The impact of gastrointestinal symptoms and dermatological injuries on nutritional intake and hydration status during ultramarathon events

BACKGROUND: Debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) and dermatological injuries (DI) are common during and after endurance events and have been linked to performance decrements, event withdrawal, and issues requiring medical attention. The study aimed to determine whether GIS and DI affect food and fluid intake, and nutritional and hydration status, of ultramarathon runners during multi-stage (MSUM) and 24-h continuous (24 h) ultramarathons. METHODS: Ad libitum food and fluid intakes of ultramarathon runners (MSUM n = 54; 24 h n = 22) were recorded throughout both events and analysed by dietary analysis software. Body mass and urinary ketones were determined, and blood samples were taken, before and immediately after running. A medical log was used to monitor symptoms and injuries throughout both events. RESULTS: GIS were reported by 85 and 73 % of ultramarathon runners throughout MSUM and 24 h, respectively. GIS during MSUM were associated with reduced total daily, during, and post-stage energy and macronutrient intakes (p < 0.05), whereas GIS during 24 h did not alter nutritional variables. Throughout the MSUM 89 % of ultramarathon runners reported DI. DI during MSUM were associated with reduced carbohydrate (p < 0.05) intake during running and protein intake post-stage (p < 0.05). DI during 24 h were low; thus, comparative analyses were not possible. Daily, during running, and post-stage energy, macronutrient and water intake variables were observed to be lower with severity of GIS and DI (p < 0.05) throughout the MSUM only. CONCLUSIONS: GIS during the MSUM, but not the 24 h, compromised nutritional intake. DI presence and severity also compromised nutrient intake during running and recovery in the MSUM

Marathons and myasthenia gravis: a case report.

The cardinal symptoms of auto-immune myasthenia gravis are fatigue and weakness. Endurance events such as marathon running would seem incompatible with this chronic disease. Many patients stop sport altogether. There is limited literature of patients with auto-immune myasthenia gravis undergoing regular endurance exercise. We report the case of a 36-year-old female who began long-distance running whilst experiencing initial symptoms of myasthenia gravis. She was diagnosed with auto-immune myasthenia gravis and whilst advised to stop all sport, her way of fighting and living with this chronic and unpredictable disease was to continue running to maintain a healthy body and mind. Despite suffering from ocular, bulbar and localized limb fatigability, she managed to complete multiple marathons and achieve disease stability with cholinesterase inhibitors. Marathon and half-marathon running lead to distinct changes in mediators of inflammation in an exercise-dose-dependent manner. Despite symptoms of weakness and fatigue in certain muscles in myasthenia gravis, physical exertion remains possible and may not worsen symptoms as demonstrated in this case and recent studies. The immunomodulatory role of exercise could be considered in this case however this hypothesis remains to be confirmed in future studies with quantitative data

Avaliação de germoplasma de camomila e densidade de semeadura na produção e composição do óleo essencial Evaluation of germplasm and seeding rate over the production and composition of chamomile essential oil

O cultivo de camomila na região Sul do Brasil tem sido realizado utilizando-se como material genético a cultivar Mandirituba. Apesar da produção de capítulos florais e teor de óleos essenciais apresentado por esta cultivar ser considerado satisfatório, tem sido observada nas regiões produtoras a ocorrência de problemas fitossanitários que resultam em perdas significativas da produção. Este trabalho teve como objetivos comparar materiais genéticos de camomila provenientes da Holanda, Dinamarca e Mandirituba, e avaliar o efeito de diferentes densidades de semeadura no desenvolvimento das plantas, produção de capítulos, rendimento e qualidade do óleo essencial da cultivar Mandirituba, atualmente cultivada na região. Os experimentos foram conduzidos no município de Piraquara (PR). A extração do óleo essencial foi realizada por hidrodestilação em aparelho tipo Clevenger e a determinação da composição do óleo foi feita por cromatografia em fase gasosa acoplada ao espectrômetro de massa (GC/MS). Os materiais genéticos provenientes da Holanda e de Mandirituba apresentaram maior produção de biomassa seca de capítulos, em relação ao material genético da Dinamarca. A cultivar Mandirituba apresentou o maior rendimento de óleo essencial (4,71 mL g-1 ms), sendo também superior em relação à produtividade de óleo essencial (2,40 L ha-1). Os materiais procedentes da Dinamarca e de Mandirituba apresentaram composição do óleo essencial semelhantes. A densidade de plantio de 1,0 kg ha-1 da cultivar Mandirituba resultou em melhor desenvolvimento das plantas e maior produção de óleo essencial. Quantidades superiores a 3,0 kg ha-1 de sementes não resultaram em maior densidade de plantas tendo em vista a alta competição e percentual de plântulas mortas.<br>The cultivar Mandirituba is the only genetic material for chamomile cultivation in southern Brazil. Besides the limitations regarding floral buds and the yield of essential oil presented by this cultivar, phytosanitary problems have also been observed. The objectives of this work were to compare the genetic materials from the Netherlands, Denmark and Mandirituba and to evaluate the effect of seeding rate on floral heads development and essential oil production, yield and quality. The experiments were carried out at field conditions in Piraquara, Paraná state, Brazil. The essential oil extraction was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus and the oil composition was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The genetic materials from the Netherlands and Mandirituba presented statistically higher dry mass accumulation than the ones from Denmark. However the material from Mandirituba showed a great essential oil yield (4.7 mL g-1 ms) and productivity (2.40 L ha-1). The genetic material from Denmark and Mandirituba showed similar essential oil composition. The density of 1.0 kg ha-1 for cultivar Mandirituba resulted on great plant development and essential oil production. The use of 3.0 kg ha-1 of seeds did not increase plant density due to the high plant competition