Exposing illegal hunting and wildlife depletion in the world's largest tropical country through social media data.

Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil. We collected data for 2 years (2018-2020) across 5 Facebook groups containing posts depicting pictures of illegal sport hunting events of native fauna. We described and mapped these hunting events by detailing the number of hunters involved, the number of species, the mean body mass of individuals, and the number and biomass of individuals hunted per unit area, stratified by Brazilian biome. We also examined the effects of defaunation on hunting yield and composition via regression models, rank-abundance curves, and spatial interpolation. We detected 2046 illegal sport hunting posts portraying the hunting of 4658 animals (∼29 t of undressed meat) across all 27 states and 6 natural biomes of Brazil. Of 157 native species targeted by hunters, 19 are currently threatened with extinction. We estimated that 1414 hunters extracted 3251 kg/million km2. Some areas exhibited more pronounced wildlife depletion, in particular the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. In these areas, there was a shift from large mammals and reptiles to small birds as the main targeted taxa, and biomass extracted per hunting event and mean body mass across all taxonomic groups were lower than in other areas. Our results highlight that illegal sport hunting adds to the pressures of subsistence hunting and the wild meat trade on Brazil's wildlife populations. Enhanced surveillance efforts are needed to reduce illegal sport hunting levels and to develop well-managed sustainable sport hunting programs. These can support wildlife conservation and offer incentives for local communities to oversee designated sport hunting areas.

Exposición de la caza ilegal y la reducción de fauna en el país tropical más grande del mundo por medio de datos de las redes sociales Resumen En todo el mundo, la caza recreativa ilegal puede amenazar a las poblaciones de presas cuando no está regulada. Debido a su naturaleza encubierta, la caza recreativa ilegal plantea dificultades para la recopilación de datos, lo que dificulta la comprensión de su impacto. Recopilamos datos de redes sociales para analizar los patrones de caza recreativa ilegal y agotamiento de la vida silvestre en todo Brasil. Recopilamos datos durante 2 años (2018­2020) a través de cinco grupos de Facebook que contenían publicaciones que mostraban imágenes de eventos de caza recreativa ilegal de fauna nativa. Describimos y mapeamos estos eventos de caza detallando el número de cazadores involucrados, el número de especies, la masa corporal media de los individuos y el número y la biomasa de los individuos cazados por unidad de área, estratificados por bioma brasileño. También examinamos los efectos de la deforestación en el rendimiento y la composición de la caza mediante modelos de regresión, curvas de abundancia e interpolación espacial. Detectamos 2,046 puestos de caza recreativa ilegal que mostraban la caza de 4,658 animales (∼29 t de carne sin desollar) en los 27 estados y 6 biomas naturales de Brasil. De las 157 especies autóctonas objetivo de los cazadores, 18 están actualmente en peligro de extinción. Se calcula que 1,414 cazadores extrajeron 3,251 kg/millón de km2. Algunas zonas mostraron una defaunación más pronunciada, en particular los biomas de la Mata Atlántica y la Caatinga. En estas áreas, se produjo un cambio de grandes mamíferos y reptiles a pequeñas aves como principales taxones objetivo, y la biomasa extraída por evento de caza y la masa corporal media en todos los grupos taxonómicos fueron menores que en otras áreas. Nuestros resultados ponen de manifiesto que la caza recreativa ilegal se suma a las presiones de la caza de subsistencia y el comercio de carne salvaje sobre las poblaciones de fauna de Brasil. Es necesario intensificar los esfuerzos de vigilancia para reducir los niveles de caza recreativa ilegal y desarrollar programas de caza recreativa sostenibles y bien gestionados. Estos programas pueden contribuir a la conservación de la fauna y ofrecer incentivos a las comunidades locales para que supervisen las zonas designadas para la caza recreativa.

Ethical Aspects of Human Genome Research in Sports-A Narrative Review.

Human genome research in sports raises complex ethical considerations regarding the intersection of genetics and athletic performance. Pursuing genetic enhancements must uphold fairness, equality, and respect for human dignity. This narrative review explores the ethical dimensions of human genome research in sports, its potential implications on athletes, and the integrity of sports. As a narrative review, this study synthesizes the existing literature and expert insights to examine the ethical aspects of human genome research in sports. This study extensively examined the current literature on genetics, sports performance, ethical concerns, human rights, and legal regulations within the European context. The literature was searched using the SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. Exploring human genome research in sports reveals significant ethical implications, including potential genetic discrimination, impacts on human rights, and creating a genetic underclass of athletes. There are also definite benefits surrounding genetic testing. In conclusion, this review contends that integrating ethical considerations into developing and applying genetic technologies in sports is crucial to upholding fundamental principles of fairness, equality, and respect for human dignity. It stresses the importance of open and inclusive dialogue about the potential consequences of genetic advancements on athletic performance, future generations, and the integrity of sports.

Health Claims for Sports Drinks-Analytical Assessmentaccording to European Food Safety Authority's Scientific Opinion.

In Europe, sports food supplements (SSFs) are subject to specific laws and regulations. Up to 70% of athletes are highly influenced by the information on the label or the advertisement of the SSF, which often does not correspond to the scientific evidence, such as health claims. The aim is to analyze such claims relating to sports drinks (SDs) in commercial messages. To this end, an observational and cross-sectional study was conducted based on the analysis of the content and degree of adequacy of the health claims indicated on the labelling or technical data sheet of the SDs with those established by the European legislation in force according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The SSFs were searched for via Amazon and Google Shopping. A total of 114 health claims were evaluated. No claim fully conformed with the recommendations. A total of 14 claims (n = 13 products) almost conformed to the recommendations; they were "Maintain endurance level in exercises requiring prolonged endurance", "Improve water absorption during physical exercise", and "Improved physical performance during high intensity, high duration physical exercise in trained adults", representing 12.3% of the total (n = 114). The vast majority of the claims identified indicated an unproven cause-effect and should be modified or eliminated, which amounts to food fraud towards the consumer.

[Recommendations for competitive sports eligibility: what's new in the 2023 COCIS protocols]. / Raccomandazioni per il giudizio di idoneità allo sport agonistico: le novità del COCIS 2023.

The benefit of physical exercise is well established, but, at the same time, it is now well known that an intense sports activity can trigger adverse cardiac events and increase sport-related death. Since 1982, Italy has a State law which obliges athletes to undergo a pre-participation evaluation, based on history, physical examination, ECG and stress test. From its introduction, a significant reduction in cardiac sport-related adverse events has been shown. During the pre-participation screening, some cardiological issues or suspects can arise and the sports medicine doctor should deal with them before releasing the certification for participation in competitive sport. In order to give precious advices to these colleagues and help athletes to securely practice sport, the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology, the Italian Federation of Sports Medicine and the other cardiological scientific societies gathered in the COCIS Committee, periodically produce and publish a booklet named "Cardiological Protocols for Competitive Sports Eligibility". The object of this review is to underline the recent 2023 version innovations when compared to previous editions.

Correlações, dependências e autonomias: elementos comparativos entre a lei Pelé e a política de esportes do Paraná / Correlations, dependencies and autonomies: comparative elements between the Pelé law and the Paraná sports policy

RESUMO A Constituição Federal de 1988 atribuiu ao Estado o dever de fomentar as práticas esportivas. A normatização do texto constitucional culminou com a Lei Pelé, que concedeu autonomia aos entes federativos na organização dos seus sistemas esportivos. Em 2018, o Estado do Paraná apresentou um conjunto de diretrizes ao esporte estadual na Política de Esportes do Paraná. Esse estudo exploratório e documental tem o objetivo de analisar como o governo paranaense vem exercendo a sua autonomia relativamente à Lei Pelé e o que pode ser evidenciado sobre sistemas e subsistemas esportivos na sua política. O ponto central está nos conteúdos da "Lei Pelé" e da "Política de Esportes do Paraná". O Modelo Advocatício de Coalizão (Advocacy Coalition Framework) subsidiou a análise e discussão. A investigação permitiu identificar elementos que evidenciam o sistema esportivo do Paraná, mas revelou falta de referências sobre subsistemas esportivos e pouca aderência à Lei Pelé.

ABSTRACT The Federal Constitution of 1988 assigned to the State the duty of promoting formal and non-formal sports practices. The regulation of the constitutional text culminated with the Pelé Law, which granted autonomy to federal entities in the organization of their sports systems. The State of Paraná presented a set of guidelines for state sports in the Sports Policy of Paraná, in 2018. The objective of this study was to identify evidence on local sports systems and subsystems as well as the possible intersections with the federal law. It is an exploratory research, having as reference the Pelé Law and the Paraná Sports Policy. For analysis we used the Coalition Advocacy Model and the concepts of vertical and horizontal coordination in public policies. The study allowed us to identify elements that evidence the sports system of Paraná, but revealed lack of references on the existence and functioning of sports subsystems and little alignment or adherence to the Pelé Law.

"O supremo tribunal das encrencas sportivas que é a liga mineira" e o cenário futebolístico em Belo Horizonte (1904 a 1933) / "The supreme court of sporting troubles that is the liga mineira" and the football scene in Belo Horizonte (1904 to 1933)

O presente artigo pretende analisar as tramas que contribuíram para a construção da entidade máxima do futebol mineiro, as Ligas Mineiras de futebol, no período de 1904 a 1933. Entendo que a história social de Belo Horizonte e os diferentes indícios encontrados na imprensa no período analisado demonstram a importância das entidades que regulavam o esporte em questão, num contexto de muitas disputas entre pessoas e instituições que pertenciam ao campo esportivo na cidade. As fontes consultadas foram os jornais disponíveis na capital mineira no período em questão, e que possibilitaram através da análise seriada dos documentos construir uma narrativa das experiências das pessoas que se envolviam no cenário futebolístico de Belo Horizonte nas primeiras décadas do século XX.

This article intends to analyze the plots that contributed to the construction of the maximum entity of Minas Gerais football, the Minas Gerais football leagues, in the period from 1904 to 1933. I understand that the social history of Belo Horizonte and the different signs found in the press in the analyzed period demonstrate the importance of the entities that regulated the sport in question, in a context of many disputes between people and institutions that belonged to the sports field in the city. The sources consulted were the newspapers available in the capital of Minas Gerais in the period in question, which made it possible, through the serial analysis of the documents, to build a narrative of the experiences of people who were involved in the football scene in Belo Horizonte in the first decades of the 20th century.

Era uma vez... a gênese e o desenvolvimento da Rede Cedes como experiência de gestão participativa do Ministério do Esporte do Governo Federal ­ 2003/2018 / Once upon a time... the genesis and development of the Cedes Network as a participatory management experience of the Ministry of Sport of the Federal Government - 2003/2018

Objetivou-se analisar a gênese e o desenvolvimento da Ação Programática/Programa Rede CEDES, da Secretaria Nacional de Desenvolvimento de Esporte e Lazer do Ministério do Esporte, visando identificar estratégias de gestão, seus resultados, bem como determinantes socioculturais, econômicos e políticos presentes. Estudo de natureza quali-quantitativa que reuniu pesquisa documental, bibliográfica e informações obtidas por entrevistas realizadas com gestores(as) e pesquisadores(as) participantes da experiência analisada. Identificamos uma experiência de Política Pública de Esporte e Lazer que prezou pela gestão participativa em rede e culminou na criação de Centros de Pesquisas em cada Unidade da Federação, que alcançaram resultados significativos, considerando sua diversidade, convivência entre o estruturado e o não estruturado, articulações, rede de conhecimento, formação e informação.

The aim of this study was to analyze the genesis and development of programmatic action - CEDES Network Program, of the National Secretariat for Sport and Leisure Development of the Ministry of Sport, in order to identify management strategies, their results, as well as sociocultural, economic and political determinants present. A qualitative-quantitative study that gathered documentary, bibliographic and information research obtained from interviews with managers and researchers participating in the analyzed experience. We identified an experience of public policy of sport and leisure that valued participatory management in network and resulted in the creation of Research Centers in each City of the Federation, and that produced significant results, considering their diversity, the coexistence between the structured and the unstructured, articulations, knowledge network, training, and information.

Sports as prescribed in latin american countries: overview and characteristics of laws / O esporte prescrito nos países da américa latina: panorama e características das leis

ABSTRACT This article aims to map and analyze the main sports laws and official government bodies that regulate and manage sports in Latin America, comprising the nature of the documents and their central constitutive elements, namely: title, year of creation, and general objectives. This is an exploratory and documentary study using critical-documentary analysis, the comparative method and the evidential paradigm as a theoretical-methodological approach. The sources are composed of the official sports laws of 19 countries in Latin America. The analyses allowed us to establish the following categories: a) countries whose sports laws are specific and contain only the term sports in their name; b) countries whose sports laws are identified with numbers; c) countries whose sports laws have mixed nomenclature. Twelve countries conceptualize sports in full in their documents. We perceive that the way sports are presented in the laws shows the signs and traces of how they are thought, seen and materialized. We understand that the laws are an important milestone for the development of Latin sports. Beyond the laws, we point out that it is of paramount importance that a medium- and long-term sports policy be thought out in each specific context.

RESUMO Este artigo objetiva mapear e analisar as principais leis esportivas e órgãos governamentais oficiais que regulamentam e gerem o esporte na América Latina, compreendendo a natureza dos documentos e seus elementos centrais constitutivos, a saber: título, ano de criação e objetivos gerais. Trata-se de um estudo do tipo exploratório e documental, utiliza a crítica-documental, o método comparativo e o paradigma indiciário como abordagem teórico-metodológica. As fontes são compostas pelas Leis esportivas oficiais de 19 países da América Latina. As análises nos permitiram estabelecer as seguintes categorias: a) países cujas leis esportivas são específicas e que contém apenas o termo esporte em seu nome; b) países cujas leis esportivas são identificadas com números; c) países cujas leis esportivas possuem nomenclatura mista. Doze países conceituam o esporte na íntegra em seus documentos. Percebemos que a maneira como o esporte é apresentado nas leis demonstra os sinais e rastros de como ele é pensado, visto e materializado. Entendemos que as leis se configuram como um importante marco para o desenvolvimento do esporte latino. Além delas, apontamos que é fundamental que seja pensada uma política esportiva a médio e longo prazo em cada contexto específico.

Association Between Design Elements of Concussion Laws and Reporting of Sports-Related Concussions Among US High School Athletes, 2009-2017.

OBJECTIVES: Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of concussion laws often use only a single variable (ie, presence of the law), failing to account for law complexity. We examined the association between multiple design elements of state concussion laws and rates of sports-related concussion reporting among US high school athletes. METHODS: We derived 3 design elements of concussion laws from the 2009-2017 LawAtlas database: (1) strength of law, (2) number of law revisions, and (3) speed of law adoption. We examined the association between these design elements and rates of new and recurrent sports-related concussion reporting from the 2009-2010 through 2016-2017 academic years in a nationally representative sample of high school athletes participating in High School Report Information Online, an online data collection tool. RESULTS: A total of 7064 sports-related concussions (6332 [89.6%] new and 732 [10.4%] recurrent concussions) were reported during the study period, with an overall rate of 39.7 sports-related concussions per 100 000 athletic exposures (eg, game or practice). Rates of new concussion reporting were higher among high schools in states with medium- or high-strength concussion laws than in states with low-strength concussion laws and in states with at least 1 concussion law revision than in states with no concussion law revisions. Rates of recurrent concussion reporting were lower among high schools in states with ≥2 concussion law revisions than in states with <2 concussion law revisions. Early law adoption was associated with higher rates of new and recurrent concussion reporting, and late law adoption was associated with lower rates of new and recurrent concussion reporting. CONCLUSION: Our findings may help inform legislators of the public health effect of concussion laws.

Nationwide sports injury prevention strategies: A scoping review.

National strategies to prevent sports injuries can potentially improve health outcomes at a population level and reduce medical costs. To date, a compilation of the strategies that countries have attempted, and their effectiveness, does not exist. This scoping review sets out to: identify nationwide attempts at implementing sports injury prevention strategies; examine the impact of these strategies; and map them onto the Translating Research into Injury Prevention Practice (TRIPP) framework. Using Levac's scoping review method, we: (a) identified the research questions, (b) identified relevant studies, (c) identified the study selection criteria, (d) charted the data, and (e) reported the results. A search of MEDLINE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases for articles published pre-June 2019 was conducted. We identified 1794 studies and included 33 studies (of 24 strategies). The USA (n = 7), New Zealand (n = 4), Canada (n = 3), the Netherlands (n = 3), Switzerland (n = 2), Belgium (n = 1), France (n = 1), Ireland (n = 1), South Africa (n = 1), and Sweden (n = 1) have implemented nationwide sports injury prevention strategies with 29 (88%) of the included studies demonstrating positive results. Mapping the strategies onto the TRIPP framework highlighted that only four (17%) of the 24 included strategies reported on the implementation context (TRIPP Stage 5), suggesting an important reporting gap. Nationwide sports injury prevention efforts are complex, requiring a multidimensional approach. Future research should report intervention implementation data; examine the implementation context early in the research process to increase the likelihood of real-world implementation success; and could benefit from incorporating qualitative or mixed research methods.

Sport activity in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices: evidence and perspectives.

Demographic characteristics of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices have significantly changed during the last few years, according to the ageing of the population and the consequent increase in the number of elderly individuals with indication for pacemaker implant and, on the other hand, to the increased number of young individuals implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for the primary prevention of sudden death. More and more often, both elderly and young patients ask the physician to deal with the device in their daily activities, which often include sport practice. This latter is advisable because of its recognized benefits on cardiovascular prevention, although there are many limitations for patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device. Hence, the need to balance the patient's request with the appropriate precautions emerging from existing evidence. The current article aims to provide an overview of the most recent data on this topic, derived from registries and observational studies. Over the years an attempt to standardize recommendations has been made, but robust evidence is still lacking. Substantial differences exist between countries based on their sports regulations. Official recommendations of European and American Scientific Societies are resumed. The future perspective is to obtain data to allow these patients a safer practice of sport activity also through technological advances in terms of device materials and programming improvement and the possibility of remote monitoring.

Prevention of Sport-Related Concussion.

Concussion remains a common injury among sports participants. Implementing risk-reduction strategies for sport-related concussion (SRC) should be a priority of medical professionals involved in the care of athletes. Over the past few decades, a multifaceted approach to reducing SRC risk has been developed. Protective equipment, rule and policy change/enforcement, educational programs, behavioral modifications, legislation, physiologic modifications, and sport culture change are a few of the programs implemented to mitigate SRC risk. In this article, the authors critically review current SRC risk-reduction strategies and offer insight into future directions of injury prevention for SRC.

Expenditure on sports and leisure by the government of the state of Piauí / Gasto na função desporto e lazer pelo governo do estado do Piauí

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to analyze the participation of the government of Piauí in the bottom-up funding of sport and leisure public policies from 2013 to 2017, embracing four aspects: (1) comparison of expenditure with tax revenue; (2) comparison of expenditure with other social agendas, notably Social Assistance and Culture; (3) identifying the spending behavior regarding subfunctions; (4) analyzing the efficiency in resource liquidation comparatively. Quantitative data were collected from the National Treasure website and submitted to descriptive statistics. In a conclusive manner, the study indicated that: (a) state government expenditure with the SLF is far shorter than the estimated by the II National Sport Conference; (b) expenditure has not followed the positive revenue variation during the period; (c) when compared to Social Assistance and Culture, Sport and Leisure has been the less considered area on the government's agenda; (d) there has been an abrupt chance in the government's agenda towards performance sport; (e) the government acts in an efficient way regarding the liquidation of planned resources.

RESUMO O presente trabalho buscou analisar a participação do governo do estado do Piauí no financiamento bottom-up das políticas públicas de esporte e de lazer de 2013 a 2017, contemplando quatro dimensões: (1) comparação do gasto com a receita tributária; (2) comparação do gasto com outras agendas da área social, notadamente Assistência Social e Cultura; (3) identificar o comportamento de gasto em termos de subfunções; (4) analisar comparativamente a eficiência na liquidação dos recursos. Os dados quantitativos foram buscados diretamente no site do Tesouro Nacional e submetidos à estatística descritiva. De forma conclusiva, o estudo indicou que: (a) o gasto na FDL do governo estadual está muito distante do pretendido pela II Conferência Nacional de Esporte; (b) o gasto não acompanhou a variação positiva da receita ao longo do período; (c) quando comparado com Assistência Social e Cultura, Esporte e Lazer foi a área de menor peso na agenda do governo; (d) houve uma mudança abrupta na agenda de governo em direção ao esporte rendimento; (e) o governo age de forma eficiente na liquidação dos recursos planejados.

A criação de um esporte brasileiro: o Futsac e sua articulação com o campo político / The creation of a brazilian sport: Futsac and its articulation with political field

RESUMO O Futsac é um esporte criado em Curitiba - PR em 2002, pelo empresário Marcos Juliano Ofenbock. A modalidade foi reconhecida oficialmente pelo Ministério do Esporte Brasileiro em 2014, em que demonstrou forte processo de inserção no meio político. O presente estudo mapeou os caminhos adotados pelo idealizador da modalidade nos campos políticos do Brasil. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram que as relações estabelecidas pelo criador do Futsac com determinados membros das esferas legislativas e executivas, que já possuíam imagem vinculada ao meio esportivo no cenário curitibano e paranaense, facilitaram a estruturação legal da modalidade dentro do Ministério do Esporte.

ABSTRACT Futsac is a sport created in Curitiba - PR in 2002, by businessman Marcos Juliano Ofenbock. The modality was officially recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Sports in 2014, where it demonstrated a strong process of insertion in the political environment. Our study mapped the paths adopted by the creator of Futsac in the political fields of Brazil. The results of our research showed that the relations established by the creator of Futsac with certain members of the legislative and executive spheres of Curitiba and Paraná political scenario, which already had an image linked to sports policies, facilitated the legal structuring of the modality within the Ministry of Sports.

Prevalence of therapeutic use exemptions at the Olympic Games and association with medals: an analysis of data from 2010 to 2018.

OBJECTIVES: The percentage of athletes with Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) competing in elite sport and the association with winning medals has been a matter of speculation in the absence of validated competitor numbers. We used International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) data to identify athletes competing with TUEs at five Olympic Games (Games) and a possible association between having a TUE and winning an Olympic medal. METHODS: We used the IOC's competition results and WADA's TUE database to identify the number of TUEs for athlete competitions (ACs, defined as one athlete competing in one event) and any associations with medals among athletes competing in individual competitions. We calculated risk ratios (RR) for the probability of winning a medal among athletes with a TUE compared with that of athletes without a TUE. We also reported adjusted RR (RRadj) controlling for country resources, which is a potential confounder. RESULTS: During the Games from 2010 to 2018, there were 20 139 ACs and 2062 medals awarded. Athletes competed with a TUE in 0.9% (181/20 139) of ACs. There were 21/2062 medals won by athletes with a TUE. The RR for winning a medal with a TUE was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.73 to 1.65; p=0.54), and the RRadj was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.69 to 1.56; p=0.73). CONCLUSION: The number of athletes competing with valid TUEs at Games is <1%. Our results suggested that there is no meaningful association between being granted a TUE and the likelihood of winning a medal.

[Antidoping rules in equine sports and pharmacological aspects of rule-consistent medical treatment and feeding of sport horses]. / Anti-Doping-Regeln im Pferdesport und pharmakologische Aspekte der regelkonformen Therapie und Fütterung von Sportpferden.

Veterinarians play an essential role in the prevention of doping in equine sports, both as attending clinicians as well as official competition veterinarians. This complex task requires comprehensive knowledge concerning the pertinent regulations. These include official laws, such as the animal protection and medicines laws as as well as rules issued by the responsible equine sports authority. Furthermore, veterinarians are required to determine adequate withdrawal times following the legitimate use of medications in sport horses. This may be performed by applying appropriate data published by the respective equestrian sports authorities. In case such data is not available, pharmacokinetic heuristics elucidated in this article may be utilized in order to define suitable withdrawal times. Furthermore, veterinarians are recommended to advise horse owners concerning the risk of feed contaminants that may cause inadvertent positive anti-doping samples. In this context, the prevention of botanical contaminations in roughage is of importance in central Europe. Official veterinarians fulfil the task of anti-doping sampling during competitions. In order to guarantee a correct procedure, precautions for the avoidance of sample contamination are warranted and correct identification of the samples must be ensured. These procedures are described by means of the rules of the German Equestrian Federation.

Sudden Death Associated With Sickle Cell Trait Before and After Mandatory Screening.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell trait (SCT) has been associated with an increased risk of sudden death in athletes during strenuous exercise. In August 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began requiring athletes to be screened for SCT, provide proof of SCT status, or sign a waiver and launched an educational campaign for athletes, coaches, and medical staff. The impact of this program is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of death associated with sickle cell trait (daSCT) in NCAA athletes before and after legislation. HYPOTHESIS: NCAA SCT legislation will decrease the incidence of daSCT. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. METHODS: A database of NCAA athlete deaths from 2000 to 2019 was reviewed for daSCT. A total of 8,309,050 athlete-years (AY) were included. Incidence of death was calculated before and after legislation. RESULTS: The incidence of daSCT in Division I (DI) football athletes before legislation (n = 9) was 1:28,145 AY and after legislation (n = 1) was 1:250,468 AY (relative risk [RR], 0.112; 95% CI, 0.003-0.811; P = 0.022), an 89% reduction in risk after legislation was enacted. The incidence of daSCT in African American DI football athletes before legislation (n = 9) was 1:12,519 AY and after legislation (n = 1) was 1:118,464 AY (RR, 0.106; 95% CI, 0.002-0.763; P = 0.017), also an 89% risk reduction after legislation was enacted. For all NCAA athletes, the incidence of daSCT was 1:489,749 AY before legislation (n = 10) and 1:1,705,780 AY after legislation (n = 2) (RR, 0.288; 95% CI, 0.031-1.347; P = 0.146). CONCLUSION: The incidence of daSCT in DI football athletes has decreased significantly since legislation was enacted. Cases of daSCT outside of football are rare. It is unclear whether the decrease is related to screening for SCT, education, or both. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first evidence that NCAA SCT legislation may save lives.