Nutritional Status and Competitive Ability in Wheelechair Basketball Players

本研究では、障害者スポーツの中でも最も人気が高く、競技人口の多い競技のうちの１つである車椅子バスケットボール選手を対象にアンケート調査を実施し、競技力向上の手がかりと食生活に関する調査を行い、障害者スポーツ選手のサポート・食生活のあり方について検討することを目的とした。その結果、1)車椅子バスケットボール実施者、競技水準が上がるにつれて年齢は下がっている傾向がみられた、2)車椅子バスケットボール実施理由を「競技志向」、「健康志向」、「きっかけづくり」と3因子に分類したとき「競技志向」と競技水準には有意な相関がみられた、3)「栄養・食生活に関するサポート」と競技水準とについて有意な相関がみられ、競技水準の高いものが栄養・食生活に関する意識が高い傾向がみられた

Characteristics of myogenic response and ankle torque recovery after lengthening contraction-induced rat gastrocnemius injury

BACKGROUND: Although muscle dysfunction caused by unfamiliar lengthening contraction is one of most important issues in sports medicine, there is little known about the molecular events on regeneration process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the temporal and spatial expression patterns of myogenin, myoD, pax7, and myostatin after acute lengthening contraction (LC)-induced injury in the rat hindlimb. METHODS: We employed our originally developed device with LC in rat gastrocnemius muscle (n = 24). Male Wistar rats were anesthetized with isoflurane (aspiration rate, 450 ml/min, concentration, 2.0%). The triceps surae muscle of the right hindlimb was then electrically stimulated with forced isokinetic dorsi-flexion (180°/sec and from 0 to 45°). Tissue contents of myoD, myogenin, pax7, myostatin were measured by western blotting and localizations of myoD and pax7 was measured by immunohistochemistry. After measuring isometric tetanic torque, a single bout of LC was performed in vivo. RESULTS: The torque was significantly decreased on days 2 and 5 as compared to the pre-treatment value, and recovered by day 7. The content of myoD and pax7 showed significant increases on day 2. Myogenin showed an increase from day 2 to 5. Myostatin on days 5 and 7 were significantly increased. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that myoD-positive/pax7-positive cells increased on day 2, suggesting that activated satellite cells play a role in the destruction and the early recovery phases. CONCLUSION: We, thus, conclude that myogenic events associate with torque recovery after LC-induced injury

足関節におけるキネシオテープ貼付が身体の重心動揺安定性に及ぼす影響

本研究では、足関節におけるキネシオテープが身体の重心動揺安定性に及ぼす影響について検討するため、重心動揺計及びバランスボードによる評価を行った。その結果、身体の重心動揺安定性に関しては、キネシオテープ貼付が閉眼時のバランス能力を改善させることが示唆された。また、キネシオテープ貼付はバランスボード上での総接地時間を低下させ、その傾向は、前後方向の重心動揺回数においてより顕著であった。以上の結果より、足関節におけるキネシオテープは身体の重心動揺安定性を改善させることが明らかになった

Nutritional Status of Disabled Athletes - Dietary and Supplemental lntakes -

近年,サプリメントと呼ばれる栄養補助食品が,日常生活でもスポーツの世界でも非常に流行し,サプリメントについて正しく認識していくことはスポーツ選手にとって重要である｡また,近年障害者スポーツの人気が高まり,岡山でも全国障害者スポーツ大会を目指し,医科学サポートを展開している｡そこで本研究では,岡山県の身体障害者スポーツ選手を対象に,栄養摂取状況･食生活･サプリメントに関する調査を行った｡その結莱,スポーツ選手 として適切な食事･食生活が送れているとは言えず,サプリメントに関しては積極的に使用していという現状が明らかになった｡今後は単なる食事や栄養指導だけでなく,スポーツ選手の食生活やサプリメントに関する指導も含めた栄養サポートが必要である

Higher Training Frequency Is Important for Gaining Muscular Strength Under Volume-Matched Training

Background: This study investigated the effect of volume-matched strength training programs with different frequency and subsequent detraining on muscle size and strength.Methods: During a training period of 11 weeks, untrained subjects (age: 22.3 ± 0.9 years, height: 173.1 ± 4.8 cm and body mass: 66.8 ± 8.4 kg) performed knee-extension exercise at 67% of their estimated one-repetition maximum either one session per week (T1 group: 6 sets of 12 repetitions per session; n = 10) or three sessions per week (T3 group: 2 sets of 12 repetitions per session; n = 10). Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle stiffness were measured as an index of muscle fatigue and muscle damage, respectively. The magnitude of muscle hypertrophy was assessed with thigh circumference and the quadriceps muscle thickness. The changes in muscle strength were measured with isometric maximum voluntary contraction torque (MVC).Results: During the training period, RPE was significantly higher in the T1 than in the T3 (p < 0.001). After 11 weeks of training, both groups exhibited significant improvements in thigh circumference, muscle thickness, and MVC compared with baseline values. However, there was a significant group difference in MVC improvement at week 11 (T1: 43.5 ± 15.5%, T3: 65.2 ± 23.2%, p < 0.05). After 6 weeks of detraining, both groups showed the significant decreases in thigh circumference and muscle thickness from those at the end of training period, while no significant effect of detraining was observed in MVC.Conclusion: These results suggest that three training sessions per week with two sets are recommended for untrained subjects to improve muscle strength while minimizing fatigue compared to one session per week with six sets

Gender and Japan-Korea Differences in Psychological Characteristics through DIPCA and POMS for All Japan Wheelchair Basketball Atheletes

Although previous studies investigating physical performance and biomechanics in wheelchair-bound athletes were reported, few studies have characterized the psychological state of these athletes. This study investigated differences in psychological characteristics among 37 wheelchair-bound athletes (Japanese males, n=11; Japanese females, n=9; Korean males, n=17). All subjects belonged to their own national teams for disabled wheelchair basketball. All subjects completed both the Diagnostic Inventory of Psychological-Competitive Ability for Athletes (DIPCA) and the Profile Of Mood States (POMS). Statictics analysis of DIPCA showed that the psychological competitive abilities in the Japanese males were significantly better than those in the Korean males in this series. However. the scores on POMS did not show significant differences between the Japanese and Korean males, expect for the score for "anger". Neither DIPCA nor POMS showed any significant differences with regard to gender. Above all, we conclude that the psychological differences between Japanese and Koreans reflected the outcomes of international competitions and these there was no gender difference in psychological characteristics

Eicosahexanoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA) in Muscle Damage and Function

Nutritional supplementation not only helps in improving and maintaining performance in sports and exercise, but also contributes in reducing exercise fatigue and in recovery from exhaustion. Fish oil contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3). It is widely known that omega-3 fatty acids are effective for improving cardiac function, depression, cognitive function, and blood as well as lowering blood pressure. In the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and exercise performance, previous studies have been predicted improved endurance performance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, and effectivity against delayed-onset muscle soreness. However, the optimal dose, duration, and timing remain unclear. This review focuses on the effects of omega-3 fatty acid on muscle damage and function as evaluated by human and animal studies and summarizes its effects on muscle and nerve damage, and muscle mass and strength

TIME COURSE CHANGE OF IGF1/AKT/MTOR/P70S6K PATHWAY ACTIVATION IN RAT GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE DURING REPEATED BOUTS OF ECCENTRIC EXERCISE

The purpose of this study was to examine whether insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway activity is altered by chronic eccentric exercise in rat medial gastrocnemius muscle. Male Wistar rats (n = 24) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 groups: eccentric exercise (ECC) group or sham-operated control (CON) group. Rats in the ECC group were trained every second day for 10 days (5 sessions in total) or 20 days (10 sessions in total). After either 5 or 10 exercise sessions, muscle specimens were dissected and weighed. The mRNA expression of IGF-1 and its variant, mechano growth factor (MGF), was evaluated using real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Tissue concentrations of Akt (P), mTOR (P), and p70S6K (P) were measured by using western blot analysis. The medial gastrocnemius muscle mass of the ECC group did not show any significant difference after 5 exercise sessions, whereas the muscle mass increased significantly after 10 exercise sessions with a concomitant increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers (p < 0.05). The expression of IGF-1 mRNA and the tissue concentrations of Akt (P) and p70S6K (P) after 10 exercise sessions was significantly higher than those of the age-matched controls and the rats that received 5 exercise sessions. The expression of MGF mRNA in both ECC5S and ECC10S were significantly higher than that in each period-matched control (p < 0.01). The tissue concentration of mTOR (P) after 10 sessions showed a significant increase when compared with period-matched controls (p < 0.01). These results suggest that activation of the IGF-1/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway becomes dominant in the later phase of chronic exercise, when significant muscular hypertrophy is observe