The use of Functional Foods and of dietary supplements among the population is continuously increasing. Traditional foods are analyzed and then reintroduced by enhancing those features (not only the nutritional ones) which can prevent a lot of metabolic diseases.
Other foods lend themselves to technological manipulations to produce healthier foods. Moreover, supplements containing one or a complex mixture of active principles are increasingly being used in support of nutritional healing strategies.
Amino acids, proteins, vitamins, minerals and phytoelements make up the majority of the products currently on the market, with different formulations and different pharmaceutical forms.
The Pharmacobiochemistry Lab carries out its research in the field of dietary integration and supplementation, evaluating product effectiveness in obtaining different results. The evaluation tests are carried out in cooperation with external labs.
The main investigations carried out focus on:

• Variations in body weight
• Variation in body composition (lean mass, fat mass, body water, etc.);
• Variation in metabolic parameters ( glycemic, lipidic and lipoproteic profile);
• Variation in plasmatic parameters in different metabolic diseases.
  

Many aspects of physiology, biology, nutrition and kinesiology are involved in sports performance research. In this area our attention is focuses on the role of special nutrition in physical activities and sports, in order to understand the biochemical and metabolic effects. Specifically, our studies are designed to:

• describe the effects of different diet strategies on sports performance;
• define the physiological effects on control systems (nervous, endocrinous and immune) of some sports supplements, in relation to different muscle training regimens;
• programme training methodology with specific nutritional strategies, in order to obtain the development of particular organic-muscular capacities;
• investigate particular abilities by sports foods or supplements to enhance muscle recovery after strong competition;
• understand how to manage body composition in athletes by modulation of diet plans (variation in the macronutrients ratios, glycemic loads optimisation of meals and snacks, etc.)
  

Physical exercise exerts a strong influence on all physiological systems. Some principles of general pharmacology can be applied to describe the “pharmacological” effects of the exercise. “Dose-response” curves are interesting models for describing the “healthy”, “adaptogenic” and “toxicological” effects of physical exercise administered in different dose/intensity and dose/frequency.
Exercise pharmacology investigates training effects on integrated systems (nervous-endocrinous-immune) obtaining responses similar to those achieved by the administration of pharmacological substances.
The aims of Sports Pharmacology and Toxicology are:

• a survey of athletic performance alterations and non-alterations by doping;
• a survey of the optimal pharmacological dosage for the treatment of the most common sport injuries;
• a survey of training loads as a form of “pharmacological” treatment, to be used in addition to medical treatment to cure metabolic syndromes;
• a survey of the physiophatological events caused by high intensity sport;

For several years now, the Pharmacobiochemistry Lab has been carrying out its research activities in the field of exercise pharmacology, while supplying the necessary didactic support to the Sports Pharmacology and Toxicology courses within the degree courses in Physical Education and Sports Technique and in Preventive and Adapted Movement Education at the University of Pavia.