1.
Vegetable Diversity, Injurious Falls, and Fracture Risk in Older Women: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Sim, M, Blekkenhorst, LC, Lewis, JR, Bondonno, CP, Devine, A, Zhu, K, Woodman, RJ, Prince, RL, Hodgson, JM
Nutrients. 2018;10(8)
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Vegetables contain a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals, with a range of health benefits. Previous research has linked higher vegetable consumption in older populations with a lower risk of falls. The importance of vegetable diversity (number of different vegetables consumed) for the risk of falling and fractures is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between vegetable diversity with falls and fractures leading to hospitalisation in a prospective cohort of Australian women aged 70 years or over. Vegetable diversity was quantified by assessing the number of different vegetables consumed daily. Vegetable intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline in 1998. Over 14.5 years, injurious falls and fractures were captured using health records. Over 14.5 years of follow-up 39.7% of participants experienced an injurious fall. The percentage of women who experienced an injurious fall in the low (≤3/day), moderate (4/day) and high (≥5/day) vegetable diversity groups were 42.6%, 40.2%, and 36.6%, respectively. For each additional vegetable consumed, there was an 8% reduction in the risk of falls and a 9% reduction in the risk of fractures. The largest benefit of higher vegetable diversity were observed in the one third of women with the lowest vegetable intake (<2.2 servings/day). The authors concluded that increasing vegetable diversity, especially in older women with low vegetable intake, may be an effective way to reduce injurious fall and fracture risk.
Abstract
The importance of vegetable diversity for the risk of falling and fractures is unclear. Our objective was to examine the relationship between vegetable diversity with injurious falling and fractures leading to hospitalization in a prospective cohort of older Australian women (n = 1429, ≥70 years). Vegetable diversity was quantified by assessing the number of different vegetables consumed daily. Vegetable intake (75 g servings/day) was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1998). Over 14.5 years, injurious falls (events = 568, 39.7%), and fractures (events = 404, 28.3%) were captured using linked health records. In multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models, women with greater vegetable diversity (per increase in one different vegetable/day) had lower relative hazards for falls (8%; p = 0.02) and fractures (9%; p = 0.03). A significant interaction between daily vegetable diversity (number/day) and total vegetable intake (75 g servings/day) was observed for falls (pinteraction = 0.03) and fractures (pinteraction < 0.001). The largest benefit of higher vegetable diversity were observed in the one third of women with the lowest vegetable intake (<2.2 servings/day; falls HR 0.83 95% CI (0.71⁻0.98); fractures HR 0.74 95% CI (0.62⁻0.89)). Increasing vegetable diversity especially in older women with low vegetable intake may be an effective way to reduce injurious fall and fracture risk.
2.
A comparison of caffeine versus pseudoephedrine on cycling time-trial performance.
Spence, AL, Sim, M, Landers, G, Peeling, P
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2013;(5):507-12
Abstract
Both caffeine (CAF) and pseudoephedrine (PSE) are proposed to be central nervous system stimulants. However, during competition, CAF is a permitted substance, whereas PSE is a banned substance at urinary levels >150 μg · ml(-1). As a result, this study aimed to compare the effect of CAF versus PSE use on cycling time trial (TT) performance to explore whether the legal stimulant was any less ergogenic than the banned substance. Here, 10 well-trained male cyclists or triathletes were recruited for participation. All athletes were required to attend the laboratory on four separate occasions--including a familiarization trial and three experimental trials, which required participants to complete a simulated 40 km (1,200 kJ) cycling TT after the ingestion of either 200 mg CAF, 180 mg PSE or a nonnutritive placebo (PLA). The results showed that the total time taken and the mean power produced during each TT was not significantly different (p > .05) between trials, despite a 1.3% faster overall time (~57 s) after CAF consumption. Interestingly, the time taken to complete the second half of the TT was significantly faster (p < .05) in CAF as compared with PSE (by 99 s), with magnitude based inferences suggesting a 91% beneficial effect of CAF during the second half of the TT. This investigation further confirms the ergogenic benefits of CAF use during TT performances and further suggests this legal CNS stimulant has a better influence than a supra-therapeutic dose of PSE.