Comparison of rectus femoris architecture and somatotype between well-trained bodybuilders and soccer players

Objective: Training has different adaptive effects on muscle architecture and body types in the long term. The purpose of this study was to compare rectus femoris architecture and somatotypes of well-trained bodybuilders and soccer players. Material and Methods: A total of thirty male athletes (15 bodybuilders and 15 soccer players, with at least 5 years of training experience) were included in the study. The thickness of the rectus femoris muscle (MT), pennation angle (PA), and fascicle length (FL) were measured using B-mode ultrasound and somatotyping has been performed by the Heath-Carter method. Results: PA (19.1%, p=0.007) and MT (11.5%, p=0.039) were greater in bodybuilders than soccer players, while FL was similar (5%, p=0.220) between athletes. A moderate effect size (ES) was found at MT (ES = 1.06; 95% CI) and a large ES at PA (ES = 1.55; 95% CI). Somatotyping has revealed that bodybuilders were endomorphic mesomorph (3.01-5.74-2.05) and soccer players were mesomorph-ectomorph (2.52-3.58-3.80). Conclusion: Training affects muscle morphology and somatotype of athletes with regard to sport specific training patterns in long term. Revealing the adaptive characteristics of muscle architecture and somatotypes may help sports scientists and coaches in train planning and modification

Genetic relatedness among quince (<i>Cydonia oblonga</i> Miller) accessions from Turkey using amplified fragment length polymorphisms

Among fruit species cultivated in Turkey, quince shows a great deal of morphological variability and adaptability to the various environments. We attempted to study genetic relationships among 40 quince accessions using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) for future breeding programs. The accessions were previously characterized based on their pomological and yield characteristics and then the best ones were planted in a single collection in Ataturk Central Horticultural Research Institute, Yalova, Turkey. Six AFLP primer combinations generated a total of 746 bands, 493 of which were polymorphic (66.1%). Resolving powers of the AFLP primers ranged from 48.0 to 99.6 making a total of 421.5. Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) clustering of the accessions showed three major clusters and ‘SapancaEsme’ and ‘Esme-3’ were the closest accessions with 95% similarity. Our study indicated that there is a high level of genetic diversity among quince accessions in Turkey and the results of this study can be used for future cultivar breeding programs in quince

GÜVENLİ HAREKET STRATEJİSİ: ANTİ-HAREKET FELSEFESİ (GELENEKSEL DERLEME)

Bu araştırma, lumbopelvik-kalça kompleksi olarak tanımlanan kasların optimizasyonunda, potansiyel güvenli egzersiz stratejisi olabilecek anti-hareket egzersiz yaklaşımının incelenmesi amacıyla geleneksel derleme türünde yazılmıştır. Yayımlanma yılı sınırlaması olmaksızın Google Akademik, PubMed ve Scopus arama tabanlarından “core exercise, safe exercise, spine and exercise” İngilizce anahtar kelimeleri kullanılarak konu ile ilişkili makaleler ele alınmıştır. Araştırma, sistematik derlem türünde yazılmadığı için tüm literatür makaleleri incelenmemiştir. Fitness sektöründe merkezi bölgeye yönelik egzersiz rutinlerine rastlamak mümkündür. Ancak tekrarlı eğilme-bükülme hareketlerinin omurgada herniasyona yol açtığı iddia edilmektedir. Yanlış uygulama kaynaklı yapısal deformitelere bağlı olarak gelişen bel ağrısı görülme oranında artış olduğu bilinmektedir. Epidemiyolojik olarak genellikle posterior zincir hattındaki instabilite veya spesifik olarak zayıf lomber omurga kaynaklı rahatsızlıklara toplumun büyük bir bölümünde rastlamak mümkündür. Diğer taraftan merkezi bölgenin gelişmesinde alternatif güvenli ve etkili egzersiz metodolojilerine ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu noktada, anti-hareket yaklaşımının omurga sağlığını ön planda tutan güvenli egzersiz stratejilerinden bir tanesi olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu beklentinin dayanağı, egzersiz sırasında vertebral sütunun mekanik olarak minimal iç dirence maruz kalmasıdır. Anti-hareket uygulamalarında, omurga güvenli aralık olarak isimlendirilen sınırlarda kalmakta ve dış kuvvetlere karşı moment kuvveti meydana gelmektedir. Omurganın güvenli sınırlar içerisinde tutulması ile vertebral deformitelerin veya mekanik olarak hareket kaynaklı pek çok negatif geri-bildirimin önlenebileceği düşünülmektedir. Derlemede anti-hareket uygulamalarının terminolojisinden, mekanizmalarından ve egzersiz katılımcıları açısından potansiyel progresyon stratejilerinden bahsedilmektedir. Egzersiz katılımcıları kendi sınırlılıkları veya beklentileri doğrultusunda farklı ekipman veya çoklu düzlemlerde uygulanan yeni anti-hareket kalıpları geliştirebilirler ve böylece egzersizden maksimum verim elde edebilirler

The effects of 12-week regular aerobic and resistance exercises on the body composition of middle-aged men and women

12 haftalık düzenli aerobik ve direnç egzersizlerinin orta yaş erkek ve kadınların vücut bileşimlerine etkisini araştırmak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmaya gönüllü 46 erkek (yaş: 33.8 ± 6.6 yıl, Beden Kitle İndeksi (BKİ): 27.9 ± 12.8 kg/m2 ) ve 29 kadın (yaş: 34.7 ± 4.5 yıl, BKİ: 26.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2 ) olmak üzere toplam 75 sedanter denek katılmıştır. Antrenmanın şiddeti % 60- 70 olarak Karvonen metodu ile belirlendi. 12 hafta boyunca, haftada 3 gün, aerobik ve direnç egzersizleri ile çalışmalardan önce ısınma ve sonunda soğuma egzersizleri yaptırılmıştır. Deneklerin egzersiz programı öncesi ve sonrası vücut kompozisyonları, kan basınçları, el kavrama kuvveti ölçümleri yapılmıştır. Deneklerin ön ve son test karşılaştırmaları SPSS 11.0 paket programı kullanılarak paried t-testi ile analiz edilmiştir. Orta yaş kadın ve erkeklere uygulanan 12 haftalık aerobik ve direnç egzersizlerinin vücut ağırlığı (VA), BKİ, vücut yağ oranı (VYO), yağsız kas kitlesi (YKK), bel çevresi (BÇ), kalça çevresi (KÇ), bel-kalça oranı (BKO), el kavrama kuvveti (EKK), sistolik kan basıncı (SKB) ve diastolik kan basıncı (DKB) parametrelerinde istatistikî açıdan son testler lehine anlamlı farklılıklar meydana getirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına dayalı olarak orta yaşlı erkek ve kadınlarda yapılan düzenli aerobik ve direnç egzersizlerinin deneklerin vücut kompozisyonları üzerinde olumlu etki yaptığı saptanmıştır.This study was done purpose to investigate the effects of 12-week regular aerobic and resistance exercises on the body composition of middle-aged men and women. A total of 75 volunteer sedentary subjects including 46 male (aged 33.8 ± 6.6 year, with Body Mass Index (BMI)= 27.9 ± 12.8 kg/m2 ) and 29 female (aged 34.7 ± 4.5 year, BMI= 26.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2 ) were involved in the study. Intensity of exercise was % 60-70 that was determined by Karvonen method. The subjects were made to perform aerobic and resistance exercises 3 day a week for 12 weeks as well as some warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after main exercises. The subjects were tested before and after the exercise program for their body compositions, blood pressures, grid strength, and the values were recorded. Subjects; pre- and post-test scores were analyzed with paired samples t-test using SPSS 11.0 software It was found that the 12-week regular aerobic and resistance exercises applied on middle-aged men and women have caused significant differences in some parameters including the body weigh (BW), BMI, body fat ratio (BFR), fat free body mass (FFBM), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), hand grip strength (HGS), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in favour of post-test scores. According to research results, it is identified that regular aerobic and resistance exercises had positive results on body compositions of the middle aged men and women subjects

The Influence of Birth Weight on Physical Fitness in Children Between 8 to 10 Years

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of birth weight on the physical fitness parameters of children. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 180 (90 boys and 90 girls) children aged between 8-10 years. Participants were grouped as low (n = 60), normal (n= 60), and high (n= 60) birth weight groups based on their birth weight and gestation weeks. In the research, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and BMI) and Eurofit test battery (flamingo balance, plate tapping, sit and reach, standing broad jump, handgrip strength, 30s sit-ups, bent-arm hang, and 10x5m shuttle run tests) were performed. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the birth weight groups in terms of the results of anthropometric measurements and scores of Eurofit physical fitness tests (p > .05). Conclusion: It was determined that birth weight has no influence on the measured anthropometric and physical fitness parameters of children aged 8 to10 years

THE COMPARISON OF SOME PHYSICAL, PHYSIOLOGIC AND ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF JUNİOR MALE NATIONAL AND AMATEUR BADMINTON PLAYERS

Bu çalışmada; yıldız milli ve amatör düzeyde erkek badmintoncuların bazı fiziksel, fizyolojik ve antropometrik parametrelerinin karşılaştırılması amaçlandı. Araştırmaya gönüllü 10 yıldız milli (yaş:11.20 ± 0.6) ve 10 amatör (yaş:11.80 ± 0.63) erkek badmintoncu olmak üzere 20 sporcu katıldı. İstatistiksel veriler SPSS paket programında Mann Whitney U testi ile değerlendirildi. Yıldız milli ile amatör sporcular arasında fiziksel ve fizyolojik testlerden 30, 60 m, zik-zak (4x10m), pençe kuvveti, dikey sıçrama ve reaksiyon zamanı testlerinden sağ, sol el ışık, sol el ve sol ayak ses testi parametreleri yönünden mili sporcular lehine anlamlı fark bulunmuştur. Milli sporcular ile amatör sporcular arasında yapılan antropometrik ölçümlerden vücut yağ oranı ile çevre ölçümlerinden karın çevresi ölçümlerinde milli sporcular lehine anlamlı fark tespit edilmiştir. Badminton milli ve amatör sporculara yapılan ölçümlerden omuz, göğüs, kalça, üst kol, üst ve alt bacak çevresi, otur uzan esnekliği, anaerobik güç, sağ el ve sağ ayak ses, sağ ve sol ayak ışık reaksiyon testleri arasında anlamlı fark bulunmamıştır. Sonuç olarak; araştırmada karşılaştırılan yıldız milli ve amatör sporcular arasındaki farkın nedeni, yıldız milli düzeyde sporcu olabilmek belli düzeyde fiziksel, fizyolojik ve antropometrik parametrelere sahip olmayı gerektirmektedir.The aim of this study was the comparison of some physical, physiologic and anthropometric parameters of junior national and amateur level male badminton players. For volunteering purpose 20 sportsmen were participated 10 national Junior (age:11.20 ± 0.6) and 10 amateur (age:11.80 ± 0.63). The statistical analysis was evaluated by the use of SPSS package program containing Mann Whitney U test. The physical and physiological tests were done among national and amateur sportsmen, 30, 60 m, Zig-zag (4x10m), vertical jump and an important difference was found in the reaction time tests of right, left hand light, left hand ve left foot sound test parameters of the national sportsmen. As for the anthropometric measurements which were done between national and amateur sportsmen an important difference was determined in body fat rate with circumference measurement of waist measurement. The measurement were done the Badminton National and amateur sportsmen: An important difference was not found among shoulder, chest, hip, upper arm and leg, lower leg circumference, sit and reach flexibilty, anaerobic strength, right hand and right foot sound, right and left foot light reaction tests. As a result: In this research the comparison among the national junior and amateur sportsmen, it is seen that to be a national junior level sportsman it is neccesary to have a certain level of physical, physiological and anthropometric paramaters.

Influence of Training Frequency on Serum Concentrations of Some Essential Trace Elements and Electrolytes in Male Swimmers

Elemental fluctuations during physical performances have been a point of interest. This study was designed to investigate the effect of swimming frequency on serum concentrations of some trace elements (chromium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium) and electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium). Three groups of different-level male swimmers were included in the study, as elite swimmers (n = 14), amateur swimmers (n = 11), and sedentary individuals (n = 10). Elite and amateur swimmer groups followed a 3-week training program. At the end of the period, all volunteers were subjected to a controlled swimming test, and blood samples were collected at the beginning of (pre-test), immediately after (post-test), and 1 h after this activity. Element concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using a dilute and shoot procedure. Apart from the swimming test applied, pre-test calcium and potassium levels were higher in elite swimmers compared to amateurs and controls. The difference in pre-test levels of these elements can be associated with adaptive mechanisms emerged by the frequent training. Regarding the test applied, changes in magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, and selenium levels exhibited a common pattern in all study groups, with higher post-test serum concentrations. Another point of note was a drop of copper, zinc, and selenium levels at 1 h after the test in elite swimmers. The decrease in serum zinc was also observed in the other groups. Results highlight the value of regular control of elemental status to provide insight into transient effects and deficiencies

Effects of cranberry (Vaccinum macrocarpon) supplementation on iron status and inflammatory markers in rowers

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of supplementation with cranberry (Vaccinum macrocarpon) on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, hepcidin and selected markers of iron metabolism in rowers subjected to exhaustive exercise. METHODS: This double-blind study included 16 members of the Polish Rowing Team. The subjects were randomly assigned to the supplemented group (n = 9), receiving 1200 mg of cranberry extract for 6 weeks, or to the placebo group (n = 7). The participants performed a 2000-m test on a rowing ergometer at the beginning and at the end of the preparatory camp. Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein prior to each exercise test, one minute after completing the test, and after a 24-h recovery period. The levels of hepcidin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), ferritin, iron, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and myoglobin were determined, along with total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), unbound iron-binding capacity (UIBC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). RESULTS: Both prior and after the supplementation, a significant post-exercise increase in the concentration of IL-6 was observed in both groups. At the end of the study period, cranberry-supplemented athletes presented with significantly higher resting, post-exercise and post-recovery levels of TAC than the controls. However, a significant exercise-induced increase in the concentrations of TNF-alpha, myoglobin and hepcidin was observed solely in the control group. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with cranberry extract contributed to a significant strengthening of antioxidant potential in individuals exposed to strenuous physical exercise. However, supplementation did not exert direct effects on other analyzed parameters: inflammatory markers and indices of iron metabolism (TNF-alpha, hepcidin and myoglobin)