Antioxidants Markers of Professional Soccer Players During the Season and their Relationship with Competitive Performance.

The aim of this study was to assess antioxidant markers before and after a mid-season of professional soccer players from the 3rd Spanish Division, and to correlate antioxidant markers with competitive performance. Sixty-five male players (age = 25.3 ± 4.2 yr, body mass = 73.2 ± 6.7 kg, body height = 177.8 ± 5.7 cm) from three soccer clubs from Cádiz (Spain) participated in the study. Body composition, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), and baseline antioxidant blood markers (Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) and Reduced glutathione/Oxidized glutathione ratio) were assessed in the first week of the championship season (pre-test) and after 18 weeks in the mid-season (post-test). Soccer performance was registered according to the official classification ranking at both the mid-season and at the end of the season; ranking positions for Team A were 2nd and 1st, for Team B were 5th and 5th, while for Team C were 12th and 14th, respectively. Regression analyses showed that TAS and VO2max were able to independently predict (p < 0.05) performance in our participants. Moreover, antioxidant levels showed significant main effects on performance (p < 0.001); where a higher antioxidant capacity was observed in the best performance soccer team, both before and after the mid-season. Notwithstanding, the competitive period compromised the antioxidant status since TAS levels significantly decreased after the 18-week training program and competition compared with baseline values in all soccer teams (p < 0.001). These results suggest the need of monitoring antioxidants in soccer players to prevent excessive oxidative stress and cellular damage which could compromise success in competition, by adjusting the training loads, diet or ergogenic aids, if needed.

Sun Protection Habits and Sun Exposure of Physical Education Teachers in the South of Spain.

The high prevalence and increasing incidence of skin cancer (SC) is a significant public health problem. We can address its main risk factor, which is incident and accumulated solar radiation, and its damages by disseminating knowledge and promoting changes in habits and attitudes toward the sun. The influence of teachers in the education of young people is crucial. Physical education teachers (PET) spend the majority of their time outdoors, thereby exposing themselves to solar radiation daily and greatly increasing the risk of SC. We carried out a case-control study matching for age and gender through surveys about photoexposure and photoprotection habits on a sample of 200 teachers (100 PET and 100 non-PET) on South of Spain. The results confirmed that there is a significant difference in sun exposure during the workday; PET group showed higher exposure (P < 0.01). We ascertained that photoprotection habits are deficient across the population. These data contribute to the understanding of the danger associated with poor sun protection among teachers (primary and secondary school teachers) and its mitigation. It is also worth noting that future prevention campaigns will be necessary for the subsequent correct transmission of the habits to students.