The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge and awareness of dietary supplements among athletes in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). Athletes (n=95, age: 22.5±2.4) completed a questionnaire on Google Docs regarding their habits and perceptions of dietary supplement intake. Among all respondents, 37 out of 95 (39%) took dietary supplements with the primary reason to improve energy (66%), strength (60%) or performance (59%). Athletes who did not take any supplement (58 out of 95; 61%) reported high supplement’s cost as their main reason (28%). The most chosen supplements are protein (43%), mass and strength gainer (19%), vitamin C (11%), energy booster, omega 3, and multivitamin (8% each), creatine, fat burner, vitamin B complex and BCAA (5%, each). The athletes believed that supplements are associated with health risk (75%), supplements can enhance performance (86%) and exercise increase the need for supplements (74%). They also believed that supplements can le.....

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A good quality of educator is probably the most critical part of learning process. Considering this, the fresh graduates’ teacher must possess the competency in various areas to prepare with the challenges of the 21st century. The aim of this study is to determine the readiness level of Bachelor of Education (B. Ed) final year undergraduates to become educators. The self-assessment survey was designed in accordance with the Malaysian Teachers’ Standards, which explore the knowledge and skills on program learning outcome (PLO), moral values, information & communication technology (ICTs), language, soft skills, teaching & facilitation and assessment & evaluation (A&E). The respondents were the final year undergraduates in Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), Malaysia in academic year of 2018. Results indicated that the final year undergraduates were ‘ready’ to become educators for 6 out 8 attributes, whereas they were still ‘approaching readiness’ for Language Skills and.....

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A demand for nutritional supplements to enhance recovery after endurance training is increasing among athletes to maximize their performance. The present study was conducted to identify the effects of chocolate milk consumption on blood glucose level, hydration status and mood state of the athlete after aerobic exercise. Ten male students from the Faculty of Sport Science and Coaching, UPSI (23.7±.68 years) participated in two trials separated by 1 week. For each trial consumed either chocolate milk (CM) or glucose drink (GD) after a 60 minute run at 70% of VO2max (46.43±1.32 ml/kg/min). Blood glucose levels were determined 1 and 2 hours after post-exercise CM or GD ingestion. Urine samples were collected before and 2 hours after exercise to assess hydration status. The mood state of the subject was also measured using the BRUMS questionnaire. The data were analysed by using a paired sample t-test. The results show that blood glucose levels and the urine colour are not significantly .....

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Chondrosenescence (chondrocyte senescence) and subchondral bone deterioration in osteoarthritic rats were analyzed after treatment with the estrogenic herb Labisia pumila (LP) or diclofenac. Osteoarthritis (OA) was induced in bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) rats by injecting mono-iodoacetate into the right knee joints. Rats were grouped (n = 8) into nontreated OVX?OA control, OVX?OA ? diclofenac (5 mg/kg) (positive control), OVX?OA ? LP leaf extract (150 and 300 mg/kg) and healthy sham control. After 8 weeks’ treatment, their conditions were evaluated via serum biomarkers, knee joint histology, bone histomorphometry, protein and mRNA expressions. The LP significantly reduced cartilage erosion, femur bone surface alteration, bone loss and porosity and increased trabecular bone thickness better than diclofenac and the non-treated OA. The cartilage catabolic markers’ (matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, RUNX2, COL10a, ERa, CASP3 and HIF-2a) mRNA expressions were down-regulated and ser.....

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A sedentary lifestyle has been shown to influence cognitive impairment, whereas physical activity and diet ameliorate the negative influence. This study aimed to examine the synergistic effect of black mulberry, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed supplementation with exercise on cognitive performance among university students. Participants (n=36) were randomly assigned to receive black mulberry, sunflower seed and pumpkin seed with or without exercise for 60 days. All subjects were required to complete cognitive task assessment for domain attention, perception, and executive on day 0 (baseline), day 30, and day 60 of experiments. Compared to baseline, all participants showed faster reaction time for all cognitive tasks on days 30 and 60, and group treatment without exercise significantly enhanced domain attention, executive, and memory span compared to group subjected to exercise alone and treatment with exercise. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that consumption of bla.....

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Neuronal survivability is fundamental for optimum cognitive performance, thus human wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Morus nigra, vitamin E, and exercise neuroplasticity-related biomarkers. Participants (n=40) were randomly assigned to receive Morus nigra fruit extract, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed with or without exercise for 60 days. To obtained serum, blood samples were collected from all participants at the end of the experimental duration. The serum was used to determine malondialdehyde (MDA), glucocorticoid receptor-α (GCR-α), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) concentrations using ELISA kit. Compared to the control group, GCR-α was significantly reduced in all groups, while BDNF concentration was doubled in treatment and exercise group. GDH concentration was increased significantly in the treatment group. Overall, the findings of the present study demonstrate that consumption of Morus nigra fruit e.....

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Background: A sedentary lifestyle has been found to influence cognitive impairment, whereas physical activity and diet have been found to reduce the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. Objectives: This study aims to examine the synergistic effects of the black mulberry, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed supplements, including exercise on cognitive performance among sedentary university students. Methods: Participants (n=36) were randomly assigned to receive black mulberry, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed with and without exercise for 60 days. Then, they were required to complete cognitive task assessment for domain attention (visual reaction time and auditory reaction time), perception (fast counting and basic music) and executive (Eriksen flanker task and Stroop test) on day 0 (baseline), 30, and 60 of the experiment. Following that, blood samples were collected and analyzed for malondialdehyde serum concentration as an oxidative stress marker. Results: All participants showed .....

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