[Association between G/A - Polymorphism of EPAS1 gene and the maximal level of oxygen consumption in Russian athletes.

We studied the interrelations between G/A-polymorphism of EPAS 1 gene(rs1867785) and macimal oxygen consumption (VO2max) in Russian male athletes. There were two groups in the study: athletes of different sport specialization (n = 241) and nonathletic males (n = 92). It was found that the frequency of AA and AG genotype of EPAS1 gene in the group of athletes was higher (χ2 = 14.16, p = 0.03). In the subgroups with average (EPAS1*A 38.1% and EPAS1*G 61.9%) and high ((EPAS1*A 41.8% and EPAS1*G 58.2%) VO2max values, the frequency of these alleles was significantly different from those in the control group (χ2 = 7.53, p = 0.006 and χ2 = 6.58, p = 0.01, respectively). This suggests that higher aerobic capacities are caused by the presence of at least one minor A-Allele of the EPAS1 gene in the genome of an athlete.

Adolescent growth: genes, hormones and the peer group. Proceedings of the 20th Aschauer Soiree, held at Glücksburg castle, Germany, 15th to 17th November 2013.

The association between poverty, malnutrition, illness and poor socioeconomic conditions on the one side, and poor growth and short adult stature on the other side, is well recognized. Yet, the simple assumption by implication that poor growth and short stature result from poor living conditions, should be questioned. Recent evidence on the impact of the social network on adolescent growth and adult height further challenges the traditional concept of growth being a mirror of health. Twenty-nine scientists met at Glücksburg castle, Northern Germany, November 15th - 17th 2013, to discuss genetic, endocrine, mathematical and psychological aspects and related issues, of child and adolescent growth and final height.

The role of taste and appetite regulation in the understanding of overweight and obesity. Proceedings of the 16th Aschauer Soiree, 26th April 2008.

Overweight and obesity have developed into major illnesses in most Western societies and significantly contribute to the financial burden of modern public health systems. Almost daily, new therapeutic proposals are published in the lay press, and also the scientific literature has increased dramatically in recent years. E.g., when searching MEDLINE (1966 - May 2008 (1)), the key word "obesity" meanwhile appears in more than 108,000 articles. Primary focus however, is put upon aspects of treatment, neglecting the role of taste and appetite regulation. Combining keywords like "obesity + treatment" results in over 50.000 citations, "obesity + diet" in over 23.000, "obesity + energy + expenditure" in over 13.000 citations (even "obesity + gastric + bypass" still evoke 2.600 citations), whereas "obesity + appetite + regulation" result in some 3.000, "obesity + NPY" - neuropeptid Y being one of the major chemical stimulators of appetite - evoke some 500 and "obesity + Arc + nucleus" - the arcuate nucleus being the anatomical centre of appetite regulation - no more than 370 scientific publications. The apparent scarcity of literature about taste and appetite regulation and the amazing lack of interest in neuronal information processing in overweight and obesity, has prompted the authors to brainstorm new aspects of the world-wide derailment of weight control.

Diversity in auxology: between theory and practice. Proceedings of the 18th Aschauer Soiree, 13th November 2010.

Auxology has developed from mere describing child and adolescent growth into a vivid and interdisciplinary research area encompassing human biologists, physicians, social scientists, economists and biostatisticians. The meeting illustrated the diversity in auxology, with the various social, medical, biological and biostatistical aspects in studies on child growth and development.

Growth variation, final height and secular trend. Proceedings of the 17th Aschauer Soiree, 7th November 2009.

Growth and body height have always been topics interesting to the public. In particular, the stupendous increase of some 15-19cm in final adult height during the last 150 years in most European countries (the "secular trend"), the concomitant changes in body and head proportions, the tendency towards early onset of sexual maturation, the changes in the age when final height is being reached, and the very recent trend in body mass index, have generated much scientific literature. The marked plasticity of growth in height and weight over time causes problems. Child growth references differ between nations, they tend to quickly become out of date, and raise a number of questions regarding fitting methods, effects caused by selective drop-out, etc. New findings contradict common beliefs about the primary importance of nutritional and health related factors for secular changes in growth. There appears to be a broad age span from mid-childhood to early adolescence that is characterised by a peculiar insusceptibility. Environmental factors that are known to influence growth during this age span appear to have only little or no impact on final height. Major re-arrangements in height occur at an age when puberty has almost been completed and final height has almost been reached, implying that factors, which drive the secular trend in height, are limited to early childhood and late adolescence.

[Various trends in the somatic development of city children and adolescents during the past 20 years (the study based on the examination of schoolchildren in Moscow)]. / Nekotorye tendentsii somaticheskogo razvitiia gorodskikh detei i podrostkov za poslednie 20 let (na primere obsledovaniia shko'lnikov Moskvy).

Comprehensive studies of Moscow children are summarized. In 1961-1962, 1968-1972, 1981-1984 7000 of Moscow boys and girls from 8 to 17 years of age were investigated using cross-sectional and mixed-longitudinal methods (1968-1972). Trends in body dimensions, maturation levels distribution of somatotypes are analyzed. It is shown that, the process of acceleration of somatic development intensively continued up to mid-seventies then began to stabilize and in the early 80-s gave place to some retardation of body development in spite of the high standards of living. The possible causes of such trends are discussed.