Effect on blood lipids and body composition of a high-fat (MUFA) and high-fiber diet: A case-control study.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of risk factors including abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose. In Spain, according to WHO criteria, the MetS prevalence is shown to be 32% in men and 29% in women. The role of dietary habits is one of the main therapeutic strategies for the management of MetS but the most effective dietary pattern has not been established yet. This study aimed to analyze the effect of on body composition, serum lipids, and MetS components of a high-MUFA and high-fiber diet (HMFD). A case-control study was performed considering 40 cohabiting women. Participants were randomly assigned to HMFD group or high mono-unsaturated diet (HMD) group to receive one of the two proposed dietary interventions. All data (serum lipids, blood pressure, height, weight, body composition, and waist circumference) were collected fasting at baseline, 55, 98, and 132 days. The HMFD group showed higher decrease in waist circumference than in the HMD group. LDL-C dropped in both groups. Triglycerides in the HMFD group dropped during the intervention, but once the intervention was over, they returned to baseline values. The mean systolic blood pressure was lower in HMFD group. A HMFD from a weekly consumption of processed meat (Torrezno de Soria) deeply fried in extra virgin olive oil in combination with vegetables logged in a Mediterranean diet can improve MetS risk factors in healthy overweight women.

Are Activity Wrist-Worn Devices Accurate for Determining Heart Rate during Intense Exercise?

The market for wrist-worn devices is growing at previously unheard-of speeds. A consequence of their fast commercialization is a lack of adequate studies testing their accuracy on varied populations and pursuits. To provide an understanding of wearable sensors for sports medicine, the present study examined heart rate (HR) measurements of four popular wrist-worn devices, the (Fitbit Charge (FB), Apple Watch (AW), Tomtom runner Cardio (TT), and Samsung G2 (G2)), and compared them with gold standard measurements derived by continuous electrocardiogram examination (ECG). Eight athletes participated in a comparative study undergoing maximal stress testing on a cycle ergometer or a treadmill. We analyzed 1,286 simultaneous HR data pairs between the tested devices and the ECG. The four devices were reasonably accurate at the lowest activity level. However, at higher levels of exercise intensity the FB and G2 tended to underestimate HR values during intense physical effort, while the TT and AW devices were fairly reliable. Our results suggest that HR estimations should be considered cautiously at specific intensities. Indeed, an effective intervention is required to register accurate HR readings at high-intensity levels (above 150 bpm). It is important to consider that even though none of these devices are certified or sold as medical or safety devices, researchers must nonetheless evaluate wrist-worn wearable technology in order to fully understand how HR affects psychological and physical health, especially under conditions of more intense exercise.

Influence of Beetroot Juice Ingestion on Neuromuscular Performance on Semi-Professional Female Rugby Players: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: Beetroot juice (BRJ) is considered an ergogenic aid with good to strong evidence for improving human performance in sport modalities with similar demands to rugby. However, most of the studies were realized in male athletes with limited evidence in female athletes. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the acute ingestion of BRJ in female rugby players. METHODS: Fourteen semi-professional female rugby players (25.0 ± 3.7 years) belonging to a team from the First Spanish Female Rugby Division participated in this study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups that realized a neuromuscular battery after BRJ (140mL, 12.8 mmol NO3-) or placebo (PLAC, 140 mL, 0.08 mmol NO3-) ingestion on two different days separated by one week between protocols. The neuromuscular test battery consisted of a countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric handgrip strength (i.e., dominant), 10-m and 30-m sprint, agility t-test and Bronco test. Afterwards, participants reported a rate of perception scale (6-20 points) and side effects questionnaire associated with BRJ or PLAC ingestion. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were observed in CMJ (7.7%; p = 0.029; ES = 0.62), while no differences were reported in dominant isometric handgrip strength (-1.7%; p = 0.274; ES = -0.20); 10-m and 30-m sprint (0.5-0.8%; p = 0.441-0.588; ES = 0.03-0.18); modified agility t-test (-0.6%; p = 0.503; ES = -0.12) and Bronco test (1.94%; p = 0.459; ES = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: BRJ ingestion could improve neuromuscular performance in the CMJ test, while no differences in sprint (10-m and 30-m sprint test), agility, isometric handgrip strength and endurance performance (i.e., Bronco test) were reported.

Martial arts injuries: a longitudinal study about judo, karate and wushu carried out in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Martial arts are currently being practiced throughout the world by about 100 million people. Considering that sports injuries account for 20% of all emergencies treated in hospitals, this is an issue that should be further studied. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and type of injuries in wushu, judo, and karate practitioners in Community of Madrid, Spain. METHODS: A descriptive epidemiology study was carried out. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 457 men and women practicing karate, judo and/or wushu, including injuries from the past five years, type of injury and occurrence during training or competition. RESULTS: Injuries that disrupted training occurred in 56% of judokas, in 36.7% of karatekas and in 38.9% of wushu practitioners (WP). For judokas, the most common injury site was "shoulder/arm/elbow" (13.43%), for karatekas, it was "lower leg/foot/ankle" (9.95%), and for WP it was "groin/hip/thigh" (9.45%) (P=0.000). The most common injuries in judo and karate were "ankle sprains and joint injuries" (4.98% and 3.98%), while for WP the most common injury were "hamstring strains" (5.47%) (P=0.008). There was no relationship between occurrence of a first injury and sex, age or belt rank. CONCLUSIONS: Judo is the martial art with the highest percentage of injuries, followed by wushu and then karate.

Acute Effects of Caffeine Intake on Psychological Responses and High-Intensity Exercise Performance.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine supplementation on: (i) psychological responses of subjective vitality and mood; (ii) performance through a Wingate test; and (iii) rate of perceived exertion (RPE) reported after a Wingate test. METHODS: Fifteen male participants (22.60 ± 2.16 years) ingested 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine or placebo (sucrose) supplementation in two experimental sessions. After 60 min from supplement intake, participants fulfilled two questionnaires, which measured subjective vitality and mood state, respectively. Subsequently, participants' performance was assessed through a Wingate test, which was followed by measurements of RPE at general, muscular, or cardiovascular level. RESULTS: Caffeine supplementation increased some components of mood, as assessed by profile of mood states (POMS) (tension and vigor dimensions) and subjective vitality profiles, which were followed by a greater maximum power, average power, and lower time needed to reach maximum power during the Wingate test. Moreover, lower RPE, both at muscular and general levels were reported by participants after the Wingate test. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that caffeine supplementation exerts positive effects both in psychological and physical domains in trained subjects.

Impact of UGT2B17 gene deletion on the steroid profile of an athlete.

The measurement of the testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E ratio) in urine is often used as a marker for testosterone administration in the doping control field. This study examines the frequencies of the different expression forms of the UGT2B17 gene, and assesses their effects on this marker in volunteer subjects. The sample for this descriptive study was composed of male and female athletes aged between 16 and 55 years old who practiced different sports disciplines. All participants underwent a sports-medical physical examination, and subsequently provided 10 urine samples consecutively over a period of 48 h. The dependent variable examined was T/E and the main independent variable was the UGT2B17 gene polymorphism. During 1 year, 1410 urine samples were obtained from 141 athletes. The frequencies of the three genotypes were as follows: wt homozygotes (ins/ins) 48.2% (n = 68), mutant homozygotes (del/del) 12.1% (n = 17), and heterozygotes (ins/del) 39.7% (n = 56). Genotype distributions varied significantly (P < 0.001) according to ethnicity, 80% of Asian subjects being homozygous for the gene deletion (del/del) compared to 6.9% of Caucasian subjects. A multivariate analysis adjusted for genotype, age, sex, and sports discipline revealed that athletes with the del/del polymorphism showed a significantly lower mean T/E than heterozygotes (ins/del). In contrast, homozygous athletes for the gene insertion (ins/ins) showed higher mean T/E ratios than heterozygotes (ins/del). UGT2B17 gene deletion has a strong influence on the T/E ratio in urine, which is the most efficient indicator of testosterone prohormone misuse. Others factors studied seem not to have such an impact. The genotyping of UGT2B17 is an important source of information for understanding steroid profiling in the doping control field; therefore it is suggested that it be included in the Athletes Biological Passport.

La pulsioximetría y su aplicación en pruebas de esfuerzo máximo / The pulse oximetry and its use in maximal exercise test

La pulsioximetría sirve para determinar el porcentaje de saturación de oxígeno quehay en sangre. Su mayor característica es que se trata de un método no invasivo y relativamenteeconómico. Existen pocos estudios que relacionen pulsioximetría con actividad física, y losestudios que más abundan son los clínicos. Los autores revisan la definición de la oximetría depulso, los fundamentos en los cuales se basa. Se revisan la aplicación de la pulsioximetría alas pruebas de esfuerzo máximo, así como el comportamiento de la saturación de oxígeno ensangre durante la realización de pruebas de esfuerzo máximo. Además, se revisan los diferentesestudios acerca de los valores de saturación de oxígeno en sangre durante la realización deejercicio físico y su correlación con otras variables ventilatorias. Se analizan las consecuenciasdel uso de la pulsioximetría en pruebas de esfuerzo máximo(AU)

Pulse oximetry is used to determine the percentage saturation of oxygen in blood.Its main feature is that it is a noninvasive and relatively inexpensive. There are few studiesrelating physical activity and pulse oximetry with most abundant studies are clinical trials.The authors review the definition of pulse oximetry, the grounds upon which it is based. Wereview the application of pulse oximetry to maximum exercise testing, and the behavior ofoxygen saturation in the blood for testing of maximum effort. In addition, different studies onthe oxygen saturation values in blood during physical exercise and its correlation with otherventilatory variables. We analyze the consequences of the use of pulse oximetry in tests ofmaximal effort(AU)

Los éxitos deportivos del 14 de marzo / The sports sucesses of march 14th

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