INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to measure the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of elite athletes and develop a gender specific predictive equation to estimate their energy requirements.

METHODS92 men and 33 women (aged 18-31 years) from 15 sports, who had been training six hours daily for at least one year, were included in the study. Body composition was measured using the bioimpedance technique, and BMR by indirect calorimetry. The differences between measured and estimated BMR using various predictive equations were calculated. The novel equation derived from stepwise multiple regression was evaluated using Bland and Altman analysis.

RESULTSThe predictive equations of Cunningham and the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University either over- or underestimated the measured BMR by up to ± 6%, while the equations of Ismail et al, developed from the local non-athletic population, underestimated the measured BMR by 14%. The novel predictive equation for the BMR of athletes was BMR (kcal/day) = 669 + 13 (weight in kg) + 192 (gender: 1 for men and 0 for women) (R2 0.548; standard error of estimates 163 kcal). Predicted BMRs of elite athletes by this equation were within 1.2% ± 9.5% of the measured BMR values.

CONCLUSIONThe novel predictive equation presented in this study can be used to calculate BMR for adult Malaysian elite athletes. Further studies may be required to validate its predictive capabilities for other sports, nationalities and age groups.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Athletes ; Basal Metabolism ; Body Composition ; Body Weight ; Calorimetry, Indirect ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Male ; Regression Analysis ; Sports ; Young Adult

Aims: Dendrobiums are majorly affected by Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum. The aim of this research was to utilise the mycotoxin, fusaric acid (FA) on Dendrobium hybrid to produce cultivars that are resistant towards these fungi. Methodology and results: FA of concentrations 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 mM were transferred to sterilised half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and inoculated with four weeks old thin cell layer (TCL) of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) for eight weeks. It was deduced that PLBs treated with 0.10 mM of FA resulted in highest survival and shoot regeneration rate but the survival and regeneration rate began to decline as the concentrations of FA were increased. Histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed prominent cell damage and stomatal closure in PLBs treated with FA. Direct amplification of minisatellite DNA (DAMD) markers showed polymorphism in the FA treated PLBs compared to the control PLBs. In the leaf bridge bioassay, plantlets treated with 0.05 mM of FA showed most resistance towards both fungal species. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Therefore, this research is a preliminary screening study where the optimum concentration of FA was selected based on the reaction of treated TCL of PLBs towards these mutagens.