Description of three female 24-h ultra-endurance race winners in various weather conditions and disciplines

A The incidence of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is higher in women than in men. We present three cases of a very mild post-race EAH in female winners of three 24-h ultra races in various weather conditions and disciplines with post-race plasma sodium [Na⁺] levels of 134 mM (Case 1), 133 mM (Case 2) and 134 mM (Case 3). Moreover, Case 1 and Case 2 showed elevated creatine kinase concentrations of >10,000 U/l with an absence of renal function abnormality. The common characteristics were female sex, veteran recreational category, long race experience in the particular sports discipline, excellent race performance, similar total weekly training hours and the presence of luteal phase of the menstrual cycle during the race. Hematocrit and hemoglobin decreased and post-race K⁺/Na⁺ ratio in urine increased in all three cases. In addition, an increased body mass and a decreased urine specific gravity and urine osmolality suggested over-drinking in Case 1. A decrease in the glomerular filtration rate and creatine clearance accompanied by an increase in urine [Na⁺] may contribute to fluid overload in Cases 2 and 3. Furthermore, urine osmolality reached a level indicating antidiuretic hormone secretion in all the present cases. Therefore, we recommend that race medical personnel should not forget to look for EAH even in fast and experienced female athletes and during races in different environmental conditions

Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia in Marathon Runners

Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) was first described as water intoxication by Noakes et al. in 1985 and has become an important topic linked to several pathological conditions. However, despite progressive research, neurological disorders and even deaths due to hyponatremic encephalopathy continue to occur. Therefore, and due to the growing popularity of exercise-associated hyponatremia, this topic is of great importance for marathon runners and all professionals involved in runners’ training (e.g., coaches, medical staff, nutritionists, and trainers). The present narrative review sought to evaluate the prevalence of EAH among marathon runners and to identify associated etiological and risk factors. Furthermore, the aim was to derive preventive and therapeutic action plans for marathon runners based on current evidence. The search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar using a predefined search algorithm by aggregating multiple terms (marathon run; exercise; sport; EAH; electrolyte disorder; fluid balance; dehydration; sodium concentration; hyponatremia). By this criterion, 135 articles were considered for the present study. Our results revealed that a complex interaction of different factors could cause EAH, which can be differentiated into event-related (high temperatures) and person-related (female sex) risk factors. There is variation in the reported prevalence of EAH, and two major studies indicated an incidence ranging from 7 to 15% for symptomatic and asymptomatic EAH. Athletes and coaches must be aware of EAH and its related problems and take appropriate measures for both training and competition. Coaches need to educate their athletes about the early symptoms of EAH to intervene at the earliest possible stage. In addition, individual hydration strategies need to be developed for the daily training routine, ideally in regard to sweat rate and salt losses via sweat. Future studies need to investigate the correlation between the risk factors of EAH and specific subgroups of marathon runners

Ultra-Cycling- Past, Present, Future: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND Ultra-endurance events are gaining popularity in multiple exercise disciplines, including cycling. With increasing numbers of ultra-cycling events, aspects influencing participation and performance are of interest to the cycling community. MAIN BODY The aim of this narrative review was, therefore, to assess the types of races offered, the characteristics of the cyclists, the fluid and energy balance during the race, the body mass changes after the race, and the parameters that may enhance performance based on existing literature. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the search terms 'ultracycling', 'ultra cycling', 'ultra-cycling', 'ultra-endurance biking', 'ultra-bikers' and 'prolonged cycling'. The search yielded 948 results, of which 111 were relevant for this review. The studies were classified according to their research focus and the results were summarized. The results demonstrated changes in physiological parameters, immunological and oxidative processes, as well as in fluid and energy balance. While the individual race with the most published studies was the Race Across America, most races were conducted in Europe, and a trend for an increase in European participants in international races was observed. Performance seems to be affected by characteristics such as age and sex but not by anthropometric parameters such as skin fold thickness. The optimum age for the top performance was around 40 years. Most participants in ultra-cycling events were male, but the number of female athletes has been increasing over the past years. Female athletes are understudied due to their later entry and less prominent participation in ultra-cycling races. A post-race energy deficit after ultra-cycling events was observed. CONCLUSION Future studies need to investigate the causes for the observed optimum race age around 40 years of age as well as the optimum nutritional supply to close the observed energy gap under consideration of the individual race lengths and conditions. Another research gap to be filled by future studies is the development of strategies to tackle inflammatory processes during the race that may persist in the post-race period

Training, anthropometric and physiological characteristics in men recreational marathon runners: The role of sport experience

The aim of the present study was to examine physiological and training characteristics in marathon runners with different sport experience (defined as the number of finishes in marathon races).The anthropometry and physiological characteristics of men recreational endurance runners with three or less finishes in marathon races (novice group, NOV; n=69, age 43.5±8.0 years) and four or more finishes (experienced group, EXP; n=66, 45.2±9.4 years) were compared. EXP had faster personal best marathon time (3:44±0:36 vs. 4:20±0:44 h:min, p<0.001, respectively), lower flexibility (15.9±9.3 vs. 19.3±15.9 cm, p=0.022), abdominal (20.6±7.9 vs. 23.8±9.0 mm, p=0.030) and iliac crest skinfold thickness(16.7±6.7 vs. 19.9±7.9 mm, p=0.013), body fat assessed by bioimpedance analysis (13.0±4.4 vs. 14.6±4.7%, p=0.047), more weekly training days (4.6±1.4 vs. 4.1±1.0 days, p=0.038) and longer weekly running distance (58.8±24.0 vs.47.2±16.1 km, p=0.001) than NOV. The findings indicated that long-term marathon training might induce adaptations in endurance performance, body composition and flexibility.Cílem této studie bylo zkoumat fyziologické a tréninkové charakteristiky maratonských běžců s různými sportovními zkušenostmi (definovaných jako počet dokončení maratonského závodu). Antropometrie a fyziologické charakteristiky mužů rekreačních vytrvalostních běžců se třemi a méně úspěšnými dokončeními maratonu (skupina začátečníků, NOV; n = 69, věk 43,5 ± 8,0 let) a čtyři a více dokončených závodů (skupina se zkušenostmi, EXP; n = 66, 45,2 ± 9,4 let). Skupina EXP měla rychlejší osobní maratonský čas (3: 44 ± 0:36 vs. 4:20 ± 0:44 h: min, p <0,001), nižší flexibilitu (15,9 ± 9,3 vs. 19,3 ± 15,9 cm, p = 0,022), tloušťku břišní kožní řasy (20,6 ± 7,9 vs. 23,8 ± 9,0 mm, p = 0,030) a tloušťku kožní řasy iliac crest (16,7 ± 6,7 vs. 19,9 ± 7,9 mm, p = 0,013), tělesný tuk stanovený bioimpedanční analýzou (13,0 ± 4,4 vs. 14,6 ± 4,7%, p = 0,047), více týdenních tréninkových dnů (4,6 ± 1,4 vs. 4,1 ± 1,0 dne, p = 0,038) a delší týdenní naběhanou vzdálenost (58,8 ± 24,0 vs. 47,2 ± 16,1 km, p = 0,001 ) než skupina NOV. Výsledky naznačily, že dlouhodobý maratonský trénink může vyvolat adaptace ve vytrvalostním výkonu, složení těla a flexibilitě

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug consumption in a multi stage and a 24-h mountain bike competition

Purpose: Excessive or inappropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use during ultra-endurance events could cause potential risk to athletes’ health. Reports on NSAID consumption in mountain bikers or ultra-mountain bikers are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of NSAID consumption immediately before, during and immediately after a mountain bike (MTB) race and to compare NSAID consumption in two different MTB competitions. Methods: This observational study took place at a three-stage MTB race (SMTB) (n = 63) and at a 24-h MTB race (24MTB) (n = 68), both held in the Czechia in 2017. NSAID consumption was evaluated via self-reported electronic questionnaires. Results: Of all finishers (n = 131), fourteen (10%) consumed NSAID at least once during the competition day (immediately before, during or immediately after the race). The number of NSAID consumers was the same in both competitions. Nevertheless, only three athletes (2%), all of them from the 24MTB, consumed NSAID during the race and 5% of all mountain bikers reported consumption after the race. In contrast to the SMTB, the intake reported by the 24MTB participants was quite homogeneous in terms of the timing of NSAID consumption. The NSAID users were older (p = 0.043) than the non-users. Ibuprofen was most commonly used by 79% of all consumers Conclusion: The prevalence of NSAID use was higher in the older participants and seems to be lower in comparison with results from studies about runners, ultra-runners and triathletes suggesting that it is determined by the discipline (i.e., cycling). On the other hand, the timing of NSAID consumption was probably affected by the competition character (e.g., MTBS or 24MTB). Future studies should focus on a larger sample size of cyclists from various disciplines.Účel: Nadměrné nebo nevhodné použití nesteroidních protizánětlivých léků (NSAID) během ultra-vytrvalostních akcí může způsobit potenciální riziko pro zdraví sportovců. Zprávy o spotřebě NSAID u horských a extrémních horských cyklistů jsou vzácné. Proto bylo cílem této studie prozkoumat výskyt spotřeby NSAID bezprostředně před, během a po závodě na horských kolech (MTB) a porovnat spotřebu NSAID ve dvou různých soutěžích MTB. Metody: Tato observační studie proběhla na tří etapovém závodě MTB (SMTB) (n = 63) a na 24hodinovém závodě MTB (24MTB) (n = 68), oba se konaly v České republice v roce 2017. Spotřeba NSAID byla hodnocena prostřednictvím elektronicky vyplněných dotazníků. Výsledky: Ze všech závodníků (n = 131) čtrnáct (10%) konzumovalo NSAID alespoň jednou během soutěžního dne (bezprostředně před, během nebo bezprostředně po závodě). Počet konzumentů NSAID byl v obou soutěžích stejný. Nicméně pouze tři sportovci (2%), všichni z 24MTB, spotřebovali NSAID během závodu a 5% všech horských cyklistů uvedlo spotřebu po závodě. Na rozdíl od SMTB byl příjem uváděný účastníky 24MTB poměrně homogenní, pokud jde o načasování spotřeby NSAID. Uživatelé NSAID byli starší (p = 0,043) než uživatelé, kteří nejsou uživateli. Ibuprofen byl nejčastěji konzumován 79% ze všech běžců. Závěr: Prevalence užívání NSAID byla vyšší u starších účastníků a zdá se, že je nižší ve srovnání s výsledky studií o běžcích, ultra-běžcích a triatlonistech, což naznačuje, že je to ovlivněno disciplínou (cyklistika). Na druhou stranu, načasování spotřeby NSAID bylo pravděpodobně ovlivněno charakterem soutěže (etapový závod na horských kolech nebo 24hodinový závod na horských kolech). Budoucí studie by se měly zaměřit na větší vzorek cyklistů z různých diciplín

Body Composition Changes During a 24-h Winter Mountain Running Race Under Extremely Cold Conditions

Background: To date, no study has focused on body composition characteristics and on parameters associated with skeletal muscle damage and renal function in runners participating in a 24-h winter race held under extremely cold environmental conditions (average temperature of -14.3°C).Methods: Anthropometric characteristics, plasma urea (PU), plasma creatinine (Pcr), creatine kinase (CK), plasma volume (PV) and total body water (TBW) were assessed pre- and post-race in 20 finishers (14 men and 6 women).Results: In male runners, body mass (BM) (p = 0.003) and body fat (BF) (p = 0.001) decreased [-1.1 kg (-1.4%) and -1.1 kg (-13.4%), respectively]; skeletal muscle mass (SM) and TBW remained stable (p &gt; 0.05). In female runners, BF decreased (p = 0.036) [-1.3 kg (-7.8%)] while BM, SM and TBW remained stable (p &gt; 0.05). The change (Δ) in BM was not related to Δ BF; however, Δ BM was related to Δ SM [r = 0.58, p = 0.007] and Δ TBW (r = 0.59, p = 0.007). Δ SM correlated with Δ TBW (r = 0.51, p = 0.021). Moreover, Δ BF was negatively associated with Δ SM (r = -0.65, p = 0.002). PV (p &lt; 0.001), CK (p &lt; 0.001), Pcr (p = 0.004) and PU (p &lt; 0.001) increased and creatinine clearance (CrCl) decreased (p = 0.002). The decrease in BM was negatively related to the increase in CK (r = -0.71, p &lt; 0.001). Δ Pcr was positively related to Δ PU (r = 0.64, p = 0.002). The decrease in CrCl was negatively associated with the increase in both PU (r = -0.72, p &lt; 0.001) and CK (r = -0.48, p = 0.032).Conclusion: The 24-h running race under extremely cold conditions led to a significant BF decrease, whereas SM and TBW remained stable in both males and females. Nevertheless, the increase in CK, Pcr and PU was related to the damage of SM with transient impaired renal function

Life in Health 2019: Research and Practice

This proceedings contains a selection of papers from the internacional interdisciplinary conference Life in Health 2019, which took place from 5 to 6 September 2019 in the Czech Republic at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University. The papers focus on general as well as specific approaches to public health protection and promotion. The findings presented are based on research data and are applicable in health education and general education of children and the whole population

Ochran obyvatelstva, přežití a fyzická kondice

The development of education in civil protection shows a continuous change from preparation for protection against the results of wars to the present aim - which deals mainly with the results of natural and anthropogenic disasters. At the same time the problems and drawbacks in this field of education have emerged. They are exemplified by present results of research into human protection education in extraordinary events in primary schools. There is an obvious link between education in solving critical situations and extraordinary events and education in outdoor physical training.Rozvoj vzdělávání v oblasti civilní ochrany ukazuje plynulou změnu od přípravy na ochranu proti výsledkům války až po současnost - cíl, který se zabývá především následky přírodních a antropogenních katastrof. Ve stejné době se objevily problémy a nedostatky v této oblasti vzdělávání. Přehled současných výsledků výzkumu vzdělávání v ochraně člověka za mimořádných událostí na základních školách. Je zřejmá souvislost mezi vzděláním při řešení krizových situací a mimořádných událostí a vzděláváním v tělesné výchově