9 research outputs found

    Preparticipation medical evaluation for elite athletes : EFSMA recommendations on standardised preparticipation evaluation form in European countries

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    Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Sports medicine is a medical specialty that supports the performance of professional and amateur athletes while maintaining their health. Sports medicine professionals need to ensure the safe participation of athletes in sports activities achieved through a periodical preparticipation evaluation (PPE) and a regular medical monitoring of the athletes' health in accordance with the latest recommendations regarding health condition and medical history, physical working capacity, training period and programme, recovery, nutrition, use of supplements, injuries prevention and safe return to play. In order to harmonise these national variations in the content and application of the PPE, the EFSMA Scientific and Educational Commission proposes a € gold standard' for elite athletes across Europe. Important objectives of PPE are early detection and prevention of severe complications during sports activities both in leisure time and competitive sports. The PPE should entail the following diagnostic components: health status, anthropometry, functional and exercise capacity. It is of utmost importance to develop and implement preventive strategies such as the PPE. Besides monitoring the health status of athletes, the PPE plays an important role in the selection process, bringing valuable information for coaches and supporting a personalised treatment approach. Screening of athletes through a standardised digital PPE could be beneficial for a better understanding of the impact of long-term physical activity. Furthermore, PPE leads the scientific community to a way of working closer together in the interest of the athletes.Peer reviewe

    Hybrid bioactive hydrogels containing single-walled carbon nanotubes covalently integrated via strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition

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    A non-photochemical and metal-free orthogonal route for the covalent incorporation of single-walled carbon nanotubes into a κ-carrageenan-based bioactive hydrogel scaffold is reported. The characterization of materials was carried out by usual analytical techniques and hybrid biohydrogels were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity on HeLa cell lines. The results revealed a significant antiproliferative effect instead of additional cytotoxicity with respect to native hydrogels.Peer reviewe

    Effects of elastic band resistance training and nutritional supplementation on muscle quality and circulating muscle growth and degradation factors of institutionalized elderly women: the Vienna Active Ageing Study (VAAS)

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    Purpose: Regular resistance exercise training and a balanced diet may counteract the age-related muscular decline on a molecular level. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of elastic band resistance training and nutritional supplementation on circulating muscle growth and degradation factors, physical performance and muscle quality (MQ) of institutionalized elderly. Methods: Within the Vienna Active Ageing Study, 91 women aged 83.6 (65.0–92.2) years were randomly assigned to one of the three intervention groups (RT, resistance training; RTS, resistance training plus nutritional supplementation; CT, cognitive training). Circulating levels of myostatin, activin A, follistatin, IGF-1 and GDF-15, as well as MQ and functional parameters were tested at baseline as well as after 3 and 6 months of intervention. Results: MQ of lower extremities significantly increased in the RT group (+14 %) and RTS group (+12 %) after 6 months. Performance improved in the RT and RTS groups for chair stand test (RT: +18 %; RTS: +15 %). Follistatin increased only in the RT group (+18 %) in the latter phase of the intervention, accompanied by a decrease in the activin A-to-follistatin ratio (−7 %). IGF-1, myostatin and GDF-15 levels were not affected by the intervention. Conclusion: Our data confirm that strength training improves physical performance and MQ even in very old institutionalized women. This amelioration appears to be mediated by blocking muscle degradation pathways via follistatin rather than inducing muscle growth through the IGF-1 pathway. As plasma levels of biomarkers reflect an overall status of various organ systems, future studies of tissue levels are suggested

    Erratum: Correction to: Integrating Transwomen and Female Athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) into Elite Competition: The FIMS 2021 Consensus Statement (Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) (2021) 51 7 (1401-1415))

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    A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01467-0

    Integrating transwomen and female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) into elite competition : the FIMS 2021 consensus statement

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    Sport is historically designated by the binary categorization of male and female that conflicts with modern society. Sport’s governing bodies should consider reviewing rules determining the eligibility of athletes in the female category as there may be lasting advantages of previously high testosterone concentrations for transwomen athletes and currently high testosterone concentrations in differences in sex development (DSD) athletes. The use of serum testosterone concentrations to regulate the inclusion of such athletes into the elite female category is currently the objective biomarker that is supported by most available scientific literature, but it has limitations due to the lack of sports performance data before, during or after testosterone suppression. Innovative research studies are needed to identify other biomarkers of testosterone sensitivity/responsiveness, including molecular tools to determine the functional status of androgen receptors. The scientific community also needs to conduct longitudinal studies with specific control groups to generate the biological and sports performance data for individual sports to inform the fair inclusion or exclusion of these athletes. Eligibility of each athlete to a sport-specific policy needs to be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence made available to policymakers from all scientific communities. However, even the most evidence-based regulations are unlikely to eliminate all differences in performance between cisgender women with and without DSD and transwomen athletes. Any remaining advantage held by transwomen or DSD women could be considered as part of the athlete’s unique makeup.https://www.springer.com/journal/402792022-03-24hj2021Sports Medicin
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