The acute effects of flotation restricted environmental stimulation technique on recovery from maximal eccentric exercise.

Flotation restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) involves compromising senses of sound, sight, and touch by creating a quiet dark environment. The individual lies supine in a tank of Epsom salt and water heated to roughly skin temperature (34-35° C). This study was performed to determine if a 1-hour flotation REST session would aid in the recovery process after maximal eccentric knee extensions and flexions. Twenty-four untrained male students (23.29 ± 2.1 years, 184.17 ± 6.85 cm, 85.16 ± 11.54 kg) participated in a randomized, repeated measures crossover study. The participants completed 2 exercise and recovery protocols: a 1-hour flotation REST session and a 1-hour seated control (passive recovery). After isometric muscle strength testing, participants were fatigued with eccentric isokinetic muscle contractions (50 repetitions at 60°·s) of the nondominant knee extensors and flexors. Blood lactate, blood glucose, heart rate, OMNI-rating of perceived exertion for resistance exercise (OMNI-RPE), perceived pain, muscle soreness, and isometric strength were collected before exercise, after treatment, and 24 and 48 hours later. A multivariate analysis of covariance found that treatment had a significant main effect on blood lactate, whereas subsequent univariate analyses of variance found statistical significance with the immediate posttreatment blood lactate measures. The results indicate that flotation REST appears to have a significant impact on blood lactate and perceived pain compared with a 1-hour passive recovery session in untrained healthy men. No difference was found between conditions for muscle strength, blood glucose, muscle soreness, heart rate, or OMNI-RPE. Flotation REST may be used for recreational and professional athletes to help reduce blood lactate levels after eccentric exercise.

Discovery of a Series of Pyrimidine Carboxamides as Inhibitors of Vanin-1.

A diaryl ketone series was identified as vanin-1 inhibitors from a high-throughput screening campaign. While this novel scaffold provided valuable probe 2 that was used to build target confidence, concerns over the ketone moiety led to the replacement of this group. The successful replacement of this moiety was achieved with pyrimidine carboxamides derived from cyclic secondary amines that were extensively characterized using biophysical and crystallographic methods as competitive inhibitors of vanin-1. Through optimization of potency and physicochemical and ADME properties, and guided by co-crystal structures with vanin-1, 3 was identified with a suitable profile for advancement into preclinical development.

Normative Data for the NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test in US Military Special Operations Forces.

CONTEXT: Postural stability is the ability to control the center of mass in relation to a person's base of support and can be affected by both musculoskeletal injury and traumatic brain injury. The NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test (SOT) can be used to objectively quantify impairments to postural stability. The ability of postural stability to predict injury and be used as an acute injury-evaluation tool makes it essential to the screening and rehabilitation process. To our knowledge, no published normative data for the SOT from a healthy, highly active population are available for use as a reference for clinical decision making. OBJECTIVE: To present a normative database of SOT scores from a US Military Special Operations population that can be used for future comparison. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Human performance research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 542 active military operators from Naval Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (n = 149), Naval Special Warfare Command, Sea, Air, and Land (n = 101), US Army Special Operations Command (n = 171), and Air Force Special Operations Command (n = 121). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Participants performed each of the 6 SOT conditions 3 times. Scores for each condition, total equilibrium composite score, and ratio scores for the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems were recorded. RESULTS: Differences were present across all groups for SOT conditions 1 (P < .001), 2 (P = .001), 4 (P > .001), 5 (P > .001), and 6 (P = .001) and total equilibrium composite (P = .000), visual (P > .001), vestibular (P = .002), and preference (P > .001) NeuroCom scores. CONCLUSIONS: Statistical differences were evident in the distribution of postural stability across US Special Operations Forces personnel. This normative database for postural stability, as assessed by the NeuroCom SOT, can provide context when clinicians assess a Special Operations Forces population or any other groups that maintain a high level of conditioning and training.

Postural Stability of Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen With Tactical Gear.

BACKGROUND: The US Naval Special Warfare's Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) operate on small, high-speed boats while wearing tactical gear (TG). The TG increases mission safety and success but may affect postural stability, potentially increasing risk for musculoskeletal injury. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of TG on postural stability during the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). METHODS: Eight SWCC performed the SOT on NeuroCom's Balance Manager with TG and with no tactical gear (NTG). The status of gear was performed in randomized order. The SOT consisted of six different conditions that challenge sensory systems responsible for postural stability. Each condition was performed for three trials, resulting in a total of 18 trials. RESULTS: Overall performance, each individual condition, and sensory system analysis (somatosensory, visual, vestibular, preference) were scored. Data were not normally distributed therefore Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare each variable (ρ = .05). No significant differences were found between NTG and TG tests. No statistically significant differences were detected under the two TG conditions. This may be due to low statistical power, or potentially insensitivity of the assessment. Also, the amount and distribution of weight worn during the TG conditions, and the SWCC's unstable occupational platform, may have contributed to the findings. The data from this sample will be used in future research to better understand how TG affects SWCC. CONCLUSION: The data show that the addition of TG used in our study did not affect postural stability of SWCC during the SOT. Although no statistically significant differences were observed, there are clinical reasons for continued study of the effect of increased load on postural stability, using more challenging conditions, greater surface perturbations, dynamic tasks, and heavier loads.