established based on age and gender differences; however, energy expenditure is not accounted for in d...

Background Despite some reports of cardiometabolic disorders associated with the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), limited studies have been conducted to examine the association between excessive sugar intake (a risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders) and AD risk. Aim The purpose of our study was to evaluate if excessive sugar intake has a sign...

Background: The HEALTHY Study was a multi-component, school-based intervention, designed to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in middle school students. Objectives: We examined whether the difference in dietary magnesium intake, body mass index (BMI) percentile, and plasma glucose and insulin concentrations from 6th to 8th grade were relat...

Objectives Athletes subscribe to different energy and macronutrient intakes based on the needs of the sport. The aim of our study was to evaluate total energy and macronutrient intakes between different types of Masters athletes. Methods Female and male Masters athletes participated in this cross-sectional study. Dietary consumption data were meas...

Objectives There has been evidence suggesting the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) in promoting and preserving lean body mass. Western diets are deficient in omega-3 FA, while having excess amounts of omega-6 FA. A high omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio promotes the pathogenesis of several diseases, whereas an omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio suppresses inflammat...

Objective: Behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs are not sufficiently effective at promoting high levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), despite the clear health benefits of exercise and the possibility that high levels of MVPA may improve long-term weight loss. This three-arm randomized controlled trial tested the hypotheses tha...

Background: Data on dietary magnesium intake on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among children and adolescents is limited. Aim: We examined whether dietary magnesium intake was related to body mass index (BMI) percentile, and glycemic indices at baseline and at end of the HEALTHY Study for both intervention and control schools. The H...

Among school employees, it has been reported that poor physical and mental health, as well as high stress and large workloads, have resulted in high absenteeism and low retention. The consequences of unhealthy behaviors and stress can extend to students, impacting academic achievement and school costs. Our objective was to examine the impact of sch...

Body composition measurements remain one of the best objective ways to analyze tissue distribution in athletes. The purpose of this study was to establish an average body composition profile for professional male ice hockey players, assess the yearly fluctuations of body composition after a single season, and assess body composition changes among d...

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy required to perform basic functions when at rest. Different types of basal metabolic rate (BMR) prediction equations also exist, but they vary in terms of accuracy and specific factors taken into account by the researchers who developed them (i.e., age, lean body mass, fat mass). It has been reported that...

Objectives Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents has increased dramatically worldwide. Diet plays a key role in the development of T2DM, but little is known about the contribution of dietary magnesium intake in the risk of T2DM among children and adolescents. We conducted secondary analyses using the HEALTHY Study data. The HE...

Health & Lifestyle Behaviors of International Master’s World Cup Field Hockey Players - Presentation at ACSM Virtual Annual Meeting 2020

Mouth rinsing has been proposed as a strategy to minimize performance decrements during Ramadan. We investigated the effect of 4 weeks of Ramadan on kicking performance in 27 Taekwondo athletes performing weekly Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Tests (TAIKT). The effects of a placebo, 6.4% glucose and 6-mg/kg caffeine mouth rinses on TAIKT per...

The purpose of this study was to examine health and lifestyle behaviors of United States Masters field hockey athletes who competed in the Masters Field Hockey World Cup in 2018. A total of 122 athletes (72 women, 50 men) completed the 42-item Health and Well-being of Masters Field Hockey Athletes Survey. Mean age was 50.1±8.3 years (range = 35 to...

The purpose of this study was to examine health and lifestyle behaviors of United States Masters field hockey athletes who competed in the Masters Field Hockey World Cup in 2018. A total of 122 athletes (72 women, 50 men) completed the 42-item Health and Well-being of Masters Field Hockey Athletes Survey. Mean age was 50.1±8.3 years (range = 35 to...

Nearly 10% of adult Americans have type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), yet 25% are undiagnosed. Our purpose was to compare body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as predictors for type 2 DM in adults 40 to 59 yr of age. We hypothesized that BMI, WC, and WHtR would predict hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5%, diagnosti...

Background Sedentary behavior activities have been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Aim: Our aim was to determine whether sedentary behavior time (SBT) is predictive of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol). Methods We used cross-sectional data, adults 40 to 59 years of age, from the National Health and Nutrition Examina...

Background: Employee health promotion in the elementary school setting can support students' health and academic success. School employees can serve as role models, yet evidence suggests poor health in this population. We identified factors that influence school employee health behaviors to inform subsequent development of employee wellness progra...

Wrestling is a combat sport with weight-based categorizations. These athletes commonly attempt to reduce their body weight to qualify for lower-weight classes. Wrestlers often subject themselves to periods of low energy intake and high energy expenditure, exposing them to a prolonged energy deficit. Therefore, nutritional considerations for these a...

Vitamin D metabolism is dependent on magnesium (Mg) as a cofactor; therefore, poor Mg status may alter the relationship between vitamin D metabolite serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25OHD) and serum parathyroid hormone (sPTH). We hypothesized that low dietary Mg intake may alter sPTH response to s25OHD in a population with excess body weight, thereby le...

Objectives: We examined the effect of a three year, multi-component, school-based intervention on health behaviors of elementary school students. Methods: The multi-component, obesity intervention was provided by community partners to 13 schools over three years. Schools were assigned into three varying Levels of Intervention: "Core" Schools (n...

Objectives: Adequate magnesium (Mg) status has been shown to be associated with improved cardiometabolic health. Magnesium status is commonly assessed by measuring serum concentrations of Mg in clinical settings; however, serum concentrations of ionized Mg (iMg) is a better indicator of bioavailable Mg status. Few researchers have assessed iMg as...

Substrate utilization as an indicator of exercise performance is a growing topic of interest for athletes. Athletes and sports science professionals are using substrate utilization to determine appropriate exercise programs and dietary interventions. However, evidence supporting the “typical” sports-specific metabolic profile is lacking. PURPOSE: T...

We have been told to consume more fruits and vegetables since we were children. In addition, there is strong evidence that increasedfruit and vegetable intake can prevent some chronic diseases and enhance exercise performance. In addition to enhancing food variety, increased fruit and vegetable intake will lead to greater consumption of a variety o...

Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular within the past 5 years. Based on the research, it seems to be beneficial, not only to weight loss, but with respect to cardiometabolic risk. Although it may lead to positive results, the effects on exercise training and performance have not been well-studied. More research with respect to the di...

Nutritional Supplements (NS) are widely used by the athletic community either elite or amatorial despite the lack of evidence to support claims related to performance enhancement. The objectives of this study was aimed to determine: i) the most common sources of NS information; ii) the prevalence of the different types of NS used by individuals tha...

La obesidad infantil es una preocupación en materia de salud pública que amenaza la salud y el bienestar de los niños en todo el mundo y que se relaciona con varias condiciones crónicas de salud en ese grupo. Aunque el equilibrio energético positivo conlleve a un exceso de peso corporal en los niños, hay varios factores que influyen en su estado de...

Childhood obesity is a public health concern that threatens the health and well-being of children worldwide and is associated with several of their chronic health conditions. Although a positive energy balance leads to excess body weight in children, there are several factors that influence their weight status. Dietary intake and physical activity...

Background: Bone-regulating hormones and nutrients play an important role in influencing metabolic health. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether bone-regulating hormones and nutrients, such as parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), and magnesium (Mg) could be used to characterize the metabolically healthy obese (MH...

Turmeric has been in the spotlight as of late, especially with respect to its anti-inflammatory properties. Because I have been adding turmeric to my dogs' food and to my own smoothies to help with general inflammation postworkouts, I thought I would write a Nutritionist's Viewcolumn on this bright yellow spice. Turmeric has been around for centuri...

Protein is of increasing concern with respect to intake recommendations. Presently, most predictive calculations for protein recommendations are based on either actual body weight (ABW) or a calculated ideal body weight (IBW). It has been proposed that, when calculating protein needs, dosing may be better predicted using lean body mass (LBM) rather...

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and the second most abundant intracellular divalent cation in the body, and is a cofactor for more than 300 metabolic reactions in the body. Magnesium deficiency could be related to oxidative stress and chronic inflammatory conditions, such as obesity, cancer, atherosclerosis, hypertension,...

Background: Elite water polo athletes undergo heavy training programs throughout the year, but especially to prepare major competitions, such as the Olympics. Optimal athletic performance is a result of many factors, including proper management of the intensity and volume of training, nutrition and recovery between training sessions. When training...

This Nutritionist's View column was meant to pique your interest in gut microbiota, diet, and exercise. Although I addressed only a few research studies, they provide evidence of the importance of diet and exercise on the gut microbiota, and subsequently, how that affects the brain and antioxidant enzyme defense system. The effects on the brain can...

Aging is associated with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength. The decline, known as sarcopenia, could lead to physical disability, poor quality of life, and death. Additionally, the older population usually experiences age-related muscle changes that affect muscle mass, muscular strength and functional abilities. The purpose...

Dairy protein, in particular, whey protein, has been shown to delay gastric emptying, and thus lower the glycemic load in individuals with diet-controlled T2DM. Dairy protein has various components that may be beneficial to a person with T2DM, leading to better glucose control through time. More clinical trials on dairy protein are required to more...

BACKGROUND: The Youth Health Behavior Survey (YHBS) is a 26-item survey with items in the domains of physical activity (PA), nutrition, and access to preventative health services. Although the YHBS was developed from previously validated tools, the validity of the YHBS itself has not been previously validated. PURPOSE: To validate baseline PA from...

Background: Pet ownership and cancer are both highly prevalent in the U.S. Evidence suggest associations may exist between this potentially modifiable factor and cancer prevention, though studies are sparse. The present report examined whether pet ownership (dog, cat, or bird) is associated with lower risk for total cancer and site-specific obesit...

The number of older adults living in the USA, 65 years of age and older, has been steadily increasing. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2010, indicate that more than one-third of older adults, 65 years of age and older, were obese. With the increased rate of obesity in older adults, the purpose of this p...

VitaminKis a fat-soluble vitamin important in both blood clotting and bone metabolism. It seems that lower intakes of vitamin K are related to knee osteoarthritis. In addition, it seems that a low vitamin K intake may relate to a high bone turnover in athletes. More research needs to be conducted in larger populations, evaluating the effects of vit...