VO2 Max - The highest volume of oxygen an individual is able to burn up during exercise. This measure is frequently used to pick individuals who have good potential in endurance sports.
Plants manufacture and store carbohydrates as their main energy source. The glucose created in the leaves of plants is used as the building block to manufacture more complex types of carbohydrates. The grouping of carbohydrates relates to the essential structural component of their living cells: saccharides. The chief monosaccharides that occur in food nutrients are glucose (also called dextrose) and fructose. Three standard disaccharides (two sugars linked together) are sucrose, maltose, and lactose. Polysaccharides (several sugars linked together) of interest in nutrition include starch (found in plant seeds, fruits, tubers, and roots), dextrin (formed by enzyme action on starch), glycogen (glucose that is converted for storage), and cellulose (part of the cell walls of all plant cells).
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) - the number of times the heart beats per minute when an individual is completely at rest. To get the most reliable results, the resting heart rate must be taken first thing in the morning prior to getting out of bed.
Osteoporosis - a condition affecting the bones, in which the bones lose mass and density, the bone pores get larger, and the bones usually become brittle and delicate. Osteoporosis often is not recognized as such until a fracture takes place, usually in the spine, hip, or wrist. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that approximately 1,500,000 such fractures take place each year within the U.S., at a projected yearly expense of $18 billion in `02.
Blood Pressure - the force of the blood exerted on the arterial walls. Two levels of blood pressure are measured: systolic and diastolic; systolic pressure is the higher blood pressure measurement taken when the heart is contracting and pushing blood out of the ventricles, and diastolic pressure is the lower measurement taken when the heart muscle relaxes and fills with blood. When the blood pressure reads 120/80, 120 stands for the systolic blood pressure reading and 80 represents the diastolic pressure.
Hamstrings - The three large muscles on the underside of the thigh, which run from the lower part of the pelvis to just underneath the knee joints. They allow a person to flex the knee and, in conjunction with the glutes (the three large muscles of each buttock), un-flex the legs at the hip joints.
Water - a vital component of the body. Although the human body can cope with a shortage of energy-yielding calories or nutrients from food over months or even over several years, a person can manage without water for just a few days. Research experts place water second in importance only to oxygen as crucial to support life. Besides offering real satiation for the thirsty, water is key to each and every one of the physical systems. It supplies the vehicle wherein several chemical changes of the body occur, aiding in digestion, absorption, circulation, and smooth movement of the joints of the skeleton. For example, as a essential part of blood, water assists in conveying energy-yielding nutrients to body cells and carries away waste products to the kidneys for excretion.
Testimonial - written or spoken statement describing a personal experience in the use of a product or service. In the field of bariatric surgery, testimonials are statements made by patients who have had bariatric surgery, regarding their individual surgical procedures.
Cholesterol (Different Types) - Blood cholesterol is categorized into 3 distinct classes of lipoproteins (combined forms of lipids and proteins): VLDS (very low-density lipoprotein), which contains high amounts of harmful triglycerides (fat stored in the bloodstream), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which carries most of the cholesterol present in the bloodstream, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or `good` cholesterol.
Bias - occurs when problems in study design lead to effects that are not related to the variables being studied. One such example is Selection Bias, which occurs when the individuals or groups who take part in a study are chosen so as to deceptively cause measures of statistical significance to appear much stronger or much weaker than they really are. Choosing experimental and control group subjects from different populations would result in a selection bias.
Amino Acids - nitrogen-containing compounds that function as the foundations of proteins, nine of which the body is unable to manufacture and which, necessarily, have to be obtained through food intake. Chemically, amino acids are composed of organic compounds consisting of an amino (NH2) group and a carboxyl (COOH) group. Amino acids are categorized as essential, nonessential, and conditionally indispensable. In case the body`s production is insufficient to meet its metabolic needs, an amino acid is categorized as essential and must be supplied as part of the nutrients consumed. Essential amino acids include valine, tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine, methionine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine; arginine may be included in this group. Non essential amino acids can be produced by the human body in ample amounts, and are serine, proline, glycine, glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, and alanine. Amino acids classified as conditionally essential are non essential amino acids that become essential under certain circumstances, such as during a critical illness.
Organic - in the sphere of farming, defines agricultural products that are grown by cultural, biological, and mechanical techniques before using manmade, non-agricultural substances to prevent pest infestation, better soil quality and/or streamline processing. The US Department of Agriculture is currently addressing the issue of organic products, with formal rules to determine what may be considered organic.
Individual Beliefs - conscious and subconscious personal beliefs that drive people`s decisions (food-wise and otherwise).
Kick Board - a small foam board used while swimming to develop leg power and speed. It is gripped below the chest to keep the body afloat and allow the swimmer to exercise the legs alone.
Duodenal Switch (the DS procedure) - also called the `Bilio-Pancreatic Diversion` and Bilio-Pancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch. This is a form of weight-loss surgery, where surgeons 1). divide an overweight patient`s stomach into a slender, vertical pouch and 2). re-route the small intestine to effect malabsorption.
Prevalence - the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time.
Adipose Tissue - a distinctive type of tissue in the body for storing cellular fat.
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