Data on nutritional status of human populations are periodically needed, as well as their relationships with anthropometry, body composition, body image and energy expenditure, and also with health lifestyle outcomes. All these parameters contribute jointly to give a complete knowledge on dietary and lifestyle habits, and hence how to proceed to improve it in order to enjoy an optimal healthy status. So, you are kindly invited to submit proposals for manuscripts that fit the objectives and the topics of this Nutrients Special issue.The aim of this proposed Nutrients Special Issue on ""Anthropometry, Body Composition and Resting Energy Expenditure in Humans"" is to publish selected papers detailing specific aspects of anthropometric, body composition and energy expenditure data in human populations and their relationships with nutritional status, as well as nutritional surveys and trials that examine measured differences or changes in these parameters are also cordially invited.

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Physical fitness is the basis for the success of players in sports, and its monitoring makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of training and identify possible errors. During training, thanks to the use of control results, these activities are modified, which better prepares players for competition. This Special Issue, entitled "Assessment of Physical Fitness and the Effect of Training in Individual Sports" presents the results of coaching control and the results of monitoring progression in training, as well as an assessment of the physical fitness of athletes practicing individual sports.

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The concept of mechanism in biology has three distinct meanings. It may refer to a philosophical thesis about the nature of life and biology, to the internal workings of a machine-like structure, or to the causal explanation of a particular phenomenon. In this Special Issue, we try to discuss these possible biological mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effects of physical fitness and sports performance, as well their importance and role/influences on physical health.Despite the significant body of knowledge regarding the physiological and physical effects of different training methods (based on dimensions of load), some of the biological causes for those changes are still unknown. Additionally, few studies have focused on the natural biological variability in humans and how specific properties of humans may justify different effects for the same training intervention. Thus, more original research is needed to provide plausible biological mechanisms that may explain the physiological and physical effects of exercise and training in humans.In this Special Issue, we gather the contributions that describe and list the links between physical fitness, sports performance, and human biology.

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Research on human body composition has gained relevance given the recognized health impact of several body components. Many contemporary scientists have contributed to the field of body composition research as it exists today, even though interest in the topic extends back several thousand years. Quantifying human body composition in sports practice plays an important role in monitoring athletes' health status, performances, and training regimens. Such analysis can be performed in different contexts and with different approaches—e.g., in cross-sectional studies that aim to characterize sporting group samples and in longitudinal research finalized to define short-term or long-term changes and implications for physical health and performance. Body composition is also fundamental for a correct interpretation of body mass and weight status to plan specific interventions. This book adds new information on the effect of body composition on physical health and sport performance, current body composition measurement techniques and strategies for improving physical health through sports practice.

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Breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding in early life. It is also one of the most cost-effective childhood survival interventions. Breastfeeding practices are important for preventing child mortality and morbidity, as well as ensuring the optimal growth, health, and development of infants. The public health benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented in the medical literature, and include the following: associations with decreased risk for early-life diseases such as otitis media, respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, and early childhood obesity (to name but a few). This Special Issue book includes a collection of studies on the use of novel methods to improve breastfeeding rates, and research exploring the short- and long-term benefits of breastfeeding for both the infant and mother, including technology-based approaches.

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Human lactation has evolved to produce a milk composition that is uniquely-designed for the human infant. Not only does human milk optimize infant growth and development, it also provides protection from infection and disease. More recently, the importance of human milk and breastfeeding in the programming of infant health has risen to the fore. Anchoring of infant feeding in the developmental origins of health and disease has led to a resurgence of research focused in this area. Milk composition is highly variable both between and within mothers. Indeed the distinct maternal human milk signature, including its own microbiome, is influenced by environmental factors, such as diet, health, body composition and geographic residence. An understanding of these changes will lead to unravelling the adaptation of milk to the environment and its impact on the infant. In terms of the promotion of breastfeeding, health economics and epidemiology is instrumental in shaping public health policy and identifying barriers to breastfeeding. Further, basic research is imperative in order to design evidence-based interventions to improve both breastfeeding duration and women’s breastfeeding experience.

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Calcium is the main mineral in the body, involved in a variety of structural and functional roles. The maintenance of calcium homeostasis is perhaps the most studied function of vitamin D. This Special Issue of Nutrients, “Calcium, Vitamin D and Health” contains 12 original publications and two reviews investigating the contribution of (mainly) vitamin D and calcium on relevant health outcomes in a variety of populations, which reflect the evolving and broad interest of researchers on this topic.

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Rabbit livestock is especially important in the Mediterranean area and in the semi-arid zones of Africa, Asia, and America, representing a valuable alternative source of good animal protein of high quality (low fat and low cholesterol). However, rabbit husbandry should adapt to be a competitive and sustainable sector. In addition, it must maintain a balance between rabbit welfare, customer demands, and breeder requirements. Then, improvement in breeding systems is needed and may involve avoiding hormones and antibiotics in rabbit management; enhancing the efficiency of reproductive procedures such as artificial insemination systems and freezing of semen and embryos; extending the productive lifespan of does; improving genetic selection systems; and adjusting nutritional systems to optimize the physiological status of animals and the immune response. This Special Issue concerns all these challenges in increasing rabbit productivity and sustainability.

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The prevalence of overweight and obesity has significantly increased over the past few decades and is linked to metabolic diseases across the lifespan. Its etiology has been attributed to a large number of sociodemographic, behavioral (e.g. unhealthy nutrition, low levels of physical activity), perinatal, and clinical risk factors, which are active already from childhood and adolescence. Still, their exact role, interplay, and mechanisms implicated in this process remain unclear. The trends of childhood obesity call for actions regarding the prevention and management of this disease early in life. The Special Issue “Childhood Obesity: Nutrition and Lifestyle Determinants, Prevention and Management” aims to host original articles, systematic reviews or meta- analyses that will advance the current knowledge on the role of health behaviors, especially of nutrition, on the development of overweight or obesity in childhood and adolescence, provide valuable information about the nutritional habits of overweight/obese children and adolescents, and describe novel approaches via lifestyle modification for the prevention or management of obesity in youth.

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Cardiometabolic risk factors and type 2 diabetes are the largest contributors to the global disease burden and disease-related mortality. Visceral obesity drives the progression of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors and type 2 diabetes, and behavioral lifestyle weight loss interventions are important strategies for the prevention of these metabolic alterations. Despite the consistent evidence that the greater the body weight loss, the greater the preventive effect on cardiometabolic risk factors or diabetes, too radical strategies might be unfeasible on a large scale, and the long-term maintenance of weight reduction following restricted calorie diets represents a major challenge. Changes in diet composition acting on nutrient quality independently of changes in energy intake may be effective in cardiometabolic and diabetes risk prevention, offering a more feasible and safe alternative treatment to energy restriction. The aim of the present Special Issue is to summarize recent evidence on "Diet Quality and Risk of Cardiometabolic and Diabetes". More specifically, the impact of diet quality in terms of micro- or macronutrient composition, beyond the effect of diet restriction, on the prevention of cardiometabolic and diabetes risk as well as diabetes management, will be discussed. Personalized quality dietary interventions for cardiometabolic health and diabetes prevention, as well as possible underlying mechanisms, will also be addressed in this Special Issue.

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Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an established inherited amino acid disorder with a very traditional dietary therapy, but there is still more to learn and verify about its nutritional composition, application and overall effectiveness. Although in the 1950s, the first patient successfully treated with diet therapy patently established the role of a low phenylalanine protein substitute, in present times, it is still necessary to characterise the most effective source of artificial protein; defining its optimal amino acid profile; and identifying nutrient modulation that will improve the functionality of protein substitutes. It is also important to understand the impact of a life-long synthetic diet on gut microbiota, metabolomics and inflammatory status. In early-treated patients with PKU, it is unclear if co-morbidities such as overweight, obesity, hypertension and diabetes are higher than in the general population and if these are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. It is also uncertain if overweight and obesity in PKU is related to early dietary practices, the nutritional composition of protein substitutes and special low-protein foods, impact of the dietary treatment on satiety, disordered eating patterns, non-adherence with the low phenylalanine diet and poor metabolic control, or if this is even a consequence of the disorder. In a generation of ageing patients, the impact of intermittent and suboptimal dietary adherence on nutritional status deserves systematic study.

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In recent years, diet- and lifestyle-related disorders have become a major health threat in Europe and worldwide. The contributions in this monograph include 2 review articles and 19 original contributions from several countries that provide new information on the existing research elucidating important aspects of children’s and adolescents’ nutrition and lifestyle behavior. The data included in this Special Issue are from large epidemiological studies, including several multicenter and multinational studies, as well as datasets from surveillance initiatives. The topics of interest of this Special Issue include the co-occurrence of multiple health behaviors in children, the role of parenting and early feeding practices, dairy consumption in childhood, validity of dietary intake data, dietary supplement use in children, as well as socioeconomic disparities and eating culture. The diverse articles in this Special Issue highlight the complexity and extent to which nutrition and physical activity behaviors may influence different health aspects of children and adolescents. As seen by the various findings and recommendations, not only is more work in this area required but the translation of this work to practice and policy is imperative if we are to address the challenges impacting the nutrition, physical activity, and health of young populations.

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The prevalence of diabetes is on the increase in the UK and worldwide, partly due to changes in lifestyle which predispose individuals to overweight and obesity. It is estimated that about 90% of the currently diagnosed adults have type 2 diabetes, and based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, about 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014 compared with 108 million in 1980; this condition caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2012. In the United States of America, it is estimated that about 30.3 million adults are living with diabetes, with a further 1.5 million new diabetes cases diagnosed every year, representing an increasing prevalence of this condition. Diabetes represents a major public health challenge, despite advances in technology and the pharmaceutical industry. These problems may be in the form of acute or long-term complications. Therefore, in order to attenuate the problems of diabetes, management strategies usually include lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity and dietary interventions. Studies which evaluate the role of nutrition in the management of type 2 diabetes often involve human and animal models as these approaches enable us to have a broader and more in-depth understanding of the condition. In some cases, diabetes may co-exist with other conditions, such as stroke, and these may present unique challenges with regard to nutritional interventions. This Special Issue aims to evaluate the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and the role of the diet in the management of people with this condition. This evidence is drawn from both human and animal studies.

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Dietary trace minerals are pivotal and hold a key role in numerous metabolic processes. Trace mineral deficiencies (except for iodine, iron, and zinc) do not often develop spontaneously in adults on ordinary diets; infants are more vulnerable because their growth is rapid and their intake varies. Trace mineral imbalances can result from hereditary disorders (e.g., hemochromatosis, Wilson disease), kidney dialysis, parenteral nutrition, restrictive diets prescribed for people with inborn errors of metabolism, or various popular diet plans. The Special Issue “Dietary Trace Minerals” comprised 13 peer-reviewed papers on the most recent evidence regarding the dietary intake of trace minerals, as well as their effect on the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases. Original contributions and literature reviews further demonstrated the crucial and central part that dietary trace minerals play in human health and development. This editorial provides a brief and concise overview of the content of the Dietary Trace Minerals Special Issue.

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Phenolic compounds are non-essential dietary compounds that are found in many vegetables (i.e. onion, cabbage, broccoli and parsley), fruits (i.e. cherries, grapes, berries and pears), cereals and beverages (i.e. red wine, tea and chocolate). These heterogeneous compounds are produced as secondary metabolites. Structurally, these compounds are characterized by comprising an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups that can be classified into two groups: flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Phenolic compounds have received considerable attention for its health-promoting properties in many chronic disorders including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. These health benefits are mainly attributed to its antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds act as antioxidant by scavenging free radicals, metal chelation and endogenous antioxidant system upregulation (enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione).The consumption of exogenous medicinal plants and food rich in phenolic compounds represent a promising therapeutically to prevent many chronic diseases and improve health.This Special Issue entitled “Effect of Phenolic Compounds on Human Health” include research articles and review articles on phenolic compounds and its role in health (i.e. flavonoids and diabetes, polyphenols and liver diseases, polyphenols and obesity, polyphenols and cardiovascular diseases and polyphenols and neuroprotection).

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Energy metabolism is central to life and altered energy expenditure (EE) is often cited as a central mechanism responsible for development of the obese phenotype. Resting EE, EE of physical activity, cold induced thermogenesis and thermic effect of feeding add to produce total EE but can also affect each other. It is thus very important that each component be well measured. Measuring energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry is extremely simple in theory but the practice if far more difficult. Taking into account temperature in small sized animals, measuring accurately the effect of activity on EE, correcting EE for body size body composition, age sex etc… add difficulties in producing reliable data. The goal of this Research Topic was to call for the practical experience of main investigators trained to practice calorimetry in order to get their feedback and the way they deal with the various and specific problems of humans and animal calorimetry. The goal is to share the questions/solutions experienced by the contributors to inititate a “guide of the good practices” that can be periodically updated and used by all those who are and will be interested in measuring energy metabolism from the 20g mouse to the human and large farm animals.

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This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142) available at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jfmk/special_issues/Exercise_Evaluation

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This reprint presents information for updating the state-of-the-art exercise testing and prescription in specific conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, knee arthroplasty, obesity with metabolic syndrome, low back pain, postpartum women, and people with premature ventricular beats.

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Obesity represents the most prevalent metabolic disease in the world, posing a significant public health threat. Obesity shortens life expectancy by increasing the risk of developing comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. A better understanding of the ethiopathology of excess adiposity represents the pillar on which to base the effective management of obesity. In this sense, this reprint expands our knowledge about the wide array of drivers that can facilitate or contribute to the development of obesity. Moreover, some of the latest progress made in lifestyle, pharmacological and surgical approaches in the treatment of obesity are summarised. Novel concepts regarding the different obesity phenotypes, the use of telemedicine for the treatment of overweight and obesity, or the use of personalised avatars in the management of obesity are also reviewed. This reprint will be of interest for specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition, but also for any individual interested in health issues related to nutrition.

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In the last few years, an increasing number of individuals have adopted a gluten free diet (GFD). A significant proportion of that includes patients affected by celiac disease (CD), who have to follow a strict GFD for medical purposes. However, a high number of individuals are currently following a GFD without medical counseling and without a specific diagnosis needing a gluten withdrawal from the diet. This is due to the frequently incorrect information diffused on the Internet and mass media on the topic of GFD. For these reasons, research on the GFD and its clinical use and biological effects is urgently needed.

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This Special Issue Book presents a total of 12 papers, encompassing 31 different affiliations, with authors from 12 different countries spanning three different regions of the world (Europe, North America, and Asia).

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Human milk is uniquely tailored to meet infants’ specific nutritional requirements. However, it is more than just “milk”. This dynamic and bioactive fluid allows mother–infant signalling over lactation, guiding the infant in the developmental and physiological processes. It exerts protection and life-long biological effects, playing a crucial role in promoting healthy growth and optimal cognitive development. The latest scientific advances have provided insight into different components of human milk and their dynamic changes over time. However, the complexity of human milk composition and the synergistic mechanisms responsible for its beneficial health effects have not yet been unravelled. Filling this knowledge gap will shed light on the biology of the developing infant and will contribute to the optimization of infant feeding, particularly that of the most vulnerable infants. Greater understanding of human milk will also help in elucidating the best strategies for its storage and handling. The increasing knowledge on human milk’s bioactive compounds together with the rapidly-advancing technological achievements will greatly enhance their use as prophylactic or therapeutic agents. The current Special Issue aims to welcome original works and literature reviews further exploring the complexity of human milk composition, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects associated with breastfeeding, and the factors and determinants involved in lactation, including its promotion and support.

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