永澤 貴昭

Background/Objectives: Optimal well-being is critical for athletic performance, yet nutritional intake among athletes is frequently inadequate. Although subjective tools such as the Hooper Index are widely used to monitor athlete condition, their relationship with routine eating behaviors remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to characterize the nutritional intake of Japanese male collegiate handball players and to identify eating behaviors associated with their subjective well-being, as measured by the Hooper Score. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 64 male collegiate handball players completed a 3-day dietary record and a web-based questionnaire assessing eating habits, training load, and the Hooper Index (sleep, muscle soreness, stress, fatigue). Associations between dietary factors and the Hooper Score were examined using partial correlation and multiple regression analyses, adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Mean energy intake (30.1 ± 10.7 kcal/kg/day) and several micronutrient intakes were below recommended levels. Partial correlation analysis revealed that lower intakes of energy and multiple nutrients were significantly associated with poorer well-being (higher Hooper Scores) and more Subjective Health Complaints (SHC). Multiple regression analysis identified consistent dinner timing, greater protein intake (g/kg), more frequent consumption of nutrient-dense snacks, and less frequent consumption of unhealthy snacks as significant independent predictors of better Hooper Scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Suboptimal energy and nutrient intakes were common and associated with poorer subjective well-being. Specific eating behaviors, particularly meal regularity, snack quality, and adequate protein intake, emerged as independent predictors of the Hooper Score, offering practical indicators for nutritional assessment and athlete condition monitoring.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms among Japanese female students. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional, online survey SETTING: We used an online questionnaire to collate responses from Japanese female students on sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 298 female students aged 18-25 years in Japan were included in this study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to assess the severity of perimenstrual symptoms for three periods-premenstrual, menstrual and postmenstrual-and the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality. The MDQ scores were compared between two groups (normal-sleep quality and low-sleep quality) using Mann-Whitney U test. In addition, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed, and the MDQ subscales that showed significant differences between the groups were used as independent variables. The MDQ subscale that was strongly associated with sleep quality was calculated. RESULTS: Of the female students, 160 were classified into the normal-sleep quality group and 138 into the low-sleep quality group. The total MDQ scores were significantly higher in the low-sleep quality group at all phases of the menstrual cycle (respectively p<0.05). Among the MDQ subscales, 'pain' during menstruation and 'concentration' in the premenstrual and postmenstrual stages were associated with sleep quality (respectively p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Improving sleep quality was one possible strategy to reduce the severity of perimenstrual symptoms. These results may provide useful information for Japanese female students who suffer from perimenstrual symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Athletes should be informed of their required energy intake in preparation for sports competitions. However, the environment in which dietary surveys can be conducted to determine the required energy intake for sports competitions is limited, and such survey will require a substantial amount of time and effort from athletes and dietitians. If certain biomarkers for estimating the energy intake can be identified, they may compensate for the shortcomings of these dietary surveys. We aimed to identify the blood biomarkers to estimate the energy intake/basal metabolic rate ratio of male athletes. METHODS: Twenty-six male athletes from a university physical education department were included and underwent measurements of height, weight, and body composition, as well as blood sampling. The dietary assessment included a 3-day dietary recall and collection of meal photographs. The basal metabolic rate was estimated using the lean body mass, while the daily energy intake/basal metabolic rate ratio was used as an index to determine the energy intake. From the 36 selected blood biomarkers, we identified the independent biomarkers for inclusion in the multiple regression analysis by assessing for pairwise correlations and multicollinearity. A formula for estimating the energy intake/basal metabolic rate was then developed using the stepwise method. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Overall, 18 of the 36 blood biomarkers were selected, and multiple regression analysis revealed that triiodothyronine, white blood cell count, and triglyceride level were significant factors that can be used to estimate the energy intake/basal metabolic rate, accounting for 60.4% of the variance. No systematic errors were observed in the estimated values, calculated using the estimation formula and dietary assessment results. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of free triiodothyronine level, white blood cell count, and triglyceride level can be used for estimating the energy intake/basal metabolic rate of male athletes, thus compensating for the shortcomings of dietary surveys.