Cardiac Biomarker Release after Endurance Exercise in Male and Female Adults and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the responses of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and NH2-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) after 60 minutes of swimming in male and female adults and adolescents with different pubertal status. STUDY DESIGN: Adolescent swimmers (25 male and 25 female) and adult swimmers (7 male and 9 female) participated in a 60-minute maximal swimming test with serial assessment of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP at rest, immediately postexercise, and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours postexercise. Adolescents were classified according to pubertal status: Tanner stages 3 (n = 14), 4 (n = 22), and 5 (n = 14). RESULTS: Exercise resulted in an increase in both biomarkers. hs-cTnT responses to exercise were similar in adolescents with different pubertal status and adults, although there was substantial individual variability in peak hs-cTnT, with the upper reference limit exceeding in 62% of the participants. Postexercise kinetics for hs-cTnT were largely consistent across all groups with a return to near baseline levels 24 hours postexercise. The male participants showed higher values of hs-cTnT at baseline and postexercise. All groups had similar NT-proBNP responses to acute exercise and recovery. One swimmer exceeded the upper reference limit for NT-proBNP. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise-associated increase in hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP occurred in response to a 60-minute maximal swimming test that was independent of pubertal status/adolescent vs adults. The present data also suggests that baseline and postexercise hs-cTnT values are higher in male compared with female, with no sex differences in NT-proBNP values.

Home Advantage and Sports Performance: Evidence, Causes and Psychological Implications / Competir en casa y rendimiento deportivo: evidencias, causas e implicaciones psicológicas

Home advantage in competitive sports is well documented despite some contradictory results. Previous studies have identified 5 main causes of home advantage in competitive sports: crowd, familiarity, travels, rules and territoriality. Moreover, several studies have proposed the influence of these factors over psychological and behavioral states in athletes, coaches and referees. The present review summarizes the available scientific evidences about home advantage in sport and tries to identify the environmental and psychological causes of this phenomenon.

Competir de local constituye una ventaja ampliamente documentada en el ámbito deportivo. Los estudios previos han identificado cinco causas principales que permiten explicar la ventaja que ello supone: la presencia de aficionados, la familiaridad con el entorno, la ausencia de viajes, la aplicación de las normas y el sentimiento de territorialidad. Además, algunos estudios indican que estos factores influyen sobre el estado psicológico y el comportamiento tanto de los deportistas como de los entrenadores y árbitros. Esta revisión pretende recoger las actuales evidencias científicas sobre la ventaja que supone competir en casa, tratando de identificar las causas ambientales y psicológicas que explican este fenómeno en el ámbito deportivo.