Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme最新文献

{"title":"Canada-wide survey of school food programs.","authors":"Annette Blais, Mavra Ahmed, Mary L'Abbé, Daniel Sellen, Vasanti Malik","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0083","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canada remains one of few Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries without a well-established nationally harmonized and funded school food program (SFP); however, the Canadian federal government recently announced the development and implementation of a national SFP that might supersede the uncoordinated patchwork of SFPs currently delivered across Canada. We designed and conducted novel survey research to systematically identify the characteristics of organization-led SFPs, building on previous research that focused on the characteristics of provincial and territorial government involvement in school food programming. An electronic survey was developed to include items deemed most relevant based on applicable literature and expert content validation, and distributed to organizations involved in the purchasing, planning, and/or preparation of school foods. Responses were categorized post hoc into the RE-AIM categories to assess SFP Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. Analysis identified key SFP implementation characteristics (including funding source, payment model, and student eligibility), program components, SFP goals/mandates, and factors that determine what foods are served; and assessed correlations among key characteristics. Results from 67 SFPs across 10 provinces indicate considerable variability in SFP characteristics. SFP-delivering organizations reported a predominant goal of reducing student food insecurity, while nutrition and cost were cited as the main factors determining food served. Collectively, organizations were found to rely primarily on donations, while provincial funding accounted for only 30% of total funding. These findings reveal strengths and areas for improvement within Canada's current school food landscape and highlight important gaps that could be addressed with federal involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142692882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effectiveness of exercise referral schemes on patient health and their cost: an umbrella review.","authors":"Myles W O'Brien, Madeline E Shivgulam, Haoxuan Liu, Molly K Courish, Yanlin Wu, Jonathon R Fowles, Taniya S Nagpal","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0185","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0185","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exercise referral schemes (ERS) involving referrals from primary care providers to exercise programs and professionals may be a useful strategy for helping patients lead more active lifestyles. We performed an umbrella review to determine the impact of ERS on patient activity/fitness, clinical outcomes, and their cost-effectiveness. The review was pre-registered in Prospero (CRD42023443094) and conducted in July 2023. PRISMA reporting was followed. Our umbrella review screened 2129 citations with 12 studies meeting our inclusion criteria (<i>n</i> = 8 meta-analyses) that included 110 unique individual studies of 62 815 unique participants. The average study quality was 8.9 ± 1.9 (out of 11). Studies examined patient physical activity or fitness (<i>n</i> = 9/12), a clinical outcome (<i>n</i> = 8/12), and/or cost-effectiveness (<i>n</i> = 4/12). Earlier reviews observed that physical activity or fitness was unchanged following ERS, but more recent (post-2015), larger sample size studies observe low-to-moderate improvements. Recent reviews reported that ERS lowered blood pressure, body mass index, and depression. ERS cost-effectiveness was conflicting. Altogether our umbrella review of high-quality reviews with a low risk of bias demonstrated that although early work indicated null effects, more up-to-date reviews of ERS observe improved patient activity/fitness, cardiometabolic, and mental health. ERS are an effective strategy to improve patient health.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142857122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of individuals achieving type 2 diabetes remission in real-world settings: bridging clinical evidence and patient experiences.","authors":"Alexis Marcotte-Chénard, Barbara Oliveira, Tahmina Rahman, Sean McKelvey, Tom Elliott, Paula Rocha, Dylan Mackay, Jonathan P Little","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0316","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objectives of the study were to (1) describe characteristics and lifestyle factors of individuals who have achieved type 2 diabetes (T2D) remission (sub-diabetes glucose levels without glucose-lowering medications for ≥3 months) through changes to diet and exercise behaviour in real-world settings; (2) investigate continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) profiles of these individuals and explore how dietary pattern may influence glucose regulation metrics. This cross-sectional study recruited individuals living with T2D who achieved remission via changes to diet or exercise behaviours. Various questionnaires were used to assess overall health and participants wore a blinded CGM for 14 days to assess glucose profiles and filled out 3-day food records. A total of 21 adults (57 ± 8 years of age) who were recently diagnosed with T2D (4 ± 3 years) with a A1c of 5.7 ± 0.4% volunteered to participate. Participants achieved remission through various means (e.g., combination of diet and exercxise/physical activity) and self-reported following different diets, including 52% following a low-carbohydrate or very low carbohydrate diet, 14% following a \"ketovore/carnivore\" diet, 10% using a meal replacement diet, 5% following Weight Watcher's diet, and 19% no defined dietary pattern. The 24 h average CGM glucose value was 5.0 [4.8-5.6] mmol/L (median [IQR]) with 92 [85-97]% of time spent in range (between 4.0 and 9.9 mmol/L). The 24 h average CGM glucose (<i>r</i> = 0.692; <i>P</i> = 0.001) and A1c (<i>r</i> = 0.470; <i>P</i> = 0.049) were correlated with the daily percentage of energy intake from carbohydrate. Remission of T2D appears achievable through various means, including adoption of different dietary approaches and a more active lifestyle underpinning the importance of a patient-centred care.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current evidence around key underrepresented women's health topics in pregnancy and postpartum nutrition: a narrative review.","authors":"Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella, Sophie E Moore, Rajavel Elango","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0127","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adequate nutrition during pregnancy and postpartum is critical to maternal and child health, but there is often a missing focus around health outcomes specifically for women. Women's health includes sex-specific biological attributes and socially constructed gender roles framing behaviours and practices. This narrative review aims to highlight key areas where women's health has been underrepresented in pregnancy and postpartum nutrition research. Current evidence and research gaps are discussed for nutritional requirements during pregnancy and lactation, maternal mortality and morbidity nutritional risk factors, preconception and postpartum nutrition, and gendered cultural norms and inequities in access to nutritious foods during pregnancy and postpartum. Important areas for future research include strengthening empirical evidence for nutritional requirements in pregnant and lactating populations, the relationship between maternal iron status, anaemia and maternal morbidities, linkages between nutrient status among women and adolescent girls to maternal health outcomes, postpartum nutrition for recovery, lactation, and long-term women's health outcomes, and strength-based cultural practices that can support adequate maternal nutrition. There is an ongoing need to include women in nutritional requirements research, and measure health outcomes for women to ensure creation of an evidence base on both sex and gender-based datasets.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142960209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of eccentric versus stretching exercise training on cognitive function of older women.","authors":"Min-Jyue Huang, Favil Singh, Dennis R Taaffe, Trevor C Chen, Kazunori Nosaka","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0390","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0390","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exercises focusing on eccentric contractions may stimulate the brain better, improving cognitive function. We tested the hypothesis that executive function and attention would improve more after eccentric resistance exercise (ECC) than stretching exercise (STRETCH) training. Healthy older women (65-75 years) underwent either ECC (<i>n</i> = 14) or STRETCH (<i>n</i> = 14) intervention for 8 weeks. ECC consisted of seven exercises emphasizing eccentric contractions while STRETCH performed 12 stretching exercises, with supervised sessions undertaken twice weekly accompanied by a home-based program. Executive function and attention were assessed using the Stroop test of color naming (STCN) and conflicting color words, symbol digit modalities test, digit span test (DST), and trail making tests (TMT-A and TMT-B), and six physical function tests were undertaken before and after the 8-week training period. Fasting blood samples were obtained before and after the training. A significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) group × time interaction effect was evident for STCN, DST, and TMT-A, with only ECC showing improvements (DST:14.7 ± 27% and TMT-A:10.2 ± 12%) from pre- to post-training. No significant changes in other cognitive function tests were found for either group. All physical function tests except one-leg balance test showed greater improvement (<i>p</i> < 0.05) for ECC than STRETCH. No significant changes in blood lipid profile and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were found, but serum glucose concentration and glycosylated hemoglobin decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in ECC. These results suggest that a short-term body-weight eccentric exercise intervention was effective in enhancing components of cognitive and physical function of older women and may prove a useful strategy in combating age-related decline in cognitive and physical function.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143517666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hot water immersion increases internal carotid artery shear rate but does not alter intracranial vascular reactivity to carbon dioxide.","authors":"Morgan L Worley, Courtney E Wheelock, Jocelyn Stooks, Jacqueline R Schwob, Brian Bratta, John J Leddy, Riana R Pryor, David Hostler, Blair D Johnson","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2024-0048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute hot water immersion (HWI) increases cerebral blood flow, which may increase arterial shear rate and benefit cerebrovascular function. However, it is unclear whether HWI alters cerebral artery shear rate and cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide (CVR_CO2). We tested the hypotheses that HWI (39 °C) increases extracranial artery shear rate and intracranial artery hypercapnic CVR_CO2, but reduces hypocapnic CVR_CO2 compared to temperate water immersion (TWI; 35 °C). Eighteen healthy adults completed two experimental visits. Middle and posterior cerebral artery blood velocities (transcranial Doppler; MCAv and PCAv) were continuously recorded. Right internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) shear rate were obtained via Doppler ultrasound. Hypocapnic and hypercapnic CVR_CO2 were assessed in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) during self-paced hyperventilation and during 30 s of 7% CO₂ inhalation. Measures were completed pre-immersion (PRE) and at 1.0 °C increase in core temperature during HWI and time-matched during TWI. Data are reported as mean ± SD. There were no differences between conditions at PRE. MCAv (64 ± 12 vs. 55 ± 9 cm/s; <i>P</i> = 0.01) and PCAv (39 ± 7 vs. 29 ± 5 cm/s; <i>P</i> < 0.01) were greater in TWI versus HWI at the 1.0 °C time point. ICA shear rate was greater in HWI versus TWI at 1.0 °C (247 ± 51 vs. 180 ± 43 s^-1; <i>P</i> < 0.01) but VA shear did not differ. Hypocapnic and hypercapnic CVR_CO2 in the MCA and PCA did not differ between conditions. Compared to TWI, MCAv and PCAv are lower in HWI, but HWI augments shear rate in the ICA, which may be beneficial for cerebrovascular health if done recurrently.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":"50 ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of pedestal-mounted electric fans on self-reported symptoms and mood-state in older adults exposed to indoor overheating during a simulated heatwave: an exploratory analysis.","authors":"Fergus K O'Connor, Gregory W McGarr, Roberto C Harris-Mostert, Pierre Boulay, Ronald J Sigal, Robert D Meade, Glen P Kenny","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0461","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0461","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent evidence from modelling and laboratory-based studies showed that electric fans are ineffective at meaningfully lowering core temperature in older adults at air temperatures of 36 °C. However, their influence on self-reported environmental symptoms and mood-state during daylong use in hot indoor environments remains unclear. Eighteen older adults (8 females, median (interquartile range); 72 (67-76 years)) completed three randomized 8 h heat exposures (36 °C, 45% relative humidity) with a fan generating air speeds of 0 (no fan, control), 2, or 4 m/s at the front of the body positioned 1 m away. Participants were seated throughout, except for 4 × 10 min periods of simulated activities of daily living (stepping (∼2.25 metabolic equivalents (METs)). Core temperature, mean skin temperature, and heart rate areas under the curve (AUCs, hours 0-8) were calculated to assess cumulative physiological strain. Total Symptom Scores (68-item Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire) as well as Total Mood Disturbance and Energy Index (40-item Profile of Mood States questionnaire) were evaluated at end-heating (adjusted for pre-exposure). Core temperature, mean skin temperatures, and heart rate AUCs were not different between conditions (all <i>p</i> ≥ 0.087). Total Symptom Scores were 0.89-fold [0.81, 0.97] lower with fan use (combined across speeds) compared to no fan (<i>p</i> = 0.009). Energy Index scores were 2.4 points [0.8, 4.0] higher with fan use compared to no fan (<i>p</i> = 0.004). However, mood disturbance was not significantly different between conditions (<i>p</i> = 0.345). Our exploratory analysis show that fans can reduce self-reported symptoms and increase perceived energy levels in older adults in overheated indoor environments, despite no meaningful attenuation of physiological strain. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05695079.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143528080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who is consuming ultra-processed food in Canada? A cross-sectional analysis of the 2018/2019 International Food Policy Study.","authors":"Virginie Hamel, Jane Y Polsky, Milena Nardocci, Sharon Kirkpatrick, Lana Vanderlee, David Hammond, Didier Garriguet, Carmen Byker Shanks, Maria Laura da Costa Louzada, Éric Robitaille, Jean-Claude Moubarac","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0218","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPF) has been linked to poor diet quality and an increased risk of non-communicable diseases. To inform public policies and interventions aimed at reducing UPF intake in Canada, updated information on UPF intake among different sociodemographic groups is needed. This study, using data from 5872 adults aged 18 years and older from the International Food Policy Study (2018-2019), aims to estimate the dietary energy contribution of UPF and assess its variation among sociodemographic subgroups. All foods and drinks reported in a single 24 h dietary recall were classified using the Nova system. We estimated the mean proportion of total daily energy from UPF and subcategories of UPF in the overall sample and among sociodemographic subgroups. Multivariable linear regression models evaluated the association between sociodemographic characteristics with the proportion of total daily energy from UPF. On average, adults consumed 45.2% of their total daily energy from UPF. UPF consumption was slightly higher among males than females (49.4% vs. 47.6%, <i>p</i> = 0.039) and younger adults aged 19-30 years compared with older adults aged 51-64 years (50.0% vs. 47.2%, <i>p</i> = 0.029), adjusting for a range of sociodemographic factors. Overall, UPF consumption was relatively high among adults in all sociodemographic subgroups, highlighting the need for policies to decrease UPF consumption in the entire population.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142373705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Females have better metabolic flexibility in different metabolically challenging stimuli.","authors":"José Antonio Benítez-Muñoz, Isabel Guisado-Cuadrado, Miguel Ángel Rojo-Tirado, María Alcocer-Ayuga, Nuria Romero-Parra, Ana Belén Peinado, Rocío Cupeiro","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0217","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0217","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The first aim was to explore the difference in metabolic flexibility between sexes in response to changing exercise intensity under control conditions. The second aim was to evaluate metabolic flexibility between sexes in response to exercise intensity adding two different metabolically challenging stimuli (glycogen depletion and heat). Eleven males (22 ± 3 years, 176.2 ± 4 cm, 68.4 ± 4.9 kg, and 60.2 ± 4.1 mL/kg FFM/min) and nine females (22 ± 2 years, 166.7 ± 4.5 cm, 61.9 ± 2.9 kg, and 64.2 ± 5.6 mL/kg FFM/min) performed a maximal incremental exercise test (30 W every 3 min) on a cycle ergometer under three conditions: control (24 h high-carbohydrate diet followed by the incremental test), glycogen depletion (glycogen-depletion protocol followed by 24 h low-carbohydrate diet and then the incremental test), and heat (24 h high-carbohydrate diet followed by 30 min passive heating and then the incremental test in heat). In the last minute of each step, lactate was analysed, fat (FATox/FFM) and carbohydrate oxidation (CHox/FFM), and energy expenditure (EE/FFM) normalized to fat-free mass (FFM) was estimated by indirect calorimetry. Females presented a greater FATox/FFM as exercise intensity increases across conditions (control, glycogen depletion, and heat) (<i>p</i> = 0.006). In contrast, CHox/FFM was not significantly different between sexes at any specific intensity across conditions (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Consequently, EE/FFM was higher in females throughout the different intensities across conditions (<i>p</i> = 0.002). Finally, lactate concentration was not different between sexes at the same intensities across conditions (<i>p</i> = 0.87). In conclusion, females present a greater metabolic flexibility, due to the higher FATox/FFM throughout the different intensities, regardless of whether the test is performed in conditions emphasizing the oxidative pathway (glycogen depletion) or the glycolytic pathway (heat). Clinical trials: NCT05703100.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142514527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low physical fitness indicates future injury, mental health, menstrual cycle disruptions, and burnout in female emergency service personnel and healthcare providers.","authors":"Chris M Edwards, Jessica L Puranda, Émilie Miller, Meaghan L MacDonald, Mohamed Aboudlal, Kristi B Adamo","doi":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0266","DOIUrl":"10.1139/apnm-2024-0266","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Musculoskeletal injury (MSKi), depression, anxiety, and burnout place a considerable burden on emergency services personnel and healthcare providers (HCP). Physical fitness is related to both mental and physical health in these populations, but females in these are hugely underrepresented in this literature. As female representation in first-responder and HCP roles increases, the need for female-specific research is needed. This study examines physical fitness as a short-term indicator of future reproductive health, MSKi, and mental health for females employed as first-responders or HCP. Thirteen first-responders and 29 HCP completed an initial health and demographics questionnaire, a comprehensive physical assessment (e.g., bone mineral density, muscular strength, muscular endurance, muscular power, flexibility, and aerobic capacity), and a health questionnaire 6-7 months after the physical testing. We found that (i) bone mineral density, relative upper body strength, and lower body power were related to sustaining future MSKi, (ii) better lower body endurance and flexibility were related to future menstrual cycle disruptions, and (iii) low bone mineral density was related to future self-reported burnout and Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥ 10. Physical fitness characteristics can be helpful indicators of future MSKi risk, menstrual cycle disruptions, and mental health status in females employed in arduous occupations.</p>","PeriodicalId":93878,"journal":{"name":"Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142523804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}