Estudo da resposta endócrina, metabólica e inflamatória e sua variação genética no exercício exaustivo de longa duração : modalidade de ciclismo de montanha

O presente estudo pretendeu analisar a resposta endocrina, metabolica e inflamatoria resultante de um exercicio extremo de longa duracao. Estudaram-se 55 ciclistas de montanha amadores, homens e mulheres, entre os 25 e 60 anos. Caracterizou-se a composicao corporal, a condicao fisica e os hábitos nutricionais dos atletas. Os atletas realizaram uma prova de ciclismo de montanha, a TransPortugal, que atravessa Portugal de norte a sul, durante nove dias consecutivos. Quantificaram-se parametros hematologicos, metabolicos, de lesao muscular e associados ao metabolismo osseo, antes e logo apos a prova. Posteriormente, e de acordo com as caracteristicas da prova, os atletas foram classificados em dois grupos, tendo em conta as etapas que realizaram (9 etapas versus <9 etapas), o tempo e velocidade para realizar a mesma. Em reposta ao exercicio, verificou-se uma maior capacidade fisiologica adaptativa e homeostatica para os atletas que realizaram todas as nove etapas. Em resposta a este exercicio, estes atletas desenvolveram um perfil possivelmente mais adaptado as exigencias do exercicio e ao impacto das variacoes substanciais dos parâmetros hematologicas, biomarcadores musculares e do metabolismo osseo. Determinadas variantes geneticas polimorficas relacionadas com as vias referidas anteriormente, que estiveram associadas com o desempenho, poderao servir de linhas orientadoras para os atletas que compitam, especificamente em provas extenuantes de longa duracao. Este trabalho suporta a hipotese da influencia de uma acao comodulatoria entre fatores geneticos e mediadores libertados durante um exercicio extenuante por longos periodos de tempo.The present study intends to analyze the endocrine, metabolic and inflammatory response in from an extreme long-term exercise. A total of 55 amateur mountain bikers, men and women, were studied between the ages of 25 and 60 years. Body composition, physical condition and nutritional habits of the athletes were characterized. The athletes performed a mountain cycling race, TransPortugal, which crosses Portugal from north to south, during nine consecutive days. Hematological, metabolic, muscle injury and bone metabolism parameters were quantified before and immediately after the race. Afterwards, and according to the characteristics of the test, the athletes were classified into two groups taking into account the courses they performed (9 courses versus <9 courses), the time and speed to perform the same. In response to exercise, there was a greater physiological adaptability and homeostatic capacity for the athletes who performed all 9 courses. In response to this exercise, these athletes developed a profile possibly more suited to the demands of exercise and the impact of the substantial variations of hematological parameters, muscle biomarkers and bone metabolism. Certain polymorphic genetic variants related to the above-mentioned pathways that have been associated with performance may serve as guidelines for competing athletes, specifically in long-term strenuous races. This work supports a hypothesis of the influence of a co modulatory action between genetic factors and mediators released during a strenuous exercise for long periods of time.Este trabalho foi cofinanciado pela CicloNatur, Liberty Seguros, Laboratorio Joaquim Chaves e Instituto de Investigacao Cientifica Bento da Rocha Cabra

Como elaborar uma dieta vegetariana? Manual de Apoio

O planeamento de uma dieta vegetariana deverá ser cuidadoso no sentido de satisfazer todas as necessidades nutricionais individuais. Neste âmbito, recomenda-se a leitura da bibliografia apresentada no final deste documento para uma informação mais detalhada sobre as recomendações particulares relativas ao planeamento de uma dieta vegetariana ao longo do ciclo vital. O Quadro 1 apresenta a classificação de diferentes tipos de dieta vegetariana, de acordo com a Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. O presente documento pretende destacar alguns aspetos práticos relativos ao cálculo de um plano alimentar vegetariano, particularmente de dietas veganas, destacando a adequação proteica da mesma. Adicionalmente à quantidade e qualidade proteica, recomenda-se a monitorização de nutrientes em maior risco de défice em indivíduos veganos, nomeadamente, os ácidos gordos n-3, a vitamina B12, vitamina D, cálcio, zinco e ferro (Craig, 2010). Um plano alimentar cuidadosamente elaborado poderá satisfazer as necessidades destes nutrientes. Contudo, relativamente à vitamina B12, a sua ingestão é habitualmente muito baixa em indivíduos veganos pelo que se recomenda a ingestão de alimentos fortificados e/ou a suplementação (Zeuschner, 2012; Agnoli, 2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/draf

Psychological vulnerability, anxiety and personal well-being in athletes

Introduction and objectives: Our preparation for dealing with challenges, either tasks of our daily lives or competing in sports events, may be related to some specific changes in a physiological or cognitive point of view or to broader changes in our well-being. In the context of mental health, the perception of our vulnerability, as well as the indicators of how we function psychologically (dependence, automatic negative thoughts, etc.) can have an impact on our anxiety, both somatic and cognitive, and on our general well-being. Thus, the aim of our study is to verify, in endurance athletes, whether the perception of vulnerability (in mental and psychological health) is related to anxiety and well-being. Methodology: It is a transversal and correlational study in a non-probabilistic sample of 47 endurance athletes (Triathlon/Mountain Bike), 41 men and six women. On average, they are 25 years old, most of them have primary/secondary education, single, non-smokers and without chronic diseases. The instruments used were: Anxiety Scale in Sport, Personal Welfare Index, Psychological Vulnerability Scale and a question on Perception of Vulnerability regarding mental health. The data were collected with the informed consent of the participants who filled out the instruments provided at the beginning of the competition season. Results and Discussion: The results show that psychological vulnerability is positively correlated with somatic anxiety, cognitive (worries) and total anxiety as a trait. It is also negatively correlated with the personal welfare index. Mental health vulnerability perception is positively correlated with psychological vulnerability and with cognitive anxiety (focus disorder). Conclusions: This study is a relevant contribution for mental health technicians, especially for nurses, since it adds information on the biopsychosocial variables associated with athletes’ mental health, providing guidelines to create specific programs to promote Mental Health and to prevent morbidity

Sentido de humor, bem-estar subjetivo e competências de coping desportivo em atletas

INTRODUÇÃO: O sentido de humor tem sido estudado como uma estratégia para lidar com adversidade, sendo considerado um importante mecanismo de coping, utilizado em situações de stress. OBJETIVO: Verificar a relação entre sentido de humor, o bem-estar subjetivo e as competências de coping desportivo num grupo de atletas. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal e correlacional, realizado numa amostra não probabilística de 47 atletas de triatlo e mountain Bike. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28, Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (versão portuguesa), Escala de Felicidade Subjectiva de Lyubomirsky e Lepper e Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Utilizou-se estatística descritiva e coeficiente de correlação de Spearman e o nível de significância adotado foi p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Produção e Uso Social do Humor e Apreciação do Humor estão positivamente correlacionadas com a Felicidade Subjetiva. O Humor Adaptativo e a Produção e Uso Social do Humor estão positivamente correlacionados com a dimensão Afetividade Positiva e com a dimensão Rendimento sob Pressão da Escala de Competências de Coping Desportivo. CONCLUSÕES: O papel do sentido de humor e suas dimensões no bem-estar subjetivo dos atletas e nas suas competências psicológicas, deve ser considerado na conceção de programas de promoção de estratégias de coping e de saúde mental em atletas.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Mountain cycling ultramarathon effects on inflammatory and hemoglobin responses

Copyright © 2017 by the American College of Sports Medicine.Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the cumulative physiological burden of repetitive, strenuous exercise held during mountain cycling ultramarathon on regulatory mechanisms of hemoglobin degradation. Methods: Fifty-five nonprofessional athletes (mean age, 44.8 T 7.1 yr) participating in a 9-consecutive-day mountain cycling ultramarathon (TransPortugal) underwent anthropometric, hematological, and biochemical assessments before and immediately after the race. Participants were further stratified as completers (nine courses) or noncompleters and were divided according to the time they took to complete the race. The heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) functional genetic polymorphism and haptoglobin (HP) phenotypic variants were also analyzed. Results: Total leukocytes, neutrophil count, and monocyte count increased, whereas decreases in erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin were found between pre- and postultramarathon. Circulating haptoglobin (Hp) was increased, whereas its soluble receptor (sCD163) decreased. Athletes who completed all nine courses presented with increased leukocyte, neutrophil, and erythrocyte counts, as well as hemoglobin, red cell distribution width, total bilirubin, and total cholesterol levels. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and Hp decreased in comparison with noncompleters. HMOX1 and HP genetic polymorphisms were associated with biochemical profile, notably with Hp levels. Analysis of covariance showed a significant effect of HP phenotype in Hp circulating levels at the end of race and on the magnitude of variation from pre- to postrace. Conclusions: Present findings support a comodulatory influence of genetic- and exercise-associated factors on resulting inflammatory and hemoglobin catabolic marker Hp after highly demanding endurance exercise.The authors acknowledge financial support from the Instituto de Investigação Científica Bento da Rocha Cabral, Liberty Seguros and Clinical Chemistry Laboratory of Grupo Dr. Joaquim Chaves.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sarcopenia, more than dehydratation, can be associate to Portuguese underweight centenarians

Poster apresentado na 17th European Congress of Endocrinology, 16-20 May 2015, Dublin, IrelandIntroduction: Fat-free mass has a functional significance in aging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of underweight in a Portuguese population of centenarians and their relationship with dehydration or sarcopenia. Methods/design: Anthropometric data were obtained using standard procedures from 252 centenarians (100.26±1.99 years), 77.8% women (W). Body composition was assessed by tetrapolar bioimpedance. It was considered dehydration: total body water (TBW) (%) 35 (W) and >25 (M). The fat mass index (FMIndex): FM (kg)/height (m2) and muscle mass index (MMIndex): MM (kg)/height (m2) were calculated. Statistical methods: T-student, ANOVA, χ2, linear correlation. Results: In the sample, 61.4% had normal weight (BMI=21.42±1.86), but 25.3% were underweight (BMI=16.84±1.51), and of these, 28.8% were women. Instead, overweight (BMI=27.52±2.40) checked in 13.3% subjects, was predominant in men (10.6 vs 22.6%). Dehydration was observed in 12.9% of subjects and was tendentiously higher in women (15.4 vs 5.0%, P=0.087). Excess of FM was found in 6.0% of subjects with no gender differences (P=0.225). In the overweight subgroup there were differences in TBW (P=0.003) and FM (P=0.022) between genders, which was not observed in the underweight subgroup. The FMIndex in underweight or overweight subgroups did not vary significantly with gender. Muscle mass and MMIndex were different between genders, with the lowest values observed in underweight W compared to M (31.7±3.96 vs 36.3±2.84; P=0.01) or to the other subgroups. There was a direct linear correlation between BMI and MM (β(M)=0.749; β(W)=0.683) and inverse with TBW (β(M)=−0.428; β(W) =−0.397), men and women, P<0.001. Conclusion: The underweight was more represented in the Portuguese centenarians. More than body water and FM, sarcopenia may be responsible for this low weight particularly in the women.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio