Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Burnout on Cardiovascular Risk in Healthcare Professionals Study Protocol: A Multicenter Exploratory Longitudinal Study.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created new and unpredictable challenges for healthcare systems. Healthcare professionals are heavily affected by this rapidly changing situation, especially frontline healthcare professionals who are directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19 and may experience psychological burdens. The objective of this study is to explore the evolution of psychosocial, cardiovascular, and immune markers in healthcare professionals with different levels of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and Analysis: This is a STROBE compliant, blended, exploratory study involving online and onsite approaches that use wearable monitoring. A planned random probability sample of residents, staff physicians, nurses, and auxiliary healthcare professionals will be recruited. The study sample will be stratified by exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a first step, recruitment will be conducted online, with e-consent and using e-surveys with Maslach Burnout Inventory, Fuster-BEWAT score, and sociodemographic characteristics. Onsite visits will be planned for the second step where participants will receive a wearable setup that will measure heart rate, actimetry, and sleep quality monitoring, which will be used together with blood sampling for immune biomarkers. Steps 1 and 2 will then be repeated at 2-3 months, and 6 months. Power BI and Tableau will be used for data visualization, while front-end data capture will be used for data collection using specific survey/questionnaires, which will enable data linkage between e-surveys, internet of things wearable devices, and clinical laboratory data. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT04422418.

Validation of the Cosmed K4b2 Portable Metabolic System During Running Outdoors.

Ross, R, ALDuhishy, A, and González-Haro, C. Validation of the cosmed K4b2 portable metabolic system during running outdoors. J Strength Cond Res 34(1): 124-133, 2020-The aim of this study was to determine the agreement of the K4b metabolic system in comparison with the Douglas bags (DB) method for determining gas-exchange variables during both indoor treadmill and outdoor running. Nineteen endurance-trained males undertook 3 maximal incremental running tests, separated by at least 2 days: K4b indoor test (K1), K4b outdoor test (K2), and DB indoor test. Gas-exchange parameters (VO2, VCO2, VE, VI, Respiratory Exchange Ratio, FEO2, and FECO2) and heart rate were measured during K1, K2, and DB tests. For most of the variables (VO2, %VO2, %VCO2, VE, and VI), the agreement was better for K2 when compared with DB than for K1 when compared with DB. For VCO2, FEO2, and FECO2, the agreement was better between K1 when compared with DB than for K2 when compared with DB. Respiratory Exchange Ratio showed a similar agreement between both conditions (K1 vs. DB and K2 vs. DB). K4b seems valid for measuring gas-exchange variables during submaximal and maximal running velocities in an outdoor environment. Although K2 mean systematic error (bias) was low, the aleatory error was moderate. These considerations should be taken into account when using K4b to measure gas-exchange parameters both during indoor and outdoor activities.

Effects of an Injected Placebo on Endurance Running Performance.

PURPOSE: This study aims to quantify the magnitude of the placebo effect of an injected placebo ("OxyRBX") purporting to have effects similar to those of recombinant human erythropoietin on endurance running performance in "real-world" field-based head-to-head competition settings. METHODS: Fifteen endurance-trained club-level men (mean ± SD: age, 27.5 ± 6.8 yr; body mass index, 22.9 ± 2.0 kg·m) with 10-km personal-best record times of 39.3 ± 4.4 min completed a randomized cross-over study of 3-km races before and after 7-d "control" and "placebo" phases. During the placebo phase, participants self-administered subcutaneous saline injections daily, believing it to be OxyRBX, with no intervention during the control phase. At the start and end of each 7-d phase, 3-km running performance was assessed. Qualitative assessments of participants' perceptions and experiences were recorded throughout and during semistructured interviews on completion. RESULTS: Race time improved significantly more in response to placebo intervention (9.73 ± 1.96 s faster, P = 0.0005) than in response to control (1.82 ± 1.94 s faster, P = 0.41; Pinteraction = 0.02). In response to placebo, participants reported reductions in physical effort, increased potential motivation, and improved recovery. Beliefs and congruence between positive expectations of the effects of placebo and perceptions of physical change during training also appeared to impact on competitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to control, the injected placebo improved 3-km race time by 1.2%. This change is of clear sporting relevance but is smaller than the performance improvement elicited by recombinant human erythropoietin administration. Qualitative data suggest that placebo may have improved performance by both reducing perception of effort and increasing potential motivation, in accord with the psychobiological model for exercise performance, and that cognitive and noncognitive processes appear to have influenced placebo response.

Food and macronutrient intake of elite Ethiopian distance runners.

BACKGROUND: Explanations for the phenomenal success of East African distance runners include unique dietary practices. The aim of the present study was to assess the food and macronutrient intake of elite Ethiopian distance runners during a period of high intensity exercise training at altitude and prior to major competition. METHODS: The dietary intake of 10 highly-trained Ethiopian long distance runners, living and training at high altitude (approximately 2400 m above sea level) was assessed during a 7 day period of intense training prior to competition using the standard weighed intake method. Training was also assessed using an activity/training diary. RESULTS: Body mass was stable (i.e., was well maintained) over the assessment period (pre: 56.7 ± 4.3 kg vs. post: 56.6 ± 4.2 kg, P = 0.54; mean ± SD). The diet comprised of 13375 ± 1378 kJ and was high in carbohydrate (64.3 ± 2.6%, 545 ± 49 g, 9.7 ± 0.9 g/kg). Fat and protein intake was 23.3 ± 2.1% (83 ± 14 g) and 12.4 ± 0.6% (99 ± 13 g, 1.8 ± 0.2 g/kg), respectively. Fluid intake comprised mainly of water (1751 ± 583 mL), while no fluids were consumed before or during training with only modest amounts being consumed following training. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to previous studies in elite Kenyan distance runners, the diet of these elite Ethiopian distance runners met most recommendations of endurance athletes for macronutrient intake but not for fluid intake.