1,721,041 research outputs found
Editorial: Combat sports and wellbeing: advancing health and inclusion in athletes and practitioners
No full textAttività motoria e rischio cardiovascolare. Parte seconda – Attività Motoria, salute-malattia e disabilità. In: Il guadagno di salute attraverso la promozione dell’attività fisica. Evidenze scientifiche e attività di campo. Gruppo di Lavoro Scienze Motorie per la Salute.
No full textPoiché le patologie cardiovascolari rappresentano una delle principali cause di morbilità e mortalità in tutti i paesi industrializzati, nelle ultime decadi l’attenzione e gli sforzi per identi care delle strategie preventive e caci sono stati massimi. Da molti anni, si accumu- lano evidenze scienti che che documentano una stretta relazione tra stile di vita (alimen- tazione, attività sica e abitudini voluttuarie, come fumo e alcool) e patologie cardiova- scolari (2). Negli ultimi due decenni, in particolare, il ruolo dell’attività sica ha suscitato un crescente interesse: da una parte, la sedentarietà è inclusa tra i primi cinque fattori di rischio di eventi cardiovascolari, dall’altra, uno stile di vita attivo e la pratica regolare di esercizio sico rappresentano l’intervento non farmacologico più utile (ed economico) nella gestione del rischio cardiovascolare. Numerosi studi hanno infatti mostrato che sia elevati livelli di attività sica, sia l’esercizio sico vero e proprio agiscono positivamente sul peso corporeo (riducendo il sovrappeso ed i rischi correlati), sul tono vascolare (riducendo il ri- schio di ipertensione, o favorendo la terapia di controllo), sul metabolismo del glucosio (di- minuendo le probabilità e di diabete e/o delle relative complicanze) e dei lipidi (riducendo il rischio di ipercolesterolemia o favorendo la terapia di controllo) (11). Per tali motivi, sia le linee guida europee che statunitensi hanno inserito la pratica costante dell’esercizio sico di forma aerobica in tutti i programmi di prevenzione primaria e secondaria delle patologie cardiovascolari, inclusa la prevenzione dell’obesità adulta e infantile (2, 13).
Per quanto concerne i meccanismi attraverso i quali l’esercizio determina la sua azione bene ca sul rischio cardiovascolare, considerando 100 tale e etto, è stato stimato che l’azione antin ammatoria e sulla funzione endoteliale contribuisce per quasi il 60% (32,6% direttamente; 27,1% tramite la riduzione della pressione arteriosa), l’azione sul metabo- lismo lipidico contribuisce per il 19,1%, la riduzione del peso corporeo per il 10,1%, in ne il decremento dell’emoglobina glicata e l’azione antidiabetica contribuiscono per l’8,9% (11)
Relative Age Effect in Olympic Karate: Evidence from Tokyo 2020
Full text linkBackground: The Relative Age Effect (RAE) refers to the advantage conferred to athletes born earlier within a selection year. In karate, particularly at the highest level, evidence is lacking. This study aimed to examine the presence of RAE among male and female karate athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in two competitive disciplines: kata and kumite. Methods: Data from 81 athletes (42 males, 39 females) were retrieved from open-access databases. Birthdates were grouped into quartiles (Q1-Q4) and semesters (S1-S2). Chi-squared tests and odds ratios (ORs) were used to assess deviations from a uniform distribution, while binary logistic regression examined the association between semester of birth and medal attainment. Results: The overall distribution of birth quartiles significantly deviated from a uniform distribution (χ2(3) = 9.81, p = 0.020), indicating a higher proportion of athletes born in Q1 (38%) compared with Q4 (19%; OR = 2.07). RAE was particularly evident in kumite (χ2(3) = 17.87, p < 0.001; OR = 3.50 for Q1 vs. Q4) and among female athletes (χ2(3) = 9.92, p = 0.019), whereas no significant effect was found in kata or among males. Logistic regression revealed no significant association between semester of birth and medal success (OR = 0.49, 95% CI [0.20-1.21], p = 0.125). Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of RAE in Olympic karate, especially among females and in kumite. However, relative age did not predict performance outcomes, suggesting that once athletes reach the Olympic level, technical and tactical factors outweigh birthdate advantages
Morphological Characteristics of Elite International Soccer Referees: Somatotype and Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis
Full text linkThis study aimed to assess the physical characteristics of elite international soccer referees, compare them with other referee populations in the literature, and establish reference tolerance ellipses for the bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) point graph. Forty-one elite international soccer referees (age 38.8 ± 3.6 years) participated in the study. The participants underwent body composition assessments, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, BIVA, and somatotype. The Somatotype Attitudinal Distance (SAD), the two-sample Hotelling’s T2 test and the Mahalanobis test were used to determine somatotype and bioelectrical vector differences with the literature. The average somatotype of the referees was a balanced mesomorph (2.8, 6.5, 2.8). Elite international referees significantly differed from other samples in the literature (SAD = 2.1, 2.6, 2.9 with respect to Zimbabwean, Brazilian, and South African referees, respectively). The bioelectrical vector was significantly different from the general population (T2 ≤ 76.6; F = 38.8; D = 1.44; p 2 ≤ 25.3; F = 12.6; D = 0.8; p < 0.001). Somatotype values and tolerance ellipses from this study may be useful as a reference for developing training programs and improving the selection process of referees in soccer
Physical performance and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis of female track and field athletes according to the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle
No full textPurpose: The menstrual cycle (MC) and body composition are key biological variables in the study of female sports performance. This study aims to evaluate changes in body composition and performance during the follicular phase of the MC and verify any possible relationship between these changes. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 12 female track and field athletes (age 22.3 ± 2.6 years). Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and physical performance was evaluated through tests of muscle flexibility, vertical and horizontal jump, speed, and endurance. Assessments were conducted during the early follicular phase (EF) and the late follicular phase (LF). Differences were analyzed using the paired sample t test, while Pearson’s correlation was applied to assess relationships between BIVA and performance variables across the EF and LF phases. Results: During the EF phase, standing long jump performance was reduced (2.36 ± 0.15 m vs. 2.40 ± 0.16 m; p < 0.03), and 400-m run times were slower (69.38 ± 5.68 s vs. 67.77 ± 6.22 s; p < 0.003) compared to the LF phase. No significant differences were observed in other performance parameters. No conclusive correlations were identified between BIVA values and physical performance across the EF and LF phases. Conclusion: Female athletes’ performance during the MC may be influenced by various factors. However, biological variables such as body composition likely offer only partial insights into these variations. A multidisciplinary and individualized approach is, therefore, recommended to optimize sports performance
Heart rate variability, recovery and stress analysis of an elite rally driver and co-driver during a competition period
Full text linkTo ensure both optimal health and performances, monitoring physiological and psychological states is of main importance for athletes. It is well known that monitoring heart rate variability and using validated questionnaires is useful for monitoring both the health and training status of athletes of different sports. Motorsports such as rally require high levels of physical and mental preparation thus information about psychophysiological status of rally athletes is fundamental. The aim of this study was to assess the autonomic regulation, stress, recovery conditions of one driver and one co-driver competing at the Italian National Rally Championship during their competition period. Heart rate variability parameters, acute recovery and stress states were assessed the day before, during the two days of race and the day following the races. Results showed that driver and co-driver had a sharp decrease of mean RR intervals, root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats, and standard deviation of the N-N interval during race days, while the stress index showed the inverse trend, and this behaviour was clearly visible in the Poincaré plots and power spectrum density graphs. The acute recovery and stress states questionnaire showed significant differences in recovery and stress scoring for the driver but not for the co-driver, although the trends were similar. This study describes the psychophysiological demands of a rally competition period suggesting that a daily evaluation of heart rate variability, recovery, stress states is useful for monitoring health status in rally athletes and could be implemented to make decision about training and recovery strategies
IL-6 Activates PI3K and PKCζ Signaling and Determines Cardiac Differentiation in Rat Embryonic H9c2 Cells
No full textIL-6 influences several biological processes, including cardiac stem cell and cardiomyocyte physiology. Although JAK-STAT3 activation is the defining feature of IL-6 signaling, signaling molecules such as PI3K, PKCs, and ERK1/2 are also activated and elicit different responses. Moreover, most studies on the specific role of these signaling molecules focus on the adult heart, and few studies are available on the biological effects evoked by IL-6 in embryonic cardiomyocytes
Vitamin A decreases after a maximal incremental stress test in non-professional male runners with low aerobic performance
No full textThe data on the effects of aerobic training on plasma antioxidant vitamins are conflicting. Additionally, most studies focus on the oxidative profiles of professional athletes, but limited information is available for amateur athlete populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high-intensity exercise on antioxidant vitamins in non-professional runners with varying levels of aerobic power. Eighty-one male runners underwent an incremental test to exhaustion. The study population was then divided into the following tertiles according to VO,max: Group L (LOWVO2Max, 49.7). Comparative analyses were performed between Groups L and H. The total antioxidant capacity- (TAC), Vitamin (Yit) E, Vitamin A, p-carotene, lvcopene and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were determined before and 60 inin after exercise testing. After the stress test, Vit A decreased and TBARS increased in Group L, whereas no changes in the vitamin concentrations, TAC induction and TBARS reduction were observed in group H. In individuals with low VO,max, an incremental test determined lipid-peroxidation and Vitamin A consumption, whereas H Group increases TAC that buffer TBARS production
Effects of patterns of walking training on metabolic health of untrained postmenopausal women
Full text linkPurpose: High-intensity aerobic interval training (AIT) has been reported to be more effective than continuous aerobic training (CoAT) to improve metabolic health. The aim of our study was to investigate whether moderate-intensity AIT is more effective than CoAT on metabolic health when applied to a walking training program.
Design/methods: Thirty-two postmenopausal women (55.37 ± 3.46 years) were investigated for body composition, plasma glucose, insulin, lipids, adiponectin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-AD, aerobic fitness, dietary habits, and spontaneous physical activity, and randomly assigned to one of two different walking training programs: CoAT or AIT.
Results: CoAT and AIT elicited the same physiological benefits, including: reduction of plasma glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and HOMA-AD, and increase of plasma HDL-C, adiponectin, and aerobic fitness.
Conclusions: An AIT scheme as part of an outdoor walking training program elicits the same physiological adaptations as a CoAT scheme, probably because walking does not promote exercise intensities that elicit greater effects
Recommendations for Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
Full text linkSince the escalation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, over a billion people acrossthe world have faced restrictions due to varying degrees of confinement, and in the absence of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, massive public health interventions have been implemented to contain the outbreak. The lockdown set up in many countries to combat the COVID-19 epidemic entails unprecedented disruption of lives and work, determining specific risks related to mental and physical health in the general population, especially among those who stopped working during the current outbreak (1). The implementation of confinement policies to contain COVID-19 could be a catalyst for concealed mental and physical health conditions, further enhancing the effects of psychosocial risk factors, including stress, social isolation, and negative emotions that may act as barriers against behavioral changes toward an active lifestyle and negatively impact on global health, well-being and quality of life, ultimately resulting in result in a range of chronic health conditions (2, 3)
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