http://hdl.handle.net/10884/1182 2026-06-15T19:41:51Z http://hdl.handle.net/10884/1617 Title: Meat Consumption and Availability for Its Reduction by Health and Environmental Concerns: A Pilot Study Authors: Turnes, Andrea; Pereira, Paula; Cid, Helena; Valente, Ana Abstract: In Portugal, dietary imbalances are evident [1–3], where the consumption of meat, sugar, fat, and salt is much higher than recommended [4]. Changes in eating habits over the years have been remarkable [5]. According to recent data, just 26% of the Portuguese population adheres to the Mediterranean diet [6], indicating a noteworthy divergence from this dietary pattern known globally as a health promoter. Some studies have suggested a link between frequent and high meat consumption and noncommunicable diseases (such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) [7–10]. Indeed, food choices, together with other lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and lack of physical activity, have been identified as risk factors for one-third of all fatalities in Portugal [11]. More recently, environmental concerns have also been raised about excessive meat consumption [1,4,12], especially when referring to red meat, which appears to have the higher ecological footprint [13]. The emission of greenhouse gases is 57 times higher in beef when compared with tofu, while for poultry it is 4 times higher [13]. Even though there are no statistics on public knowledge of these data, this information is freely available to the public via the Our World in Statistics website. Also, the results of Sanchez-Sabaté and colleagues (2019) have shown that meat consumers are not willing to change their dietary habits for environmental reasons [12]. In Portugal, the Food Balance report published by the National Institute of Statistics for the period 2016–2020 showed an increase in meat consumption in this period, despite a decrease during the pandemic, but still 8.7% higher than the previous analysis period of 2012–2015 [1]. Currently, Portuguese society is undergoing a transformation; Europe is experiencing an energy crisis, which will certainly affect food supply, with predicted increases in meat prices and a grain shortage [14]. The pressure to modify eating habits for economic reasons is great, and this could be a chance to promote public knowledge about the need to reduce meat consumption, which has obvious health and environmental benefits. The theme of the current piece is highly timely, given the current economic downturn, social unrest, energy problem, and environmental consciousness [15]. According to current knowledge, this is the first study in Portugal that aimed to assess the frequency of meat consumption and willingness to reduce consumption due to concern about the impact on health and the environment in residents of the Lisbon metropolitan region 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10884/1411 Title: Comparison of the somatotype, nutritional assessment and food intake among university sport and sedentary students Authors: Leonardo-Mendonça, RC Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The study of the somatotype and food intake among university students is important to carry out internal policies about the improvement of health and prevention of diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the somatotype, nutritional assessment and food intake of university sport and sedentary students. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The sample were 1,299 university students (420 males and 879 females) from University of Valencia, during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, who were evaluated for several anthropometric parameters, the somatotype and the nutritional and food intakes with a 7 day dietary diary. RESULTS: The somatotype was Endo-Mesomorph, Meso-Endomorph, Balanced Endomorph and Meso-Endomorph for sport and sedentary males, and sports and sedentary females, respectively. All groups had a high and low percentage of total calories in comparison with proteins plus lipids, and carbohydrates, respectively, as established in the nutritional objectives for the Spanish population. Low vitamin intakes, including E (in the sport males), A, D and E, folate and biotine (in the sedentary males) and A, D, E, folate and biotine (in the sport and sedentary females) were observed. All groups had a high intake of sodium and a deficit of potassium, calcium, iodine and magnesium. On the other hand, cereal groups were the most important in the energy dairy intake. CONCLUSIONS: Disequilibrium in macronutrients and micronutrients reflects the importance of developing food policies among University people to improve this situation. 2012-06-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10884/1410 Title: Changes in the redox status and inflammatory response in handball players during one-year of competition and training Authors: Concepcion-Huertas, M; Chirosa, L; de Haro, T; Chirosa, IJ; Romero, V; Aguilar-Martinez, D; Leonardo-Mendonça, RC; Doerrier, C; Escames, G; Acuña-Castroviejo, D Abstract: The present research was designed to evaluate the adaptive responses to oxidative stress and inflammation in handball players subjected to well-controlled training intervals over one-year of competition. Seven blood samples were collected over the season of the study, approximately one a month. Plasma lipid peroxidation, nitrite, cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, INFγ and TNFα), and the glutathione cycle in erythrocytes, were measured. Exercise intensity, measured with the Borg's scale, increased significantly up to the middle of the competition season, coinciding with maximal creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase values, and then decreased at the end of the study. The inflammatory markers including nitrite, IL-1β, IL-6, and, to a lesser extent INFγ, increased early in the training season, and remained elevated until the end of the study. TNFα, however, remained low during the season. The oxidative stress response included a transient increase of the glutathione disulphide/glutathione ratio and glutathione reductase activity at the beginning of the study, returning to basal values somewhat later. Glutathione peroxidase also increased at the end of the training season, and lipid peroxidation levels remained low during the athletic season. These results suggest that well-trained athletes were best adapted to the oxidative response, although the beneficial effects of some of the inflammatory cytokines on skeletal muscle myogenesis and repair cannot be ruled out. 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10884/1409 Title: Redox status and antioxidant response in professional cyclists during training Authors: Leonardo-Mendonça, Roberto Carlos Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether different phases of training affect oxidative stress and antioxidant defences in professional cyclists. Ten professional cyclists, aged 21.8 ± 2.5 years, were enrolled in the study. They were classified into two groups of five athletes each one with similar nutritional intake excepting for the overload of vitamin C (1000 mg day(-1)) and E (400 mg day(-1)) supplementation in one of them. The cyclists of both groups performed the same exercise design, consisting of hard, tapering and recovery training periods. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the diet, plasma oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC), lipid peroxidation (LPO), DNA damage (8-OHdG) and erythrocyte glutathione disulfide/glutathione ratio (GSSG:GSH(-1)) were measured. During the intense exercise trainings, the cyclists without vitamin supplements had the TAC of diet significantly lower than the supplemented group. Plasma ORAC, LPO and 8-OHdG were similar in both groups of athletes. Athletes with supplements had a basal LPO:ORAC(-1) ratio lower than that without supplements, but this ratio converged to the same level at the end of the training in both groups of cyclists. Both groups of cyclists showed similar changes in GSSG:GSH(-1) ratio and in GSSG and GSH levels along the study. The data suggest that well-trained athletes with suitable ultra-endurance training volume and intensity do not require antioxidant vitamin supplements to adapt their endogenous antioxidant defenses to exercise-induced ROS. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z