Utilisation of far infrared-emitting garments for optimising performance and recovery in sport: Real potential or new fad? A systematic review

Background Thanks to the specific materials they embed, far infrared (FIR)-emitting garments can interact with the body’s physiological functions. Such effects have been sought in medicine and physiotherapy for a long time for the treatment/relief of a variety of pathologies and disabling conditions. Recently, FIR-emitting garments have been introduced in the sporting domain under the influence of manufacturers seeing here a new opportunity to support physical performance in athletes, though this is not clearly established. To fill this gap, in this systematic review, we summarize the scientific evidence on the use of FIR-emitting garments in sport and provide directions for future research by shedding light on current scientific limitations. Method Five scientific databases (PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searched by two independent reviewers. Studies investigating the effects of FIR-emitting garments on at least one physiological outcome related to exercise performance and/or recovery in humans were selected. The methodological quality of retained studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Results and discussion Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Studies investigating similar outcomes related to exercise performance or recovery were scarce and results inconclusive, which prevents from drawing firm conclusion about the utilisation of FIR-emitting garments in athletes. However, these early results show that FIR-emitting garments may be of interest for exercise performance and recovery, mainly through their effects on the body’s thermoregulation and haemodynamic function. The summary provided in this review can be used to inform the design of future studies. (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021238029)

Downhill Running: What Are The Effects and How Can We Adapt? A Narrative Review

Downhill running (DR) is a whole-body exercise model that is used to investigate the physiological consequences of eccentric muscle actions and/or exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). In a sporting context, DR sections can be part of running disciplines (off-road and road running) and can accentuate EIMD, leading to a reduction in performance. The purpose of this narrative review is to: (1) better inform on the acute and delayed physiological effects of DR; (2) identify and discuss, using a comprehensive approach, the DR characteristics that affect the physiological responses to DR and their potential interactions; (3) provide the current state of evidence on preventive and in-situ strategies to better adapt to DR. Key findings of this review show that DR may have an impact on exercise performance by altering muscle structure and function due to EIMD. In the majority of studies, EIMD are assessed through isometric maximal voluntary contraction, blood creatine kinase and delayed onset muscle soreness, with DR characteristics (slope, exercise duration, and running speed) acting as the main influencing factors. In previous studies, the median (25th percentile, Q1; 75th percentile, Q3) slope, exercise duration, and running speed were − 12% (− 15%; − 10%), 40 min (30 min; 45 min) and 11.3 km h−1 (9.8 km h−1; 12.9 km h−1), respectively. Regardless of DR characteristics, people the least accustomed to DR generally experienced the most EIMD. There is growing evidence to suggest that preventive strategies that consist of prior exposure to DR are the most effective to better tolerate DR. The effectiveness of in-situ strategies such as lower limb compression garments and specific footwear remains to be confirmed. Our review finally highlights important discrepancies between studies in the assessment of EIMD, DR protocols and populations, which prevent drawing firm conclusions on factors that most influence the response to DR, and adaptive strategies to DR

Editorial: From Physiological Adaptations to Endurance Performance: It Is Time to Bridge the Gap

Editorial on the Research Topic From Physiological Adaptations to Endurance Performance: It Is Time to Bridge the Ga

Pharmacological depletion of RNA splicing factor RBM39 by indisulam synergizes with PARP inhibitors in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

Ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common subtype of ovarian cancer with limited therapeutic options and a poor prognosis. In recent years, poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have demonstrated significant clinical benefits, especially in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. However, acquired drug resistance and relapse is a major challenge. Indisulam (E7070) has been identified as a molecular glue that brings together splicing factor RBM39 and DCAF15 E3 ubiquitin ligase resulting in polyubiquitination, degradation, and subsequent RNA splicing defects. In this work, we demonstrate that the loss of RBM39 induces splicing defects in key DNA damage repair genes in ovarian cancer, leading to increased sensitivity to cisplatin and various PARP inhibitors. The addition of indisulam also improved olaparib response in mice bearing PARP inhibitor-resistant tumors. These findings demonstrate that combining RBM39 degraders and PARP inhibitors is a promising therapeutic approach to improve PARP inhibitor response in ovarian HGSC

The time course of different neuromuscular adaptations to short‑term downhill running training and their specific relationships with strength gains

Purpose: Due to its eccentric nature, downhill running (DR) training has been suggested to promote strength gains through neuromuscular adaptations. However, it is unknown whether short-term chronic DR can elicit such adaptations. Methods: Twelve untrained, young, healthy adults (five women, seven men) took part in four weeks’ DR, comprising 10 sessions, with running speed equivalent to 60-65% maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max, assessed at weeks 0 and 4). Isometric and isokinetic knee-extensor maximal voluntary torque (MVT), vastus lateralis (VL) muscle morphology/architecture (anatomical cross-sectional area, ACSA; physiological CSA, PCSA; volume; fascicle length, Lf; pennation angle, PA) and neuromuscular activation (VL EMG) were assessed at weeks 0, 2 and 4. Results: MVT increased by 9.7-15.2% after four weeks (p<0.01). VL EMG during isometric MVT increased by 35.6±46.1% after four weeks (p<0.05) and correlated with changes in isometric MVT after two weeks (r=0.86, p=0.001). VL ACSA (+2.9±2.7% and +7.1±3.5%) and volume (+2.5±2.5% and +6.6±3.2%) increased after two and four weeks, respectively (p<0.05). PCSA (+3.8±3.3%), PA (+5.8±3.8%) and Lf (+2.7±2.2%) increased after four weeks (p<0.01). Changes in VL volume (r=0.67, p=0.03) and PCSA (r=0.71, p=0.01) correlated with changes in concentric MVT from two-to-four weeks. V̇O2max (49.4±6.2 vs. 49.7±6.3 mL∙kg-1∙min-1) did not change after four weeks (p=0.73). Conclusion: Just four weeks’ moderate-intensity DR promoted neuromuscular adaptations in young, healthy adults, typically observed after high-intensity eccentric resistance training. Neural adaptations appeared to contribute to most of the strength gains at two and four weeks, while muscle hypertrophy seemed to contribute to MVT changes from two-to-four weeks only

Impact of laser frequency noise in coherent population trapping with cold atoms

Laser-cooled atoms and coherent population trapping (CPT) are promising tools for realizing a compact microwave frequency reference with excellent stability. To realize a high performance device, it is necessary to understand and minimize all sources of technical noise. Here, we investigate the role of laser frequency noise in cold-atom CPT with an apparatus based on the grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT). We compare the performance of our setup with an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) and a distributed feedback diode laser (DFB). With the DFB, laser frequency noise is one of the dominant noise sources in our system. With the ECDL, it is significantly reduced. We also report frequency stability measurements of our apparatus with a short-term Allan deviation Sigma_y (tau) ≈ 3(times)10-11/rt τ up to τ= 10 s