Papers by cristina monteiro
Biology
Aims: The present study aimed to assess the ability of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (B... more Aims: The present study aimed to assess the ability of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in discriminating fitness levels in futsal players, exploring the association of body composition and bioelectrical parameters with aerobic power. Methods: Forty-eight professional futsal players (age 23.8 ± 5.3 years) were involved in a cross-sectional study during their pre-season phase. Fat mass (FM) and muscle mass were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. VO2max was obtained by indirect calorimetry through a graded exercise test performed on a treadmill. Bioelectrical resistance (R), reactance (Xc), and phase angle (PhA) were directly measured using a foot-to-hand bioimpedance technology at a 50 kHz frequency. Bioelectric R and Xc were standardized for the participants’ height and used to plot the bioimpedance vector in the R-Xc graph according to the BIVA approach. Results: The participants divided into groups of VO2max limited by tertiles showed significant differe...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Physical activity is among the most effective methods for improving health, body composition, and... more Physical activity is among the most effective methods for improving health, body composition, and physical function, and its practice is suitable for every population [...]
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The present study sought to investigate if faster upper body oxygen uptake (VO2) and hemoglobin/m... more The present study sought to investigate if faster upper body oxygen uptake (VO2) and hemoglobin/myoglobin deoxygenation ([HHb]) kinetics during heavy intensity exercise were associated with a greater upper body repeated-sprint ability (RSA) performance in a group of judokas and in a group of individuals of heterogenous fitness level. Eight judokas (JT) and seven untrained healthy participants (UT) completed an incremental step test, two heavy intensity square-wave transitions and an upper body RSA test consisting of four 15 s sprints, with 45 s rest, from which the experimental data were obtained. In the JT group, VO2 kinetics, [HHb] kinetics and the parameters determined in the incremental test were not associated with RSA. However, when the two groups were combined, the amplitude of the primary phase VO2 and [HHb] were positively associated with the accumulated work in the four sprints (ΣWork). Additionally, maximal aerobic power (MAP), peak VO2 and the first ventilatory threshold...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022
In athletics sprint events, the block start performance can be fundamental to the outcome of a ra... more In athletics sprint events, the block start performance can be fundamental to the outcome of a race. This Systematic Review aims to identify biomechanical factors of critical importance to the block start and subsequent first two steps performance. A systematic search of relevant English-language articles was performed on three scientific databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) to identify peer-reviewed articles published until June 2021. The keywords “Block Start”, “Track and Field”, “Sprint Running”, and “Kinetics and Kinematics” were paired with all possible combinations. Studies reporting biomechanical analysis of the block start and/or first two steps, with track and field sprinters and reporting PB100m were sought for inclusion and analysis. Thirty-six full-text articles were reviewed. Several biomechanical determinants of sprinters have been identified. In the “Set” position, an anthropometry-driven block setting facilitating the hip extension and a rear leg contr...
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 2018
Research involving dietary supplement interventions for sarcopenia and osteopenia in type 1 diabe... more Research involving dietary supplement interventions for sarcopenia and osteopenia in type 1 diabetes patients is scarce. Here we present a case study of a type 1 diabetic patient that was treated with supplemental alpha-hydroxy-isocaproic acid (α-HICA) for 120 days. Several measures of body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry, blood markers, and maximum voluntary contraction parameters were assessed at baseline and after 120 days. The patient’s baseline weight was 73.2 kg, which increased to 75.2 kg by the 120-day assessment. Salient mass distribution changes included increases of trunk fat mass (+0.4 kg), trunk fat free mass (+0.2 kg), total trunk mass (+0.2 kg), and a decrease of 8 percent in trunk fat mass contribution. Handgrip strength increased by 58.84 N, whereas isometric force in the leg press decreased by 347.15 N. Amelioration of BMD Z-scores from -0.7 to 0.5 and T-scores from -1.0 to -0.9 were noted. Importantly, full hematologic measures and weekly nutritional coun...
Biology, 2021
Background: specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) has been proposed as an alter... more Background: specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) has been proposed as an alternative bioimpedance method for evaluating body composition. This investigation aimed to verify the ability of specific BIVA in identifying changes in fat mass after a 16-week lifestyle program in former athletes. Methods: The 94 participants included in the Champ4life project (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03031951) were randomized into intervention (n = 49) and control (n = 45) groups, from which 82 athletes completed the intervention (age 43.9 ± 9.2 y; body mass index 31.1 ± 4.6 kg/m2). Fat mass was estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bioelectric resistance, reactance, phase angle, and vector length were assessed by bioelectric impedance spectroscopy, and the BIVA procedure was applied. Results: A significant (p < 0.05) group x time interaction for fat mass, specific resistance, reactance, and vector length was found. Fat mass and vector length significantly (p < 0.05) decrea...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Background and aim: Monitoring bioelectric phase angle (PhA) provides important information on th... more Background and aim: Monitoring bioelectric phase angle (PhA) provides important information on the health and the condition of the athlete. Together with the vector length, PhA constitutes the bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) patterns, and their joint interpretation exceeds the limits of the evaluation of the PhA alone. The present investigation aimed to monitor changes in the BIVA patterns during a training macrocycle in swimmers, trying to ascertain if these parameters are sensitive to training load changes across a 13-week training period. Methods: Twelve national and international level swimmers (four females; eight males; 20.9 ± 1.9 years; with a competitive swimming background of 11.3 ± 1.8 years; undertaking 16–20 h of pool training and 4–5 h of dry-land training per week and 822.0 ± 59.0 International Swimming Federation (FINA) points) were evaluated for resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) using a single frequency phase sensitive bioimpedance device at the beginning of the ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Background: Bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a widely used method based on the interpretati... more Background: Bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a widely used method based on the interpretation of raw bioimpedance parameters to evaluate body composition and cellular health in athletes. However, several variables contribute to influencing BIVA patterns by militating against an optimal interpretation of the data. This study aims to explore the association of morphological characteristics with bioelectrical properties in volleyball, soccer, and rugby players. Methods: 164 athletes belonging to professional teams (age 26.2 ± 4.4 yrs; body mass index (BMI) 25.4 ± 2.4 kg/m2) underwent bioimpedance and anthropometric measurements. Bioelectric resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) were standardized for the athlete’s height and used to plot the vector in the R-Xc graph according to the BIVA approach. Total body water (TBW), phase angle (PhA), and somatotype were determined from bioelectrical and anthropometric data. Results: No significant difference (p > 0.05) for age and for age at ...
Frontiers in Physiology, 2020
Competitive swimming requires high training load cycles including consecutive sessions with littl... more Competitive swimming requires high training load cycles including consecutive sessions with little recovery in between which may contribute to the onset of fatigue and eventually illness. We aimed to investigate immune changes over a 7-month swimming season. Fifty-four national and international level swimmers (25 females, 29 males), ranging from 13 to 20 years of age, were evaluated at rest at: M1 (beginning of the season), M2 (after the 1st macrocycle's main competition), M3 (highest training load phase of the 2nd macrocycle) and M4 (after the 2nd macrocycle's main competition) and grouped according to sex, competitive age-groups, or pubertal Tanner stages. Hemogram and the lymphocytes subsets were assessed by automatic cell counting and by flow cytometry, respectively. Self-reported Upper Respiratory Symptoms (URS) and training load were quantified. Although the values remained within the normal range reference, at M2, CD8 + decreased (M1 = 703 ± 245 vs. M2 = 665 ± 278 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.032) and total lymphocytes (TL, M1 = 2831 ± 734 vs. M2 = 2417 ± 714 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.007), CD3 + (M1 = 1974 ± 581 vs. M2 = 1672 ± 603 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.003), and CD4 + (M1 = 1102 ± 353 vs. M2 = 929 ± 329 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.002) decreased in youth. At M3, CD8 + remained below baseline (M3 = 622 ± 245 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.008), eosinophils (M1 = 0.30 ± 0.04 vs. M3 = 0.25 ± 0.03 10 9 L −1 ; p = 0.003) and CD16 + 56 + (M1 = 403 ± 184 vs. M3 = 339 ± 135 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.019) decreased, and TL, CD3 + , and CD4 + recovered in youth. At M4, CD19 + were elevated (M1 = 403 ± 170 vs. M4 = 473 ± 151 cell µL −1 ; p = 0.022), CD16 + 56 + continued to decrease (M4 = 284 ± 131 cell µL −1 ; p < 0.001), eosinophils remained below baseline (M4 = 0.29 ± 0.05 10 9 L −1 ; p = 0.002) and CD8 + recovered; monocytes were also decreased in male seniors (M1 = 0.77 ± 0.22 vs. M4 = 0.57 ± 0.16 10 9 L −1 ; p = 0.031). The heaviest training load and higher frequency of URS episodes happened at M3. The swimming season induced a cumulative effect toward a decrease of the number of innate immune cells, while acquired immunity appeared to be more affected at the most intense period, recovering after tapering. Younger athletes were more susceptible at the beginning of the training season than older ones.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), Jan 30, 2018
For a high level athlete, it is essential to ensure optimal energy as well as macro- and micro-nu... more For a high level athlete, it is essential to ensure optimal energy as well as macro- and micro-nutrient and fluid intakes, in order to improve their performance during training and competition. Protein intake should be 1.2⁻2.1 g/kg/d, whereas the requirements for carbohydrate and fat intakes should be >5g/kg/d and 20⁻35% of energy, respectively. The micronutrient and fluid intakes in athletes were compared to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommendations, respectively. This study aimed to characterize and compare the nutritional habits of athletes at the preparatory and competitive phase, and to test if their nutritional intakes were in accordance with the recommendations. A total of 276 professional athletes were assessed. To evaluate their nutritional intake, the athletes completed a 7 days food record. Under reporting was defined using a ratio of energy intake to basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 1.1. Body composition was assessed usi...
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2018
The results of the study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification,... more The results of the study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. SMP reports having received funding, honoraria, and travel expenses from the US National Dairy Council, research funding from Pepsico, and research funding from the Dairy Farmers of Canada. This study was financed by the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER). All supplements were freely donated by Body Temple, Lda. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by the American College of Sports Medicine. Conflict of interest: FJT, withholds a position as technical manager for Body Temple, Lda a company that sells HMB-Ca and HMB-FA.
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, Jan 15, 2018
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between whey protein supplementation, b... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between whey protein supplementation, body composition and muscle strength, in resistance-trained individuals. Forty-nine healthy males, aged 18 to 35 years that were engaged in resistance training for at least one year, were assigned into two groups according to whey protein intake (Whey: n=26, 30.7 ± 7.4 yr, 75.8 ± 9.0 kg; WithoutWhey: n=23, 31.0 ± 7.4 yr, 77.9 ± 9.3 kg). Using a cross-sectional design, a morning assessment of body fat mass (FM) (by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) and strength (using 1RM for bench press and back squat) was performed. Nutritional assessment was performed by 3-day food records. Regarding nutritional habits, differences between total energy intake (kcal) and estimated energy requirements (kcal) were observed. Results, from both raw data or controlling for energy intake, estimated energy requirements or achieved percentage of energy requirements, showed that whey protein supplementation was i...
European journal of applied physiology, 2018
Long-term training influence on athletes' immune cell response to acute exercise has been poo... more Long-term training influence on athletes' immune cell response to acute exercise has been poorly studied, despite the complexity of both chronic and acute adaptations induced by training. The purpose of the study is to study the influence of a 4-month swimming training cycle on the immune cell response to a high-intensity training session, during 24 h of recovery, considering sex, maturity, and age group. Forty-three swimmers (16 females, 14.4 ± 1.1 years; 27 males, 16.2 ± 2.0) performed a standardized high-intensity session, after the main competition of the first (M1), and second (M2) macrocycles. Blood samples were collected before (Pre), immediately after (Post), 2 h after (Post2h) and 24 h after (Post24h) exercise. Haemogram and lymphocytes subsets were assessed by an automatic cell counter and by flow cytometry, respectively. Subjects were grouped according to sex, competitive age groups, or pubertal Tanner stages. Results express the percentage of relative differences fro...
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, Jan 9, 2016
There is general perception that elite athletes are highly susceptible to changes in immunohemato... more There is general perception that elite athletes are highly susceptible to changes in immunohematological profile. The objective of this study was to compare immunohematological parameters of elite athletes of different aerobic and muscular strength sports and analyze changes over 2 months. Sixteen judoists and 14 swimmers were evaluated 2 months before (M1) and immediately prior to competition (M2). Hemogram and lymphocytes subpopulations were assessed with automatic counter and flow cytometry, respectively. Judoists had higher neutrophils and lower monocytes and eosinophils percentages than swimmers at M1 and M2. At M2 judoists had lower red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin, and hematocrit than swimmers. At M2 judoists' hematocrit and CD16 decreased while swimmers' hemoglobin and hematocrit increased. In conclusion, neither sports characteristics nor intense training seem to displace the athletes' immunohematological profile out of the clinical range, despite the possibili...
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016
Understanding the impact of training sessions on the immune response is crucial for the adequate ... more Understanding the impact of training sessions on the immune response is crucial for the adequate periodization of training, to prevent both a negative influence on health and a performance impairment of the athlete. This study evaluated acute systemic immune cell changes in response to an actual swimming session, during a 24-h recovery period, controlling for sex, menstrual cycle phases, maturity, and age group. Competitive swimmers (30 females, 15 ± 1.3 years old; and 35 males, 16.5 ± 2.1 years old) performed a high-intensity training session. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, 2 h after, and 24 h after exercise. Standard procedures for the assessment of leukogram by automated counting (Coulter LH 750, Beckman) and lymphocytes subsets by flow cytometry (FACS Calibur BD, Biosciences) were used. Subjects were grouped according to competitive age groups and pubertal Tanner stages. Menstrual cycle phase was monitored. The training session induced neutrophilia, lymp...
Clinical Science, 1994
Mean values of the studied parameten before and after effort COMT RBC-Mg RBC-Zn RBC-Se GSH GSSG M... more Mean values of the studied parameten before and after effort COMT RBC-Mg RBC-Zn RBC-Se GSH GSSG MHbR TBARs-p E.0.-p Before M e a n f S D
Endocrine Abstracts, 2015
Journal of sports science & medicine, 2014
Studies examining the immune response to acute intensive swimming have shown increased leukocytos... more Studies examining the immune response to acute intensive swimming have shown increased leukocytosis and lymphocyte populations. However, studies concerning mucosal immunity and sex differences remain controversial. The objective of the study was to examine sex differences on the immune response to maximal incremental swimming exercise in well trained swimmers. Participants (11 females, controlled for menstrual cycle phase effects; 10 males) performed a maximal incremental 7x200 m front crawl set. Fingertip capillary blood samples were obtained after each 200 m swim for lactate assessment. Venous blood and saliva samples were collected before and 5 minutes after the swimming test to determine total numbers of leukocytes, lymphocytes and subpopulations, and serum and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels. IgA secretion rate was calculated. Menstrual cycle phase did not influence the immune response to exercise. As for sex differences, exercise induced an increase in leukocytes, total...
Magnesium research : official organ of the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium, 2010
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency strongly affects muscle performance. In judo, many athletes often under... more Magnesium (Mg) deficiency strongly affects muscle performance. In judo, many athletes often undergo impressive weight changes associated with severe dehydration. Common practices used by athletes to achieve a target weight can lead to Mg deficit. This study aimed to understand the impact of Mg changes on strength from periods of weight stability to prior to competition in a sample of elite judo athletes who differentially changed their intracellular water (ICW). The sample consisted of 20 elite male judo athletes. Subjects were divided according to ICW changes: losses below 2% and losses equal to or above 2%. Mg was measured in serum, red blood cells and urine by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. ICW was calculated as the difference between total-body water and extracellular water using dilution techniques. Maximal handgrip strength was evaluated using Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Upper-body power was determined in a bench press. Higher ICW decreases were associated with hig...
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Papers by cristina monteiro