Impacts of core strength training on balance in martial arts athletes / Impactos do treino de resistência do core sobre o equilíbrio em atletas de artes marciais / Impacto del entrenamiento de la fuerza del core en el equilibrio de los atletas de artes marciales

ABSTRACT Introduction: Physical conditioning is an essential component of sports skills. The main routine training methods for skill enhancement in martial arts players should be based on traditional movements. Core strength training has also been shown to be valid for the physical conditioning of martial arts players. Objective: This paper studies the qualitative changes in the balance of martial arts athletes caused by the insertion of core strength training. Methods: This paper selects 24 martial arts players by sampling and randomly divides them into control and experimental groups. The biomarkers of the volunteers were stored and processed under statistical methods to organize and display the data. Results: The experimental and control groups showed high statistical significance in each index after testing (P<0.05). The results show that the methods used in the experimental and control groups can effectively improve their performance in core and key explosive movements during exercise. There were very significant changes in the extensor muscle peak in both groups. The experimental group showed more significant improvement than the standard group (P<0.05). The experimental group's flexor peaks showed a more significant difference than the control group. In contrast, the experimental group showed a more remarkable improvement than the standard group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Core resistance exercise can effectively promote a center of gravity balance in martial arts athletes. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: O condicionamento físico é um componente essencial das habilidades esportivas. Os principais métodos de treino de rotina para aumento da habilidade dos jogadores de artes marciais devem ser baseados em movimentos tradicionais. O treinamento de resistência do core também já se mostrou válido sobre o condicionamento físico dos jogadores de artes marciais. Objetivo: Este artigo estuda as alterações qualitativas sobre o equilíbrio dos atletas de artes marciais provocadas pela inserção do treino de resistência do core. Métodos: Este artigo seleciona 24 jogadores de artes marciais por amostragem e os divide aleatoriamente em grupos controle e experimental. Os biomarcadores dos voluntários foram armazenados e processados sob métodos estatísticos para organizar e exibir os dados. Resultados: Os grupos experimentais e de controle apresentaram alta significância estatística em cada índice após o teste (P<0,05). Os resultados mostram que os métodos utilizados nos grupos experimentais e de controle podem melhorar efetivamente seu desempenho no core e nos principais movimentos explosivos durante o exercício. Houveram mudanças muito significativas no pico dos músculos extensores em ambos os grupos. O grupo experimental apresentou melhora mais significativa do que o grupo padrão (P<0,05). Em comparação com o grupo controle, os picos de flexores do grupo experimental apresentaram uma diferença mais significativa. Em contrapartida, o grupo experimental apresentou uma melhora mais notável do que o grupo padrão (P<0,05). Conclusão: O exercício de resistência do core pode efetivamente promover a equilíbrio do centro de gravidade nos atletas de artes marciais. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: El acondicionamiento físico es un componente esencial de las habilidades deportivas. Los principales métodos de entrenamiento rutinario para aumentar la capacidad de los jugadores de artes marciales deben basarse en los movimientos tradicionales. El entrenamiento de la fuerza del core también ha demostrado su validez en el acondicionamiento físico de los jugadores de artes marciales. Objetivo: Este trabajo estudia los cambios cualitativos en el equilibrio de los atletas de artes marciales causados por la inserción del entrenamiento de resistencia del core. Métodos: Este artículo selecciona 24 jugadores de artes marciales por muestreo y los divide aleatoriamente en grupos de control y experimental. Los biomarcadores de los voluntarios se almacenaron y procesaron con métodos estadísticos para organizar y mostrar los datos. Resultados: Los grupos experimental y de control mostraron una alta significación estadística en cada índice tras la prueba (P<0,05). Los resultados muestran que los métodos utilizados en los grupos experimental y de control pueden mejorar eficazmente su rendimiento en los movimientos explosivos centrales y principales durante el ejercicio. Hubo cambios muy significativos en el pico muscular extensor en ambos grupos. El grupo experimental mostró una mejora más significativa que el grupo estándar (P<0,05). En comparación con el grupo de control, los picos flexores del grupo experimental mostraron una diferencia más significativa. En cambio, el grupo experimental mostró una mejora más notable que el grupo estándar (P<0,05). Conclusión: El ejercicio de resistencia del core puede promover eficazmente el equilibrio del centro de gravedad en los atletas de artes marciales. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Longitudinal changes in oxidative stress and early renal injury in children exposed to DEHP and melamine in the 2011 Taiwan food scandal.

In 2011, phthalates, mainly di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were found to have been added to a variety of foods in Taiwan, increasing the risk of microalbuminuria in children. Exposure to melamine perhaps modifies that risk. This prospective cohort study investigates whether renal injury resulting from exposure to DEHP-tainted foods from the 2011 Taiwan Food Scandal is reversed over time. The temporal and interactive effects of past daily DEHP intake, current daily DEHP intake, and urinary melamine levels on oxidative stress and renal injury were also examined. Two hundred possibly DEHP-affected children (aged < 18 years) were enrolled in the first survey wave (August 2012-January 2013), with 170 and 159 children in the second (July 2014-February 2015) and third waves (May 2016-October 2016), respectively. The first wave comprised questionnaires that were used to collect information about possible past daily DEHP intake from DEHP-tainted foods. One-spot first morning urine samples were collected to measure melamine levels, phthalate metabolites, and markers indicating oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine), and renal injury (albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase) in all three waves. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling revealed that both past daily DEHP intake and time might affect urinary ACR. However, most interactions were negative and significant correlation was observed only during the second wave (P for interaction = 0.014) in the group with the highest past daily DEHP intake (>50 µg/kg/day). Urinary melamine levels were found to correlate significantly with both urinary ACR and oxidative stress markers. The highest impact associated with exposure to DEHP-tainted foods in increasing urinary ACR of children was observed during the first wave, and the effect may partially diminish over time. These results suggest that continuous monitoring of renal health and other long-term health consequences is required in individuals who were affected by the scandal in 2011.

Functional analysis of 4-coumarate: CoA ligase from Dryopteris fragrans in transgenic tobacco enhances lignin and flavonoids.

4-Coumaric acid: coenzyme A ligase (4CL) is a key enzyme in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway that regulates the biosynthesis of lignin and flavonoids. Therefore, the study of 4CL is important to explore the accumulation and regulation of metabolites. This study investigated the role that the 4CL2 gene from Dryopteris fragrans (Df4CL2) plays in the metabolite synthesis. Changes in gene expression, enzyme activity, and the content of lignin and flavonoids were measured in different tissues of tobacco as model plant that was successfully transferred with Df4CL2. Tobacco plants with Df4CL2 (transgenic tobacco, TT) were successfully obtained via the Agrobacterium-transformation method. This TT tended to be thicker and had an earlier flowering period than wild type tobacco (WT). The expression levels of Df4CL2 were higher in the stem, leaf, and root in TT compared to WT. In addition, compared to WT, TT had higher 4CL enzyme activity and higher lignin and flavonoids contents. This suggests that Df4CL2 is involved in the synthesis of lignin and flavonoids in D. fragrans. This research provides important evidence toward understanding the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in ferns.

Hepatoprotection of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther on CCl4-induced liver damage and inflammation.

AIM OF THIS STUDY: Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther, a vegetable consumed in Taiwan, has been used in folk medicine for protection against liver injury, although its actual efficacy remains uncertain. Therefore, we investigated the protective effects of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver damage in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Water extracts of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther (WGP) were administered for 8 consecutive weeks to male Sprague-Dawley rats. And a dose-dependent manner in preventing liver damage was confirmed. Moreover, the major ingredient of WGP, gallic acid, was also orally administrated in the CCl(4)-induced rats. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters such as antioxidant enzymes and histopathological studies. RESULTS: WGP ranging from 50 to 300 mg/kg bw administrations significantly lowered serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, and inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) generation in CCl(4)-treated rats. WGP increased cellular GSH level and antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and catalase. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was decreased in the group treated with CCl(4) plus WGP (150 and 300 mg/kg bw). Histopathological examination of livers showed that WGP reduced fatty degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization and necrosis in CCl(4)-treated rats. In contrary, 10mg/kg bw of gallic acid was administrated, this dose was related with WGP (300 mg/kg bw), and had significantly decreased the AST and ALT compared to the CCl(4)-treated group. Aforesaid results suggested that gallic acid from WGP offered antioxidative activity against CCl(4)-induced oxidative liver damage. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this study is the first time to suggest that Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther exerts hepatoprotection via promoting antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties against CCl(4)-induced oxidative liver damage.