AEROBIC POWER IN CHILD, CADET AND SENIOR JUDO ATHLETES

The aim of the present study was to compare performance and physiological responses during arm and leg aerobic power tests of combat duration in male child, cadet and senior judo athletes. Power output and physiological parameters, i.e., peak oxygen uptake ( ·VO2peak), peak ventilation, peak heart rate, lactate, and rate of perceived exertion, of 7 child (under 15 years: age class U15, 12.7 ± 1.1 yrs), 10 cadet (U17, 14.9 ± 0.7 yrs) and 8 senior ( 20, 29.3 ± 9.2 yrs) male judo athletes were assessed during incremental tests of combat duration on an arm crank and a cycle ergometer. Children as well as cadets demonstrated higher upper body relative VO2peak than seniors (37.3 ± 4.9, 39.2 ± 5.0 and 31.0 ± 2.1 ml∙kg-1∙min-1, respectively); moreover, upper and lower body relative VO2peak decreased with increasing age (r = -0.575, p < 0.003 and r = -0.580, p < 0.002, respectively). Children showed lower blood lactate concentrations after cranking as well as after cycling when compared to seniors (7.8 ± 2.4 vs. 11.4 ± 2.1 mmol∙l-1 and 7.9 ± 3.0 vs. 12.0 ± 1.9 mmol���l-1, respectively); furthermore, blood lactate values after cranking increased with age (r = 0.473, p < 0.017). These differences should be considered in planning the training for judo athletes of different age classes

Association of personal and equipment-related factors on ACL injury risk in alpine skiers with cautious or risk-taking behaviour: A case-control study

Background: In recreational alpine skiing ACL injury risk depends on the interaction of individual characteristics and behaviours as well as on equipment-related factors. Aim: to evaluate if and to what extent personal characteristics and equipment-related parameters are associated with ACL injury risk in cautious and risk-taking recreational alpine skiers. Methods: A retrospective questionnaire-based, case-control study of ACL-injured and uninjured in a cohort of cautious as well as risk-taking recreational skiers was conducted. Participants self-reported their demographics, skiing skill level, and risk-taking behaviour. Ski length, side-cut radius, widths of the tip, waist, and tail were recorded from each participant's skis. Standing heights at the front and rear components of the ski binding were measured with a digital sliding caliper, and a standing height ratio between the front and rear components was calculated. Ski boot sole abrasion at the toe and heel pieces was also measured with the digital sliding caliper. Results: In total, 1068 recreational skiers (50.8% females) with a mean age of 37.8 ± 12.3 years participated, of whom 193 (22.0%) sustained an ACL injury, and 330 (30.9%) participants reported a risk-taking behaviour. Results of the multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that a higher age, a lower skill level, a higher standing height ratio, and greater ski boot sole abrasion at the toe as well as heel pieces were independently associated with an increased ACL injury risk in both the cautious and the risk-taking group. Among cautious skiers, a longer ski length was an additional significant risk factor for sustaining an ACL injury. In conclusion, the same personal and equipment related characteristics contribute to an increase in the ACL injury risk regardless of risk-taking behaviour, with the only difference that longer skis represent an additional risk factor in cautious skiers

Unchanged Fatality Rate on Austrian Ski Slopes during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Fatalities on ski slopes are very rare, with about one death per one million skier days. Whether the fatality rate is affected by substantial changes in the number of skier days and potentially associated alterations in the structure of the skier population is unknown. Thus, we compared the fatality rate on Austrian ski slopes in the winter season of 2020/21, when skiing activities were dramatically restricted during the COVID-19 lockdown, with those of the previous winter seasons. As a consequence of COVID-19 measures, the number of skier days dropped from over 50 million in previous years to 9.2 million skier days in the winter season of 2020/21. Still, the fatality rate (6.5 deaths/10 million skier days) was not different when compared to any of the seasons from 2011/12 to 2019/20. Despite the lack of international skiers and the reduction in skier days by more than 80%, the fatality rate remained surprisingly unchanged. The weather and snowfall conditions were on average comparable to those of previous winters, and, except for nationality, the composition of the skier population appears to have remained relatively unaltered. In conclusion, the fatality rate during downhill skiing is low and the absolute fatality numbers are primarily a function of the number of skier days

Il sanguinamento rettale nel lattante

Rectal bleeding in newborns and infants is an alarming symptom that raises parental anxiety and usually leads to rapid medical attention. In children who are apparently well, rectal bleeding can be explained by an allergic proctocolitis triggered by cow\u2019s milk proteins transferred to the baby via breast milk or assumed via artificial formulas. We studied retrospectively all infants with rectal bleeding that referred to our hospital and recall them after 2-11 years to assess whether colonscopy is always necessary to make diagnosis, whether children develop a major gastrointestinal disease some years after and whether the exclusion of the allergen from the diet is an effective treatment

INJURIES DURING SUWARI SEOI NAGE IN ITALIAN JUDO ATHLETES

The safety of the athletes has to be a priority for every sport organization and coaches. Judo is a grappling combat sport, where the injuries occur during competition and training. Despite the wide range of attacks possibilities in Judo, very few are the most used techniques in competition. One of the most successful and frequently used technique is the Suwari Seoi Nage, the throw type where the attacker fall on both knees during the action. However, we didn\u2019t find any investigation about the impact of the use of Suwari Seoi Nage on acute injury in Judo athletes. Thus, this pilot study was conducted with a sample of Italian judokas. The aim was to identify the risk factor injury events that can occur to who performs this technique, in order to suggest possible preventive strategies in future. The survey assessed to 94 adult athletes, females and males, brown and black belts, with different judo abilities and training experiences, find out that the injuries during the execution of this technique happened to one judo player every four, mainly to the knees, mostly because of a wrong execution and secondly because of a bad defense from the opponent

Impact of Parental Education and Physical Activity on the Long-Term Development of the Physical Fitness of Primary School Children: An Observational Study

Low physical fitness (PF) has been associated with higher risk of suffering from different diseases. The importance of PF is evident already in early ages, as children’s PF appears to be a key factor of their future PF and physical activity level. Among the variables that may have an influence on children’s PF, the importance of parent’s socioeconomic status and active/inactive behaviors has been stressed in several previous studies. However, previous literature has mostly reported this association through cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parental education and self-reported parental physical activity (PA) on their children’s development of PF during the 4-year duration of primary education. Using German Motor Test 6-18, the major components of PF (sprint velocity, coordination, flexibility, strength endurance, power, and endurance) were measured on a total of 371 children (46.9% girls, 30.6% migration background, 19.6% overweight/obese at the fourth test time point, compliance 70.1%) from 20 primary schools in Tyrol, Austria. Results showed that children with at least one parent with upper secondary education or above obtained significantly higher PF scores at all time points compared to children with both parents with lower secondary education and below. However, PF in both groups developed over time in a comparable manner irrespective of parental education. From the age of 9 years old, children with regularly physically active parents showed a stronger development of PF over the time compared to their peers with parents reporting irregular/no PA. Our results suggest that low-educated parents’ children might be considered a special target group for interventions aiming at increasing PF. More research is needed in order to delve into the potential underdevelopment of PF in 9-year-old children whose parents have low PA levels

Improving Spatial Hearing when Wearing Ski Helmets in Order to Increase Safety on Ski Slopes

This study investigated the effect of a new type of ear pads for ski helmets on the hearing performance of 13 young adults (mean age: 22 years). Free-field hearing thresholds and sound localization performance of the subjects were assessed in three conditions: without helmet, with a conventional helmet and with the modified helmet. Results showed that the modified helmet was superior to the conventional helmet in all respects, but did not allow for a performance level observed without a helmet. Considering the importance of precise hearing and sound localization during alpine skiing, acoustically improved ear pads of ski helmets, as demonstrated in this study, can essentially contribute to enhancing the safety on ski slopes

Characteristics of Victims of Fall-Related Accidents during Mountain Hiking

The study evaluated characteristics of non-fatal mountain hiking accidents caused by falls. Questionnaires were sent to mountain hikers who suffered a fall-related accident in Tyrol (Austria) during a 3-year period. The questionnaire included details of socio-demographic data, physical activity, medication intake, defective vision, breaks, fluid intake, level of fatigue, muscle soreness, use of backpacks, use of hiking sticks, and type of shoes. Data of 405 individuals (57% females and 43% males) were included in the analyses. Victims were 56 &plusmn; 15 years of age, had a body mass index of 24.8 &plusmn; 3.5, and indicated 4.2 &plusmn; 3.9 h/week regular physical activity. A defective vision was reported by 70% of the victims, breaks were frequent (in 80%), and alcohol intake was rare (4%) among the interviewed hikers. Subjective level of fatigue was low and only 5% reported muscle soreness. A backpack was carried by 83% of the victims and the average weight was higher in males compared to females. The majority (61%) of the victims wore ankle-height hiking shoes with a profiled sole. Victims of non-fatal falls in mountain hiking are older than the general population of mountain hikers and are often afflicted with defective vision