Recent work has shown that blood flow restriction (BFR) during high-load resistance exercise may be able to acutely augment maximal strength and power, an effect that some hypothesize to be due to a rebound effect from a cuff inflated to a high-pressure. However, less known is the role of high-pressure independent of any such rebound effect. The objective of this study was to determine if high-pressure BFR acutely influences strength and power during a concentric-only muscle action. Twenty-five resistance-trained individuals (14 males and 11 females) enrolled in a replicate cross-over trial, in which three paired cycles were completed (i.e., 6 experimental visits). Each paired cycle involved two visits that were completed in a random order and consisted of maximal strength and power testing (i.e., 3 maximal concentric knee extension repetitions for both) at either 150% of resting arterial occlusion pressure (150% AOP) or 2 mmHg (sham). Both peak torque [-17 (95% CI: -22.0, -12.7) Nm] and power [-33.9 (95% CI: -46.7, -21.2) W] decreased during the high-pressure BFR condition compared to the sham. Our results suggest that the previous acute strength and power benefits observed with high-load contractions likely are not explained by an independent pressure effect. No acute improvements in strength or power were observed in this investigation. The reason for the reduction in performance in the current study is not known, but we speculate that it may be related to the discomfort associated with contracting under high-pressure.

Referral to, participation in, and execution of cardiac rehabilitation programs are comparatively lower in females than in males. The current study aimed to explore potential sex disparities in cardiorespiratory capacity and clinical outcomes after cardiac rehabilitation for coronary artery disease. Systematic searches were conducted across the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify studies assessing primary outcomes of cardiorespiratory capacity (peak oxygen uptake, peak metabolic equivalents, and its changes), secondary outcomes of cardiovascular endpoints (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, rehospitalization) and quality of life following cardiac rehabilitation in both female and male patients with coronary artery disease. A total of 22 predominantly observational studies involving 27,624 patients were analyzed, with 7,441 (26.9%) being female and 20,183 (73.1%) being male. After cardiac rehabilitation, females showed lower peak oxygen uptake (mean difference -4.82, 95% confidence intervals -6.30 to -3.34 mL/kg/min, P < 0.00001), peak metabolic equivalents (-1.74, -2.34 to -1.14 units, P < 0.001) and its absolute changes from baseline (-0.40, -0.44 to -0.36 units, P < 0.001), as well as the worse quality of life when compared to males. However, there were no significant sex variations in all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization. In conclusion, females exhibited lower cardiorespiratory capacity and quality of life than males following cardiac rehabilitation. Despite these disparities, no sex-based differences existed in cardiovascular outcomes during the follow-up period after cardiac rehabilitation in patients with coronary artery disease. (Registration No. CRD42021269222).

In females, menopause reduces estrogen and its cardioprotective effects, doubling cardiovascular disease risk, and nearly doubling stroke risk within 10 years post-menopause. Poor cardiovascular health markers are common post-stroke, increasing recurrent stroke risk. Physical activity improves cardiovascular health in postmenopausal females and post-stroke individuals, yet no studies have explored its relationship with cardiovascular health and menopausal status in females post-stroke. This study investigated 1) the association between physical activity and cardiovascular health in females with stroke and 2) the moderating role of menopausal status on this association.

Indirect calorimetry has been established as the gold standard to measure resting metabolic rate (RMR), however, its clinical use is limited and can be very expensive. Therefore, the use of predictive equations are commonly used as an alternative.  The objective of the current study was to compare RMR calculated using predictive models versus measured RMR using indirect calorimetry among African-Americans.

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) became the first Canadian province to implement a tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2022 to reduce consumption and lower the rate obesity and diabetes. NL also launched a Rethink Your Drink campaign to promote water as the drink of choice. However, there may be barriers to choosing water such as the presence of boil water advisories and negative attitudes towards tap water. The objective of this study is to explore the factors influencing total water consumption in NL and assess the impact of attitudes towards tap water and boil water advisories as a predictor of total water and SSB intake. We conducted a cross-sectional online study with adults in NL before and after the implementation of the SSB tax. Attitudes towards tap water and perceptions about being under a boil water advisory impacted beverage consumption. Having negative attitudes towards tap water predicted lower total water consumption (-221mL/week, p = .002) as well as reported being under a boil water advisory (-213mL/week, p = .042), after accounting for sociodemographic variables. Having negative attitudes towards tap water was not a significant predictor of SSB intake after controlling for sociodemographic factors (p = .090). Positive health impacts of the NL SSB tax may not be fully realized if SSBs are not substituted for healthier beverage choices, such as water. Policy makers should be aware of the relationship between negative attitudes towards tap water, boil water advisories and beverage consumption when implementing initiatives to improve public health.

This study investigated the performance, physiological, and anthropometric changes in a 28-year-old female following an 1130 km Antarctic ski expedition. Data showed that the participant performed low-intensity ski trekking (LIST, ~62% maximal heart rate) ~9 hours·day-1 for 46 days of the total of 49 expedition days. Estimations indicated that the mean energy intake during the trek (~15 MJ·day-1/~3589 kcal·day-1) was ~75% greater than that prior to the event (~8.6 MJ·day-1/~2048 kcal·day-1), and dietary energy distribution of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins changed from a ~53/30/17 ratio pre-expedition to a ~43/48/9 ratio during it. Body mass decreased by 11%, while lean mass was maintained. Time to exhaustion during a short (~5 min) and long (>40 min) incremental ski trek simulation on a treadmill increased by 29% and 3.6%, respectively. Absolute V̇O2max (L·min-1) was unchanged, but relative V̇O2max (mL·kg-1·min-1) increased by 17%. Blood glucose concentration decreased by 8.5%, while lipid levels increased by 11-35%. Creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase decreased by 21%, 18%, and 13%, respectively. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) increased by 59%. In conclusion, medium-term prolonged LIST can lead to weight-induced endurance performance enhancement and may improve muscle cell resiliency. A low protein intake during such an event does not appear to affect lean mass negatively, despite a substantial weight loss. Reduced carbohydrate consumption and increased fat intake in relative (%) terms during a medium-duration ski trek can decrease blood glucose concentration and raise lipid levels, respectively. TSH may remain elevated several days after such an expedition, reflecting raised metabolism.

This study explored the effects of combining repeated-sprint training with end-expiratory breath-hold (EBH) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in artistic swimming. In a quasi-experimental study, fifteen artistic swimmers (15.7 ± 1.5 years) completed, over 3 weeks, nine training sessions (each involving thirty-two 15-m swim sprints) with EBH complemented with daily IMT at 50% of inspiratory muscle strength (EBH+IMT, n = 8) or the same EBH training with a placebo IMT procedure (EBH, n = 7). Laboratory outcomes and performance measures included inspiratory muscle pressure, peak power output, peak O2 uptake (V̇O₂peak), muscle oxygenation, ventilatory thresholds markers, and a 275-m underwater swim test (UWST). Both groups increased maximal inspiratory muscle strength (~21%, time effect p<0.001, Cohen's ES=0.72). There was a significant interaction for V̇O₂peak, which increased more in EBH+IMT than EBH alone (3.1 ml.kg-1min-1, interaction p=0.036, ES=0.73). The deoxygenation of the vastus lateralis muscle during the incremental test increased following EBH+IMT only (38%, interaction p=0.01). No change occurred in ventilatory threshold markers nor in UWST performance in any groups. These results suggest that combining repeated-sprint training with EBH and daily IMT for three weeks led to greater peripheral muscle O2 extraction, conducive to an increased V̇O₂peak gain, but exerted no influence on a more specific swimming/breath-hold performance.

Recent guidance has advocated the use of electric fans as a simple and sustainable cooling strategy to safeguard older adults during exposure to extreme heat. While we showed that fans have negligible impacts on core temperature during daylong (8-h) heat exposure (36°C, 45% [relative humidity]), their impact on cellular responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of heat-induced cellular vulnerability in older adults remains unknown. We assessed 18 participants (8 females, median age 72 [IQR, 67-76] years) exposed to 3 heat exposures (8-h, 36°C, 45% RH) with either no fan (control), or with fans generating air speeds of 2 m/s, or 4 m/s directed at the front of the body. Rectal temperature was measured continuously, while proteins associated with autophagy, the heat shock response, acute inflammation, and apoptotic signaling were measured before and after each exposure in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We observed signs of autophagic dysfunction as indexed via elevations in p62 and pULK1/ULK1 from baseline in each condition, however responses were not different between conditions (p ≥ 0.077). Further, while fan use did not alleviate elevations in rectal temperature or prevent observations of autophagic dysfunction compared to control, fan use at 4 m/s elicited significant elevations in apoptotic protein cleaved-caspase-3 (mean difference: +0.69 relative quantity, p = 0.033), potentially attributed to elevated serum osmolality (+2.6 mOsm/L, p = 0.020). Therefore, fan use at high settings during heatwaves may be ineffective at alleviating autophagic dysfunction and can potentially incur greater cellular stress in older adults.

Increasing childhood obesity rates and poor eating habits have led health professionals to explore strategies to improve children's dietary intake. One such strategy is the promotion of cooking skills. This study examined the cross-sectional association between children's cooking skills and diet quality, using data from the Guelph Family Health Study. Data from 81 children (mean age of 9.1 years; 74.1% White) from 68 families were included. Children self-reported their cooking skills using items from the Tool for Food Literacy Assessment in Children, and parents reported their children's dietary intake using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA-24) from which diet quality was determined using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2020). Linear regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to explore associations between child cooking skills and HEI-2020 total and component scores, adjusted for child age and sex, household income, and intervention status. Mean child cooking skills score (out of a maximum of 4) was 3.08  0.68, and mean HEI-2020 total score (out of a maximum of 100) was 60  12.99. Child cooking skills score was not significantly associated with HEI-2020 total score (ß = -0.78, 95% CI (-4.88, 3.33 p = 0.71), but significantly associated with HEI-2020 Total Vegetables component score (ß = 0.47, 95% CI (0.05, 0.89, p = 0.03). These findings highlight the need for more research, especially longitudinal, to help determine the association between child cooking skills and their diet quality.

Several randomized clinical trials have been undertaken to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD mortality; however, mixed results have been reported. The objective of this analysis is to quantify the effect of vitamin D supplements on CVD events and CVD mortality in adults. PubMed, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrial.gov were searched for randomized placebo-control trials on adults using common keywords related to vitamin D and CVDs. Two reviewers independently extracted data. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Data analysis was done using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis V2 (Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA) to calculate risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). The systematic review and meta-analysis have been registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020165293). 1,224 abstracts were retrieved, of which 9 (compromising 114,379 participants) were used. This analysis reveals that compared with placebo, vitamin D did not reduce any CVD events (RR= 0.95, 95%CI: 0.88 to 1.04), CVD mortality (RR= 1.04, 95%CI: 0.871 to 1.242), myocardial infarction event (RR= 0.96, 95%CI: 0.83 to 1.11), or myocardial infarction mortality (RR= 1.527, 95%CI: 0.828 to 2.816). Current evidence does not support the use of vitamin D for the prevention of major cardiovascular events.

Low energy availability (LEA), defined as an imbalance between dietary intake and exercise energy expenditure, has been associated with physiological and psychological dysfunction in athletes. The resting metabolic rate ratio (RMRratio), calculated as measured RMR divided by predicted RMR, is increasingly used as a surrogate marker for chronic energy deficiency when values fall below 0.9. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) compare the RMRratio across different predictive equations, (2) assess the association between energy availability (EA) and both RMR and RMRratio, and (3) explore the relationship between the RMRratio and phenotypical characteristics including body composition, dietary intake, physical activity, sleep, and subjective well-being in Spanish competitive athletes. A total of 49 competitive athletes (33 males; 25.2 ± 5.6 years) from various sports were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. RMR was measured using indirect calorimetry and predicted using eleven validated equations. EA was estimated through dietary recalls and training logs. The prevalence of athletes classified as having metabolic suppression (RMRratio< 0.9) ranged from 34.7% to 93.9%, depending on the predictive equation used. No significant associations were observed between EA and either RMR or RMRratio. However, athletes with RMRratio ≥ 0.9 had significantly higher visceral adipose tissue mass, bone mineral content and density. They also showed more favorable behavioral and psychological profiles, including greater sleep regularity, fewer sustained inactivity bouts, higher self-perceived performance, and lower general stress scores. In conclusion, while no relationship was observed between RMR or RMRratio and EA, the RMRratio was associated with different physiological, behavioral, and psychological parameters.

Cardiac output (Q̇) is a fundamental physiological variable but remains challenging to measure. Exercise Q̇ is commonly measured by inert gas rebreathing using acetylene or nitrous oxide (Q̇N2O-IGR) and impedance cardiography (Q̇IC), but device measurement error has not been assessed at different workloads, or in females. This study determined the precision of Q̇N2O-IGR (Innocor, COSMED Inc., USA) and Q̇IC (Physioflow Enduro, Manatec Biomedical, France) in duplicate in sixty adults (30 females; 22±5 years; V̇O2max: 41.2±8.6 mL.kg-1.min-1) during upright rest and cycling at 50W and 90% peak power output (PPO) (277±71W). Measurement variance was higher for Q̇N2O-IGR vs. Q̇IC (p<0.0001), at 90% PPO compared to 50 W at rest (p<0.001), and in males vs. females at 50W with Q̇N2O-IGR (p=0.005). At rest the typical error (TE), coefficient of variation (CV), and intraclass correlation (ICC) were 0.6. L/min (12.4%), 11.6±8.5% and 0.75[0.62-0.82] for Q̇N2O-IGR and 0.4 L/min (6.9%), 7.5±8.4, and 0.87 [0.79-0.92] for Q̇IC. At 50W, the TE, CV, and ICC were 0.8 L/min (7.7%), 5.4±5.8%, and 0.79 [0.68-0.87] for Q̇N2O-IGR and 0.5 L/min (5.6%), 3.7±3.8%, and 0.85 [0.76-0.91] for Q̇IC. At 90% PPO, TE, CV, and ICC were 1.2 L/min (7.5%), 5.4±4.3%, and 0.89 [0.82-0.93] for Q̇N2O-IGR and 0.7 L/min (4.0%), 5.0±3.2%, 0.96 [0.93-0.98] for Q̇IC. Duplicate Q̇N2O-IGR differed up to ~4 L/min (38%) and Q̇IC ~3 L/min (24%). In conclusion, group-level measurement precision was generally better for Q̇IC than Q̇N2O-IGR but depended on workload and sex. Duplicate Q̇N2O-IGR and Q̇IC differed substantially therefore repeat measures are important.

High-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) may be more effective than low-to-moderate intensity resistance training for improving bone health. However, it's unclear if women want to participate in HiRIT interventions. We developed an electronic survey and distributed it to Canadian women aged 40-60 years via social media. The primary objective was to understand how women in peri-, early and late post-menopause perceive resistance training and their interest in participating in a HiRIT protocol designed to reduce bone loss and menopausal symptoms. Our second objective was to determine if current exercise preferences, motivators and barriers differed across the menopause continuum. The survey included questions to determine menopausal status, exercise perceptions and preferences, and demographics. 1,648 women responded to the advertisements, 1,007 started the survey, 996 consented, 975 were eligible, and 739 completed the survey. Of the completed respondents, 628 respondents were in peri-menopause (46.7%), early- (31.5%) or late- post-menopause (21.8%). 86.5% of women expressed interest in participating in a resistance training protocol to improve bone health, and 71.8% were interested in participating in a HiRIT study targeting bone health and menopause symptoms. Key motivators of exercise were improving or maintaining general health (17.4%) and strength (15.2%). The main barriers were lack of time (23.6%) and cost (14.3%), with no differences between menopausal status. Peri- and post-menopausal women are interested in resistance training, aiming to improve bone health and reduce menopausal symptoms. This information will be used to develop a HiRIT program for women during the menopause transition.

Hypertension affects over 1.2 billion adults worldwide. While numerous pharmacological treatments are available for managing hypertension, dietary approaches may also offer beneficial alternatives or complementary strategies. High molecular weight (HMW) β-glucan, a fibre found in oats, may be responsible for reductions in systolic blood pressure. This pilot trial investigated the efficacy of HMW oat β-glucan in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with mild hypertension. Additionally, changes in heart rate, body weight, waist circumference, and dietary intake, including protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fibre were assessed. This study was conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial followed a randomized, double-blinded, cross-over design. During the treatment period, participants were provided breakfast cookies made from oats containing 4 g/day of HMW oat β-glucan. During the control period, participants received breakfast cookies made primarily from wheat, which does not contain a significant amount of β-glucan (0.12 g/day). Twenty-one people completed the trial. Consumption of oat β-glucan breakfast cookies for 4 weeks did not reduce systolic blood pressure (132.71 ± 1.92 vs. 132.9 ± 1.92,  = 0.95) or diastolic blood pressure (82.86 ± 1.43 vs. 82.38 ± 1.43,  = 0.98) compared to control. Waist circumference ( = 0.67), weight ( = 0.79), heart rate ( = 0.73), and dietary intake (protein ( = 29), carbohydrate ( = 0.45), fat ( = 12), and fibre ( = 0.64)) were unchanged. Our results indicate that oat β-glucan consumption does not affect systolic or diastolic blood pressure compared to a wheat-based control in middle age and older adults with mild hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether quercetin ingestion increases the decline in muscle contractile capacity due to a single resistance exercise session at differing intensities. Thirty-eight older adults took part in this study. They were divided into three intensity groups: low- (LI), moderate- (MI), and high-intensity (HI) groups. Each participant completed two single resistance exercise sessions of resistance exercise at 40 (LI), 60 (MI), or 80 (HI) percent of maximal voluntary contraction. Before each session, they ingested either a placebo or quercetin glycoside (500 mg). Motor unit behavior and electrically elicited contraction torque were measured by high-density electromyography and neuromuscular electrical stimulation at pre-ingestion, post-ingestion, and post-exercise. Quercetin ingestion decreased the motor unit recruitment thresholds from pre- to post-ingestion ( < 0.001). The decline in electrically elicited contraction torque following exercise was greater with quercetin than placebo ingestion in LI and MI groups (low:  = 0.014; moderate:  = 0.025), but not in the HI group ( = 0.792). The greater the decline of electrically elicited contraction torque following exercise by quercetin ingestion, the greater the decrease in the recruitment threshold of motor units with a higher threshold by quercetin ingestion in LI and MI groups (low:  = 0.047, rs = 0.566; moderate:  = 0.011, rs = 0.692), but not in the HI group ( = 0.228). These results suggest that quercetin ingestion accelerates the decline in muscle contractile capacity following low- or moderate-intensity resistance exercise, possibly due to the additional recruitment of higher-threshold motor units.

Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) simulates orthostatic stress by redistributing blood to the lower limbs, triggering cardiovascular compensatory responses without the influence of standing hydrostatic pressures. While central responses to LBNP are well-studied, lower limb vascular responses remain less characterized due to methodological constraints. This study directly quantified lower limb venous and arterial responses to graded LBNP with and without preceding exercise using ultrasound and measured calf volume changes using strain gauge plethysmography. Twenty healthy adults (10 females, 25 ± 4 years) completed a randomized crossover protocol with either 15 min of light intensity cycling exercise or supine rest prior to graded LBNP, applied at -20 and -40 mmHg. Calf volume increased by 2.0 ± 0.7% ( < 0.01), consistent with known fluid shifts during LBNP. LBNP at -40 mmHg decreased deep femoral vein (DFV) blood flow from 69 ± 48 to 43 ± 21 mL/min, and superficial femoral artery blood flow from 97 ± 75 to 40 ± 32 mL/min (both  < 0.01), but increased DFV diameter from 0.67 ± 0.12 to 1.02 ± 0.13 cm ( < 0.01). Preceding cycling had no substantive effects on cardiovascular responses (all  > 0.05). These findings demonstrate that lower limb arteries and veins exhibit distinct compensatory responses to central hypovolemia during LBNP. Prior exercise does not appear to alter peripheral blood flow regulation during LBNP, which may be due to its short duration (15 mins) and light intensity (90 ± 14 bpm). These results characterize lower limb compensatory responses to central hypovolemia and provide a framework for future studies on lower limb responses to LBNP exposure. OSF Registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TMGDJ.

Previous research has demonstrated attenuated exercising carbohydrate oxidation and circulating glucose when endurance athletes are functionally overreached; however, whether free-living glycemic control is altered with overreaching is unknown. Trained endurance athletes (M:8, F:2) completed a 5-week training protocol composed of three phases: 1 week of reduced training, 3 weeks of high-intensity overtraining, and 1 week of recovery training. Participants wore continuous glucose monitors (CGM) to collect minute-by-minute interstitial glucose concentrations, and data were analyzed for weeks 1 (PRE), 4 (POST), and 5 (REC). A fasted 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at the end of each phase with repeated capillary sampling to measure glucose concentrations. CGM-derived 24 h average glucose, overnight average glucose (12  am to 6  am), and daily time spent in low (<3.9 mmol/L), normal (3.9-5.0 mmol/L), and medium-high (5.1-7.8 mmol/L) glucose ranges were not different across training phases. The proportion of time with elevated interstitial glucose (>7.8 mmol/L) was elevated at REC (3.5 ± 1.1%) relative to PRE (2.4 ± 1.9%,  = 0.05) and POST (2.1 ± 1.0%,  = 0.021; ηp= 0.66). The daily mean amplitude of glycemic excursions also increased at REC (2.6 ± 0.2 mmol/L) relative to PRE (2.3 ± 0.3 mmol/L,  = 0.05) and POST (2.2 ± 0.3 mmol/L,  = 0.008; ηp= 0.41). Capillary glucose area-under-the-curve was nonsignificantly reduced from PRE (852.5 ± 87.6 mmol/L·min) to POST (811.4 ± 77.5 mmol/L·min,  = 0.06), and elevated from POST-to-REC (866.3 ± 79.8 mmol/L·min,  = 0.02; ηp= 0.3) during the OGTT. Glycemic control and glucose tolerance are unchanged with overtraining; however, following a week of recovery there is greater time spent with elevated glucose and greater glucose variability suggesting disrupted glycemic control during recovery.

Clinicians and researchers invited to speak at the Canadian Nutrition Society's Thematic Conference 2023 emphasized disparities that exist within Canada's universal healthcare system for individuals with disordered eating or eating disorders (ED). To further characterize the severity and impact of these disparities on patients' access to appropriate healthcare services, we conducted an online environmental scan of Canadian higher-level ED treatment programs. In this article, we describe the geographic availability, offerings, and transparency of patient-facing materials for 48 treatment programs; identify barriers to care and provide actionable recommendations for clinicians, program administrators, and stakeholders; and call for efforts to dismantle the identified disparities and increase accessibility to essential health services.

Dietary patterns consist of multiple interrelated components, while individuals have numerous sociodemographic characteristics that may jointly influence dietary patterns. Studies to assess associations between sociodemographic characteristics and dietary patterns typically do not consider this complexity. The objective of this study was to examine joint relationships between dietary patterns and sociodemographic characteristics among adults in Canada. Twenty four hour dietary recall data for adults ≥18 years were drawn from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey Nutrition ( = 14 097). Three mixed graphical models were developed to explore networks of sociodemographic characteristics, dietary components, and sociodemographic characteristics and dietary components together. Networks included 30 log-transformed food groups (grams), sex, age, household food security status, income, employment status, education, geographic region, and smoking status. Results are expressed as (edge weight; [95% CI]). The strongest pairwise relationships were observed among dietary components and among sociodemographic characteristics. In the model including dietary components and sociodemographic characteristics, age was associated with grains (other) (-0.12; [-0.16, -0.09]), coffee/tea (0.21; 95% CI [0.17, 0.24]), and whole grains (0.12; [0.08, 0.15]). Sex was associated with sweet beverages (0.11; [0.06, 0.17]), alcohol (0.18; [0.13, 0.24]), cured meat (0.20; [0.15, 0.26]), and red meat (0.16; [0.11, 0.21]). In some cases, pairwise relationships between dietary components suggested displacement, for example, of whole grains by refined grains. Age and sex were the characteristics most strongly connected to dietary components. Exploring joint relationships between intersecting sociodemographic characteristics and multidimensional dietary patterns can assist with better understanding dietary heterogeneity to inform policies and programs that support healthy eating.