Functional characteristics of racing drivers during closed-circuit race

Modern data on a functional condition of race car pilots participating in closed-circuit race are presented in the review. Based on the results of domestic and foreign studies in recent years the influence of the main stress factors, including heat and carbon monoxide, on the cardiovascular and perceptual system of pilots is presented. The results of studies on the perception and cognitive skills of racers are also presented. Special attention is paid to the importance of carrying out methods of sports psychology, improvement of the general physical condition of pilots. Issues of injuries and activities aimed at ensuring the safety of auto racing on ring roads are covered. In conclusion, the relevance of further research aimed at applying a holistic approach to the study of physiological and cognitive functions of racers, as well as the need to improve the safety of competitions is stated

Towards simplifying assessment of athletes physical fitness: Evaluation of the total physical performance by means of machine learning

The paper describes the methodology for the evaluation of the total physical performance of athletes on the basis of simultaneously recorded signals of stabilography and heart rate variability. An objective assessment of the level of physical performance was carried out using testing on the bicycle ergometer. The use of genetic programming and linear discriminant analysis allowed obtaining the set of diagnostically significant features. The set of diagnostically significant features is able to determine the level of physical fitness using only data from stabilographic studies and heart rate variability with an accuracy of at least 97%. Strength and weaknesses of the proposed approach are discussed. © 2019 by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

Return to training after coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) infection

The coronavirus pandemic raises an important issue of the return professional and amateur athletes to training after COVID-19 infection. Since no standard protocols for return to sports after the new coronavirus infection are approved to date, and few studies were done on SARS-CoV-2 infection short- and long-term complications in sports professionals, the question arises about the criteria for the athletes’ training restart after COVID-19 infection to protect the health of athletes and prevent long-term adverse health effects. This review is a synthesis of currently available information on the athletes’ re-involvement into the training process after COVID-19 infection

Possibilities of echocardiographic screening in athletes. Part 1. Normal values

Objective: assess the suitability of existing domestic and international recommendations for the use of echocardiography as a screening method for examining athletes; to select standards that characterize the heart in different sports, based on their own research.Materials and methods: a meta‑analysis of 38 domestic and foreign literature sources based on the results of an echocardiographic examination of athletes was carried out. The indicators of 2647 male athletes aged 16 to 45 years old, playing for the national teams of the city of Moscow and having passed an in‑depth medical examination at the Sports Medicine Clinic, were studied.Results: heart sizes in athletes differ slightly from population indicators, however, in 14–45% of cases they go beyond the reference values. In the absence of heart disease, the largest dimensions of the left ventricle (LV) are observed in endurance exercisers. At the same time, high functionality correlates with increased LV volume indexed by BCA (for EDV/BSA and VO2 AT r = 0.52, p < 0.05).Conclusion: echocardiographic screening of athletes allows obtaining sufficient information to identify congenital or pathology that has arisen during excessive training loads. As standards, it is advisable to use population indicators expressed in centile values

Possibilities of echocardiographic screening in athletes. Part 2. Structural changes of the heart

Objective: to assess the suitability of existing domestic and international recommendations and standards for the use of echocardiography as a screening technique for examining athletes with various diseases.Materials and methods: a meta‑analysis of 59 domestic and foreign literature sources based on the results of an echocardiographic examination of athletes was carried out. The indicators of 2647 male athletes aged 16 to 45 years old, playing for the national teams of the city of Moscow and having passed an in‑depth medical examination at the Sports Medicine Clinic, were studied.Results: screening echocardiography sufficiently reveals structural deviations of the heart of athletes from population norms, including congenital or acquired pathologies that cause both sudden death and general morbidity compared with a healthy population.Conclusion: in order to speed up and reduce the cost of the examination of athletes, it is appropriate to use the primary screening, and if necessary, an in‑depth examination. In this case, it is advisable to distinguish three diagnostic stages that determine the danger or admissibility of playing sports: (A) — the risk of developing complications, (B) — the presence of structural changes in the heart, and (C) — the appearance of clinical symptoms

Influence of the transferred coronavirus infection on diseases of the endocrine system in athletes

Purpose: to study the effect of the transferred viral (on the example of COVID‑19) infection on the endocrine system of athletes.Materials and methods: the data of 1114 athletes (average age 22.23 ± 4.18 years) who underwent in‑depth medical examination in the period 2021–2022 were analyzed. The examination included an analysis of sports and infectious anamnesis, the results of hormonal, biochemical and instrumental studies.Results: coronavirus infection was suffered by the majority of athletes — 724 people (65 %) — in the vast majority of cases (91 %), their disease was asymptomatic or mild. 390 athletes (35 %) had no history of infection. There was a significant increase in the incidence of hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, insulin‑dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis among athletes who had a coronavirus infection when compared with athletes who were not ill. The development of endocrine diseases did not depend on the severity of the infection and was most often detected with its mild and asymptomatic course. During the examination, six cases of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus and eight cases of thyrotoxicosis were detected among athletes who had a coronavirus infection. The development of these conditions did not depend on the severity of the infection. At the same time, only 1 case of thyrotoxicosis was registered in athletes who were not ill, no new cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus were diagnosed. In the present study, no association was found between the transmitted coronavirus infection and an increase in the number of cases of nodular goiter, hyperprolactinemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus.Conclusion: the results of the study showed that in the long‑term period after COVID‑19, autoimmune endocrine diseases, such as primary hypothyroidism, diffuse‑toxic goiter with thyrotoxicosis, autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, were significantly more often manifested in athletes, which is probably associated with a cross‑lesion of autoimmunity against a background of viral infection

Sochi Olympics legacy in mass sport and healthy lifestyle development and popularization

The Olympic Games are a mega-event not only for athletes, coaches and referees. It is also very important for all citizens of the Olympic Games host country. The Olympics legacy is the development of mass rather than professional sport. Six years passed since Sochi Olympics and now it is time to evaluate and analyze the intangible aspect of the mega-sports event legacy. We analyzed the data on the overall growth in the number of people systematically involved in physical education and sports in Russia from 2008 to 2019. The study findings suggest a significant positive impact of the Olympics on people’s lifestyle. Over the decade, the number of people involved in physical education and sports in Russia increased 2.5 times. The main positive effect is revealed in young people

Practical guidelines for standardising the measurement of resting metabolism by indirect calorimetry: a literature review

Accurate resting metabolic rate readings are essential for dietary planning and body composition monitoring not only for healthy individuals but also for athletes. A number of factors can alter resting metabolic rate during its measurement by indirect calorimetry. The methodology used may affect the results of the study. A clear standardisation of this procedure is needed to obtain the most accurate results.Purpose: To review the literature to determine the optimal subject condition and methodology for the resting metabolism measurement procedure using indirect calorimetry.Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. The query included key words and logical phrases: “calorimetry”, “indirect calorimetry”, “resting metabolic rate”, “energy metabolism”, “basal metabolism”, “standards”. Only Englishlanguage studies and human studies were considered. Additional information was identified because of the review and included in the review.Results: the parameters of standardization during the resting metabolism measurement procedure are described: consumption of food, ethanol, caffeine, nicotine; daily activities and physical activity; body position in space and environmental conditions during the measurement; actions of the specialist performing the procedure, etc. The article outlines effective methods for measuring resting metabolism to obtain the most accurate results in both athletes and non-athletes.Conclusion: an attempt has been made to formulate precise methodological rules for standardization and recommendations for measuring resting metabolism by indirect calorimetry

Practical guidelines for standardising the measurement of resting metabolism by indirect calorimetry: a literature review

Accurate resting metabolic rate readings are essential for dietary planning and body composition monitoring not only for healthy individuals but also for athletes. A number of factors can alter resting metabolic rate during its measurement by indirect calorimetry. The methodology used may affect the results of the study. A clear standardisation of this procedure is needed to obtain the most accurate results.Purpose: To review the literature to determine the optimal subject condition and methodology for the resting metabolism measurement procedure using indirect calorimetry.Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. The query included key words and logical phrases: “calorimetry”, “indirect calorimetry”, “resting metabolic rate”, “energy metabolism”, “basal metabolism”, “standards”. Only English-language studies and human studies were considered. Additional information was identified because of the review and included in the review.Results: the parameters of standardization during the resting metabolism measurement procedure are described: consumption of food, ethanol, caffeine, nicotine; daily activities and physical activity; body position in space and environmental conditions during the measurement; actions of the specialist performing the procedure, etc. The article outlines effective methods for measuring resting metabolism to obtain the most accurate results in both healthy individuals and athletes.Conclusion: an attempt has been made to formulate precise methodological rules for standardisation and recommendations for measuring resting metabolism by indirect calorimetry

Endocrine aspect of overtraining in athletes

Striving to achieve the goals of the training process with the irrational use of physical activity can lead to a decrease in the adaptive and reserve capabilities of the athlete. The development of changes in the endocrine, cardiovascular and central nervous systems may result in the development of overtraining syndrome. There is no unified approach to the definition, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of overtraining syndrome in the literature up to the present day. The endocrine aspects of the development of the overtraining syndrome are not sufficiently studied. In particular, there is no clear understanding of the degree of involvement of various hormonal mechanisms in its pathogenesis and ideas about the possibilities of using hormone levels to diagnose this condition. The purpose of this publication is to summarize and systematize the available concepts regarding the endocrine aspects of the overtraining syndrome