Author(s): FUSI, J., FRANZONI, F., Institution: VAT N. IT00286820501 UNIVERSITY OF PISA, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 2079

INTRODUCTION:
There is ample evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet and physical activity can reduce risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and improve antioxidant defenses. Unfortunately, people drop out after a period of following a nutritional pattern or physical activity because of poor willpower or poor short-term results. The purpose of our study was to devise and observe the effects of combining a nutritional and motor plan that could coexist over the long term (1 year of activity), with the ultimate goal of reducing risk factors and teaching a proper lifestyle.
METHODS:
60 subjects (10 men and 50 women, between 20 and 50 years) overweight and with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited for the study. They underwent to nutritional, body composition (plicometry and anthropometry) and Total Antioxidant Activity on saliva samples (TOSC assay) evalutation. All subjects underwent a 1 year of personalized Mediterranean-style nutritional scheme characterized by periods of calorie restriction, alternating with periods of restitution, so as to teach a healthy diet and not induce metabolic damage. We also added a highly personalized motor scheme (45 minutes, 2 times a week). Both the motor and nutritional patterns were highly personalized in relation to the clinical needs of each individual subject. The motor protocol included exercises dervant from different disciplines such as pilates, weight training, endurance, boxing. The exercises and the order of the latter were varied at each session so as not to bore the subjects. The real and only variable was represented by the recovery times, which turned out to be very low, about 10-20-30 seconds between sets and a maximum of 1-2 minutes between one exercise and another. The number of repetitions and exercise were varied each time, so as not to create an adaptation phenomenon.
RESULTS:
At the end of 1 year of teatment, a significant decrease in weight was observed (90.99±8.86 vs 73.44±8.01; p<0.01) and in waist, abdomen and hip circumferences (P<0.05). In terms of body composition, there was a significant decrease in fat mass (38.12±5.544 vs 27.05±5.50 p<0.05), with an increase of free fat mass (p<0.05). In addition, we found an increase in salivary antioxidant capacity against the three radical species peroxyl (13.67±3.16 vs 19.88±2.02 p<0.01), hydroxyl (3.48±1.51 vs 5.96±1.72 p<0.01), and peroxynitrite derivatives (14.21±3.43 vs 18.46±2.58 p<0.05). Only 3% of subjects dropped out of the study.
CONCLUSION:
The purpose of the study was to understand how nutrition and motor activity could interact in the long run to improve health and teach a proper lifestyle. From our results, we can conclude how the combination of our nutrition and motor program can be sustained in the long run (pointing out that only 3 percent of subjects dropped out of the study) leading to both excellent compliance and a significant decrease in various risk factors (weight, circumferences, and antioxidant capacity).